College Dining

Kosher Dining at the University of Colorado

In the early 1960s, the global Jewish community was facing a severe crisis. Many Jewish men and women who were going to out-of-town colleges were losing touch with their Judaism and intermarrying. At first the number was three percent, but this number was going up rapidly at an alarming rate.

Rabbi Ephraim Sturm, CEO of National Council of Young Israel at the time, related: “I called together the officers of Young Israel and I said, ‘We have a problem!’ We agonized over it, and we decided to ask a number of Jewish leaders what to do.

I remember that one of them said we have to make sure that there are more observant Jewish college professors. Well, that was not in our power. Another said that we have to make sure that the Jewish high schools imbue Yiddishkeit (Judaism) in their students so that they are able to withstand the pressures of college. How could we guarentee that? Another said that we in Young Israel should issue a proclamation that nobody is allowed to go to an out-of-town college. But we did not have that kind of clout.

And then we went to the Rebbe, Rabbi M.M. Schneerson. The Rebbe was the most fascinating of them all, because he had the ability to speak to the individual but consider the whole. He had the ability to look past the symptoms and go to the heart of the problem.

The Rebbe analyzed for us what was really happening here. He said, 'In Berlin, if you were an observant Jew, or if you were a member of any other religion, you had to defend your religion; you had to be able to answer people who challenged you; you had to know the philosophy of your religion in order to defend it. But Americans are not interested in defending religious philosophies. They are more interested in consistency. If a person is consistent about their values and beliefs, the average American will respect him or her.'

'So, let’s look at what consistency means. A Jewish boy or girl goes to an out-of-town college, and says to their parents: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll celebrate Shabbat and holidays, I’ll eat kosher.… I’ll manage for four years.’ Maybe they mean it, maybe they don’t mean it. Let’s assume they mean it. But can they do it?'

'Imagine a young man sitting in a college dining room with his non-Jewish peers,' the Rebbe continued. 'How long is he going to eat his pre-packaged Kosher food every single day? And what is he going to do when a girl says to him, ‘Take a taste of my lunch, it’s delicious!’ How can he deny her? After a while, the peer group will pressure him – not because they mean to pressure, not because they are opposed to what he is doing, but because that’s just how life is. And in the atmosphere of the college campus, how can he not yield to that pressure?'

And then the Rebbe gave us his advice: 'What you have to do is create a program to bring together all the young Jewish men and women in one place at the most vulnerable time. That most vulnerable time is not in the classroom when they are each interested in their own notes or their own marks, but in the non-classroom area. The best thing is to establish kosher ‘dining clubs’ on college campuses.'

This was his practical solution, and this was something we could, and did, do. Young Israel started kosher dining clubs, which were hugely successful. These clubs became places where Jewish men and women could eat, meet and be friends with one another, and be protected from outside influences.

Of all the advice that we were given, the only one that we found practical was the Rebbe’s suggestion. And it worked."

Amazingly, over the past few decades, the Kosher food sector has grown into a multibillion dollar industry world-wide. A significantly large percentage of food items in our local grocery stores are certified Kosher. Travelers can expect to find hot Kosher meals at airport business lounges. Large brand names seek out Kosher certification for their products and many high-end Kosher restaurants have emerged to serve a growing diverse range of clientele making it more convenient than ever to eat Kosher.

The Hebrew word “Kosher” means fit or proper as it relates to Jewish dietary law.

In this week’s portion of Shmini, we learn about the identifying signs of Kosher animals, fish and birds.

As the verse states, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: These are the creatures that you may eat among all the animals on earth: Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is completely split into double hooves, and which brings up its cud that one you may eat... These you may eat of all that live in water: anything in water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and scales—these you may eat (Leviticus 11:2-3,9).”

Some examples of permitted animals are cows, goats, sheep. Examples of Kosher fish are tuna, salmon, tilapia. However, animals or fish that are missing either both or one of these signs are considered non-kosher.

Though an ancillary hygienic benefit has been attributed to the observance of Kashrut, the ultimate purpose and rationale is outlined by G-d in the Torah and is beyond human intellect to fully comprehend at the moment.

At the same time, there are deeper insights and lessons we can learn from the laws of Kashrut for our own personal and professional lives. Just as there are certain types of foods which may be beneficial or detrimental to the human body, so too, Kosher foods are beneficial to the Jewish soul and body making us more sensitive to morality and spirituality.

Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (Spain 1194-1270), commonly known as Nachmanides, explains that food becomes a part of our flesh and blood. The characteristics and traits of the animal become a part of our inner makeup.

Kabbalah explains that everything in this world has a divine spark, its life force and energy, which is waiting to be elevated. When we use a particular substance for positive ends in order to serve G-d, we elevate it to a higher level. The same is true with regards to eating. When we use the energy we receive from Kosher food to become a better person and help others, we elevate the food as a result.

The signs by which the Torah identifies kosher animals contain profound insights into the way we should lead our lives. In general, by eating from an animal, we are supposed to be elevating it to serve a higher Divine purpose. In order to accomplish this, however, it is essential that we not act like animals ourselves, for then the animal merely moves from one animal state to another when we eat it.

The test of whether we are acting like people, rather than animals, lies in the way we interact and relate with the people and materialism around us. One of the signs of a Kosher animal is rumination, which alludes to the necessity of deliberating before engaging the animal, mundane aspects of life. We must weigh our intentions and actions, ensuring that they are purely toward elevating the world and purging them of any desire to simply indulge in sensuality for its own sake.

Before we think, speak or act in a particular manner we are instructed to chew it over and ask ourselves, “Does this really reflect who I am? Will it positively impact myself and the people around me?”

While it may be overwhelming to make drastic changes overnight, we can all choose one area with which we can improve. Whether it means to make more of an effort to dine at Kosher restaurants and cafes and order Kosher products for our home, especially when it involves minimal effort, or to reflect before responding to criticism, or perhaps setting aside a few moments of our day to reconnect with our G-dly souls through Torah study and prayer are just a few examples of how we can internalize this important lesson.

Amazingly, our Sages teach that in the era of the future Messianic Redemption, the pig, which is generally considered the ultimate non-Kosher animal, will become Kosher. As it is stated, “Why is the pig called [in Hebrew] chazir? Because in the future, G‑d will return [le-hachazir] it to Israel.” For at that time, when all evil and negativity will be eradicated from the earth, even the pig will possess both signs [of being pure] – split hooves and raising the cud.

May we merit very soon to see the day when peace, goodness and kindness pervades the whole world with the coming of Moshiach!