Bay Area coffee shop closes indefinitely amid lawsuits alleging discrimination against Jewish customers
Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, Calif., has closed indefinitely as its owners prepare for a federal trial stemming from three lawsuits alleging that the Palestinian-owned coffee shop discriminated against Jewish customers.The shop announced the closure in an Aug. 21 Substack post, saying it needed to turn its “full attention” to the legal cases. Its last day of operation was Aug. 23.The U.S. Department of Justice failed a lawsuit against the coffee shop, owner Fathi Abdulrahim Harara and its operating company, Native Grounds LLC, in June 2025, alleging violations of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.The lawsuit followed separate federal and state suits filed earlier that year by the Anti-Defamation League and Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff on behalf of Michael Radice, and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law on behalf of Jonathan Hirsch. Radice alleges he was refused service and subjected to antisemitic…
Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California, has closed indefinitely as of August 23 to focus on three lawsuits alleging discrimination against Jewish customers. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in June 2025, alleging violations of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This followed earlier federal and state suits filed by the Anti-Defamation League and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law on behalf of Michael Radice and Jonathan Hirsch, respectively. Radice claims he was refused service and subjected to antisemitic slurs in June 2024, while Hirsch alleges he and his son were asked to leave in October 2024 due to a Star of David on his hat. The coffee shop stated that “these lawsuits represent the ongoing efforts of Zionist organizations and the federal government to use the courts as a tool to repress free speech and public political commitments to Palestine.” The federal trial is scheduled for October 26.
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