This is my first “Nuggets” piece. I have designed these pieces to allow Israelis and Jews in the diaspora to express things that are important to them, to our people and to take us on their personal journeys that perhaps are not well known—yet. And each “Nugget” piece can also teach us something. This “Nugget” piece is on the heavier side. And very timely.

Justin Yehuda is the 24-year-old founder of Iron Dome Coffee, the company that he built from scratch after October 7th. He just could not sit behind a desk anymore while Israel was under attack. “I’m proudly Jewish. I wear it on my sleeve. The company is called Iron Dome. The bags say Am Yisrael Chai in Hebrew. There is nothing subtle about what I’m doing, and that’s by design,” Yehuda says.

Justin Yehuda lives in Murray Hill, Manhattan. And at any given time, on any given day, you can hear Justin Yehuda speaking Hebrew. In fact, he speaks Hebrew every single day, whether on the phone with his cousins in Israel, with his grandparents on FaceTime, sometimes walking down the street. Justin Yehuda does not stop and think about whether he should speak Hebrew because, as he says, “it’s just who I am. Hebrew is how I connect to the people I love most.”

But unfortunately, we now live in a time, when we as Jews, increasingly are the only people and Israel the only nation, not allowed to claim our identity, speak our own language and to be openly proud of who we are and the good that we gave and still give to the world, without having layers of hate and fear imposed on us. This is ironic because the social and ethical principles of Judaism has had and still has a significant impact on the world. These include respect for human life, peace, harmony, education, family, social responsibility, justice and equality, among others. Modern democracy too, is a by-product of Jewish ideas.

So while Justin Yehuda is proudly Jewish, there was a moment that could have changed things for him if he had allowed it to— the attack on two young Israeli-American men in San Jose, California. The two men were simply waiting for a table outside the Augustine Restaurant and speaking Hebrew.

“When I saw what happened in San Jose, two Israeli Americans beaten unconscious at a restaurant just for speaking Hebrew, something shifted. The attackers shouted, “Don’t mess with Iran.” For the first time in my life, I caught myself wondering whether I should lower my voice on the phone. Whether I should switch to English when I’m on the subway. I’ve never had that thought before and the fact that it even crossed my mind made me angry,” said Justin Yehuda.

So the question for him became: what does it mean to be a young, visibly Jewish, Hebrew-speaking founder in New York City right now, and why do I refuse to stop? Well, Justin says,”the whole point of what happened in San Jose is that they want us to be afraid. They want us to whisper. They want us to code-switch and hide. I won’t do it, not on the street, not on the phone, not in my business. Hebrew is not just a language for me. It’s a statement. Every time I speak, I’m saying: we’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere.”

“The bigger picture: This isn’t just about me. There are thousands of young Jewish Americans right now who are quietly asking themselves the same question. Can I wear my Star of David to class? Can I put a mezuzah on my door? Can I speak Hebrew in public? The answer has to be yes. And if telling my story helps even one person feel less alone in that, then it’s worth writing.”

And I hope that young Jewish-Americans and indeed, young Jewish people around the world, can do the same as Justin Yehuda. Be openly Jewishly proud and not let their heritage be erased. It’s too valuable.

Contact information would be Team@irondomecoffee.com