Kashrut Guidelines

Understanding kashrut

Our world continues to change at an ever increasing fast pace. The CBS Religious Practices Committee is committed to staying pro-actively informed in a continuing effort to ensure the evolving spiritual needs of our congregation are being met. We believe through a combination of belief and action, Judaism can speak to us at many levels. As we seek to find meaningful ways of living Jewishly in the 21^st Century, we commit ourselves to an ongoing study of the mitzvot as a means by which, we, as a community, can create an environment which embraces that ideal. It is with this in mind that these kashrut guidelines are provided.

With the hope of reinforcing Congregation Beth Shalom (CBS) as a spiritual home for all its members, the following kashrut guidelines are offered in order to welcome and nourish all of us throughout the year. These guidelines address food and food-related products and practices, both within the temple, including temple-sponsored meals, onegs, rentals and Family Promise, as well as for CBS functions offsite. This policy does not dictate a home or personal practice for CBS members.

Definitions:

Chometz: Chometz are leavened products, the consumption of which are prohibited during Passover. The five specific grains within the bread products that may not be consumed are wheat, spelt, barley, oats and rye. These include bread and bread products, pasta and pasta products, noodles and crackers.

Dairy: Milk or milk products, such as milk, cream, butter, margarine, cheese, and ice cream.

Event Liaison: The individual responsible for ensuring that CBS Kashrut Guidelines are followed. There should be an event liaison for every event involving food or use of the CBS kitchen. A list of individuals who can serve in this capacity will be maintained by the Religious Practices Committee and may be obtained from the CBS office. The individual may be paid, as may be the case for Bar/Bat Mitzvah or other occasions, or may be a volunteer, such as CBS Board members who are responsible for onegs.

Kashrut: Kosher or literally, that which is "fit”.  Kashrut guidelines are Jewish dietary guidelines for eating. 

Kitniyot: Legumes, and related foods, such as rice, corn, soybeans, string beans peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds, corn oil and peanut oil which that are also prohibited during Passover.

Pareve: Food that is neutral and, as such, does not fall in the category of meat or dairy.  Pareve foods include fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and grains.  Pareve foods may be eaten with either meat or dairy.

Treif: Forbidden foods. These include pork products such as ham, pork chops, pepperoni, all forms of bacon and bacon bits, prosciutto, pancetta, sausage, and shellfish, such as scallops, shrimp, lobster, clams, and mussels.

Policy Guidelines:

1. Treif foods are prohibited at CBS and CBS-sponsored events at all times.
2. CBS encourages but does not require, the use of kosher and/or hormone-free meat for meals prepared at CBS and for food brought in from home.
3. In accordance with Kashrut, meat and dairy products are not to be combined or served at the same meal or oneg. CBS recommends waiting a minimum of three hours between eating meat and dairy or between eating dairy and meat.
4. Neither chometz nor kitniyot are to be brought to CBS or any CBS-sponsored event during the Passover holiday.
5. CBS kitchen:

• Year round – Silverware will be disposable or boiled in the dishwasher between uses. Pots and pans will be boiled in the dishwasher between uses.
• For Passover – Prior to the start of Passover, all chometz and kitniyot will be removed from main kitchen and either given away or placed in a designated freezer or on designated shelves and covered. All kitchen pots, pans, plates, bowls, and silverware shall be boiled in dishwasher. All surfaces shall be cleaned, followed by the application of boiled water.

6. CBS uses bio-degradable cups, bowls, and paper plates. Research is currently being done on the purchase and use of bio-degradable silverware and on the purchase and use of recycle bins for glasses and cans that will only fit those shaped items in the bins. It will be the responsibility of the event liaison to ensure current recycling procedures are being observed.

 Addendum:

Non dairy dessert alternatives:  All kinds of dairy desserts are available as non dairy by substituting soy or lactaid for milk, rice dream products for ice cream, and soy for cheeses. Instead of butter or margarine, use products like Earth Balance.  Be sure to stay away from whey, lactose, casein and caseinate, which are dairy derivatives frequently used in margarines.

Examples of specific dessert products include but are not limited to: Nana's Cookies- dairy free; Cherrybrook Kitchen dairy free fudge brownies; Cherrybrook Kitchen chocolate cake mix: So Delicious Brand dairy free ice cream and sorbet; Rice Dreams brand ice cream; Tofutti brand ice cream; and coconut milk ice cream.

Save Mart at Loehman's Plaza has a large selection of Jewish foods and will order upon request.