O-blog-dee-o-blog-da

Jewish Man asked to leave MAURO CAFE on Melrose Ave in West Hollywood 

By Melanie Nathan, August 21, 2025.

This past month, I have watched with alarm as antisemitic incidents increase and flood social media. Many are captured on video, but one cannot help but ask: how many go unrecorded, unseen, and unacknowledged? One recent video struck me with particular force, not because it was unique, but because it could have been any of us in a place where we may presume to be safely shielded from the current wave.

The footage shows a man leaving Mauro Café on Melrose in West Hollywood after being refused service. His supposed offense? Wearing a kippah. He himself noted that he believed his Jewish skullcap (yamulkah) was the reason he was asked to leave. No other explanation was offered.

This was not some small town in the rural heartland, nor was it an enclave of white nationalism. This was the City of West Hollywood—Los Angeles County-  arguably one of the most diverse and proudly inclusive corners of California. Rainbow flags fly along its streets. The area is a hub for immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ culture, and liberal politics. And yet, in this very setting, antisemitism reared its head, stripped of pretense, laid bare.

The reported owner of Mauro Café, Evelyne Joan, has roots in France, according to LinkedIn. What makes this incident especially egregious is the possibility that she herself may be an immigrant. She should know better than most that hate and xenophobia thrive in our society, and that immigrants in Los Angeles are increasingly vulnerable to hostility and persecution. Does she believe that having white skin shields her from the wave of hate sweeping across our nation? Does she believe that its acceptable to express  hate toward one group and not expect it in her own?  Hate spares no one—it simply shifts targets.

I recently met the Mayor of West Hollywood, Chelsea Byers, during WEHO Pride. I intend to share this piece with her, confident that she would be horrified at the idea that anyone could be treated this way in her city. West Hollywood prides itself on being a warm, welcoming place that relishes equality for all. The denial of service based on any form of hate—and most especially antisemitism—has no place there.

The importance of this account is not just in reporting one man’s humiliation, and the fear it instills in all of us. It is a call to action. This is what is happening to us Jews, and by extension, to your Jewish friends and neighbors. This is your moment to rise in condemnation of exclusion rooted in hate and age-old antisemitism. Now is the time to assert that this should not be our America.

Because while a restaurant may wave rainbow flags and attract the “cool,” there is nothing cool about hate. Not here, not anywhere.

Caveat: The evidence speaks for itself. This piece relies entirely on the publicly shared video of a man wearing a kippah being told to leave Mauro Café by staff, and on his statement that he was denied service because of his Jewish identity. I do not know the man’s name, nor his full story. I did place a call to Mauro Café seeking comment from Evelyne Joan. At the time of publication, my message has not been returned.

Antisemitism is not a relic of history—it is alive and well, even in spaces that claim to celebrate diversity. If we do not confront it in everyday places—our cafés, our neighborhoods, our cities—we normalize it, one silent incident at a time.

THE VIDEO:

The website for the Cafe noted:

NEIGHBORHOOD ALL-DAY CAFE
IN WEST HOLLYWOOD
WITH ITALIAN ROOTS
AND CALIFORNIAN INFLUENCE.

NOW OPEN IN OUR
NEW LOCATION!
7469 MELROSE AVENUE

Mauro is available to cater your next event!

All orders are prepared fresh daily from wholesome ingredients, and delivered with care by our skilled team. Advance notice is required to ensure timely delivery.

VIA A SOCIAL MEDIA POST