Concern at Haaretz: Examining the Trend of Restaurants Going Kosher in Tel Aviv

In recent years, many have sensed a positive spiritual direction for the Jewish people. The number of people returning to tradition is rising, new yeshivas are opening like mushrooms in every town and city, and there's a palpable thirst for seeking G-d and connecting with the higher power that drives everything. However, some find this trend troubling, especially as it results in increased observance of mitzvot.

Against this backdrop, Haaretz published an article by Rotem Maimon addressing a trend where many previously non-kosher restaurants are now proudly displaying rabbinical kosher certificates, leading to the closure of non-kosher eateries and a substantial increase in new kosher establishments. The first story in the article is about the "Bugsy" restaurant, which made waves on social media: "When chef Chaya Kalor told her daughter Esther she intended to close their restaurant 'Bugsy' on weekends, Esther thought her mother had lost her mind. How could they make ends meet when more than half their revenue came from weekends, she wondered.

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Two days of shock and tears passed for Esther," Maimon writes, "until she agreed to her mother's pleads. Immediately after Tisha B'Av, the kashrut supervisors came in and certified the kitchen in a matter of hours. After a long process of contemplation and changes to the menu and utensils, overnight, the 15-year-old secular restaurant, which mixed meat and dairy, became kosher..

"A month later," according to Haaretz, "the Bugsy staff walked around with the feeling that in Florentin, the stronghold of Tel Aviv's young secular population, 'we are being boycotted'. Esther sat frustrated at the keyboard writing: 'Our secular clients didn't know how to digest the change. Simultaneously, we received harsh, grieving responses on Bugsy's Facebook, and there were uncomplimentary articles in the press about our move. Even bizarre conspiracies were spread trying to explain our shift to kashrut. It's a bit disappointing because those who should respect our choice, those who claim to accept the other and different, turned their backs on us.

To the surprise of Bugsy's owners, the religious community did not frequent the place despite the significant change: "Those who haven’t yet come are the kosher-keepers, for whom we made this transformation, to be the first choice for kosher-keepers, the religious who like to go out, for the knitted kippot and the black hats, for all those not just looking for a place to eat but a place that is enjoyable to sit. From that moment," Maimon adds, "until these lines were written, the post was copied and became a favorite among many religious WhatsApp groups, gathering thousands of likes and over 1,400 shares, along with hundreds of comments and follow-up posts. Since that post, something unusual happened to 'Bugsy', something that hadn't occurred for years – there was hardly a free spot, even on an ordinary Sunday."

From Haaretz's investigation, "Bugsy" is only the first symptom of a much larger trend: "The big change at Bugsy raised to the surface a question on the minds of many chefs: is the future in kashrut? Shortly before Bugsy's announcement, it was chef Meir Adoni who surprised at the beginning of summer by revealing in interviews that he removed pork from his restaurants after dreaming of his late grandmother requesting it. Adoni shook up the culinary world when he decided later to close his two non-kosher restaurants – Catit and Mizlala, and to focus on kosher cuisine. Adoni declared that his only non-kosher restaurant would operate far from Israel – in New York..

"Adoni's announcement," the article continues, "came shortly after the Adis Lifestyle Group announced it was closing its flagship restaurant – Herbert Samuel in Tel Aviv, to concentrate on kosher restaurants. If that wasn’t enough, chef Nir Tzuk, who closed his various restaurants last year, re-emerged as the chef of a kosher restaurant called 'Mapu'. Around the same time, restaurant Shine & Sharp closed and became a kosher meat restaurant named Meat Kitchen. Amid these changes, chefs began to remove shellfish and similar items from their menus due to customer demand. So, what's happening here?"

Following these significant changes, the article includes comments from Shai Berman, chairman of the Israeli Restaurant Association: "For many years, there was a vacuum in the field of kosher restaurants. They were considered inferior and unsophisticated. There was a sense that haute cuisine couldn't be kosher, and what happened is that in recent years, a huge demand has emerged. People are coming from France and the United States, creating demand."

Another reason for the sharp rise in kosher restaurants in Tel Aviv is presented in the article by Eldad Mizrahi, chairman of the Tel Aviv Religious Council: "Obtaining a kosher certificate is easier and more user-friendly today than in the past. We've streamlined the process and significantly shortened the time from application to receipt, and of course, the price has also dropped. Overall, I can say that people think it's a trend, but it's apparently an ancient trend that's gaining momentum now and reaching places we didn’t expect."

For comparison between kosher and non-kosher restaurants, Mizrahi presents the number increase: "There were about 850 kosher businesses – restaurants, stalls, food stores, and cafes – in Tel Aviv in 2010, rising to over 1,000 by 2016. The reason for this, according to the religious council, is primarily the increase in demand from the public coming to Tel Aviv. Another reason, they claim, lies in the raw materials: "Most raw materials in restaurants today are kosher, so turning a kitchen from non-kosher to kosher has become an easy task that doesn't involve a revolution or burden."

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It can be said that focusing on external reasons for this significant and beneficial process is inaccurate and lacking, not to mention embarrassing. Every process in the world can have external explanations, dealing with the surface or distant levels from the core truth, and relying on them. On the other hand, it is worthwhile to look inward courageously and try to reach the root, the central nerve that drives everything.

Regarding the flourishing of kosher restaurants across Tel Aviv, it is easy to see that beyond reasons like some people wanting to earn more money, the easier process of obtaining certification, increased Jewish immigration from the U.S. and France to Israel, and the relatively easy transition from non-kosher to kosher kitchens, there is one reason driving this important process – more and more people in Israel, seemingly more than ever, are seeking a strong and firm connection with Hashem, which is expressed, among other things, in following the ways of our ancestors concerning observance of halacha and mitzvot. It's quite simple and pleasant to recognize this plain truth, as it is.

Interestingly, Haaretz calls itself an "Israeli newspaper for thinkers". One could expect that those directing it towards thinkers would conduct with integrity, honesty, and delve into the true reasons, instead of fleeing to external motives, even when the clear and simple thought does not suit them.