Jerusalem – It smells like a McDonald’s french fry, it tastes like a McDonald’s french fry, but if it’s from the McDonald’s at Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station, it won’t look like a McDonald’s french fry – at least the wrapping won’t.
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After a nine-year impasse in negotiations between the Jerusalem Chief Rabbinate and the McDonald’s corporation, the “golden arches” food chain in the capital’s bus station – which will no longer be golden – revamped its image last week as the first kosher branch in Jerusalem, with a few small labeling tweaks to make sure people won’t confuse a kosher Big Mac for a non-kosher Double McRoyale On the Grill.
“People have been coming up and blessing us since we reopened,” said Adam, a worker at the branch who declined to give his last name. “They come up and say ‘mazal tov!’ They’re happy it’s finally kosher.”
The biggest obstacle to the bus station McDonald’s kosher certificate was the Rabbinate’s concern that patrons might get confused and think that all of the McDonald’s in the city were kosher. The capital’s kosher supervisors had originally insisted that McDonald’s change the name of the kosher branches to “McKosher,” which the corporation refused to do.
Only within the past few months has the international restaurant chain agreed to make other changes to satisfy the rabbis.
In order to differentiate between the kosher and non-kosher branches, the signs are a bright blue, instead of the traditional red, with “Kosher” written in Hebrew and English in unmistakably large letters.
The disposable cartons, bags, wraps, and place mats, which generate thousands of kilograms of waste daily, are also blue and devoid of the golden arches or anything “Mickey D” related. The uniforms at this branch will also not have arches or any McDonald’s symbols, including the well-known “I’m lovin’ it” slogan.
Currently workers are wearing a plain grey t-shirt while the new uniforms are being made.
While all kosher McDonald’s have a blue sign, the blue disposables and new uniforms are special to the Jerusalem branch, because the Jerusalem rabbinate made additional demands of the corporation.
The Mevasseret branch, for example, is kosher but has the regular packaging and uniforms.
“We sensed the need for a kosher restaurant in Jerusalem,” said Ruth Sarid, the executive vice president of McDonald’s in Israel. “I know for a fact that a lot of tourists or those who come from the States love to eat McDonald’s but can’t. They are delighted to eat McDonald’s here.”
The McDonald’s in the bus station has been trying to receive kosher supervision since the opening of the bus station in 2001, insisting that they followed halachic obligations without an official certification.
Previously, the rabbinate had refused to give kashrut certifications to chain restaurants that had non-kosher branches in the same city. Workers at Burger’s Bar, the other hamburger joint in the central bus station’s food court, insist that they aren’t in the least bit worried about competition.
“I’m going to stay with Burger’s Bar because McDonald’s is more expensive,” said Moshe Lezarovich, 18, from Netanya. His friends agreed that Burger’s Bar was a cheaper and tastier option, and they weren’t fazed by the novelty of a kosher McDonald’s in the nation’s capital.
Currently there are 153 McDonald’s in Israel, 24 of which are kosher. The Jerusalem Post has learned that there are plans in the future to convert other Jerusalem branches, like the one on Emek Refaim, to kosher restaurants, though the time table is uncertain.
Big deal…those who eat Rabbanut ,(like me) aren’t the type to care that it happens to be Mcdonald and those that don’t, it doesn’t affect you. Case closed.
Cheaper than a 99 cent happy meal?
BS”D It is nice they are starting to relate to the Rabbinate. But there will be lots of chilul at the beginning – b/c of the confusions. Also, people need to check the teudot, and that they aren’t forged and are up-to-date. And then, of course, it should be clear whether they are mehadrin or “regular” rabbinate. it is not so easy just to cry “we’re kosher” here, you know!
is mehadrin as good as badatz?
Is it Rabbinute or Rabbinute Mehadrin?
just so we all know- mcdonalds is “kosher” but its NOT “GLATT” kosher! its a big difference. bkitzur its a shvachah heter. there’s a mcdonalds in the airport in israel too& about a half a year ago I noticed 2 satmar chassidish ppl from williamsburg eating out there. they ordered steak &burgers;. they didn’t even notice that its not glatt kosher. its very tricky especially for americans- when they come there & see hebrew letters- they get all excited& order food from Mc even if they’re not hungry. just for the heck of it. but its not a chareidi hechsher
bring it to 13ave. im hungry and poor!!
they had MCfleishig change his name to Bigfleishig, for the same reason
y not here ? y not in nyc.. or la or chicago ?
Does Anyone Know If The McDonalds At BEIT HAKEREM In Jerusalem Is Kosher?
I truly do not understand the rabbinate. In my neighborhood there are four Dunkin Donuts. One is kosher, the other three are not. Everyone knows which one is kosher and that site has a current kashrut certificate. Do they really think we are so stupid that we can’t tell a kosher location from a non-kosher location?
For most orthodox jews, a “mehadrin” hashgacha is the gold standard although some will settle for Badatz or other “botique” local hashgachas which are not as widely accepted.
I will NEVER eat at revolting McDonald’s because the franchise owner is a strong left-winger & he refuses to open any of his branches over the Green Line. Also the food (I tried it once before I knew the owner’s political views) is really awful & unhealthy. Have you seen “Supersize Me”?
In any case, Burgers Bar which is far, far tastier than this McDonald’s crap & it has many branches operating over the Green Line. They are also a Jewish company with no outside control. They are really, really tasty!
Remember these facts when you choose where to spend your hard-earned cash!
Yikes… just what our yidden need. High fat content coupled with no excerise. Sad.
Everything in Israel is not glatt, unless specified otherwise.
You’re used to the USA, where proprietors figure “If I’m paying extra to make it kosher, then why not just be Glatt for the same money?” and hence 99% of meat establishments which are kosher are glatt. The only noticeable exception is Hebrew National which is just “regular” kosher and not Glatt.
However, in Israel it is actually more inconvenient to get real “treife” meat than kosher meat – and thus many establishments which are not kosher are such because they mix meat and milk or because they are open on Shabbos – not because the ingredients themselves are treife. A noticeable exception to this is Burger Ranch which (as senior management have explained to me) has two meat suppliers – one for the kosher branches, and another for those without a te’udah which is from a Kibbutz and is genuinely treife meat.
Bottom line, unless you see “Mehadrin” in Israel, the meat is not glatt.
Any makpid person in Israel knows this and understands the difference.
I’m still not sure why McDonalds needs special uniforms – as nobody normal would be confused – just look at the sign for “kosher” and see if there is a teudah.
I agree that it sounds like no one is giving individuals credit for their own ability to determine kosher from non-kosher. If it was something that important to you, wouldn’t you take extra precaution. I like the idea of the different colors & the big “kosher” sign, but I can’t believe it took so long & so much debate.