"Look at him," says Moshe Sabag's friend, pointing to his well-fed stomach. "Of course he likes to eat!" Sabag throws his hands up, wearing a "so sue me" expression on his face. "I love to eat." Sabag hopes to pass this passion on to those who partake in the specialty foods that he offers at the Holy Land on Wheels, the kosher food truck that opened over the summer. The cart, which sits at 38th and Spruce streets, was the first kosher food truck to park itself on Penn's campus. "Why nobody here before?" Sabag asks. "Nobody think[s] about it! Nobody is smart like me." So far, there have been many thumbs-up for Holy Land on Wheels. "I thought it was good," says Tali Golan, a Hillel staffer, adding that the food cart's Middle Eastern flavor distinguishes it from the more traditional offerings of the campus kosher operations. "The food was good and pretty cheap and the guy was friendly," College senior Andrew Joseph agrees. "I mean, there have been food trucks around a long time, and we were always wondering when there was going to be a kosher one. It is easy -- now you can just grab something on the go. We hope it will stay open a long time." "It takes a lot of investment to open a new enterprise like that," Joseph adds. "It takes somebody who is willing to take the risk." Sabag fits the description. Born and raised in Israel, Sabag, now married and a father of three, immigrated to the United States in 1989 "looking for luck." Within a few days of arriving in New York, Sabag moved south to Philadelphia where he worked in electronics, eventually opening his own electronics shop, called 53 Electronics, in 1997. Prior to opening 53 Electronics, Sabag also operated a mini-market for five years in Philadelphia that sold kosher food imported from Israel. After the mini-market, Sabag opened the Holy Land Pizzeria at 7628 Castor Ave. in Philadelphia in 1991. Seven months ago, he opened a neighboring restaurant, Holy Land Grill. Both the grill and the pizzeria are still in business. Now the Holy Land has also gone mobile. "I think it is a good location," Sabag says of his new venture, adding that he hopes to make his corner a destination spot on campus. "I think it is good for everybody." He envisions creating a hang-out spot for repeat customers. "We need to put up umbrellas and a string to hold their bags," he says. Before the Holy Land on Wheels made its debut, the only kosher food operation in the University City area was Irv's Place, a University dining hall that has now been relocated to Steinhardt Hall and renamed Kosher Eatery. There, any student with a University meal plan can swipe in, paying an additional $2 surcharge for every meal. For students paying cash, lunches ring up at $11.35 and dinner at $14.75. Joseph estimates that a few hundred students, staff, faculty and others eat in the new Hillel building every day. In addition, kosher students can find sustenance in assorted pre-packaged foods available in Houston Market and various items at Freshgrocer and Wawa. Downtown, kosher options are just as bleak. "Even in Center City, it is very limited," says Joseph. "Most people just go to kosher dining." With what Hillel staff member Bethany Friedlander notes is a roughly 30 percent Jewish student body, not to mention staff and faculty who keep kosher, Sabag has seized upon an under-serviced clientele. "I think it is good in general, because I think the more kosher options there are for community members and students, the better," Golan says. Debuting in July, Sabag made the decision to open the truck after numerous requests by University students to open a kosher restaurant in University City. "The students who came to my restaurants wanted me to open a store," Sabag says. After surveying the vacancies around campus, none of which matched the size nor the price range he had in mind, Sabag determined there was "no place for a restaurant." He opened a food truck instead. Although recently Sabag has been spending mealtime hours tending to Holy Land on Wheels, he hopes to return to concentrating more on his other business operations. Sabag hopes to cut back his participation with the food cart to taking big orders and arranging catering deliveries. Currently, the Holy Land on Wheels is only staffed by one full-time employee. Although business calls, Sabag's passion for interacting with customers may keep him coming around Holy Land on Wheels on a regular basis. "People you know trust you more." So far, Sabag describes his business as "so-so." "It's still the beginning," he says. "It can be better. We have only kosher customers. It is too much money for not kosher." Sabag added, however, that the kosher food also attracts a substantial number of Muslims. The $6 to $7 price of the sandwiches -- which include traditional favorites like chicken and steak, as well as vegetarian items -- and the $1.50 cost for beverages imported from Israel are what Sabag believes keeps non-Kosher customers away. Sabag attributes the cause for the higher prices to several sources. "The meat is expensive. The rabbi [kashering the cart] has made it more expensive. Somebody has to come from New York. It takes all day." To be a certified kosher food eatery, there are a series of steps that an owner must take. The cart itself must be kashered by a rabbi. All surfaces, tools and dishes must be dipped in hot water. Holy Land on Wheels was kashered by the Orthodox Vaad of Philadelphia, also known as Keystone-K. After the initial kasher, the rabbi can make surprise visits to the establishment to ensure kosher practices are maintained. "Kosher is better," Sabag says. "It is cleaner." While Sabag has recreated a little of the Israeli flavor in Philadelphia, he says he longs to return to the real thing. Sabag's mother still lives in Israel, but Sabag has only returned to visit six times since coming to the United States. Despite the entrepreneurial success Sabag has enjoyed here, he hopes one day to reside again in the place for which his cart was named. "I was thinking about it, but not now," Sabag says, noting that it is financially more difficult to live in the United States. "We are not ready. Would I like to be in Israel? Yes. I don't like to be here." For the time being, however, Sabag is eager to serve the community here. "I will operate forever if they support me."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
