More and more colleges and universities are going out of their way to cater to those requesting kosher food. Just as the Harvard University Dining Services partnered with their Jewish community and created the Harvard Hillel’s Rabbi Ben-Zion Gold Kosher Dining Hall, many universities across the nation are investing significant money into bringing the kosher kitchen and dining to their students.
Meeting this trending need has a huge benefit to the young kosher-keeping crowd. But just as “strictly” kosher restaurants have failed and gone bankrupt due to the high costs of running such a kashrut operation, it begs one to ask: How are the universities able to absorb the added costs for kashering, certifying, and all that goes with it? Are university kosher kitchens possibly one small element of why college tuition costs have soared in recent decades…a cost born by even those not requiring this special diet? Are kosher campus dining halls facilitating a more inclusive environment or a more segregated one for their student population?
Comments are closed