On Location with Ethiopian-Jewish Chef and Restaurateur Beejhy Barhany

Mar 10, 2026

Beejhy Barhany, Ethiopian-Israeli chef and founder of Tsion Cafe, blends culinary craft with Beta Israel cultural activism. She talks about cooking sambusa and injera, the cafe’s mission of bridge-building through vegan kosher food, her family’s trek from Ethiopia to Israel, struggles with harassment that changed the restaurant’s operations, and founding BINA to preserve Ethiopian-Jewish heritage.

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ANECDOTE

Beta Israel Origin Stories Tie To Solomon And Menelik

Beejhy recounts Beta Israel's ancient origin stories linking them to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and Menelik, claiming ties to the Ark of the Covenant in Axum.
She uses these narratives to explain why Ethiopian Jews always yearned for return to Zion.

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INSIGHT

Legitimacy Debates Undermine Jewish Unity

Questions about Beta Israel legitimacy reveal a broader tendency in Jewish communities to police 'correct' Jewishness.
Beejhy argues this focus on proof undermines celebrating global Jewish diversity and shared identity.

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ANECDOTE

Treacherous Journeys From Ethiopia To Sudan Before Aliyah

Beejhy describes organized treks from Tigray to Sudan with donkeys, horses, and wagons where communities risked dehydration and hired guides; she remembers nearly being left behind as a child.
She emphasizes the spiritual commitment behind these perilous migrations toward Israel.

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Welcome to Tsion Cafe and Its Spirit

03:57 • 3min

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Ethiopian Coffee and Cafe Hospitality

07:19 • 55sec

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Closing Daily Service Due To Harassment

08:14 • 3min

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Harassment Details and Impact on Staff

11:27 • 4min

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Pivoting to Private Events for Safety

15:26 • 1min

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Why Tsion Is Named for Zion

16:31 • 2min

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Food as a Bridge and Cultural Mission

18:03 • 1min

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Why BJ Chose New York and Harlem

19:18 • 1min

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Who Are the Beta Israel?

20:32 • 2min

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Questions of Jewish Legitimacy and Diversity

22:47 • 2min

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Beta Israel's Historical Isolation and Contacts

Yearning for Zion and Early Aliyah Efforts

29:47 • 2min

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The Trek from Ethiopia to Sudan to Israel

31:22 • 2min

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Shabbat as Protection on the Journey

33:19 • 5min

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Arriving in Israel: Reality vs. Dream

38:36 • 4min

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Operation Moses/Solomon and Community Growth

42:08 • 1min

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Ethiopian Practices and Adoption of Mainstream Judaism

43:19 • 2min

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Gursha Cookbook and Tradition

45:45 • 1min

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What Makes Tsion Ethiopian-Israeli Food

47:08 • 2min

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Cooking Sambusa and Kitchen Techniques

49:15 • 3min

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Dabo, Festive Foods, and Products

BINA Cultural Foundation and Advocacy

55:48 • 2min

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Where in the World Game and Cultural Reflections

Gursha presents recipes and personal stories from Beejhy Barhany, tracing the foodways of Ethiopian Jews across Ethiopia, Israel, and Harlem. The book explains traditional dishes—like injera and berbere‑spiced stews—alongside adaptations made after migration, and includes cultural context about Beta Israel traditions. Barhany uses food as a lens to recount her family's journey to Israel and later life in New York, highlighting resilience and communal dining practices. Recipes are adapted for modern kitchens while preserving authentic flavors and rituals such as the communal feeding gesture gursha. The book aims to educate readers about the diversity of Jewish cuisine and to celebrate Jewish communities of the African diaspora.

#1040

• Mentioned in 36 episodes

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a spiritual conversion narrative that outlines Malcolm X's philosophy of black pride, black nationalism, and pan-Africanism. The book, based on over 50 in-depth interviews conducted by Alex Haley between 1963 and Malcolm X's assassination in 1965, covers Malcolm's childhood, his young adulthood in Boston and New York City, his involvement in organized crime, his prison sentence, and his subsequent involvement with the Nation of Islam. It also details his disillusionment with the Nation of Islam, his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his travels in Africa. The book is known for its candid and introspective narrative, offering a personal and historical perspective on the civil rights era and the life of one of its most influential figures.

In this delectable episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Jonah records on location in Harlem, New York, at Tsion Café, America’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant, for a conversation with owner and chef Beejhy Barhany about Ethiopian Jewish (Beta Israel) culture, food, and identity. Beejhy explains Tsion Café’s mission of bridge-building through vegan kosher cuisine and storytelling, and why she recently closed daily dining and now hosts only private events, due to years of anti-Zionist harassment, threats, and vandalism that intensified after October 7 and after becoming fully kosher. She discusses Harlem’s support, her meaning of “Zion,” and her belief that food can break barriers. Beejhy discusses Beta Israel’s unique history, questions of legitimacy, her family’s 1980–83 trek from Ethiopia to Israel, and experiences of discrimination and “conversion” pressures in Israel.

Walking through the café, Beejhy shares the venue's legacy and culinary inspirations with Jonah. The two head into the kitchen to make samosas, discuss injera, dabo, spices, and her NY Times bestselling cookbook (Gursha). During the discussion, she describes founding the BINA (Beta Israel of North America) Cultural Foundation and raising her children with multifaceted identities.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

The story of the Beta Israel Jewish community of Ethiopia and their ancient connection to Judaism.
Beejhy recounts her family’s escape from Ethiopia and years spent in Sudan before immigrating to Israel.
Discussion of major Ethiopian Jewish airlifts, including Operation Moses and Operation Solomon.
Life in immigrant absorption centers in Israel alongside newcomers from Ukraine and Russia.
The role of Tsion Cafe as a cultural hub for Ethiopian Jews and the wider Jewish diaspora.
Why Beejhy founded the Beta Israel North American Cultural Foundation (BINA) to promote Jewish diversity.
The closing of Tsion Cafe’s regular dining service due to anti-Zionist harassment following October 7.
Conversations about racism, identity, and the need for unity within the global Jewish community.
How Ethiopian cuisine, such as traditional dishes served with injera, helps build cultural bridges.
Reflections on raising multicultural Jewish children in New York City.
The importance of celebrating Jewish diversity across communities from Israel to Africa and the United States.

Thank you to our sponsors and promotional partners:

Jewish Communal Fund

Chutzpod

And a Special Thanks to our production partner on this episode: Jewish Broadcasting Services (JBS)

Mentioned In The Episode:

Beejhy Barhan Instagram

Tsion Cafe

Far from the Eye, Close to the Heart: The Fascinating History of the Beta Israel Community in Ethiopia

NYC’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant closes after anti-Zionist harassment: ‘So much animosity’

What is a Mezuzah?

W. E. B. Du Bois

The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley

How This New York Restaurant Is Carrying on the Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance

Charlie Parker

Redd Foxx

Art Tatum: A Talent Never to Be Duplicated

Ethiopia, the home of coffee

Ethiopian immigrants

The Queen of Sheba

The Incredible Story of Ethiopian Jews and Their Journey to Israel

Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond: A Cookbook

Operation Moses

Operation Solomon

Ethiopia’s Turbulent History

The Law of Return

Absorption Centers

Dabo (Ethiopian Bread)

Injera: Ethiopia’s Traditional Bread in Pictures and Words

Lost Tribes beer company resurrects ancient brews

Beta Israel of North American Cultural Foundation

Shop Tsion Cafe

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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

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