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Beni Dagim Fish Restaurant
1 Mesilat Yesharim Street – Jerusalem
02-652-2403
Jerusalem Rabbinate Mehadrin
For your veterans, ‘Beni Dagim’ is a Jerusalem landmark, up and running for some 40 years. I remember seeing the store in the same location on my first visit to the downtown area after arriving in Israel 25 years ago.
While my focus is on kashrus, not atmosphere, this place has a good feel when you enter. After the door closes behind you, one quickly forgets that one is on the corner of a major vehicular thoroughfare, Betzalel Street.
With the exception of the mashgiach, there is not a Jew to be found in the restaurant. Beni was not present when I arrived on Thursday night, (Sept. 3, 2009) September 3rd.
I met with the evening mashgiach, Rav Hillel Cohen, a veteran kashrus man, a Yerushalmi Yid as the saying goes. In his younger years, R’ Hillel worked as a shochet, a ritual slaughterer. Today, he is in Beni’s and a number of other places as you will see elsewhere in this report.
R’ Hillel explained that since the kitchen staff is non-Jewish, the Rabbanut Mehadrin department insists on a mashgiach timidi, a constant kashrut presence and it appears that is exactly what takes place. He stressed the kitchen does not move without a mashgiach, and they are very clear that any violation will cost them the mehadrin status.
Permit me to use this opportunity to once again make an appeal to readers. When you enter a restaurant, ask to speak to the mashgiach. R’ Hillel requested me to explain this again, that asking for the mashgiach strengthens his position, as well as other mashgichim, and managers and store owners realize his presence is an enhancement, bringing in more clients. In this case explains R’ Hillel, Beni went mehadrin about 18 months ago, and R’ Hillel explains he has no regrets. In actuality, he is thankful, with business booming since he accepted the mehadrin hechsher and the terms of a constant kashrut presence.
Anyway, down to business – the store enjoys the presence of a mashgiach from the moment the door opens at 11:00am, when the kitchen begins the day’s operations. R’ Hillel is there to light all the stoves and check incoming goods. He is replaced at 12:00pm by R’ Eliyahu Gottlieb, who performs the major inspections of incoming goods. R’ Cohen is primarily responsible for lighting stoves and ensuring the start-up of the kitchen is in total adherence to mehadrin standards. R’ Gottlieb is on duty from 12:00pm-6:00pm. R’ Hillel Cohen then comes in and remains until closing at 11:00pm.
R’ Cohen assures me that there is bishul yisrael for both Ashkenazim and Sephardim, explaining when he sees a sephardi client, he takes over in the kitchen to ensure the meal adheres to the stringencies of the Beit Yosef.
The ingredients are “acceptable mehadrin” hechsherim, including Eida Chareidit, R’ Landau, R’ Rubin, Belz Machzikei Hadas, Chug Chatam Sofer Petach Tikvah and Chug Chatam Sofer Bnei Brak.
While there are non mevushal wines in stock, many in fact, the mashgiach is the only one permitted to handle the bottles, including of course adding wine to dishes being cooked in the kitchen. R’ Hillel explains that from time-to-time he may find an opened bottle in the kitchen which may lead to uncertainty. The bottle is poured down the drain – no questions asked. Only mashgichim may bring wine to patrons ordering a glass or bottle, none of the non-Jewish workers. Yes, the fact that wine is used in a kitchen, with non-Jewish staff is reason for concern, but the rabbi insists it is under control.
Produce, olives and other ‘chamutzim’ are all mehadrin and of course, as is supposed to be the case with all Jerusalem restaurants, all shrubbery and greens are approved insect-free brands.
R’ Hillel is a serious yid indeed, and he not only takes his responsibilities very seriously as he should, he is very proud of the fact that he ensures patrons are enjoying mehadrin level kashrus. Rice, chick peas and other items requiring inspection are of course inspected, as well as flour sifted prior to use.