Massive Crowds Flood Jewish-Owned Philadelphia Restaurants, Drowning Out Anti-Israel Protest on Eve of Kristallnacht
An anti-Israel campaign targeting six Jewish-owned restaurants in Philadelphia spectacularly backfired Sunday, as hundreds of Jewish community members and supporters descended on the businesses, packing dining rooms, forming long lines outside and waving Israeli and American flags in a powerful show of solidarity on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht.
What organizers had promoted as a bicycle ride to boycott and pressure businesses they labeled “Zionist establishments” instead turned into a day of booming business, with supporters traveling from across the region — including New York — to make sure the targeted restaurants were anything but empty.
The demonstration, organized by a group calling itself Philly Bike On Your Left, targeted six popular establishments in the Rittenhouse Square area: Mac Mart, K’Far Cafe, Huda, Goldie, Dizengoff and Schlesinger’s.
Promotional materials for the ride declared, “No business for Zionists! These Zionist Establishments must go! Not in our city!”
The timing sparked particular outrage. The protest took place on November 8, the eve of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 Nazi pogrom during which Jewish businesses, homes and shuls were attacked across Germany and Austria.
The Israeli-American Council (IAC), working alongside local Jewish organizations and community members, mobilized a major counter-response, urging residents to visit the targeted restaurants and demonstrate that attempts to intimidate Jewish business owners would not succeed.
At Huda, owner Yehuda Sichel described an extraordinary turnout, with customers streaming into his restaurant to express their support.
Sichel, whose grandfather survived the Holocaust and witnessed Kristallnacht, said the campaign was particularly painful given his family’s history.
He believes his restaurant was targeted because he previously helped raise funds for Israeli children injured or traumatized following the October 7 massacre.
“I didn’t send it to any military,” Sichel said. “I’m an American. I’m a Jew. I’m a proud supporter of the Israeli cause but that does not mean I’m in the government over there. I don’t even have any influence on the government in Philadelphia.”
Poster
The bicycle protest began around noon, with participants riding through Philadelphia carrying Palestinian flags, many wearing masks.
But instead of encountering deserted restaurants, the protesters found large crowds of supporters waving Israeli flags, cheering and confronting the boycott campaign.
Outside Dizengoff, demonstrators were greeted with chants of “Shame on you!”
Another supporter shouted, “This is America, not Nazi Germany, coward.”
Police deployed a significant presence around Rittenhouse Square and worked to separate the opposing groups as verbal confrontations erupted. According to Philadelphia’s ABC6, three people were arrested during the demonstrations.
The boycott ride ultimately ended early, with organizers citing safety concerns.
Matt Sheldon, who traveled from New York to support the Philadelphia Jewish community, estimated that approximately 75 people participated in the boycott ride.
“It’s the biggest bust of a boycott there is,” Sheldon said. “They made these Jewish restaurants rock stars.”
The turnout was so overwhelming that lines outside some establishments stretched down the block. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, hundreds of people waited outside Huda, with some Jewish supporters even putting on tefillin while standing in line.
The controversy drew condemnation from prominent elected officials and Jewish organizations.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker defended the right to peaceful protest while making clear that targeting businesses because their owners are Jewish was unacceptable.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described the boycott as “designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities.”
Senator John Fetterman issued an especially forceful condemnation, calling the demonstration a “sick parade of rank antisemitism.”
The Anti-Defamation League also urged residents to patronize the targeted restaurants.
“This protest is an attempt to intimidate a Jewish community that has faced generations of violence, exclusion and antisemitism,” the ADL said. “It’s the latest in a string of incidents that hold Jewish businesses responsible for events in the Middle East. That’s antisemitic, plain and simple. But we refuse to let hate win.”
The organizers pushed back against the criticism, claiming the demonstration had been “grossly misrepresented.”
They insisted the date had not been selected because of the Kristallnacht anniversary and maintained that the businesses were targeted over their owners’ support for Israel rather than their Jewish identity.
Jewish community organizations rejected that distinction, arguing that singling out businesses and calling for their removal from the city because of their owners’ Zionist beliefs was deeply troubling.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center also became involved, sending letters to Philadelphia law enforcement requesting protective measures and notifying protest organizers to preserve evidence related to the campaign. The organization also warned about a separate boycott ride announced for November 15, raising concerns that the intimidation campaign could continue.
The IAC said the campaign recalled historical efforts to isolate and economically punish Jewish communities.
The organization stressed that the most effective response would extend beyond Sunday’s enormous turnout, urging supporters to continue eating at and ordering from the six restaurants in the coming days and weeks.
The nonprofit JewBelong also joined the response, placing billboards at 14 locations throughout Philadelphia.
The billboards declared, “Running over Jewish businesses isn’t a peace plan,” and encouraged residents to “boycott the boycott ride.”
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