'Kosher' Violation For South Jersey Deli Prompts Action From Lawmakers

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A fine imposed on a longstanding Jewish deli has led local leaders to demand answers from state officials.

"The Kibitz Room," which serves traditional Jewish dishes along with both pork and shrimp, was fined $1,000 by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs for not properly labeling their offerings as non-kosher.

The agency issued the violation after an inspection in September.

This spurred a wave of responses from the business and greater community, including three 6th District representatives.

In a letter to Division of Consumer Affairs Acting Director Christopher L. Peterson, the group outlined the need for clearer designations as to who the state's Kosher Food Consumer Protection Act is meant to represent.

Under the act, businesses that represent their food as kosher must disclose if certain items don't comply.

Regulatory requirements, however, also call for broader responsibilities on the part of owners who reference "Jewish," "Hebrew," "Bar Mitzvah," and other terms on signs, other advertising, and menus.

"The terms included in the regulation are descriptors of cultural heritage, culinary tradition, and Jewish religious and cultural milestones. None of these terms, by themselves, represent that a restaurant is kosher," said Senator James Beach, Assembly Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald, and Assemblywoman Melinda Kane.

As part of their message to state officials, the group also called on the Division to revise the policy to narrow the disclosure requirements and "better align" the measures with the intent and scope of the Act.

As for Kibitz Room management, while they may add further designation markers on their materials, this does not equal an admission of guilt or end to their fight to defend their practices.

"So I'll put a not kosher sign, and I'll put it on my menu," Brandon Parish, who runs the deli, told CBS News.

He also, however, plans to challenge the citation at a hearing on Wednesday.

The Kibitz Room is a New York-style Jewish deli that opened in 1996. It is located within The Shoppes at Holly Ravine at 100 Springdale Rd.

The business serves customers every day from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with takeout, delivery, and catering.

The deli reopened in May after filing for bankruptcy protection on Feb. 6.

This came after the other "Kibitz Room" location in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, had recently been evicted over more than $194,000 in unpaid rent and other fees.

The Kibitz Room is one of the best-known Jewish delis in the region, becoming known for its massive pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, homemade matzo ball soup, pickle bar, and "Jewish Cheesesteak."

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