‘Kashrut shaming’ leads to backlash by celebrated falafel bar

The COVID-19 lockdown created severe difficulties for restaurants across the country which faced a catastrophic fall off in revenue during the height of the government's social-distancing.

By JEREMY SHARON
Hummus and Falafel, Israel's favorite chickpea-based dishes (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD / REUTERS)
Hummus and Falafel, Israel's favorite chickpea-based dishes
(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD / REUTERS)
After a famous and celebrated falafel bar in Givatayim which has had a kashrut certification for 42 years decided it could no longer afford to pay for supervision due to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 crisis, the Givatayim Rabbinate plastered notices around Bnei Brak warning customers away.
The action was seen as hostile and aggressive, and generated an outpouring of support online as well as queues outside the long-established eatery on Sunday afternoon by those seeking to express their solidarity.
The COVID-19 lockdown created severe difficulties for restaurants across the country which faced a catastrophic fall off in revenue during the height of the government's social-distancing restrictions.
One of the steps Falafel Hateomim took to reduce its overheads during this period was to cease paying for its kashrut supervision, which amounts to NIS 800 a month, although was reduced by the Chief Rabbinate to NIS 500 during the crisis.
As a result, the Givatayim Rabbinate posted numerous posters around the city, in addition to neighboring Bnei Brak, announcing that Falafel Hateomim no longer had supervision and declaring “The public should know and beware!”
In response, Falafel Hateomim took to social media and posted a poster in the same typeface and style as the rabbinate’s notices, insisting that despite it no longer having rabbinate supervision, it would continue to work and serve its customers as it has for the last four decades.
“Since we can no longer pay unnecessary money as in the past, with the removal of our supervision we will continue to operate exactly as we have done while under supervision, so that you can remove any worry from your heart,” read the notice.
The business owners added “What is most painful is the way they chose to publicize this. When someone dies people use notices like this. Shameful.”
The post went viral on Facebook, with numerous supporters pledging to come and eat at the establishment as soon as they could.
Director of the Reform Movement in Israel Rabbi Gilad Kariv said on Twitter that he had stopped at Falafel Hateomim on Sunday morning to eat falafel at 8 a.m. “for the first time ever” to express his support.
“With or without a certificate, I trust their kashrut more than any place with rabbinate supervision,” said Kariv.
The religious-Zionist lobbying group Neemanei Torah Avodah protested the public notices put out by the Givatayim Rabbinate, saying it could have done more to help local businesses such as Falafel Hateomim.
“Even if there was a justified reason to remove the kashrut certificate from Falafel Hateomim… the rabbinate is shaming this business instead of announcing in a professional manner the cessation of its responsibility for supervision of the establishment,” the organization said.


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