Supporting Israel, one cup at a time

Justin Yehuda shrugs off the death threats he’s received since launching his Iron Dome coffee company on March 4.

With varieties like Jerusalem Sunrise Medium Roast, Sabra Spirit Dark Roast, Haifa Hazelnut, Chutzpah Caramel, and Tel Aviv French Vanilla, the new business is unabashedly and unmistakably Israel-themed.

The 23-year-old entrepreneur, son of Dana and Golan Yehuda of Tenafly and a graduate of Solomon Schechter schools in Bergen and Westchester counties, is donating 10% of Iron Dome proceeds to nonprofits that support Israeli citizens and wounded IDF soldiers.

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“The amount of hate I’m getting on social media is violent and aggressive,” he said. “But I don’t mind it.

“I’m trying to show that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are one and the same. I am one of a small contingent ready and willing to look it in the eye. The death threats prove the need for everything I am trying to do: reducing antisemitism through education, which is something I learned at Schechter.

“I want people to feel proud of their Jewish identity. On social media sites like TikTok, Zionism is seen as evil, and I want to be part of the group that fights against that. We are going to build a community of people who feel the same — one cup at a time.”

Mr. Yehuda studied business and law at Cornell University and then took a “traditional corporate path that’s almost expected of people from Tenafly.” But the October 7 massacre, just months after his graduation, led him in a nontraditional direction.

“My father is Israeli, and I have many family members in the IDF,” he said. “Living in New York City, I felt a sense of guilt knowing that they are suiting up and fighting for the existence of their country. It consumed me almost every second of the day; it became almost an unhealthy obsession with what’s going on in Israel.”

The open support for Hamas on the campus of his alma mater felt like a deep betrayal, he said, “and seeing the intense pro-Palestinian ‘protests’ through my window in New York City revealed to me that our way of life is in danger. As a result, I felt a burning urge in my heart to stand up for my community in its dire moment of need.”

So he left his consulting job and “took time to do something positive for Israel.” But what?

He had noticed a strong trend toward the “coffee with a cause” model, a phenomenon that is successfully creating communities around high-quality coffee.

For instance, Black Rifle Coffee Company is committed to supporting veterans, law enforcement officers, and first responders. Manatee Coffee supports efforts to protect manatees and their habitats.

Justin Yehuda

Finding nothing comparable in the pro-Israel population, Mr. Yehuda partnered with an Israeli supply company that gets its coffee beans from Brazil. He headed to its conveniently located research-and-development lab in Bricktown.

“To ensure it’s not just basic coffee but really good coffee, I tasted 250 varieties,” he said. “I was ridiculously caffeinated. I tried a bunch of variations of French vanilla and hazelnut, and you know a good one when it’s in your cup.

“What mattered most was the strength of the taste and the aroma. I want the aroma to fill the room. Some of the most meaningful and memorable parts of life are little things like the smell of coffee. What better than to connect that with saving soldiers?”

After making his choices, he gave each variety a name evocative of Israel. He called his company Iron Dome, after the Israeli missile protection system, because “the name is recognizable by everyone who loves Israel, and the name shows strength. I want people to feel strong in their support of Israel and to feel secure and proud when they make Iron Dome coffee in the morning.”

It’s actually not surprising that Mr. Yehuda switched career gears so soon after his college graduation.

“I’ve always tried hard to break the mold,” he says.

He’s already written two books: “The Vision,” an introspective, philosophy-based work for “those who find themselves struggling with the directionlessness of adolescence,” in 2022, and “Theories & Thoughts: A Brief Intermission,” a collection of random ideas “intended to either challenge an existing way of thinking or to point out a subtle-yet-interesting feature of society,” in 2023.

And he’s already a seasoned Israel advocate. In his senior year in high school, in 2019, he was a fellow in Write On For Israel, now called the Teen Israel Leadership Council, a training program that prepares Jewish high school students to share their views about Israel and the Jewish people on campus and beyond.

“I like to put myself out there, because when I was younger, I realized that’s what makes a great leader,” he said.

Mr. Yehuda was greatly influenced by Rabb Fred Elias of Englewood, who was the school rabbi and middle school principal at the Solomon Schechter School of Bergen County in New Milford for 11 years, an educator at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires, and the former rabbi of Englewood’s Kol HaNeshamah. Rabbi Elias died of cancer in 2020. He was 43 years old.

“I had a great leader in Rabbi Elias, and when he passed away, it was important to me to continue that spirit of leadership, taking what is seen as risks but what I see as doing good for the world,” Mr. Yehuda said. Each year, he sponsors an event to commemorate the rabbi.

He runs Iron Dome Coffee singlehandedly as an ecommerce company. Customers may buy coffee products or Iron Dome merch — drinkware, swag, and wearables — singly or by subscription. The coffee is Star-K kosher-certified.

He has enjoyed positive feedback from the first shipment, which went to customers from across the country. “I’m proud that people say it smells amazing,” he said. They also love the taste.”

Mr. Yehuda, who won the Taub Scholar Athlete Award at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in 2018, is planning several live launch events to celebrate his venture.

“Iron Dome Coffee is more than just any old cup of joe,” he said. “Each cup represents our community’s unwavering support for Israel, our shared values, and our commitment to standing strong, no matter what.

“My goal is simple: to unite our community around the two things we love most — support for Israel and delicious coffee.”

The nonprofit organizations benefiting from sales are Belev Echad, which supports wounded IDF soldiers; Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces; Heroes to Heroes, a yearlong program for U.S. combat veterans of all faiths that focuses on goal-setting, values exploration, spiritual reconnection, and community reintegration with an optional 10-day trip to Israel; and Magen David Adom, Israel’s nationwide emergency response network.

Mr. Yehuda hopes to raise a million dollars over the next five years for these causes.