Oakland coffee shop closes amid DOJ and civil rights lawsuits over alleged anti-Jewish bias
Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland has shut its doors indefinitely while facing federal and private lawsuits accusing it of discriminating against Jewish patrons.
Owners of Jerusalem Coffee House, a Bay Area café known for its pro-Gaza stance, announced an indefinite shutdown, saying the move is needed to address safety issues and to ready themselves for a federal case set for October 26. The Department of Justice has sued proprietor Abdulrahim Harara and Native Grounds LLC for breaching Title II’s ban on discrimination based on religion and national origin. Separate civil actions filed by the Anti-Defamation League and the Brandeis Center stem from incidents in 2024 where two patrons, Jonathan Hirsch and Michael Radice, say they were expelled and verbally attacked after wearing Star of David hats.
The café’s social-media post framed the lawsuits as an attempt to suppress free speech. Local businesses have raised money for the legal defense, and pro-Palestinian writer Sana Saeed praised the shop as a vital community space.
Why it matters
The case highlights tensions between free-speech claims and civil-rights protections in a highly polarized political climate.
In this story
