Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

George SantayanaPhilosopher

Once upon a time in America, school children were taught the phrase “Never Again” in relation to the Holocaust. Five years ago, our Kim wrote a piece lamenting that teachers were teaching Social Justice but not the Holocaust. It’s excellent. Read it here. We are reaping the fruits of this ignorance as coffee shop employees refused to let a Jewish woman back into the restroom to document Antisemitic phrases written in the facility.

The coffee shop is Farley’s East in Oakland, California, one of three locations owned by Amy and Chris Hillyard. The Jewish woman was served and finished her meal and then went to the restroom. On the walls, she found Antisemitic writings. When she took her phone to try to go back in and record the graffiti, she was blocked and harassed (my words) by employees of the shop with the motto “you belong here”.

Not only was the Jewish woman denied reentrance to the facility, she was accused of misgendering an employee (see Social Justice, above). Here is part of a Fox News writer:

“We’ve given you all your food,” one employee said in the video, “You’ve eaten, you’re holding up s—.”

“I want to go into the restroom,” the woman said repeatedly.

Another employee, seen wearing a yellow beanie and a face mask, said, “Also currently, this is a private property. I do need you to leave.” The first employee chimed in, “I know Israel loves taking private property and saying it’s their own. But you gotta head…”

“You’re not going to let me go into the restroom?” the customer asked again.

“You’re also misgendering them. So I need you to leave please,” the second employee said.

A third employee, wearing a red face mask and with dyed blue hair, remained silent during the exchange while standing in front of the restroom’s closed door.

“I need you to leave, please,” the second employee said.

The woman responded that she “was patroned here,” and had “a right to go into the restroom”

The employees refused and continued to ask the woman to leave. After this patter repeated, another person, who claimed to work next door, offered to let the woman use their restroom instead. The woman insisted that she wanted to use the one at the coffee shop and “should not be excluded and other people allowed.” The employees refused again and again, and finally, one of them told the woman she could use their other restroom.

“No, I want to use this,” the woman said.

“All you want to get is a video of it saying that Zionism is fascism. Because it is,” an employee said.

“If you agree with it, why are you afraid that I will take a picture of it?” the woman replied.

Finally, the third employee moved and opened the bathroom door for the woman.

The woman entered and recorded the words “Zionism = fascism” written on the frame of the mirror above the bathroom sink. As she did this, the first employee shouted, “History doesn’t start in 1948, lady,” referring to the year that the state of Israel was created after a United Nations resolution.

On the baby changing station, a message with spelling errors read in part “your neutrality” is enabling “genocide” and “Free Palestine.”

Two of the employees then entered the restroom while the woman was recording and said, “Free Palestine.”

I know you are as furious as I am about the Antisemitic behavior of the baristas. It’s not just that. You know that the graffiti didn’t magically appear. These Social Justice warriors don’t have good old common, garden variety, good manners.

Of course, Farley’s owners covered their backside apologized.

UPDATE: Farley’s East in Oakland CA has apologized for the antisemitic behavior of their employees, stating “corrective measures” have been taken.

We are unclear if anyone was fired.

At the request of the individual victim, we have now removed the video of the incident. pic.twitter.com/0ckLx4Jbt2

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 7, 2023

Talk about weak sauce. This doesn’t reflect their values. They have taken corrective action. This is huge. This is not just morally wrong. It is bad business. There is a cancer in that business that must be cut out. Those three employees MUST be fired.

At least one of the employees is unrepentant. Looks like the “corrective action” didn’t take.

Looks like the Farley’s reprimanding of employees really transformed Jesse Turner…. Pathetic! pic.twitter.com/ReyIxz1Gq7

— Ilana Pearlman (@NatureNurtureB) December 7, 2023

But, what there is more:

One of the racist anti semites that tried to bully that elder Jewish woman at Farley's East is, of course, closely connected to Oakland Councilmember @carroll_fife

Fife is the same councilmember who put forth the recent ceasefire resolution and refused to condemn Hamas. https://t.co/R6AWDCbSN0

— Seneca Scott (@SenecaSpeaks21) December 7, 2023

On this first night of Hanukkah, be a light for the world, not part of the darkness. AND, learn history.

Featured Image: Majiscup Paper/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons