Brooklyn, NY – Two popular kosher restaurants in Brooklyn could be facing legal action after canceling a New Year’s Eve comedy show featuring a comedienne mired in controversy not of her own making.
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A lawsuit filed with the New York City Human Rights Commission is charging both the Garden of Eat-In in Flatbush and Orchidea in Borough Park with violating the civil rights of comedienne Leah Forster by cancelling a scheduled New Year’s Eve comedy show.
Forster, who prefers to keep her life choices private, said that the rabbis who provide kashrus certification to the restaurants threatened to yank their approvals because of petitions circulating on WhatsApp saying that she is “openly lesbian.”
“I have never publicly said that,” Forster told VIN News. “I am aware of the community I am part of and I hold very strongly my connection to Judaism.”
The Garden of Eat-In is under the rabbinical supervision of the Vaad Harabonim of Flatbush and Kehilla Kashrus. Orchidea is under the rabbinical supervision of Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Beck.
Forster, who released numerous women’s comedy CDs including Yentatainment and Balabusted! from 2008 through 2013, and appeared in the lineup of a Saturday night comedy show at the Kosher Culinary Center of North America which is under the rabbinical supervision of North American Kosher.
She had been scheduled to appear in a comedy show being held at the Garden of Eat-In on Avenue J, along with two other female performers. The comedy night was cancelled at the end of November, rescheduled at Orchidea and the cancelled yet again.
Forster said that the owners of both restaurants went out of their way to accommodate her, offering to find another venue for the show or to provide food so that the event could go on elsewhere.
She has gone out of her way to be as respectful as possible, sharing positive thoughts about both venues on Facebook and saying that she did not intend to pursue legal action despite those who told her that her civil rights had been violated.
The story was brought to the New York City Commission on Human Rights by another party who reached out to Forster who told them that she did not want to pursue a case against the two eateries.
“They told me these are businesses and as businesses you have to follow certain guidelines,” Forster told VIN News. “We are opening an investigation regardless.”
The story was also leaked to the secular news media which Forster said asked her to pose angrily in front of the restaurants, something she also refused to do.
“I’m not looking to sensationalize this,” said Forster. “I am doing my part to make sure that people know that these are good people.”
Despite the difficulties she has encountered, she said that she has always gone out of her way to be respectful of her family and the community she was raised it.
“I know a lot of people who have become bitter and angry and have stopped growing after they faced rejection,” said Forster. “I built a career, a family and a positive life for myself and I want to be known as someone who created positivity and happiness.”
Mazel Werzberger, owner of Orchidea, said that the restaurant’s rabbi spent a full week considering the matter before deciding that the event could not take place, reaching out to numerous people and meeting with the parties involved. The decision to cancel the show did not come lightly to him, or to the restaurant said Werzberger.
“I have an amazing rabbi, a very considerate person, who really checked into it,” said Werzberger. “The same way I have to follow the rules from the health department, I have to follow my rabbi.”
No one from the Garden of Eat-In or the New York City Commission of Human Rights was immediately available to comment on the matter.
How can she complain about discrimination, when she doesn’t admit to being a member of the group that she’s claims is being discriminated against?
Vote republican. Democrates are a threat to frum jews and their beliefs This is a prime example. of course my obnoxious satmar friend will blame this on white democrat christains too.
Sad
it’s a tough battle.
she some legal ground there is she can prove the cancelled because of who she is.
it will make a big legal case, and scandal in the community.
i actually commend forster for the mentchlichkeit she appears to possess with respect to the frum world. she has neither confirmed nor denied her orientation, (which is abhorrent in my opinion, for the record). she seems genuinely upset by the swiftness of the forced legal action by the overly liberal (read tumadik) world we sadly live in.
with this in mind, i have an issue with this ‘female comedy hour’. as a frum and open minded female, it feels secular and inappropriate. this isn’t a tzedakah or a community wide event benefitting women’s causes (almanos, divorcees or agunos). it’s a bunch of wannabe sarah silvermans that should be performing in someone’s house or a comedy hall and not at a public venue such as a restaurant. and while i am at it, the white dress worn by the comedienne on the left is skin tight, which is another reason for inappropriateness
A bit of mixed information going around, and I dont think that VIN is providing truly honest reporting here.
“(The rabbi) said that you’re a lesbian, and you represent that, and we can’t let this go on,” Kirshner told Forster in a phone call, that she recorded and shared with the Daily News.
“Forster filed a formal complaint with the city’s Commission on Human Rights on Friday.
“I am being stripped of my basic human and civil rights solely based on my sexuality plus my religion or lack thereof,” she said.”
what the heck is a kosher restaurant doing having a goyish New Years celebration???
I think the rabbis are not doing enough to protect Jews. They should monitor how people dress when they go into public places like restaurants. Also, you see unmarried boys and girls sitting together. It will be the end of yiddeshkeit.
And why didn’t the rabbis make a fuss that this was a Sylvester party?
good for her hope she wins, so called fake rabbis’ this only exists among Ashakanzi communities hate and separation among each other.
This was a business decision, I assume. Several people I know said they will stop patronizing these restaurants if the show goes on. These 2 women show disdain for everything we as Jews were taught to love and respect and they try to influence others to do the same. I don’t believe this has anything to do with her being a lesbian or otherwise.
Riki Rose you should stay away from them. You are of a different cloth!!!
We need Rabbi Levin to help us get out of this mess.
1. He life choice is not part of her show and should be an issue.
2. Its understandable that a Rav Hamachshir would be within his rights to cancel the hashgacha of a restaurant that had a belly dancer.
3. Her life choice is not ossur min Hatoireh, and may not even be ossur m’Drabunim (the Rambam says that its Darchei Mitzree, and women should be discouraged from it).
4. Unfortunately, once the public got a hold of the story, no mashgiach needs the PR. Why would anyone in the hashgacha business (and it is a business, even the holiest non profit) upset anyone who believes, rightly or wrongly, that the comedy act is “not kosher”?
I point out the hypocrisy. It is well known and documented how services (including restaurants) have discriminated against people base on their political affiliation (even when these affiliations were not made public by the customer at the restaurant). In the Colorado baker case, the the baker was trashed as follows:
> Daniel Ramos of the LGBTQ advocacy group One Colorado responded to the news in a statement: “All people – including LGBTQ people – deserve to be served equally in public spaces, & no religious belief gives anyone the right to pick & choose whom they serve & what laws they want to follow.”
So how does that square with those who are denied service for belonging to the wrong political party?
With regard to my previous post, I would point out that a contractor is clearly not the same as an employee even in the code, as sexual harassment of a contractor was added “April 12, 2018” and thus obviously not already included in harassment of an employee:
> An employer may be held liable to a non-employee who is a contractor, subcontractor, vendor, consultant or other person providing services pursuant to a contract in the workplace … with respect to sexual harassment
Yasher koach to the kashrus agencies for standing up to this trash.
I don’t understand this whole discussion – do we not shop at Department stores, do Chassidim shop at Walmart in the Catskills etc – there are all kinds of non frum/non Jews walking around the stores – we have the option to go to them or not – these Eating Establishments hired this person – YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO GO TO the show – next Stores in Williamsburg will refuse to sell to people who do not wear WHITE SHIRTS and BLACK PANTS, or a knitted KIPA – what is the CHumrah that is being created next.
I’m sooooo proud of Orchidea for having the courage to refuse this show ! I definitely will patronize them more often now and tell my friends and family as well! Chazak!!
Same standard and strictness should go for Pesach hotels.
Hashgachas should stick to strictly kashrus . That’s their job . Why are they mishing arin in tznuis ? Let the rabbonim do tnat
I am not that familiar with your Bible or Torah but what does it say about a Lesbian? I do know it’s not one of the ten commandments but is it a prohibition? and if so is it a biblical prohibition or only a rabbinical prohibition?
Only president Trump supporters are aloud to be thrown out of restaurants? And being refused services??
This is Chaim Duetsch and David Greenfield’s fault, they both voted for multiple bills strengthening the cities gay rights bill.
including one that makes all exceptions and exemptions be interpreted narrowly, and another getting rid of specific exceptions and exemptions against homosexuals.