Ohio has a new Subway!

Yes, Ohio has a new subway and I'm not talking about public transportation! Apparently some Jews in Cleveland have accomplished one of my own personal dreams by establishing a Kosher Subway restaurant in the U.S.

I'll be moving to Columbus on Friday to begin my new position as rabbi of Congregation Agudas Achim, and I'm sure I'll visit Cleveland a few times during the year, if for no other reason than to have a little Kosher subway.

Here is an excerpt from the article that appeared in the Cleveland Jewish News:

'Subway guy' helps open kosher Subway@theJ

By Alan Smason, Staff Reporter

Thanks to a strict diet of health-conscious Subway sandwiches, Jared Fogle may be less than 50% his former size, but he is still 100% Jewish and delighted to be associated with the first North American kosher Subway, recently opened at the JCC.

"I think it's great," says the 28-year-old Fogle, in talking about the Subway's new location and its foray into kosher. "I'm very proud of it, and hopefully, it will be the first of many to come."

Although he doesn't heavily promote his Jewish background, Fogle still feels a connection to Judaism. "I grew up in Indianapolis, and the JCC was a big part of my life," he boasts. "I spent many summers at the JCC, so to have a Subway at the JCC means a lot to me."

Known to millions today as "the Subway guy," Fogle became an overnight celebrity after filming his first TV commercial for Subway in January 2000. In it, he admitted to shedding 245 pounds in one year by adhering to a low-fat diet of no breakfast, two Subway sandwiches a day and diet soda or water. Fogle also added exercise - mostly walking - to round out his regimen.

"It just clicked," Fogle said as he described his dieting experience. "I lived next door to a Subway on campus, and I basically asked 'What if ...?'" [more]