On Friday of last week, my brothers and I buried my mother in San Diego.
When the service was over, we decided to take the girls to a Chick Fil-a for a comfort-food meal.
And then, the most awful day in my life got even worse: the employees at the restaurant Jew-heckled me in front of my wife and daughters.
I wrote about the experience today for the Houston Press. Click here to read the story.
On any other day, I would have confronted the Chick Fil-a employees for what they had done. But I could not do that on the day that we laid my mother to rest.
We used the incident as a teachable moment for the girls: our black and brown sisters and brothers have to navigate these awful situations on a daily basis, we told them. We just got a little taste of what that feels like.
It felt impossible to suppress my anger but it was what I had to do that day.
Read about what happened and how Chick Fil-a responded to the complaint.
Today, a yahrzeit candle burns on our kitchen table. G-d bless the memory of my mother.
Do Bianchi 
Condolences to you and your family. I am so sorry you had to endure such disgraceful treatment on an already difficult day. I added Chic-fil-a to the list of places I won’t spend my money many years ago. I realize not all of their employees can be painted with the same brush, but it does make you worry about corporate culture.
May your mother’s memory be a blessing.
Denise
I am so sorry this happened to you. Hate has been unleashed in this country and I don’t understand it. Bless you mother, yourself, your wife and your girls. There are still people who care. I hope the girls know that.
Every day I have an “I can’t believe this is happening in today’s day and age” moment. This was today’s. I hope you can meet with the staff. I think it would be a great learning experience for them. As Michelle Obama recently said in her podcast (I’m paraphrasing, not true quote)–“It is hard to hate face-to-face.” I hope you can show them people are just people. My condolences on your loss.