On Thursday afternoon, the café „Babka & Krantz“ in Friedenau is bustling with activity. Guests, neighbors, politicians, and supporters gathered there on October 30 to express their solidarity with the bakery, which opened in 2022. It is the first Jewish master craftsman business after over 600 years of professional exclusion in Germany. But in light of current developments, the operators now fear for their existence: anti-Semitic attacks, a prolonged construction site in front of the door, lack of support from the district office, and financial problems.

During the event, co-owner Shahar Elkin tirelessly prepares coffee and topped bagels, bringing fresh baked goods to the counter. His husband and business partner Marcin Dawid Liera-Elkin is not on site. He is exhausted, but agrees to a telephone conversation with the Berliner Morgenpost.

Vehicles vandalized, hate calls and letters, and physical attacks

„In recent weeks our vehicle was vandalized. We have experienced numerous verbal and even physical attacks in our private life, received hate-filled letters and calls,“ says Marcin, adding: „We are worn down. We had to have our commercial register entry blocked because our private address was visible in it. We even had to arrange for our daughter to stay elsewhere.“

Das Café Babka & Krantz in Friedenau.
The Babka & Krantz café in Friedenau.© Antonia Weber | Antonia Weber

In addition to the anti-Semitic attacks, the family is heavily burdened by a construction site directly in front of the café that has been ongoing since March. It not only leads to significant revenue losses, but also delays the planned relocation of part of their production to the Malzfabrik in Tempelhof. „Since March, there has been this construction site in front of the door. For months at a time, nothing happened. We had a revenue decline of over 50 percent at the café on Hackerstraße,“ explains Marcin. The two operate a second café directly next to the House of the Wannsee Conference. As early as next week, the bakery there is supposed to fulfill an order for an event commemorating Kristallnacht.

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But the uncertainties have turned the preparations into a mammoth task. The way some clients handle their payments also contributes to the business‘s financial problems. Unpaid or delayed payments from large institutions are additionally causing the bakery to stumble – even leading to problems with the tax office. „By now, the majority of these outstanding invoices has been paid, but many payment deadlines from business partners were not met,“ explains Marcin.

SPD parliamentarian Özdemir: „Extent of the problems shocking“

In addition, contact with the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district office has so far remained fruitless: „We made many calls and asked for support, but were repeatedly put off. Even after our email in September, there was no response.“

Only the SPD parliamentarian for the district, Orkan Özdemir, has always tried to address their concerns. He is also a guest at the café on Hackerstraße this afternoon: „When I learned the full extent of the problems, I was shocked.“ Özdemir had only organized police protection for the bakery on October 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. Previously, the bakery had been awarded the Craftsmanship Prize, among other things for its efforts towards Jewish-Islamic dialogue.

Owner Marcin: „We are on the verge of collapse“

Marcin and Shahar‘s suffering is palpable. „We are on the verge of collapse. In the end, we are just a bakery that wants to offer great products. But now we are only confronted with problems and politics that leave us in despair,“ Marcin tells the Morgenpost. Then comes the sentence that sounds like a bitter conclusion: „We really don‘t know if Berlin is still the right place for us.“

However, the solidarity event has shown that „Babka & Krantz“ is not alone. Retiree Regina is a regular here – an important social meeting place would disappear from everyday life, she says. Another guest getting a coffee to go turns directly to Shahar: „Something would be missing if you weren’t here anymore. Please keep fighting.“

Özdemir also promises support. He plans to help with financial aid and possible benefit events, emphasizing: „We cannot accept that such an important institution in the neighborhood closes.“

This article was originally written and published on the 31st of October in German. It was translated in English with the use of Artificial Intelligence.