Masbia

The Hebrew name Masbia comes from a verse in the Book of Psalms: "Poteach es yadecha u'masbia l'chol chai ratzon – You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing" (Psalms 145:16).^[5]

Mordechai Mandelbaum, a Hasidic Jewish resident of Brooklyn, donated the seed money for the first restaurant in Borough Park in 2005. He and co-founder Alexander Rapaport, another member of the Brooklyn Hasidic community, were aware of many families who had fallen on hard times and were struggling with the high costs of rent and tuition. Back in 2003, a report by the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty had shown that 30% of Brooklyn Jews were living at or below the poverty line. Mandelbaum proposed the idea of feeding Jewish families in a more "formal, systematic way" through a free kosher restaurant which would be supported by others in the community who were still well-off.^[6][7] Masbia was set up as a restaurant in order not to humiliate singles and families who were unused to eating in a soup kitchen.^[3] Many Masbia patrons are men from the Hasidic community, for whom poverty is a cultural sign of shame.^[8]

The Borough Park restaurant opened in April 2005 in a converted railroad apartment. On opening night, the staff prepared 25 meals and only eight people showed up.^[7] Six months later, 120 patrons were frequenting the restaurant nightly.^[6] The restaurant's logo, a tent with openings on all four sides, recalls the tent of Abraham,^[6] the Jewish paragon of hospitality whose tent was open to all comers.

Beginning in 2009, the worsening recession prompted the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty to ally with Masbia, resulting in the opening of additional free restaurants in Williamsburg (opened November 2009),^[9] Midwood (opened November 2009),^[10] and Rego Park, Queens (opened March 2010).^[11][12] The new locations increased Masbia's overall patronage by 300%. In fiscal year 2010–2011, Masbia served 82,292 meals, a 50% increase over the previous year.^[7] In fiscal year 2012–2013, nearly 450,000 meals were served.^[2] In 2013 the Williamsburg location closed due to funding shortfalls and lack of customers.^[13]

Masbia serves over 500 meals nightly in Brooklyn and Queens. Rain or snow usually decreases the nightly patronage to about 400 diners, while Thursday nights can see up to 600 diners.^[14]

The dining rooms, open Sunday through Thursday from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m., have an upscale look, with polished wood floors, cloth-covered tables, and wall paintings. Food is served on trays by waiters. Artificial plants, screens or curtains, depending on the location, shield tables for privacy.^[3][6][11] The three-course meals include chicken, a starch, vegetables, fruit, bread and a hot drink. For example, the menu in Queens one night was vegetable soup, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, watermelon, apples, rolls, and hot tea.^[11] One night a year, on the yahrtzeit of the Kerestir Rebbe, Rabbi Yeshayah Steiner (d. 1925), who was known for feeding the hungry, steak is served.^[3] Meals are always meat-based except during The Nine Days, when Masbia serves fish dishes.^[15] Masbia also schedules a Seder on the first two nights of Passover which draw around 40 participants each.^[16]

Food for all the restaurants is prepared fresh daily at the Midwood location on Coney Island Boulevard, a former restaurant with a large commercial kitchen.^[11] The paid kitchen staff consists of a chef and helper; up to 25 volunteers assist them.^[5][17] The menu is largely dependent on the produce and foodstuffs that are donated that day; during periods when the same vegetable, such as carrots, is all that is available, the cook will vary the menu by preparing it sweet one day, salty the next.^[14] Day-old produce and leftovers from outside catered events, such as weddings, are not accepted, so as to uphold the dignity of patrons.^[18] Leftovers from the meals themselves are frozen in containers and handed out on Thursdays for patrons to take home for their Shabbat meals.^[11] This food package program, begun in the 2010–2011 fiscal year, has seen the distribution of 68,522 take-home meals.^[19]