On Thursday morning, as Jews around the world woke to news of an antisemitic attack that left two young people dead in Washington, the team at Lehrhaus, a kosher restaurant near Boston, prepared for another day of service. That night, dozens of people — young and old, Orthodox and secular, Jewish and non-Jewish — stopped by this Jewish tavern and house of learning to gather with community and, of course, to eat delicious food. 

Among the guests at the popular Somerville, Mass., restaurant on Thursday night was Gov. Maura Healey, a first-time visitor to a place that has become an institution for Boston’s Jewish community since it opened in 2023. She spent nearly an hour there talking to diners and meeting Lehrhaus’ staff.

“I wanted them to know that I share their heartbreak and outrage over the murders of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, and that antisemitism has absolutely no place in Massachusetts,” Healey, a Democrat, told Jewish Insider in a statement. “Lehrhaus is a testament to the strength and spirit of the Jewish community in Massachusetts, especially during the most difficult times.”

At a Thursday morning meeting among senior leaders of Boston Jewish organizations, Rabbi Charlie Schwartz, the director of Lehrhaus, suggested that Healey should stop by in the coming days. Jeremy Burton, CEO of the Boston Jewish Community Relations Council, brought the idea to Healey — and within hours, she agreed to visit.

“Maybe not 10 or 15 minutes after Charlie and I spoke, the governor called me sometime before 10 a.m., and we had the kind of chat that we often have at times like this, where she’s expressing her concern, asking about the community, asking about what people are feeling and needing,” Burton said. “One of the things that we talked about was this issue of spaces of Jewish gathering, and this larger question of how to convey that Jews belong and Jews are valued, and Jewish spaces are valued, and it’s safe to gather.” 

By the time Healey stopped by, the restaurant was nearly full, with people sampling Jewish cuisine and Jewish-inspired cocktails from around the world. In the library, a class was going on — so packed that Healey had to wave rather than walking in to address the attendees. 

“I told her about Lehrhaus, about what we’re doing. I mentioned that we have the best fish and chips in Boston, according to Eater, and she definitely should come back and try them,” said Schwartz. 

With Healey’s visit, she came to “just hang out and speak to people, and just be present in a space that expresses the best of Jewish life, even in moments of real tragedy and pain,” Schwartz added. 

Like other Jewish institutions, Lehrhaus is well aware of security concerns, and regularly examines its security measures amid antisemitic threats. But it is not the kind of place where guests will find armed guards or metal detectors. 

“We understand that as a public-facing tavern and house of learning, where one of our main functionalities is being a bar and restaurant, there’s a different type of security posture that we have to have,” said Schwartz. “The type of security that we have is going to be very different than a museum or a synagogue or an embassy, but will still be present.” 

Lehrhaus is planning to open a second location in Washington, but they have not yet announced a timeline for the project.