Manhattan, NY – The Orthodox Union has forced a name change in an upscale kosher Soho eatery by refusing to certify its current name—Jezebel.
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The JEWISH WEEK (http://bit.ly/13lmT4u) is reporting that the name change is one of two concessions restaurant owners made to the OU.
In a letter to investors, owners Menachem Sendrowicz and Henry Stimler, said the restaurant will go forward under the name ‘JSoho,’ and that they will also ban non-mevushal wines as part of the agreement.
The owners are hoping the changes will attract more traditional kosher diners.
“We felt the name Jezebel does not represent a person who has a positive reputation in the Tanach and was not a name we want to promote,” Rabbi Moshe Elefant, the head of the OU’s kashrut division told The Jewish Week.
“This is the name of a rasha, a clearly wicked person, said the rabbi”
Jezebel’s story is told in the Book of Kings, in which she is devoted to the Tyrian deity of Baal, a weather god. Because the New testament book of Revelations also associates her with sexual immorality, the name has been applied in popular culture to a woman of ill repute.
Rabbi Elefant referred to the situation as ‘atypical’ because the restaurant was formerly under another certification. Generally, the OU would work with a new restaurant in determining kashrut details prior to its opening.
He also said he could not recall a prior incident of objecting to an establishment’s name, but added that variables such as ‘ambience’ that have no bearing of food are considered in the certification process.
“We want to make sure there is a certain environment in the restaurant,” he said.
Religious coercion!
This is an interesting development. In the beginning of December there was an article in the New York Post in which one of the owners explicitly stated the following:
“I always tell people that we’re not a kosher restaurant,” says co-owner Menachem Senderowicz. “We’re a sexy hip restaurant that happens to be kosher.”
I’d link the article but links don’t usually get published. You can find it yourself by googling “Jezebel restaurant nypost” and clicking the first result.
Sounds like a change of tune… Interesting.
I thought the choice of name and the serving of non mevushal wine was odd when they opened. Now they are taking corrective action.
Wait – why were we so up in arms over hechser tzedek then? Would seem from here that there’s more than just food certification going towards a hechsher…
Excellent decision by the most respected kashruth agency in the world. They need to show the owners that it’s not only the food that needs to be kosher but the whole business has to be respectful of our religion.
probably a change of business marketing attracting more customers
I found the original choice of name to be incredibly tone-deaf. From the comments of its creators, presumably the restaurant aspires to offer an experience that is uncompromising both culinarily and halachikally. Naming it for one of the most hateful figures in Tanach, a mass murderer in pursuit of idolatrous ends, shows a staggering, painful, obliviousness of Jewish knowledge.
They did have a hechsher of some sort until now – but not one that anyone had heard of. I have always wanted to go there though & Iook forward to this new development!
And the idiots had to keep the j so no one will forget the original name. Shem rishaim yirkav.
I guess that they couldn’t call it HAMAN’s either…
I would have thought that a Jezebel sardine sandwich would have been poetic justice. Why not have a sense of humor?
No-one is forcing anyone to do anything.
Both the OU and the restaurant have the right to choose the organizations with which they wish to associate. The restaurant apparently believes that being OU certified would be a good business decision, while the OU believes that giving a hechsher on a restaurant named after a rashanta would negatively affect its reputation. If they choose to work together, these are the terms. If the restaurant owners don’t like it, well, there are plenty of other hechsherim out there.
Sometimes Kashrus organizations need to look beyond just the food as in the case of the Old Cafe Baba ( Belly dancing) and that dinner cruise ship which had mixed dancing.
A Hashgacha should mean it’s a place I can bring my entire family.
But forcing them to change a name? C’mon now….maybe we should rename them all, Restaurant A, Restauran B etc
Their decision to negotiate a name change with the OU to get the hashgacha shows they don’t really understand what the heimeshe tzibur would focus on. In reality, they would have been better off with one of several chassideshe hashgachos who are more respected in the heimeshe community and wouldn’t have cared at all what the name was as long as the kashruth was truly beyond question.
There is debate about whether or not Jezebel was even Jewish!
This has major implications as several generations of (wicked) Jewish kings decended from her.
Not a good name. The OU was right in this move.
Probably the Jezebel cookies would be something to really frown upon I think.
I think it’s smart business move, I know allot if people who didn’t go there because they felt the name was offensive, and didn’t seem like the right atmosphere.
I’ve been there a few times, it had a fun vibe, and the food was decent. Next step would be to slightly lower their prices, then it would be a regular lunch spot.
Kudos to the OU.