How Antisemitic Harrassment Drove NY's Only Ethiopian-Israeli Eatery Underground
NYC’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant, Tsion Café, is ending regular dine-in service after a wave of "antisemitic hostility." Owner Beejhy Barhany reveals how going kosher sparked a campaign of harassment and street confrontations, forcing the Harlem landmark to pivot to private events only.
Tsion Café, the only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant in New York City, has ended regular walk-in dining service and will now operate exclusively for pre-registered groups and culturally immersive events.
Owner Beejhy Barhany, who opened the Harlem restaurant in 2014 with her husband, announced the change, citing escalating antisemitic hostility linked to the war in Gaza that began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
“Everything kind of changed. so much animosity,” Barhany told the New York Jewish Week. Things intensified further, she said, after the restaurant became fully kosher and vegan in February 2024. “I was proud to be Jewish. I wanted to illuminate that,” she said. “But from the moment we pivoted to be kosher, it became worse and worse.”
Barhany, a 48-year-old Ethiopian-born Israeli and former IDF soldier who has lived in Harlem for more than 20 years, described specific incidents of harassment. These included abusive phone calls to the restaurant and street confrontations, such as passersby warning customers outside: “Don’t ever come to this place. It’s owned by Israelis. By Zionists.”
While some other Israeli-owned restaurants in the city faced similar backlash and received public support, Tsion Café’s location off the main tourist paths in Harlem limited visibility and backing.
New York City Comptroller Mark Levine publicly condemned the situation, calling it the result of “blatant bigotry” and a “constant stream of animosity” that worsened after the restaurant went kosher.
Barhany is reimagining Tsion Café as a venue focused on culturally immersive experiences for advance group bookings, aiming to continue showcasing Ethiopian-Jewish heritage and Jewish diversity through food and events. The restaurant had previously received strong reviews for its unique cuisine blending Ethiopian and Israeli influences.