As people around the world are stepping up to show their support for Israel and the Jewish people, one Missouri restaurateur is taking solidarity to a whole new level.
Working closely with Rabbi Chaim Landa of the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County, Bob Affholder—who is not Jewish—owner of the Novellus restaurant in St. Charles, Mo., is transforming his eatery into a glatt-kosher restaurant for 24 hours on Oct. 25. Novellus, a non-kosher brunch spot, will for one day feature kosher food, including Rib Eye steak and Israeli-style sides, with all proceeds and donations going directly to Colel Chabad, Israel’s leading food security NGO, which is delivering 10,000 meals a day to the displaced and the needy.
“When I saw the images and videos on TV, I knew I couldn’t sit idly by—I had to do something,” Affholder said. “I want to be there for the people of Israel and show my support for the Jewish people everywhere, now, in their time of need.”
They hope to raise $100,000 or more as Affholder will be matching dollar for dollar up to $50,000 for the Israeli families whose lives have been uprooted and are sheltering in place, many without a source of income.
This is the first time that Novellus, meaning “novel” in Latin, has gone kosher.
Affholder's co-owner Joe Ancmon is also not Jewish, but they both wanted to do more than just donate money to show their support. That’s when they reached out to Landa, who together with his wife, Bassy, directs the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County, to partner with them to kosher their kitchen for their “Support Night for Israel.”
A ‘Beyond Touching’ Endeavor
“What Novellus is doing is beyond touching and we want the place packed—wall to wall—to let the world know: St. Charles stands with Israel,” said Landa. “The process of koshering a restaurant is not a simple one, and it’s very unusual for a business to do it just for a day, which makes this all the more heartwarming and meaningful.”
Koshering a commercial kitchen not only involves removing all non-kosher ingredients from menu items, but all dishes, cooking utensils, ovens and metal surfaces must undergo a process of deep cleaning and heat-treatment to remove all traces of previous non-kosher foods.
Landa has been working closely with the Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis, the local kosher certification organization, which has been eager to lend its full support and resources to the project and ensure that the restaurant is kosher to the highest standard for this benefit event.
Tickets must be purchased in advance, with two seatings, one at 5 p.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m.
This is not the only restaurant that has gone kosher to support Israel in this most recent conflict. Last week, the non-kosher “Achim” restaurant in Tel Aviv went viral on Twitter and social media for koshering its facility in order to prepare kosher food for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces
The longest-operating charity in the Holy Land, Colel Chabad was founded by the first Chabad Rebbe—Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe—in 1788. Colel Chabad’s modern-day activities have been guided by the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, under whose stewardship it has become one of the Jewish world’s most recognized charities. With a staggering reach, Colel Chabad is the largest food security NGO in Israel, also providing medical care and support to widows and orphans in Israel.
Since last week’s terror attack, Colel Chabad has mobilized to support thousands of families who are frightened and alone in shelters, including delivering tens of thousands of fresh cooked meals to them.
For more information about Novellus and Chabad of St. Charles County’s event and to support this effort, visit the Facebook event.
To make a direct donation to Colel Chabad that will be matched as part of this project click here.
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