The Temple Restaurant Chef: "People Are Boycotting Us Because We Became Kosher"

"I am proud that today anyone who wants to eat at our restaurant can come," says Chef Liran Bleu, who has faced backlash for turning the Temple Restaurant, which he owns with his father, kosher. "We’ve generally become extreme," he tries to explain the reactions, "Some people feel the need to save me from kashrut and the rabbinate. The menu and prices haven’t significantly changed."

The Temple Restaurant opened just six months ago at the front of the Oshland Mall complex in Kfar Saba, primarily catering to meat lovers. Bleu (35) previously cooked at Emelia in Rehovot, his hometown, and Cordelia, run by Chef Nir Tzuk, in Jaffa. He was the chef for a long time until he and his father decided to purchase the restaurant from its owners. At that stage, it was clear they would make it kosher, as fulfilling "Dad's dream" after he retired.

Last week, the two signed an agreement and purchased the restaurant. "Dad’s dream was for the restaurant to be kosher," Bleu says, "He is a religious man, so it was clear to him it should be kosher. But the truth is I’ve always thought it should be kosher. I don’t see a business reason to turn away 60% of our diners. There’s already a more diverse crowd here. A haredi young man was here alongside a secular one, and we hosted a group of 20, some secular, some with knitted kippot. There is a different atmosphere now. Even when we were non-kosher, we constantly got calls asking if we were kosher. Now, many more customers can come."

A Day Off – Shabbat

Bleu admits there was another consideration. Often, he found himself clocking 380 hours monthly. "Since we became kosher, we no longer have a choice. One day a week, we don’t work. We can plan for holidays, something we couldn’t do before, raising our quality of life. The working hours I had until today are quite standard for a chef. In Japan for seven months, I worked even more. Now, while my day starts at nine and ends at midnight, I have a weekly day off – Shabbat."

Currently living in Rehovot, Bleu hails from a religious family, his mother’s side haredi and his father’s religious-zionist. He attended a religious high school and grew up in Hashmonaim near Modiin. "I think tradition is beautiful and should be maintained. I’ve met people unaware of Yom Kippur or Simchat Torah. I was shocked at this lack of awareness. By the way, it bothered me not being able to socialize freely when the place wasn’t kosher."

Last week, Bleu joyfully shared a post about the decision to make the restaurant kosher. He received hundreds of likes and comments but did not anticipate the hateful reactions. "I was proud and happy to own the restaurant with my dad and shared with friends. I didn’t expect the kind of responses we got at any level. It’s unclear why someone would boycott because the restaurant is kosher."

Indeed, people called him a traitor, claimed he succumbed to religious coercion, and argued kosher food is significantly more expensive, so they wouldn’t come.

Why interpret this as succumbing to rabbinic pressure?

"Overall, we’ve become very extreme, and it shows everywhere. People take things to extremes. As a child, I don't recall secular schools ignoring holidays. No mention of Shabbat kiddush, yet today’s dialogue is extreme. It feels like they need to be anti-kashrut and save me from the rabbinate. I have to say, collaborating with the rabbinate was surprisingly positive. We didn’t expect such a pleasant experience with the rabbinate, but it was amazing. We were shocked by their promptness, care, and willingness to assist. I don’t see why these conflicts need to exist. Is non-kosher food a reason not to eat? You don't like the taste, don’t eat. If I personally bother you, don’t eat. Dislike the music, don’t eat. But to avoid eating for something without real meaning? There’s no reason."

Have you tried responding to those people?

"I’ve tried responding once or twice, trying to reason. I quickly realized it’s impossible as it's an issue of principle to them. Their 'religion' is opposing religion and kashrut. I could offer the best dishes at ten shekels per dish - it wouldn’t help. Their principle wouldn’t change. It’s tough. I don't engage in dialogue in such cases. Some I talked to and explained that personally and financially, it’s wiser."

Whole Families Can Come

How has the menu changed since becoming kosher?

"Virtually nothing changed. We changed the menu almost daily anyway. I wrote a morning and evening menu. Some items I can't use for kosher reasons weren’t on it. Due to kashrut, we removed items based on the rear sections of beef but began using other parts. It doesn’t really restrict us. A chef is like a good artist – working with available colors, finding solutions within the framework, without gimmicks. In Japan, I couldn’t get many familiar products. I made shakshuka without cilantro. Even decent tomatoes were hard to find."

Switching to a kosher menu often has financial motives. Rising costs with few revenues lead restaurateurs to see profit in kosher patrons not jaded by dining out. "Almost every restaurant in Israel today is not in good economic shape," Bleu says, "Profit is at ten percent, which is nothing. A fridge malfunction means no profit that month. Constant profit erosion is the main issue for most restaurants. It’s entirely reasonable to do what makes business sense to help your venture thrive. Non-kosher restaurants have no right to exist in Israel. Sixty percent of diners eat kosher. I advise other restaurants, some need to become kosher. Also, I very much love the religious community. We've seen people here who wouldn’t have come before. The religious public isn’t jaded like that, and bringing in crowds from Tel-Aviv is tough due to many restaurants, so economically, it’s advantageous."

Chef Bleu concludes: "I’m proud that today anyone who wants to eat here can. Whole families can dine – from the kosher-keeping grandpa to the less religiously concerned grandchild. More people have come since we switched to kosher. It didn’t affect quality or pricing. For the first time, I feel free to invite whomever I want, and that’s a joy."