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The old owner of one of the few remaining kosher eateries on Long Island's East End had to retire and sell the business. However, the place will remain kosher, thanks to the new owner... a Muslim immigrant.
I had to share this news with y'all, because I thought it was pretty cool.
Because of copyright restrictions, I can't quote the entire news article that appeared in today's edition of Long Island's newspaper, Newsday, but I can give a few "fair use" excerpts from it:
Quote:
The man who bought the cafe, restaurateur Rashid Sulehri, is committed to keeping the meals kosher — and halal, which follows the dietary standards of his faith, Islam, and dovetails with Jewish law... Sulehri came to the United States from Pakistan in 1995, when he was barely in his 20s. He attended Rockland Community College and earned a master's degree in finance from Oklahoma City University.
“It’s a dream come true,” Sulehri said of the Beach Bakery. “Sons of Abraham can sit under one roof and they get a chance to see how much in common they have instead of staying away from each other and just thinking how different they are from each other.”
For Rabbi Marc Schneier, who leads The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, Sulehri's pledge to keep the eatery kosher exemplifies "interfaith cooperation and coexistence. It took a devout member of the Muslim faith to come in and to maintain the kosher standards of the bakery for the Jewish community,” Schneier said.
Since Sulehri took over Beach Bakery in late April, more and more Muslims are joining his longtime Jewish customers. In early June, dozens of Muslims came to the restaurant on Eid al-Fitr, the festival that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Both Jews and Muslims were “talking and laughing and having fun” with each other, Sulehri said.
Chavie Kahn has been coming to the cafe during the summertime for two decades... Kahn, the longtime patron, sees the cafe as a unifying force — for all faiths, everyone. "It’s fabulous that it has the potential … to bridge possible differences between the communities and to simultaneously bring the communities together,” she said. “I think it is a wonderful community asset.”
How nice! I liked this story a lot. Peeking into the forum quickly on my break from a project, but wanted to say thanks for posting this!
Thanks, Chana! I happen to know one of the bakers who works at this place. I'm thrilled that the new owner is keeping the place kosher, and everyone is pretty happy about it.
I'm always surprised to discover how much Jews and Muslims actually have in common.
Me too. The Muslims I've met in person have been kind and very focused on repair of this world. When I was young and didn't know any better, I hugged a male Muslim friend and he freaked out a little. Then I learned about their laws and some are very similar to ours.
The old owner of one of the few remaining kosher eateries on Long Island's East End had to retire and sell the business. However, the place will remain kosher, thanks to the new owner... a Muslim immigrant.
I had to share this news with y'all, because I thought it was pretty cool.
Because of copyright restrictions, I can't quote the entire news article that appeared in today's edition of Long Island's newspaper, Newsday, but I can give a few "fair use" excerpts from it:
I was extreemly harsh against Palestinian Muslims, but I met a man who became my best friend. He was an official Hebrew Translator for the nation of Israel and he knew and fought alongside BeeBee. He lived and worked in Israel alongside many Palestinains who were Muslim, and boy did he clean my clock a couple times when he was speaking up for them, I found myself really embarassed.
Dude really changed my mentality, and I realized that I really didn't have a good opinion, or that I couldn't have an opinion because I was not living and working beside them.
Guy had a lotta love, sure miss him, I met him online and he lived a couple miles from me. I kept going over to his house carrying out spells and such like I would get 12 big rocks, write names on them and set them around his house with little sayings and phrases I took from Jewish mysticism. He would dind them and call me up laughing so hard that he couldn't catch his breath.
Thanks, Chana! I happen to know one of the bakers who works at this place. I'm thrilled that the new owner is keeping the place kosher, and everyone is pretty happy about it.
I'm always surprised to discover how much Jews and Muslims actually have in common.
Yes, absolutely. Both religions have their roots in Abraham, and thus our foundation is parallel. Even much of the language - like Halacha and Hallal (sp?) - and kosher similarities (like no pork).
Because of copyright restrictions, I can't quote the entire news article that appeared in today's edition of Long Island's newspaper, Newsday, but I can give a few "fair use" excerpts from it:
But for anyone who wants to read the entire link, here it is:
I only hope that link works for those who don't have a Newsday subscription. I get Newsday free through my Internet provider, but I wasn't sure the link I can access can also be accessed by everybody.
I only hope that link works for those who don't have a Newsday subscription. I get Newsday free through my Internet provider, but I wasn't sure the link I can access can also be accessed by everybody.
Wow -- I didn't know the story had received so much coverage! So cool of you to have found those additional links, Pruz! My baker friend who works at the cafe isn't Jewish, so he probably wouldn't have seen the story in The Forward. I'll be sure to tell him!
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I only hope that link works for those who don't have a Newsday subscription. I get Newsday free through my Internet provider, but I wasn't sure the link I can access can also be accessed by everybody.
