New York, NY >> Focus on Wolf & Lamb Steakhouse

Wolf & Lamb Steakhouse is a classy kosher meat restaurant in the Diamond District of Midtown Manhattan. They have delicious steaks, tantalizing burgers, and other unique dishes to make your mouth salivate.

Dani Klein from http://yeahthatskosher.com checks out kosher restaurants for Jewish Travel TV.

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A New Ethical Standard in Kosher: Tav HaYosher

The following is an interview I had with Uri L’Tzedek staffer Dani Passow concerning their new Kosher Ethical Seal: Tav HaYosher.

1. Please state your name, position, organization, and how you got involved.

Dani Passow.  I work for Uri L’Tzedek (http://uriltzedek.webnode.com/) as the Chief Compliance Officer for the Tav Hayosher.  While in college, I first became aware of the Tav Hachevrati ( “Social Seal”) in Israel that certifies restaurants with ethical labor practices. I thought it was a project that should be adopted here in America.  When I heard that Uri L’Tzedek was initiating a similar project, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to become involved.

2. What was the basis for creating Tav HaYosher?

American Orthodox Jewry of the last century did a remarkable job at creating an infrastructure for ritual observance.  The fact that Hescherim (stamps of Kashrut certification) are found on so many foods and in so many restaurants throughout the country is a tremendous achievement.  We at Uri L’Tzedek are extremely appreciative of this work as a first step toward actualizing  our Torah values.  In addition to ritual, we also hear the Divine ethical command to ensure the safety and dignity of the most vulnerable in society.  Many workers, in both Kosher and non-Kosher restaurants, are egregiously underpaid, do not receive overtime and are often physically and verbally abused.  While all of these are legal violations, law enforcement in the restaurant industry is notoriously ineffective.  Moreover, many restaurant workers are illegal immigrants, and even though they have the exact same rights as legal workers, they have a paralyzing fear of deportation, making them reluctant to report violations to authorities.  This leaves these individual vulnerable to exploitation.   Uri L’Tzedek recognized that we, the Kosher consumer, are responsible for the treatment of workers in Kosher restaurants.  We are thus building the infrastructure, just as our predecessors did with Kashrut a generation ago, that secures the rights and security of workers in our restaurants.

3. How does Tav HaYosher affect kosher observant individuals?

It adds another dimension to being a Jewish consumer.  Not only do our choices of where and what we eat demonstrate a commitment to ritual, but also to ethics.  Moreover, the Tav is part of a move to be more consistent in our Jewish practice.  We responded not only to the laws of ritual purity in the book of Leviticus, but also the laws of how we treat other members of society.

4. For us kosher travelers, where can we find restaurants that are certified with Tav HaYosher? What cities are they in currently, and where do you expect to expand to in the coming months / year?

The Tav HaYosher launched last week certifying seven restaurants in New York city, with that number expected increase in the near future.  We are also currently in conversation with restaurants in Boston, Washington D.C. and Chicago.  Updates on the Tav can be found at our blog: http://tavhayosher.wordpress.com/
We are calling for partners throughout the country who are dedicated to our mission and that are eager to join this important endeavor.  One way readers can become involved is by asking restaurants if they’ve heard of the Tav and suggest they be in touch with us.  In Israel, the Tav HaChevrati launched only five years ago and now certifies over 350 restaurants.  It was through word of mouth and dedication from consumers that they were able to expand so rapidly.  The same is possible in the States.

5. Have you seen Tav HaYosher make any impact on the kosher restaurant industry yet?

There are now seven restaurants in New York City where kosher consumers dedicated to ethical labor practices can feel secure eating, we have had unsolicited requests from a number of restaurants eager to have the Tav,  leaders in the Kashrut industry have voiced their support.  And it’s only been a week!  Every day we are hearing from Kosher consumers excited about restoring their faith in the ethics of the Kashrut industry.  Volunteers wanting to become compliance monitors have been calling and sending emails.  The next months and years are going to see a dramatic change in the Orthodox community’s approach to the food industry.

6. When will you be certifying kosher travel meals, kosher cruises, and kosher airplane food?

When the Kashrut industry first began, I’m sure serving Glatt Kosher five thousand miles high wasn’t on the agenda.  And look where we are today.  As the Tav HaYosher gains prominence, it’s hard to tell how far we can go. Who knows, maybe the space food on the first manned trip to mars will have our seal on it.  If there are budding astronauts out there, here’s where you come in.

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Tags: ethical, ethical food, ethical seal, interview, kosher food, tav hayosher, uri ltzedek

Tokyo, Japan

Contributed by: Sam Adler | Last Date of Travel: March 2008 (With contributions from Josh Margo | Last Date of Travel: April 2006)

Kosher Info: Eating kosher in Japan is very easy… if you have a kitchen! With some of the best quality fruits and vegetables being shipped to Japan, and of course the fish, if you are planning on being in Tokyo for more than a few days, staying in a place with a kitchen is well worth your while. That said, most will be passing through and staying in a hotel, so keeping kosher here is a bit more tricky. My wife and I lived there for 2 years as one of about 4 to 6 frum families (depending on the month…people come and go), so we know the ropes of this town, and of Kobe, where we visited a few times. The Chabad house will supply meals for travelers, and of course, Shabbat hospitality. Visit Chabad.jp for more info.

Kosher Restaurants: There are currently no supervised Kosher restaurants in Tokyo. The Chabad House is planning on opening one when their renovations are complete later this year (2008). However, the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi Hills has worked with Chabad for years, and can prepare a kosher meal, under the supervision of Rabbi Sudakavich, but it’s not cheap. We had a sushi dinner there for our anniversary and it was about $150 per person…but worth every single bite! There are also some Zen Buddhist restaurants that are vegan and most likely essentially kosher, however cannot be recommended for the basic reasons of: Bishul, Avoda Zarah, and of course, unsure of what processed products they use (oils, vinegars, any glycerin drops in their tofu making, etc. since there’s no supervision. If you speak Japanese, have kashrut supervision knowledge, and want to do a mitzvah, go and convince these places to become kosher!

Kosher Food Shopping: There are 2 international supermarkets in the Minato-ku area of Tokyo, both near Roppongi. One is called National Azabu, the other is called Nissin. While expensive, both have many hechshured items including frozen H&H bagels, canned foods (tuna), cereals, chips, etc (and there is frozen pizzas & burritos by Amy’s Organic’s). We were told that 100% Milk (not 2% or skim or any other) is ok, but is obviously not Chalav Israel, and I have heard some people dispute the kashrus of Japanese milk recently. I was told by Rabbi Hertsel Simantov, who is a mashgiach for the OK, that 100% milk was ok in 2006/2007, but we no longer live there, and I cannot vouch for it now. Ask your Rabbi, or contact Rabbi Simantov, who can be contacted through the Chabad Rabbi (www.chabad.jp).

Tourist Info: There is so much to see in Japan but I will highlight some places that cannot be missed. If you like shopping and the high tech industry Tokyo is the place to be. They have some nice museums and parks. But if you really want to get the Japan experience you need to go to Shinjuku during rush hour. Its the busiest train and bus station in the world. Probably about ten times busier than Grand Central Station in New York (no joke).

If you are the historical and art buff like I am the place to be is Kyoto (consult your Rabbi about rules for entering shrines and temples). Kyoto is host to some of the most beautiful architecture in the world. I would definitely recommend going to the UNESCO sights first and even just walking around the city is a learning experience. The train station in Kyoto is world class, with a shopping mall attached to it there is a lot to do and some very nice shopping in the area.

As for day trips to the country side. I would check out Nara and the Mount Fuji areas. Nara is home of the largest Buda and the city of the deer. You have never seen anything like it there are deer everywhere. In the Mount Fuji area besides the great hiking is home of Fujiku, which is a great amusement park. The rides are some of highest and longest in the world and the Haunted is house in no joke. They know how to do scary!

Jewish Info: There are few places to spend Shabbat, but there is only one official Chabad house in Tokyo that services the frum community, centrally located in Shirokane-takanawa. They have recently opened their new location, scheduled for full completion in the Fall of 2008. The new location will have a mikvah, shul, restaurant, school, library and lounge. They also host very well attended dinners for all of the holidays. Past holiday meal events like Passover and Rosh Hashanna were held at the Grand Hyatt, and given they get over 200 people for them, will most likely continue to be there. The ones we went to were amazing. 5 star food. There are hotels recommended on their website which are Shabbat friendly, and the new location is closest to the wonderful Miyako hotel.

The JCC of Tokyo has recently demolished their building and are in temporary facilities until they complete their renovation, scheduled for August of 2009. The rabbi of the JCC is affiliated with the Conservative movement.

For a little history on The Jews of Japan, check out this article.

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Check out the blog of this author, Sam Adler, as he and his wife spend 3 years in Japan:
http://adlersinjapan.blogspot.com/

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Tags: Asia, Japan, jewish travel, Kosher, kosher food, kosher restaurant, kosher travel, Tokyo