As Passover began at sunset last Wednesday, many Jewish students
prepared to celebrate a tradition hundreds of years old.
But because of limited kosher options in dining halls, some
looked off campus for properly prepared food to observe the
holiday.
General Jewish dietary laws ““ also called kosher laws
““ forbid the consumption of the meat of any animal that is
not raised and killed in a prescribed manner and blessed by a
rabbi, and prohibit eating meat and dairy at the same time.
The most observant Jews hold that the same dishes and utensils
may not be used for meat and dairy and do not eat from plates that
were used to serve non-kosher food. These observances, among
others, make it difficult for some students to find acceptable
foods in the dining halls.
During the week of Passover, kosher laws become even stricter:
Observant Jews cannot eat leavened food and grain products, in
addition to a variety of other ingredients found in many common
dining hall foods.
Jewish students at UCLA observe kosher rules in varying degrees,
and while some less-observant Jews follow few of the dietary laws,
many others either go home or to UCLA Hillel in order to
commemorate the holiday.
Hillel, a hub for Jewish student activity, caters to the
students observing Passover by providing kosher meals throughout
Passover, including two Seder dinners, a traditional meal observed
on the first two nights of Passover.
Approximately 50 students were present at each lunch and dinner,
though the first Seder attracted about 160 students, said Andy
Green, a fourth-year mathematics and economics student and student
board president of Hillel.
Though the dining halls are serving some kosher items, some
students find that those items do not satisfy their dietary
requirements.
“It’s a nice gesture, but practically speaking, (the
On Campus Housing Council) isn’t catering to the needs of
Jewish students,” said David Bardo, a second-year economics
student who supervises preparation of kosher foods at Hillel.
“Who would be able to just eat crackers and soup for a
week?”
Dining officials could not be reached for comment for this
story.
Nathaniel Schuster, president of the Jewish Student Union, said
the soups and matzo provided in dining halls during Passover are
not kosher enough for more orthodox students.
Schuster said JSU has been working with UCLA Dining Services on
a proposal to provide kosher food on the Hill.
In this proposal, UCLA Dining Services would provide
refrigerators in the four residential dining halls with kosher
meat, and possibly dairy products, so that Jewish students could
enjoy a more balanced kosher diet, said Jennifer Lorch, a JSU
member involved in the proposal.
To access these refrigerators, Jewish students would have to
fill out a form with UCLA Dining Services verifying their need for
kosher food, Lorch said, adding that students would also bring in
paper plates and plastic utensils to avoid using dishes used for
non-Kosher food.
“These cold offerings are the most possible option without
costing OCHC much additional money,” Schuster said.
He said the proposal will be presented to UCLA Dining Services
on Friday, with hopes to implement the plan next fall quarter.
Schuster said he wants to make it easier for Jewish students on
the Hill.
“A big part of living at the dorms is eating with your
friends on the Hill,” Schuster said, adding that this was a
social dynamic some Jewish students have to weigh against religious
beliefs.
Elliot Siegel, a third-year sociology student who described
himself as moderately religious, moved out of on campus housing
after his first year partially because of its lack of kosher
options.
“It was a little difficult,” Siegel said. “I
pretty much just ate salad and cereal.”
Siegel is now the food services chair at Hillel, and said he has
worked to increase the availability of kosher meals there to help
provide Jewish students with proper food options.
Though Jewish students cannot eat many foods during Passover, a
variety of options are available, Green said.
“We still have churros and tostadas, but they’re
made with potato starch,” Green said. “Even though
we’re constrained, there are so many alternatives. We come up
with amazing dishes just for Passover.”