Open, Sure, but Never on ... Shabbat

What of those business owners who close their stores for the Sabbath?
February 04, 2010 - Rachel Levy Lesser, Jewish Exponent Feature

Pull up a bar stool; business owner Barry Belsky of Old City explained that "everyone needs one day a week to rest."

When Barry Belsky took over Mr. Bar Stool in 1991, the first order of business of his supply company was hanging an oversized sign on the front door that read, "Closed Saturdays, Open Sundays."

Raised in a commercial furniture family business, Belsky is Modern Orthodox and does not work on Shabbat. "There was never a question that I would," he said.

The same can be said for Glatt Delight, a kosher delicatessen on S. 12th St., which operates on a similar schedule. The restaurant is run by Jacob Levy, whose family has been in the kosher meat business for nine generations.

"Our customers just know that we are closed on Saturdays," said Levy, who added that he does not think twice about the loss of profits. He said that he holds true to his belief that "money made on the Sabbath would not be enjoyed anyway."

Sharon Abergel, owner of the Espresso Cafe and Sushi Bar in Northeast Philadelphia, was raised in those same traditions. He explained that his Israeli grandmother taught him that "if you work on Shabbat, you will not have blessings with the money earned."

The cafe is closed for the Sabbath and reopens as early as 6 p.m. in the winter months on Saturdays. Abergel said that "Saturday nights are our busiest time."

Both Levy and Abergel modeled their restaurants after popular set-ups in Israel and New York, where businesses closing for Shabbat is a more common occurrence. Belsky, who is originally from New York, grew up in a community where "merchants shutting down on Shabbat was a given."

He recalled one successful business in New York, which strictly abides by the rules of Shabbat even in the age of the Internet. B&H Photo in midtown Manhattan shuts down its Web site on Saturdays so that no orders can be placed when Shabbat is observed.

Whereas it has become increasingly difficult for some businesses to remain closed on Saturdays, some have learned that it's actually the better option. Last October, the New York Bagel Bakery on Haverford Avenue in Philadelphia, traditionally closed on Shabbat, changed its hechsher from Orthodox oversight to Conservative, which allowed it to open its doors to Saturday business.

The shop's owner, Nick Abdoul, who is not Jewish, said he took that step to attract more business.

But just this week, he reversed course again.

He said he did this out of respect for customers who could no longer shop there, and also because "I just can't work seven days a week anymore. I'm not as young as I used to be."

The store now closes Fridays at 3 p.m., reopening Sundays, at 7 a.m.

Belsky was initially warned by a neighbor near Second and Race streets that he'd "never make it," explaining that 90 percent of business happens on Saturdays. But Mr. Bar Stool, which has been at its current location since 1960, has thrived over the last two decades, despite being closed during traditional prime-time sales hours.

In the beginning, Belsky was one of the only merchants in Old City that was open on Sundays. He ended up "doing more business on Sundays than the neighbor did on Saturdays."

Since then, things have changed, he explained. "Retail has become a seven-day a week business," and there is now more competition on Sunday.

Depending on the individual's awareness of Shabbat, Belsky said he explains to customers that they close on Saturdays because "everyone needs one day a week to rest."

Belsky and his fellow observant business owners noted that they are proud to have "educated Philadelphia consumers about the concept of closing business on the Sabbath, especially in tough economic times."

Jacob Levy said that he is pleased to share his traditions and "his mother's recipes from Israel" with the Center City community, while Sharon Abergel added that his regular customers have adapted to the traditional Israeli cafe set up.

Just how many businesses in Center City close for the Jewish Sabbath? It's hard to say, according to a spokesman from Center City District, which monitors the region's business.

The American Jewish Historical Society keeps a record of Shabbat observances. According to their research, in the early 1900s, "many American Jewish workers faced a choice between keeping Shabbat and keeping their jobs." In the late '20s, a coalition of rabbis and labor unionists fought for a five-day work week.

While this five-day work week has changed into a six-day one, the key is that the day these few Philly businesses described above are closed is the Sabbath -- a true day of rest.