Jerusalem - Restaurant owners in Meah Shearim are reeling after the Badatz Eida Chareidis, which provides mehadrin kosher certification to many establishments, ordered all restaurants closed at 10:30 Thursday nights, according to a report published today by Israeli news service Maariv. With numerous yeshivos in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood and its surroundings, the practice of going out for cholent after night seder on Thursday night has grown in popularity, with throngs of bochurim hanging out till all hours of the morning, a practice that Rabbonim in the area say “causes disturbances in both ruchniyus and gashmiyus.”
Eateries that fail to comply with the new ruling will forfeit their kashrus certification.
Leading the call to end the late night practice, timed to coincide with the end of night seder, is Reb Nosson Tzvi Finkel, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Yisroel’s Mirrer Yerushalayim, whose many students are among those who enjoy a taste of Shabbos on Thursday nights.
The ban goes into effect this week and it is expected that local business owners will comply with the new ruling.
