The Dunkinization of Jewish Staten Island

Every community seems to have its own flavor, its own set of unique characteristics. In this Staten Island is no different from other communities. And yet, up until two days ago, I would have said that our community is truly a unique one for New York City.

Think of it, a community where all the people living here basically get along. There is no divide in the Willowbrook community along hashkafic lines. Boys who go to Torah Temima live on the same block and play with boys who go to The Jewish Foundation School--a local day school. Girls from Prospect Park and from Shulamit and from the full range of the high schools in the city are all friends with each other based on things other than the school they go to. Want a chasidishe shteible to daven in? Got it, got two. Want an Agudah type of shule? Got it (and R. Moshe Meir Weiss is the Rav). Want an OU shule? Got that too. Want Lubavitch? Yup, here too. Are you sefardi and want a shule that davens your nusach? Try two of them. And then there is the Young Israel--second largest in the US. Want a Young Israel but want to daven nusach sfard? Yup, the only one in the country that has a sfard minyan is here. The YI has six different minyanim on a Shabbos--different strokes for different folks.

Women who wear their hair covered? Some do, some don't and no one is pointing fingers. Want to wear a black hat? Go ahead. Want to wear a kipah sruga? Be our guest. Need a mikveh--more than two. A keilim mikveh? Yup. A kosher butcher? Two. Take home food stores? Inside each of the butcher shops. Need a bakery? Right here. Kosher specialty grocery stores? Two and also inside the take home food stores. Major supermarkets with huge kosher departments? Waldbaums, Shoprite, Pathmark and Stop & Shop.

Boys and girls yeshiva ketanot? Indeed. A day school? That too. A boys high school. It's here, more than one. Want a kollel? We have that too. Want a kollel specifically for retired men who are sitting down to learn? Kollel Balabatim of Willowbrook. Want shiurim? Lots of choice. Want Hatzalah and an active Bikur Cholim and Community Help Organization? Want a community known for its tzedaka giving? Here we are. We have top models of all. Want a "big name" yeshiva? R' Reuven Feinstein's yeshiva is here in Staten Island. Want affordable housing BY COMPARISON to the rest of the city? We still represent something of a "bargain." Think about it--rents that are about half as much for twice as much apartment.

And yet.... For years now there have been heard voices complaining that there is not enough in Staten Island. Huh? What was actually being complained about was the lack of restaurants here. Yes, we have had a pizza shop/milchig restaurant for years. And on and off there has been some sort of fleishig restaurant, although you couldn't prove it by my family. Staten Island tends to be a "home cooking" kind of place. And for those moments when you can't or won't cook, the take home places are just fine.

With everything we have to offer there are still those who foresaw doom for the community because of a lack of restaurants. "You can't get young couples to move in here if there are no services such as are available in other communities." Some of us still don't get that. We didn't buy our homes nor choose this community on the basis of a restaurant that might or might not stick around.

Well, the proof, as they say, will be in the pudding. Staten Island is now the proud possessor of....a strictly kosher under kosher supervision, no treif in the store at all Dunkin Donuts. And this enterprise, which some believe will "grow" our community in leaps and bounds, has already caused a bit of a furor. Two rabbanim associated with the Vaad refused to give hashgocho on the store because it carries both cholov stam and cholov yisroel, your choice for your coffee. The hashgocho comes from Brooklyn--how's that for a weird turnaround? The opening of the store got front page coverage in The Staten Island Advance. Talk about much ado about nothing.

Let me admit that my son went down to the store this morning and picked up bagels. The owner had had such a run on what was being sold that he was almost out of everything. Yup, the bagels were fresh and they were good, soft instead of chewy, but good. And if we ever get in the mood for bagels I'll go back. But with a fully operational kitchen and lots of choices, why would I go and buy coffees for just about the price of a package or jar of coffee for my own home?

We are all in love with a brand of product called "yenems (theirs)." "Yenems" has to be better than our own. Otherwise how could we possibly explain the "kosher" imitation shrimp and crab products that show up on caterer's menus and on our grocery shelves? How do we otherwise explain "kosher" imitation bacon and sausages? We Jews also seem to be particularly fascinated with fast food chain "yenems." Frankly I don't believe that having a Dunkin Donuts will cause a rush of people to move to Staten Island. Give it a few weeks for the novelty to wear off and it will be just another store choice. Frankly, Dunkin Donuts is fairly benign for a "yenems." It's basically about baked goods and coffee.

I am thankful at least that no one has yet brought up the horrifying thought of a kosher Subway store here. (Let's leave out the issue of 'maaris eyin' here). When the Subway restaurant opened up in Flatbush I watched the hordes rush in to savor what non-Jews had been savoring for so long--over-sized, fat and calorie loaded health time bombs. But hey, it's a "yenems."

If a community is judged by its culinary choices then Staten Island finally is on its way up--or is that down? It's so nice to see Klal Yisroel busy with the important things that face us.