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OU Puts Kibosh On Jezebel Name At Soho Eatery

The Orthodox Union has forced a name change in an upscale kosher Soho eatery by refusing to certify its current name—Jezebel.

The Jewish Week reported 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 ‘ambiance’ 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.

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19 Comments

  • ..............................

    They are 100% right!!!
    They should insist on switching their prostitute waitresses.
    They should insist on taking off the goyishe pictures and music.
    Besides for the fact that the food is atrocious,and tiny portions.
    Besides for the fact that this restaurant is HORRIBLE!!!

  • Interesting

    i have a shaleh / question
    if the place is not up to shulchan aruch code
    how cold a rabbi walk in there ?
    and if the SHULCHAN Aruch forbid walking in to a place how could it be KOSHER ?

  • DITTO #3

    Couldn’t have said it better myself. The food may be kosher but the environment is treife. I don’t think goyishe restaurants are so sleazy, the half dressed women are a real turn off and the food is trying too hard.

  • Anonymous

    it does not seem from the article that they “forced a name change”, the owners requested the OU certification and that is their guidelines, they have the choice not to be certified by OU.

  • tby

    well ye, it makes sense. but I question what kind of people own that place, if they would even ask Rabbis to come in to their place to make a hechsher on kosher certification with that name in mind. Its just strange and unnecessary. Its also just so un-creative to pick a name that hints to something like that. Can’t they be more inventive than that?
    We have to have a bottom line in our lives where enough is enough. Democracy is one thing, but in Torah we have limits which free us, so why just keep going down and selling short of Torah lifestyle. Its not a person’s name, but its a place where many people come to share thoughts, sit, eat kosher food. Whats in a name? Doesnt it affect us to sit in a restaraunt by what the name is….somewhat?

  • ty

    and by the way, why is it that they were “forced” to make the change. The OU has a right to associate their hashgacha with whatever they feel is right. That is what hashgacha is, hello.

  • Yossi

    I Don’t know why people are saying that the food is bad, my wife and I went there to celebrate our Anniversary, and the food was outstanding and the portions were generous, I ordered A chicken special for 29.00$, and my wife ordered the 45.00$ stake, and we were both very happy,in fact I was blown away by how good the chicken was I’ve never tasted chicken this good, it was even better then
    the stake which was also Delicious, these are words I never thought I
    would utter,chicken better then stake! are you out of your mind? but
    when I go back, it will be for the chicken special, I was there in Jan.

  • joeshmoe

    i know the 2 owners, mendel senderowicz and hershy stimler, both coming from ultra orthodox families, they r kinda the rejects…..

  • Mendel

    Since goyim are not coming, they are trying to attract a frummer crowd, which will probably not set a foot in such a place regardless of the hechsher. Time for owners to go to college.

  • Luxy

    The owners are high flying wheeling supposedly orthodox chassidim, but no better than the beer drinkin’ bar owners in the Bronx. For shame. They are doing all this untzniusdik atmosphere to make loads of money and probably will in this world, but not in the next world.

  • #9 "Yossi". or not "Yossi"

    I suspect Mr Owner, that you think we are stupid! You are not “Yossi”,
    the food is whatever it is. But how can you hang such Pritzus pictures on the wall. Hashem says to YOU “lifnay iveir lo sitain michsol”!

  • ben Torah

    It is as inappropriate to eat at this establishment with the OU certification, as it is to eat at the feast of Achashveirosh.

    Let those who do not receive the same judgement as those who did back then.

  • disappointed

    what useless horribly hateful messages…….

    how are your hateful words in tune with a fum attitude… a little two faced don’t you thin k ?

  • Woah!!!

    I went there with my husband and thought it was great, only thing is my husband thought a kosher place should have waitresses dressed more appropriately .

    • YG

      #17…
      “My husband thought”
      Does that mean you agree with him or not. It sounds like he is by himself in that opinion.

  • Dr. S

    I’m getting tired of seeing how people who are connected to the Torah, get so pathetically sold out to cheap ways to obtain goshmius. Everyone wants to earn a living, but why sell onesself so cheaply when we all know that belonging to the Torah is the highest “country club”. Not a joke. We are much higher than this, don’t those people know that? Just cheap and
    un-inventive. Yidden have always been able to be clever to do things within limits of the spirit of Torah…..