After his staff walked out over his stance on Israel, New York City coffee shop owner Aaron Dahan received an outpouring of support from his community, receiving nearly $50,000 in donations and serving 15,000 customers in a single day, according to the Daily Mail.
Dahan, 25, reportedly served a steady stream of customers that curved around the corner of Caffe Aronne for two whole days, staying open until midnight, which was long past closing hours. The Mail reported that at least five baristas resigned on Tuesday when he tried to address the "Free Palestine" pins they wore to work, leaving him short-staffed.
On Manhattan's Upper East Side, lines stretched down the block Wednesday, as customers waited to show their support of the cafe and Israel with a coffee break. Dahan's family and friends, as well as complete strangers, pulled together and volunteered to help the business handle the increased workload.
Susan Lax, a peace activist and owner of Israeli shoe brand NAOT, has a close friend who is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. The Mail reported that she waited for almost two hours in line to show her support with a cup of coffee.
"Mostly because in these really horrific days and dark days, when we do for someone, we feel helpful as opposed to helpless," Lax told the outlet. "And community is what brings resilience to the surface. As a Jewish Israeli-American, I am part of a community in many areas, and we need to lift each other up. We become stronger and more resilient.
"I will not walk around with my head down," she added. "I walk with it very high and proud as an Israeli and as a peace activist all in one."
Israeli citizen Shira Dekel's Tel Aviv apartment was destroyed by a rocket during the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas. Living temporarily in New York, she has four years of experience making drinks and volunteered her service as a barista upon hearing the news of the cafe's predicament.
She told the Mail that, as a war refugee, she feels like she is accepted at Caffe Aronne.
"I already met friends here," she said. "I'm not lonely anymore. It's important to have a place where people support Israel and I feel like I belong."
Other members of the community reportedly brought Dahan home-baked goods to sell in the cafe, with the proceeds going to Magen David Adom, Israel's Red Cross. Some vendors have even offered their products to the cafe free of charge, with one company sending coffee cups and writing "Am Yisrael Chai" on the invoice instead of a charge. The phrase translates to "Long live the nation of Israel."
Dahan said he could have never predicted how much the community would support his business, in the wake of losing his staff.
"My mother's like, I told you to double the order," he said with a smile. "I was like, I did — I tripled it."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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