As the summer approaches and we students set off on our travels, here is the secret weapon that provides us kosher traveling tips, deals, food, and more.
It all started with a trip to Scandinavia in 2008.
Dani Klein and his wife Arielle were traveling through Europe, and despite the months of research they did beforehand, they were having trouble accessing genuine kosher food and Shabbat hospitality. “The information we found was a mix of incomplete, inaccurate, and lacking nuance,” says Klein, the site’s Founder and Chief Editor. “All they had were listings of institutions, which lacked vital information such as hours/days of operation, exact entrance location, etc. which are things we take for granted in New York.”
A few weeks later, Klein started YeahThatsKosher.com, a site dedicated to offering “relevant information to kosher consumers traveling around the world.” At first, the site was a blog compiling personal travel experiences Klein and his friends had, but now, on the site’s fifth anniversary, it has expanded to contributors from around the world.
“It [is] very important… for the site to be a crowd-sourced compilation of content,” explains Klein, who encourages anyone who has traveled to share his/her experience, good and bad. “People think they should write about places with a lot of kosher food, (but) it’s important to write about the places that have very little kosher food.” If a person had a bad travel experience because s/he couldn’t find any kosher food, had trouble navigating public transportation, or couldn’t find the entrance to a Shul because it was unmarked, s/he should put that information on the site because it can help fellow Jewish travelers prepare properly. “Part of the content can be: prepare to bring a lot of food with you,” says Klein.
The site, which is funded by advertisements, is not Klein’s full time gig. He works as a Director of Social Media at Mindshare, a large marketing agency. He dedicates his spare time and energy to the site because there is a real need for this service in the Jewish world. Whether you want to go backpacking in Europe, are going on a cruise to Panama, or just want to sight-see on your 14 hour layover in Amsterdam, this site is here to provide the information you need to have a safe, seamless, kosher traveling experience.
Klein receives daily requests on the YeahThatsKosher.com’s Twitter and Facebook accounts for travel and restaurant advice from consumers all around the world. Last month, the site received approximately 30,000 visitors, many of whom were seeking restaurants open on Chol Hamoed Pesach and other Passover-related tips for travelers.
These days the site has grown to provide even more information for the Jewish world, such as kosher wineries, kosher food stands at sports arenas, Pesach program reviews, and more. It even has a Campus Directory, which lists the kosher meal plans on campuses around the world. Who knew that Bradley University in Central Illinois has an array of kosher food?
Like its adventure loving users, this site does not stop growing and innovating. There is an excited new project on the horizon. Klein and his team are already working on building the ultimate map which pinpoints every possible kosher restaurant, mikvah, and shul around the world in one user-friendly directory.
Don’t be fooled by its catchy name. YeahThatsKosher.com is not an entertainment site; it’s your secret (travel) weapon.
If you are interested in joining the force behind the traveling Jew’s secret weapon and its new project, please contact Dani at Dani@YeahThatsKosher.com.