Kosher Options in the Cafeteria

 The issue I am addressing today is the lack of Kosher food options in the Hinsdale Central cafeteria. It is important to include these options because in the Jewish religion, God made a pact with Abraham and promised to take care of them if they followed his will. The Torah includes many of these rules, including Kashrut. To some Jews, to break the rules of Kosher is to disobey God, and will result in serious consequences.

According to Judaism 101, there are a strict set of dietary rules that Jews must follow in accordance with the Torah. This practice is called Kashrut. Kosher describes the type of food Jewish people are allowed to eat, and forbidden foods are considered “treif.” Some kosher rules are listed below:

• Jews can’t eat animals that don’t both chew its cud and have a split hoof are prohibited (ie, pig rabbit, horse, etc)

• All animals allowed to be eaten must be slaughtered a certain way

• Blood must be drained from animals before eaten

• Meat cannot be mixed with dairy

• Fruits and vegetables may not be eaten if they have bugs in them

• Grapes products made by non Jews may not be eaten.

• Shellfish are prohibited

• Chelev fat and sciatic nerves along with their connecting blood vessels are forbidden

• Utensils that have come in contact with non kosher food may not be used to make Kosher food

In light of these rules, I would propose keeping a Kosher section in the kitchen to ensure that a certain set of utensils are not mixed with treif. This section would also ensure that meat and dairy are separated, and prevent any prohibited foods from coming in contact with Kosher products. This would make people more comfortable with eating what is labeled as Kosher, without worrying about whether that statement is true. Some traditional Jewish foods to be included in this menu could include challah (top picture) and tzimmes (bottom picture).