Sarah Armstrong, a Jewish waitress working at a Florida restaurant, served a table of pro-‘Palestinian’ diners whose final bill came to hundreds of dollars. But instead of a tip for her work, she got a political message because she’s Jewish. The group left her no tip and wrote on the receipt: “Great service, but Free ‘Palestine’!”
Last night at a restaurant called Origen in Dunedin, Florida, diners ran up a $245 bill.
Their server, Sarah Armstrong, was wearing a Star of David necklace.
When they paid the bill, they left her a $0 tip and wrote “Great service, but Free Palestine!”
— Lisa Silverstein Nelson (@RabbiLisaNelson) August 24, 2026
According to Armstrong, it all started with an innocent conversation about travel, when she mentioned she’d traveled this year and “volunteered in Israel.” Though she didn’t bring up anything political, one item caught the anti-Israel group’s attention—the Star of David necklace she wore around her neck. “When my Star was visible, they immediately made their decision,” she said.
But after her relative posted the story online, something surprising happened: strangers started asking for Sarah’s Venmo details and sent her money to make up for the tip. Within a short time, Armstrong found herself receiving support from people she’d never met.
She added that opening the check at the end of what had been a great shift until that moment was “a huge shock” for her. Still, the support she received from so many people following the incident changed how she felt, and she said the community made her feel “even more proud to be Jewish.”
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