Student Adi Koren of Emunah's Jerusalem College of Arts and Technology has put together an idea of a 'pub for the religious sector', as her final project for the year.
Arutz Sheva paid a visit to the student exhibition and chose this from among the original, imaginative projects on display at the college's premises in the Bak'a neighborhood.
The pub is called “The Bar-tenura,” a clever play on the words “bar” and the Bartenura, Rabbi Obadiah ben Abraham, a 15th century Rabbi and preacher, remembered mainly for his definitive commentary on the Mishnah.
The idea is humoristic in nature and is not intended to be taken seriously, says its creator. This is due to the fact that there is a basic flaw in the idea that anything can be made ‘kosher’ simply because mitzvot, such as kosher food and a corner for ritual washing before eating bread, are kept there. While some religious people may visit a pub and have a drink, there are more suitable places for a religious Jew to relax.
As part of her joke, Koren came up with varied Jewish and halakhic associations which characterize every corner of the pub and make it different from ordinary pubs.
These include a tip cup which is called “donations and tithes,” (trumot and maasrot) in homage to the portion put aside today in memory of the tithes given to the priests in the days of the Holy Temple and by association, the Jewish practice of leaving a portion of a person’s income to charity - this time to the waiters.
There is even a corner with the sign "Pinat lashon hara", the corner for forbidden gossip and slander, a subtle reminder of what happens when one has too much to drink.
The menu is rich, not just with culinary offerings, but also with subtleties. Among these is a dish called “Kabed et avicha ve’et imecha” (honor your father and mother). The dish is a liver dish, since the Hebrew word for liver is “kaved” and is spelled with the same letters as the commandment, which is “kabed.” (The writers think that perhaps it should include healthy green vegetables and instructions to eat that portion of liver with veggies, whether you like it or not, because it is good for you).
Another dish is called “Pa’amyim Ki Tov,” a play on the Jewish belief that the third day of the week is a lucky day because in the story of creation in the Book of Genesis, the phrase “it was good” is used twice on the third day. As such, the dish is a double hamburger.
Where do you write your order? On a kvitel (supplicating note) pushed into the kotel, of course, and pray that you get it.
Emunah College of Arts and Technology was founded in 1971 and the success of its graduates in their respective fields has made it recognized and respected throughout Israel for its pioneering and prestigious award-winning work in educating religious young women in Torah and the Arts. It is a joint project of Emunah Women of America and Emunah Israel.