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(New York Jewish Week) — When Gazala Halabi arrived at her restaurant, Gazalas’s, final Sunday morning, she wasn’t ready for what would occur later within the day: A whole lot of Jewish and Israeli New Yorkers lined as much as dine at her institution.
In current months, she informed the New York Jewish Week, her restaurant was damaged into twice and was vandalized with “Free Palestine” graffiti, and has been topic to a slew of 1-star evaluations on Google and a number of other harassing cellphone calls. Halabi grew up in Israel as a member of the Druze spiritual neighborhood and serves Center Japanese staples like hummus, tabbouleh and kebabs.
“It was significantly annoying,” Halabi stated of the assaults on her restaurant, much like these many Jewish and Israeli institutions have skilled in New York since Israel’s struggle with Hamas started within the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist assault. “After what occurred right here, I used to be down and nervous.”
However when the crowds confirmed up on Sunday, Halabi stated her temper brightened significantly. “I don’t care anymore,” she stated in regards to the vandalism, noting that when the restaurant opened at 11 a.m. that day, it was already full.
“By 12 o’clock, God bless, the entire block was crammed with folks and [Israeli] flags coming to help,” Halabi stated. “I’ve by no means felt as robust as that day.”
How’s that boycott of Israeli eating places going for you?
Gazala’s, an Israeli Druze place on the higher west facet. Come on by, however there is perhaps a wait! pic.twitter.com/oL8R8OnTtu
— Yael Bar tur 🎗️ (@yaelbt) February 4, 2024
The Druze neighborhood numbers lower than 1,000,000 worldwide, with the most important communities residing in Syria, Lebanon and Israel, the place they make up roughly 1.6% of the inhabitants. The Druze are usually patriotic members of Israeli society and serve within the Israel Protection Forces; the connection between Jewish and Druze troopers is typically known as a “covenant of blood.”
“We dwell in a rustic and we now have to go and shield our nation,” Halabi stated of the Druze neighborhood in Israel. “It doesn’t matter that it’s a Jewish nation, it’s my house. They provide me the liberty to follow my faith the way in which I needed, they offer me respect. Ought to I give them one thing again? After all.”
Halabi was in her hometown of Daliyat al-Carmel on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel. “I used to be offended and upset and disillusioned,” she stated.
When Halabi returned to New York a couple of days later, she instantly hung an Israeli flag and a Druze flag within the heart of her restaurant. “It’s not nearly displaying help,” she stated. “Generally you don’t wish to put politics into what you are promoting, however I felt like there’s no approach I can do this anymore.”
She additionally began sporting a necklace with the standard five-pointed Druze star, in addition to a canine tag advocating for the return of the hostages taken into captivity by Hamas that reads “Carry Them House Now!” Contained in the restaurant, the speaker solely play Hebrew music.
“After Oct. seventh, I simply need the entire world to know I’m Israeli,” she stated.
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When Halabi first arrived in New York in 2001 to affix her husband after getting married (she is now divorced) she was intimidated by the tempo of massive metropolis life. “I got here from a village to New York. Most of my time I used to be bored, I didn’t exit that a lot. It wasn’t scary — however it’s a large metropolis,” she stated. “I didn’t know what I used to be imagined to do.”
What she turned to was cooking — particularly, reminiscences of house. Halabi spent numerous hours calling her kinfolk in Israel and studying to prepare dinner their recipes over the cellphone.
Finally, Halabi received ok to start out a home-based catering enterprise in 2005, which led to the opening of a brick-and-mortar restaurant two years later. The unique location in Hell’s Kitchen closed through the pandemic however the restaurant’s second and now solely location moved to its present digs on Amsterdam Ave. in 2018.
She believes Gazala’s is the one Druze restaurant within the New York space — and probably even in the whole United States. Whereas New York is house to a big expat Israeli neighborhood, Halabi stated there are nearly no members of the Druze neighborhood within the metropolis.
“I didn’t know what to anticipate,” she stated of her life in New York. “However I believe New York has began to be my second house as nicely.”
Halabi defined that, in Israel, the Druze neighborhood feels related to Jewish Israelis. “We’ve got one thing in widespread. That’s why we’re related and united,” she stated. “The best way that Jewish folks have been minorities and received attacked over time and wanted to cover — it’s the identical with us.”
She added that she’s shocked by how that relationship has translated with non-Israeli Jews in New York Metropolis. “Day-after-day individuals are hugging me and thanking me and saying we’re standing behind you,” she stated.
“They need to cease thanking me. For what? It’s my nation. It’s my flag. Even when it’s a Jewish nation, it’s my flag, and I’m happy with it. I’m Israeli. I’ve to face with my folks. I’ve to place this Israeli flag up and present help,” Halabi defined. “Individuals are available and thank me like I’m doing them a favor. No, it’s you doing me a favor if you come and help me.”
Halabi expressed her gratitude for Sunday’s rally, calling her patrons “household” and noting that the members weren’t all Israelis. “The individuals who have been right here have been the Jewish neighborhood,” she stated. “That reveals so much in regards to the connection and the connection between the Jews and Druze.”
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