To Be Or Not To Be (Kosher)

An important part of the Jewish culture that I have noticed is the concept of kosher eating. I have seen the label on many foods and heard it used as slang but I never really knew what being kosher consisted of. I was under the assumption that it meant that Jewish people did not eat any pork products. However, I have come to see that it entails much more than that. I also can see how it could be an issue of concern for Jewish college students.

According to Bar-David (1872), keeping kosher means not eating any cloven-hoofed animal (i.e. pigs) or shellfish, no drinking of non-Jewish wine, no mixing of dairy and meat, and eating animals that have been drained of blood before being cooked. While many Jewish people do not maintain this specific regimen of kosher diet, it is followed to an extent. For Jewish students, following such a strict diet is probably very difficult. As a person who does not eat pork, I find it difficult to find certain items that are not made with pork on campus. Add on the other specifications that are a part of the kosher diet and the choices become much smaller.

What does the lack of food options for on-campus dining do to the comfort level of Jewish students? Do the university dining services make special consideration for this population or allow them to fend for themselves? How much does it cost to provide kosher products available for Jewish students? I would think that not being able to appease a basic need like eating would lead to a student being somewhat dissatisfied with the college environment. Why would a student go to the dining hall if there is nothing for them to eat? Not having (or not providing) the resources to accomodate a special population of students could be perceived as ignorance or a lack of concern on the poart of the administration if not dealt with properly.


Resource
Bar-David, M.L.. (1972). Food. In Encyclopaedia Judaica (Vol. 6, pp. 1413-1428). Jerusalem, Israel: Keter Publishing House Jerusalem Ltd.