Jara & Christal Gemeda

Jara is a US Air Force veteran, a metalsmith (specializing in bronze), a craftsman, their children's homeschool STEM and history teacher, and the Operations Manager of Lion of Judah Ethiopian American Cuisine. His passion for Ethiopian cuisine comes from his heritage as well as his childhood memories of his mother's Ethiopian restaurant in Africa. Jara brings his artistic flare, his attention to detail and his hardworking attitude to the establishment. He is a fair manager who values taking pride in one's work. Jara trains the staff and ensures that they are maintaining a level of quality service that we can be proud of and that our guests will want to experience over and over again.

Christal is the main homeschool teacher for their children. She is a full time caregiver for her mother who has Alzheimer's and Dementia, a children's book author, a professional resume/cv writer and career coach, and a free spirit. Being from America, she learned Ethiopian cuisine through the assistance of her mother-in-law, from a Habesha online group and from many upon many YouTube videos. Their children love Ethiopian cuisine. Two out of the three inherited their mom's American taste buds, so some dishes were too spicy for them. The family came together to find ways to make dishes more mild so the entire bunch could enjoy their family meals. She is the General Manager. Her responsibilities are handling the paperwork, HR duties and office needs of the business.