Jewish-themed restaurant Lehrhaus is open for dining, drinks, and culture at 425 Washington Street in Somerville.

By Joei Chan

Step into a brand-new restaurant, Lehrhaus. Located on 425 Washington Street in Somerville, this is not just a place to enjoy some Jewish delights; classes will also be available to teach anyone more about the Jewish culture of food, music, and even some history.

Meet Rabbi Charlie Schwartz, the co-founder and director at Lehrhuas. “My co-founder and I imagined a desire to meet people in person and have vibrant places to gather. And both of us are Jewish, and so we were thinking about what Jewish spaces might look like. We realized that there are synagogues, but there are not a lot of really accessible, vibrant places for people to engage with Jewish life and culture.”

“So, after a bunch of conversations and dreaming, we came up with this idea of where people can encounter the best of the Jewish world. Whether its cocktails inspired by different Jewish communities from around the world, from Ethiopia, to Iran, to Eastern Europe, or taking classes that teach about Jewish life. Or reading a book from the library of about 2,000 books from religious texts, it’s a place where you can come and exhibit the best of the Jewish world, whether or not you are Jewish.”

Dishes like Beet “Pastrami” Reuben, Spiced Red Lentil Stew, Haus Herring Tartine, Mac and Cheese Kugel, and Arctic Char Alberas are available to dine on. Schwartz mentions that these dishes were created by their incredible culinary team. “As we collaborated on what the menu looks like, we wanted to tell diverse Jewish stories through the food and drinks that we serve.”

Upcoming classes will include “Creating the Jewish Community You Want and Need,” “Passover and Passing Through: Celebrating Miracles Big And Small,” “An Evening of New Yiddish Folklore, Papercut Crankie + Live Klezmer Music!”

A membership option is also available. For $36 a month or $360 annually, visitors can experience Lehrhaus in a brand-new way. Some benefits of the membership include two free tickets per month to classes, early access to special programs and events, and even 1-on-1 learning with the educators at Lehrhaus.

For more information, go to: https://www.lehr.haus/