Anti-Israel activists in Philadelphia are organizing a “boycott ride” through the city’s Rittenhouse Square neighborhood for 11:30 AM this Sunday, November 8, targeting six Jewish- and Israeli-owned food businesses on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht.
A flyer circulated on Instagram by the Philly Bike On Your Left group, joined by Boycott CookNSolo and Philly Solidarity Calendar, crosses out six establishments: K’Far Cafe, Huda, Mac Mart, Goldie, Dizengoff and Schlesinger’s. “No business for zionists! These zionist establishments must go! Not in our city!” the flyer reads. Three of the six – K’Far Cafe, Goldie and Dizengoff – belong to CookNSolo, the restaurant group co-founded by Israeli-born chef Michael Solomonov. The ride falls on the eve of the November 9-10 anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Nazi pogrom in which mobs destroyed thousands of Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues and sent some 30,000 Jews to concentration camps. The group has since taken down its Instagram page promoting the ride.
Owners Speak Out
“It’s scary,” Mac Mart co-owner Marti Lieberman told the New York Post. “I literally am just a Jewish girl from the suburbs who started a business.” Lieberman, who openly wears a Star of David necklace, said her mac-and-cheese shop has nothing to do with Israel. The shop is closed on Sundays.
Huda’s Yehuda Sichel, a grandson of Holocaust survivors, was defiant: “They said on their own flyer they want to push Zionists out of their city, but obviously we are not going to be intimidated by this kind of stuff,” he told the Post.
Schlesinger’s owner Allan Domb, whose grandparents opened the deli in the 1920s, told Jewish Insider the targeting “clearly seems to me to be a high level of antisemitism because I’m Jewish.” He has been in touch with his district’s police captain and plans to keep the deli open Sunday: “I’m going to be there myself.”
Officials Condemn the Boycott
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday called the boycott “deeply unsettling,” saying it “singles out our fellow Pennsylvanians based on their Jewish identity.” Mayor Cherelle Parker said that “singling out businesses because their owners are Jewish is unacceptable and has no place in our city,” and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission issued its own condemnation Thursday. A spokesperson for Governor Josh Shapiro said the Pennsylvania State Police is engaged with local law enforcement, calling the ride “nothing more than blatant antisemitism designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities.” Philadelphia police say they are aware of the planned rally and are prioritizing safety.
A joint statement from ADL Philadelphia, the American Jewish Committee of Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and StandWithUs called the campaign “Jew-hatred, plain and simple.”
Community Rallies Behind the Businesses
“All these restaurant owners have in common is that they’re all Jewish,” Jason Holtzman, chief of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, told Jewish Insider. The JCRC is organizing a solidarity lunch at one of the targeted restaurants, a community food crawl is being planned in support of the businesses, and the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce is urging the public to dine at the six establishments. “Let’s make some record sales,” Holtzman said.
Targeted Over Ownership, Not Kosher Status
The six businesses were singled out over their owners’ Jewish or Israeli identity, and not all of them are kosher. Goldie, the all-vegan falafel shop, is certified kosher under the International Kosher Council (IKC); it is the chain’s only remaining location after CookNSolo closed its other Philadelphia shops in July. Protesters previously targeted the chain in December 2024. K’Far Cafe is not kosher certified.
The Targeted Businesses
- K’Far Cafe – 110 S. 19th St.
- Huda – 32 S. 18th St.
- Mac Mart – 1800 Arch St.
- Goldie – 1911 Sansom St. (kosher certified, IKC)
- Dizengoff – 1625 Sansom St.
- Schlesinger’s – 1521 Locust St.
Find Goldie on the YeahThatsKosher app: YeahThatsKosher.com/app
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