News – When the Sleepless Goat closed in Kingston, many were upset; the downtown coffee collective was always thought of as an inclusive and inviting space and many were sad to see it go. Luckily, a new deli is hoping to bring those same types of aspects to their own space and maybe even attract some of the Goat’s old customers.
The Lil’ Yellow Deli, plans to open in Kingston in June and one of its owners, Jason Shinduke, hopes it will bring love and acceptance to all those who frequent the establishment.
“We are a group of families that are working together,” he explained. “We are part of the Twelve Tribes and our focus and goal is love. We want to express love and we want to manifest love. We care and we want to have care for each other and have respect; we want to bring that to people through the restaurant.”
The Twelve Tribes network of communities has been around for almost 45 years. The groups in Canada were mainly in British Columbia and Alberta until a few years ago when they travelled to Kingston for a Tall Ships event. They made contacts in the area and soon members fell in love with the Limestone City and started their own community.
Shinduke is part of that community and lives with two families and a bunch of single members on a farm off of Abbey Dawn Road in Kingston.
“In our community, we believe in traditional, basic things. We believe in the bible, we don’t have any alternative text, but we want to get back to the roots of a real simple faith that produces an action,” he said. “That action is an expression of the creator’s heart to you in a way that you can tangibly feel it. We focus more on action than words and we work and grow together.”
When Twelve Tribes groups originally formed, they purchased a restaurant to help them connect and grow together. They needed to make some money, but they also wanted to do it together.
“The very first café we had was called the Yellow Deli. A restaurant was the perfect place for the community to be together because anyone can learn to make a sandwich or wash dishes and they could all work together,” said Shinduke. “The materials were sourced from wherever and the paint was yellow so the name came from that. It symbolizes our resourcefulness, that close to the ground connection and remembering what life is all about.”
In Kingston, The Lil’ Yellow Deli, located at 647 Princess Street, is still under construction, but everything inside will be custom built with repurposed wood and a natural feel. The menu will also be very simple with soups, salads and sandwiches that are locally sourced.
“The food and drinks at the café will eventually be sourced from our farm, but not right now because we are just getting started,” said Shinduke. “Everything we do is homemade. We make all of our own breads and soups and we make a special South American tea. Our own fingerprint is on a lot of what we do.”
Shinduke hopes that the space will appeal to Queen’s students, especially since the deli is across the street from a major residence, and the residents of Kingston too.
“Our goal in the restaurant is for people to be able to come in and find a place where they are very comfortable, where people are accepted and taken care of and nourished and they feel good about it,” he said. “It is not a high-pressure business system and we aren’t doing it for the money. Our goal is more of an expression of love.”
Comments from public:
This restaurant is run by a fear based religious cult. I will not support them. https://psmag.com/children-of-the-tribes-5b95e96c4bfa#.fl3s9vdgi http://www.twelvetribes-ex.org/whyileft.htm
A VERY dangerous mind controlling group
They regularly beat their children with sticks and freely admit it. Any one can administer corporal punishment.
The children get very little if any schooling & only up their teens
They allow anyone in, people who have criminal records,convicted sex offenders – anyone
They have their children age 8-12 work in their businesses
Anyone joining has to give them any valuables & money they have.
They control EVERY aspect of the members lives
The “leaders” have their cars, computers, cell phones, the members are lucky to get a new pair of shoes.
They will lie to the authorities to protect members.
The nice friendly people you see actually live in fear as you cannot trust anyone. Your “brothers” will report any indiscretion.
They follow a messianic code and strictly abide by original Jewish traditions and holidays. They firmly believe that Christians are the work of the “Evil One” and that the Jews have lost their way.
Although there are black members, they believe blacks are one of the “fallen” tribes and are to serve the whites.
They do not believe in traditional health services.
The women are completely subject to their husbands and other male members.
Women hold no leadership responsibilities.
The Deli is a front for recruitment and to provide an easy life for their leaders whom NO ONE can question as they feel they are chosen ones.
- why a Yellow Deli – well the first deli was built in the 70′s and they were given a lot of free yellow paint that they painted the outside with and a few years ago it was decided that all their various delis would become “Yellow Delis” and increase in numbers without the yellow paint.
So what is the purpose – a source of revenues, free labor means a lot of profits. Profits that go to build new delis out side the community. So this is not a local job creator nor does all the money stay in the community as most of their supplies are already sourced outside. .
The real purpose is as a front for their utopian way of life and to attract new Disciples, “sheep” as they call them.
Well, where do sheep end up?? Their vision that they do not share with outsiders is that when the time comes, they will have to send out 144,000 males to be slaughtered in the final fight between good & evil. In the meantime the tribes will flee to someplace they call the “wilderness” and await the 2nd coming. I believe the Jehovah Witness had this number in mind but their interpretation was apparently wrong as they thought the coming would happen when they reached 144000 members but that didn’t work out so well as they passed that number.
At some point the 12T’s will also colonate other worlds (no thought on how they will get there ,it just happens) and be the spiritual leaders.
That and much more is the real story.
I spent several years with them
Overall the experience was good. BUT it really varies with the community. Some leaders understand the difficulties of their life while others are just your basic cult leaders demanding fealty and enjoying all the privilege’s that are provided by the efforts of the base members.
The real issues are:
1. Women tend to be 2nd class citizens with no say in the government other than the women’s duties
2. There is an element of distrust as members are bound to report any transgressions by other members
3. The group has embraced the “original” Jewish rites and holidays which obviously is not why most join
4. Although youths and children are very obedient and friendly, a lot of it comes from years of having to follow strict behaviors enforced by corporal punishment.
Again depending on the community & leaders this can be VERY excessive
5. The founder and main leader died recently so as with any other groups the posturing, politics and breakups are probably inevitable. The community leaders are technically the owners on paper of the different businesses and properties so the future is no big surprise.
A loved one was finessed into this group. She had lost both parents at 18. Hurt and lost they took her inheritance and bought a resturant. As it stands today I am struggling to hear back from her after several emails have gone unanswered. I’m very concerned.