Kosher bed-and-breakfast caters to Jewish clientele

NEWPORT, R.I. — A practicing Catholic who attends church each Sunday, Mary Ellen Newbury hardly seems a sure bet to know the ins and outs of keeping a kosher diet.

But as innkeeper of the Admiral Weaver Inn, the only kosher bed-and-breakfast in Rhode Island, Newbury's job is to ensure her guests' religious needs are satisfied — whether by making sure that meat and dairy meals are kept separate or by keeping bacon and sausage far away from the house.

Upholding the strict standards of a religion, albeit one different than her own, is a responsibility she takes seriously.

"I respect their beliefs and they, in turn, respect mine," said Newbury, a lifelong Newport resident and retired schoolteacher. "That's how it's worked out."

The six-bedroom inn, which opened as a kosher bed-and-breakfast more than five years ago, was the brainchild of a Ukranian immigrant looking to give something back to the Jewish community. The 1860s home, which boasts standard trappings like TVs and personal refrigerators, also has unique features that showcase its commitment to Jewish tradition.

Hebrew prayer books are stacked in the living room near the magazine rack and the spread of fruit, coffee and tea. Mezuzahs — small parchment scrolls bearing passages from the Torah that many Jews affix to their doorposts — hang outside rooms.

Basic kosher dietary rules are observed, such as a prohibition against eating shellfish, and the inn is careful to make sure no errors are made.

The bed-and-breakfast has separate ovens and microwaves for warming up meat and dairy dishes, so milk and meat don't mix, and food brought into the house from the outside requires the approval of the Orthodox rabbi at the nearby Touro Synagogue. Hot food that guests plan to eat over the weekend must be placed in the oven before sundown on Friday since traditional Judaism prohibits the use of electricity on the Sabbath.

"The challenge is to make sure that no mistakes occur in the kitchen, that the kosher standard is sufficient for everyone who would stay there," said Rabbi Mordechai Eskovitz of the Touro Synagogue.

Observant Jews make up most, though not all, of the clientele. The Touro, the oldest synagogue building in America, benefits from its connection to the inn since many guests include it on their itinerary, Eskovitz said. But he added that the inn isn't about catering only to Jews or converting non-Jews.

"Be who you are and enjoy your experience," he said.