Northern Alabama Restaurant Goes Kosher (for One Meal)
When Rabbi Laibel Berkowitz received a call one morning from the Raytheon Company, he was a bit taken aback. What would the defense contractor want to talk about with the director of Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center of North Alabama?
Berkowitz was surprised when the caller, far from discussing the latest advances in missile technology, inquired about the possibility of providing a kosher meal for five Israelis who would be attending the company’s formal dinner that evening.
Hosted at the 801 Franklin, a premier non-kosher restaurant in Huntsville, the dinner had been planned for weeks. The dietary needs of the visiting Israelis, though, were made known to Raytheon and the restaurant just hours before the meeting.
After assessing the situation, Berkowitz – who opened the Jewish center just last year – stepped up to the plate. He had an informational meeting with the kitchen staff explaining the Jewish dietary laws, and then koshered a section of the restaurant’s kitchen.