The dinner menu on Jan. 26 at Ayat, a restaurant in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, included challah, a staple of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine and a traditional offering on a Shabbat table. The bread was served with a complete dinner to more than a thousand guests who responded to an invitation to a free Shabbat dinner posted on Ayat’s Instagram page. “It’s about breaking barriers, fostering dialogue, and connecting on a human level. This evening is more than a meal; it’s an opportunity to share stories, embrace diverse perspective es, and celebrate our shared humanity,” read the post that received more than 10,000 likes.

The idea came to Ayat’s co-owners, Abdul Elenani and Ayat Masoud, after they faced backlash for naming the seafood section of their latest restaurant’s menu ”From the River to the Sea,” a poke at the recently resurrected pro-Palestinian slogan. The slogan refers to the liberation of the region from the Jordan River west to the Mediterranean Sea. Critics see it as a call for violence against Jews and a denial of Israel’s right to exist. The menu sparked an outcry on the neighborhood’s Facebook page, where many accused the restaurant’s owners of being antisemitic.

For the owners, a Shabbat dinner was a way to set the record straight by reaffirming their respect for their Jewish neighbors.                                                      Photo by Religion News Service/Fiona André