Jewish Tavern in Boston to be Created as Lehrhaus

A combination of a Jewish tavern and learning space is coming to Boston. Announced last week by co-founder, Rabbi Charlie Schwartz, that he is creating, along with Joshua Foer, “the world’s first Jewish tavern and house of learning. We’re taking a moonshot to re-imagine Jewish space and popularize hevruta across the Jewish world (and beyond).”

While this combination of Jewish tavern and learning space has been announced as Lehrhaus, the website currently offers no information about it.

However, in an article written by Gabby Deutch published yesterday, the plan is for it to be “a members-only space for people who join the institution’s beit midrash and want to stop by to study alone or in hevruta, with a partner” during the daytime, while, “In the evening, Lehrhaus will be open to the public, with a bar and dining program designed by award-winning veterans of Boston’s restaurant scene.” Further, according to Deutch, “Foer and Schwartz believe the food and drinks alone will be enough to get people in the door. But the goal is not just to be a great kosher restaurant. Jewish learning will be at the heart of Lehrhaus, though its creators do not want to cram it down patrons’ throats; they hope to make learning appealing, and also allow easy entry points for people who aren’t too familiar with text study.”

Deutch quotes Rabbi Schwartz as saying, “We want to build on-ramps to Jewish learning in an environment that people understand and want to spend time in”, with Lehrhaus being a place “where people can come and spend time and want to linger and engage in delicious food and drink and Jewish text.”

While nothing like Lehrhaus has been created in America before, it certainly seems like an intriguing and interesting space for not only Jewish eating, learning, and conversation, but also Jewish drinking.

We look forward to seeing it open! l’chaim

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