Fried chicken cutlet. Miami ribs with homemade rib sauce. Salmon with garlic butter sauce.
It’s a menu that one could find in the best restaurants across Brooklyn, a borough of New York City with no shortage of amazing kosher eateries. Here in the heart of the chasidic community of Williamsburg, the Haichel Yeshaye-Beis Hatavshil has for many years been providing a free top-quality, buffet-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner service, seven days a week – including Shabbos.
“I have a passion for serving people, making people happy,” head chef Nussi Altman told The Jewish Press. Altman has been preparing food for hungry patrons for nearly 34 years. His grandfather, who also worked in the food industry, inspired him to eventually open his own restaurant, Cafe Shalvo. Later, he opened Sophie’s Bistro. During the same time, he adopted the practice of inviting the hungry to eat at his dinner table, often hosting 15 to 20 guests on Friday nights.
Altman feels his new role is a perfect fit. “For me, it’s more than just about making money,” he says. Today, he pours his heart into making food people will love.
Haichel Yeshaye-Beis Hatavshil has long been the New York Jewish community’s best kept secret – though providing service only for the locals has never been its intention. I remember the first time I set foot in the establishment nearly eight years ago. Having just started a new job in the community, and not having a lot of money to maintain a healthy kosher diet, it was a resource I desperately needed.
But last summer, the establishment undertook a complete renovation, making the operation more aesthetically appealing and expanding its already extensive offerings to include a full-service salad bar, coffee bar with slushy drink machine, dessert area, and comfortable seating with access to several ports for recharging your phone while dining. A stunning amount of detail had been paid to meet every need of its patrons: a mixture of working professionals, bochurim on their way to yeshiva or returning from davening, the elderly, and other hungry travelers from Boro Park, Flatbush, Crown Heights, and beyond.
“The first time I visited the Beis Hatavshil, I was on my way to the grocery store and someone told me I could eat there for free,” shared Yecheskel Dov Bender, a skilled plumber from Williamsburg. Bender said he’s been a patron for nearly nine years, and considers it a very important part of the local community. “Poor people, the disabled, and many of the Jewish school bus drivers stop in throughout the day. There’s also lots of Israelis who come to America to collect tzedakah. Obviously they don’t have any money, so they rely on it for their daily meals. I usually go every morning on my way to work. It’s in a great location.”
Indeed, its location is very special. Sitting on the corners of Bedford Avenue and Ross Street, and located in the basement of the original Satmar Rebbe, Yoel Teitelbaum’s personal shul, it’s the literal and spiritual heart of Williamsburg. Next door is the house built for the Rebbe and his wife. Across the street sits the home of one of the current Satmar Rebbes, Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum. Its humble presence on such an esteemed corner is a remarkable symbol of kindness, shining out to the world from a community that famously already knows a lot about kindness. In addition, the Satmar Bikur Cholim, which provides kosher services for Jews in hospital beds across the New York metropolitan area, maintains its operations just a few doors south.
Bender said in the morning he likes to grab some danishes and maybe some scrambled eggs. He admits his favorite time to eat is during dinner service, when he can sit, relax, and schmooze with friends. Sometimes he even stops in on Shabbos if his wonderful wife doesn’t feel well enough to prepare a meal.
Perhaps the most impressive of the weekly meal offerings is the Shabbos buffet – open on Friday evening and throughout Shabbos day. A delicious cholent, chicken, chicken soup, potato kugel, farfel, and other dishes are always available, along with plenty of challah, salmon, and gefilte fish. The fridge is stocked with bottles of wine, beer, liquor, and seltzer. Apple kugel and chocolate candies always make a delightful showing. All throughout Shabbos, the self-service layout proves comfortable for single men or groups, and the singing and welcoming atmosphere is wholly intoxicating even before one pours a single libation.
In addition, on Thursday evenings, nearly 1,000 men and women are provided with several bags of groceries and other household necessities; this walk-in service is open to the Jewish community citywide. Food is also distributed to other community centers and persons in need citywide.
A few weeks ago, I noticed manager Yechiel Posen standing near the entrance and watching as Jewish men from all over the city streamed in, eager to see what fancy meal surprises awaited their hungry palates. Perhaps Posen was just in deep thought; I’ve always suspected he had the ability to ponder about many things at once, for only a serial multi-tasker could manage such an important operation. Posen insists on the highest standards of cleanliness in the establishment and its workers and maintains a dignified and respectable eating experience, despite having the unpredictability of every persuasion of Yid – modern, litvish and chassidish, young and old, the quiet and the jovial – all descending on the space at once.
He built the new Beis Hatavshil with his own hands involved in every detail. I imagine that even the arrangement of the salt and pepper shakers, the plastic spoons and forks, and the benchers, shaded by a carefully placed bouquet of flowers – every detail – was lovingly decided by a man who could be firm but kind at any moment and all at once.
The name Haichel Yeshaye is in memory of Rabbi Yeshaya Steiner, also known as Reb Shaya’le, who was born in the town of Zborov (modern-day Slovakia) in 1851. Later he became the rebbe of the town of Bodrogkeresztur (Kerestir) in Hungary. He died in 1925. Rabbi Steiner was renowned for his extraordinary hospitality and miraculous deeds, attracting thousands of Jews to seek his help and advice.
On the campaign trail just months before he was sworn in as our nation’s 47th president, Donald Trump, a proven fan of the Jewish community at home and abroad, paid a visit to the humble storefronts of Williamsburg. His visit was gracious and inspirational, and on the subject of Haichel Yeshaye-Beis Hatavshil, he felt he needed to express his impressions in writing in a letter:
“Dear Rabbi Teitelbaum, your wonderful daughter, Bruchy, shared your tremendous work on behalf of the Williamsburg community through Heichal Yeshaya. Your entire family has an incredible heart of service for others. I was so touched to learn that as the Gottlieb family mourned the loss of their father and patriarch, they honored his life of charity and kindness by supporting the vital work of your organization. You have my continued support and encouragement as you follow your divine purpose to help those in need. May He bless you and your family with great health and abundant happiness.” The letter is signed in Trump’s iconic fashion.
Yoel Brach, head of operations and son of facility owner Nachman Brach, gives honor to the memory, the mission, and the kindness of the wife of the original Satmar Rebbe, Rebbitzin Fayga Tetelbaum. “This operation began in the house of Rebbitzin Fayga, where she regularly hosted meals for the hungry. She is also the founder of the Satmar Bikur Cholim,” he shared.
The Haichel Yeshaye-Beis Hatavshil serves 1,500 meals a day. If you can help provide services to the hungry, please reach out to the organization at (917) 494-1733, [email protected], or 199 Lee Avenue, PMB 324, Brooklyn, NY 11211.
