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18 January 1 • 2015

Babylon Ethnic Foods in West
Bloomfield makes rabbi's wish
come true.

Stacy Gittleman

Contributing Writer

F

pita bread and make it kosher. To his
delight, Aoraha agreed.
"All the ingredients used are kosher,
and Marcos knows exactly where to go
to get the semolina and farina flour to
make the most authentic-tasting pita,"
Natan said. "The process in making
the pita is not difficult, and kashering
the oven and the preparation area so

or those who constantly
yearn for kosher pita that is
so authentic you would think
you are eating it in the streets of the
Old City of Jerusalem, there is good
news: Babylon Ethnic Foods in West
Bloomfield is now baking kosher-
certified pita under the Council of
Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit.
The pita is the inspiration of Rabbi
Sasson Natan of West Bloomfield.
Natan grew up in Jerusalem with his
extended Iraqi Jewish family, which
could trace its roots back to the
Babylonian exile. For years after mov-
ing to the United States, he yearned
for the soft, spongy pita bread of his
childhood — the kind that is thick
enough to stuff with Middle Eastern
delights like hummus, falafel and baba
Rabbi Sasson Natan at the kosher
gannouj.
oven in Babylon Ethnic Foods
Upon his recent move back to the
Detroit area to become the head rabbi
of Keter Torah Synagogue in West
it would not mingle with any of the
Bloomfield, Natan expressed how
store's non-kosher products seemed a
much he missed the Sephardic delica-
simple task as well:'
cies such as burekas, tahini and other
Aoraha, who is of Chaldean descent
Israeli products, especially during
and who has run the business for 21
Passover.
years, said he was happy to dedicate
"Passover was almost like Yom
one of his ovens on the premises to
Kippur for me said Natan. "Where
become kosher to bake his special
were the [kosher-certified] kitniyot,
bread.
the tahini and hummus? Here it was
"We've carried kosher items for
just matzah and potatoes, which
years:' Aoraha said. "The rabbi kept
coming in and admiring our pita. We
makes for some very dull eating:'
It was only natural that he would
are happy to make a kosher pita that
discover the foods from his youth
can be stuffed with falafel and toma-
at Babylon Ethnic Foods in West
toes and that won't break apart:'
Bloomfield. There, he said, he stum-
Aoraha and Natan are excited to see
bled into a "gold mine" of all the tastes
how kosher consumers will respond to
this new availability of fresh pita. They
he craved.
And then, there was the smell of
added that if there is a demand, the
that pita.
market could expand its kosher offer-
"The aroma of the pita baking there
ings to pareve Middle Eastern pastries
sent me back to my Jerusalem child-
such as baklava.
hood, where my grandmother would
"And if the demand gets really
send me to the corner bakery nearly
strong, we'll just add another oven:'
every day to buy some fresh pita
Aoraha said. ❑
bread:' Natan said.
The only glitch — the bread
was not certified kosher.
After patronizing the
Babylon Ethnic Foods is located at
6609 Orchard Lake Road in West
store a few more times,
Bloomfield. (248) 851-0912.
Natan began to talk with
the owner, Marcos Aoraha
of Sterling Heights, about the
possibility of dedicating one
of the store's ovens to only bake