Overview
- The Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant in Harlem has closed to walk-in customers and will host only advance group bookings and cultural events, the owner said.
- Owner Beejhy Barhany reports harassing calls and threats, including an anti-Jewish slur and warnings of violence, which she says intensified after Oct. 7, 2023.
- Barhany says hostility worsened when she shifted to a fully vegan and kosher menu in February 2024, a move intended to reflect her identity.
- The Jewish Community Relations Council filed complaints seeking civil-rights probes with the offices of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, which offered no immediate comment.
- JCRC CEO Mark Treyger and New York City Comptroller Mark Levine condemned the harassment as antisemitic bigotry, while Barhany plans to keep the space active through private events.