Who would have thought that a tiny cracker could cause so much controversy?!
Come to think of it... I guess this is just another indication of how much food affects one's Jewish identity. Many people will find Passover to be a little less enjoyable without having Tam Tams readily available to nosh on.
The Passover seder, in and of itself, is a great example of the role that food plays in Jewish life, ritual, and identity. It will certainly be an interesting challenge to remain kosher for Passover on campus. From what I have heard, it is no easy task. In the last week or so, I have had several conversations with friends about the approaching holiday and how we are going to handle this food dilemma. Some people are going home for the weekend in order to attend family seders and get kosher for passover food. Being from New Jersey, I don't have the option of hoping in a car and being home in time Passover dinner.
Some people I have talked to have decided that keeping kosher for Passover is going to be too hard at school, and therefore aren't going to do it. This brings up a major conflict in my mind. Kosher, or not kosher... if you attend seders and are involved with Passover in one way or another, are you still observing the holiday? To some, an attempt at keeping kosher for Passover is good enough- it's the thought that counts, right? But to others, there is no other way to observe the holiday than to follow the laws of Passover as they were written.
Curious to see everyone's thoughts...
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7 comments:
Over spring break I was in Connecticut and happened to go to a grocery store where I was absolutely shocked at the amount of kosher for passover food available. There was an entire aisle full of kosher for passover food! I decided to take the opportunity and stock up on some passover food and ended up shipping a box full of food back to bloomington for the holiday. i'm not sure if it'll be enough food for the week, but if not i'll have to survive on matzah pizza.
I think there are different ways to celebrate a holiday. for me personally going to a seder isn't enough, i will not be eating any of the traditionally ashkenazi forbidden foods, including corn syrup. if you have ever tried to keep passover this way you quickly realize corn syrup is in just about everything. i will try my absolute hardest to keep passover and if i mess up not on purpose that's ok with me. i feel like as long as i'm trying thats good enough.
just because this is how i choose to follow the rules of passover doesn't mean that is the only way. i've spent 2 passovers in israel and people go so far as eating pita because it doesn't technically rise. for me thats a no go, but for them it works.
basically i say to each his own.
I guess I'm a little unperturbed by the Tam Tam crisis. Being raised by a Jew who didn't do the shopping and a convert who didn't know what it was normal to buy, I was raised in a Tam Tam-less world.
As for keeping kosher for pesach at college: I've tried very hard this first year of college to draw line as far as observance is concerned. Some things aren't possible, like going to services on Firday night; there are none to go to. But no matter who much I drank the night before, I get up on Shabat morning and walk a mile to my Chavurah. I light candles, illegally, every firday night in my dorm room.
And when pesach rolls around, I'll do likewise. Two seders and no bread.
I know i find it hard to keep passover while here at school. At my sorority house the cook does make matzah ball soup at every meal during passover and keeps "KOSHER FOR PASSOVER pepperoni, cheese, pizza sauce, and matzah" readily available. (no joke- there is a bag of pepperoni labeled passover safe pepperoni)
as for keeping passover, while here at school i just try and avoid bread and things that would seem out right not passover friendly. Its very make shift, but once out of college, and when i have more control over my meals, (aka a kitchen) I will start keeping passover better
I loved this article. Last year in the dorms Passover was horrible. I am probably the biggest fan of matzah pizza ever, but making it in the microwave is not the same. And when that is ALL you can eat; well it gets tough. I went to the Marsh near college mall last year to get some passover food for my dorm room, only to discover after I had eaten some chocolate that it was, in fact, not Kosher for Passover. Needless to say, I was upset. Who puts non-Kosher for Passover items SPECIFICALLY in the Passover section. Oh well. I have heard the Kroger near College Mall has a better selection, so hopefully this year will be better! Good luck to all in however you attempt to celebrate!
I have always been one to try very hard to keep kosher for Passover. The past couple years though I have found to be really hard here at school. I am not very disciplined when it comes to food. If it's in front of me and I want it but I know I should not eat it I will anyways. So when Passover rolls around and I should be keeping kosher I find it difficult to do. It is so hard for me when my non-jewish friends are enjoying pizza in front of me and all this yummy food that I can't have.
It is always difficult to keep an observance in an environment that you are not used to. This year, I made an attempt at keeping a kosher kitchen for the first time and while it didn't exactly work out as I planned, it was a good learning experience. For what it is worth, Hillel does a fairly decent job by offering two Kosher for Passover meals a day, which is something I know my friends at other schools do not have.
While it is challenging to keep passover here at school it is possible. You have to get creative with your meals, but you can do it! Backed potatoes at the dorms kept me fueled for at least a few days and you can always get a piece of grilled chicken or something like that (if you don't keep kosher of course). Hillel also provides Kosher for Passover meals throughout the week for a price so if you get too sick of microwave matzo pizza and salad you can pay $5 for an actual meal with substance at Hillel.
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