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Kashrut at Kol Rinah

 

Kol Rinah Kashrut Policy

(Passed by Kol Rinah’s Board of Director on September 19, 2024) 
 
INTRODUCTION
Kol Rinah seeks to create a welcoming community that embraces Torah, meaningful worship, lifelong learning, music, Israel, and tikkun olam, guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism. 
 
Food and eating are constitutive elements of Jewish community as well as Jewish practice and life. We celebrate joyous moments with food; we support each other by providing meals at moments of sadness and loss. Holidays are celebrated with food, often with specific foods. We gather and create community over and around food and eating. 
 
Kol Rinah values nutritious, delicious and affordable food, and we are excited to develop Kol Rinah’s food culture, and to involve more congregants in Kol Rinah’s food culture. 
 
Kol Rinah maintains a serious commitment to the value of kashrut. The purpose of assessing our current policy is to explore ways we can be more inclusive and facilitate further community participation and engagement at Kol Rinah. By exploring our policy, we are not eliminating our standards but merely changing boundaries in an effort to be more inclusive and allow more of our community to participate. The rules of kashrut draw our attention to the food we eat and to the act of eating, elevating something physically necessary to become a spiritual, sanctified and holy act. 
 
Changes in policy will be reviewed and voted on by Halls and Catering, Ritual Committee, and the Board of Directors. Whatever changes are made will be reviewed at least twice a year to make sure our standards are being met.
 
GENERAL POLICIES 
  • All food provided and/or purchased by Kol Rinah is required to be hechshered. 
  • Only hechshered food will be allowed in The Sara Myers Room (SMR) and Prep kitchen. 
  • Non-hechshered foods of any kind are off limits in these spaces. 
  • Eating or drinking (except water in covered containers) is prohibited in the sanctuary. 
  • Events where food is provided by KR, the food must be hechshered. 
  • KR does not pay for non-kosher food at non-kosher venues. If there is an event at a venue where food is served (i.e., bowling alley, movie theatre, ballpark, etc.), people can purchase food at their discretion. 
  • For classes and small events, with advanced notice, outside food is allowed with proper labeling. It is important to be aware of who is speaking/leading and/or attending. 
OUTDOOR EVENTS NOT HELD ON KR PROPERTY 
For KR events held at an outside venue NOT on KR property, i.e., playground, park, etc., people may bring their own food. 
 
For a potluck meal/event off the property where food is to be shared with others, food will be dairy or parve only. No meat or shellfish or other non-kosher fish. Every dish will have a card placed next to the dish with a list of ingredients. 
 
OUTDOOR EVENTS HELD ON KR PROPERTY 
If the event includes food for only your family, dairy or parve only. No meat, shellfish or other non-kosher fish. 
 
If the event includes potluck (food for sharing with others), dairy or parve guidelines apply. 
 
All ingredients are to be listed on a card and placed next to the dish. 
 
If there is an emergency weather situation and the event needs to be moved indoors, the Sara Myers Room and Prep kitchen are to be closed and locked. NO KR utensils are to be used. 
 
For Chol Hamoed Sukkot (the intermediate days of Sukkot), the rules in this section apply inside and outside KR’s sukkah. 
 
KR EVENT HELD AT SOMEONE’S HOME 
If the event is catered, a kosher vendor is preferred but not required. 
 
Food served is required to be dairy or parve. No meat or non-kosher fish. If there is a question about the fish, please consult the rabbi or mashgiach. 
 
The menu will be advertised before the event and all food will be labeled at the event. 
 
The kashrut practice of the host is to be honored. 
 
WHAT FOOD CAN BE BROUGHT INTO THE KR BUILDING 
Already designated eating areas for individuals in the building will not change. Examples are ECC teachers and staff and synagogue office staff. 
 
ECC teachers may eat non-kosher food in these designated areas. 
 
Other staff may eat in the staff lounge or the main office. 
 
Only dairy and parve food is allowed in the ECC. No meat. Children bring their own lunches and non-kosher food is allowed according to ECC rules. 3 
 
If there is homemade food in the building for informal meetings (i.e., baked goods from home), there must be a label designating its source. People can make their own decision to eat this food or not. 
 
Baked goods for a simcha or special kiddush are permissible, provided advanced notice is given to the office. When notice is given, then instructions for baking will be given. When served, it will be labeled with the ingredients and source, and placed on a separate table. 
 
POTLUCK EVENTS 
There are to be no potluck kiddush lunches on the day of Shabbat. 
For potluck Shabbat dinners on Friday evenings, food must be brought to the synagogue before Shabbat begins. Dairy, parve foods and kosher fish are acceptable. Everything should be labeled with who made it and with a list of ingredients and appropriate labeling.  See full Details below
 

Guidelines for Friday Night
Potluck Meals at Kol Rinah

1. All food and supplies must arrive at the building before Shabbat begins.  Time will vary depending on the time of year. If food arrives after Shabbat, we will not be able to serve it.  
 
2. Food purchased for the potluck (and not prepared at home) should be certified kosher.  
 
3. Food prepared at home should be dairy, parve (neither dairy nor meat), or have kosher fish.  If you have questions about fish, please check with Rabbi Arnow.  No meat of any kind, please!  
 
4. You can cook at home, using your normal pots, pans, stove, oven and implements, and ingredients.  Just no ingredients with any meat, shellfish or non-kosher fish.  
 
5. Food can be dropped off either on Friday until 3pm and can then be refrigerated if necessary, or you can bring it with you, but it must arrive before Shabbat begins, and will not be refrigerated, and will be out for approximately 75-90 minutes before serving. 
 
6. We are not able to warm up or keep warm food brought for potlucks.  
 
7. Kol Rinah will not provide serving utensils or serving dishes.  Please bring your food in a serving dish, and bring any necessary serving utensils/implements, whether disposable or not.  
 
8. You can bring home your serving dish, utensils and leftovers at the end of the evening.  You will need to wash them once you are home.  (If you would prefer to pick up your used serving dishes and utensils after Shabbat so as to not have to walk home with them, let us know and we will make arrangements with you.)  
 
9. Please bring a note card/piece of paper listing: 
a. Your name
b. The name of the dish (i.e. Charlie’s Famous Chickpeas with Chocolate)
c.  A complete list of all ingredients you put in
 
10. KR will provide paper plates, napkins, cups and disposable utensils.
 
11. The Sara Myers Room and Prep kitchen will be locked and unavailable.
 
 

Guidelines for Weekday
(Non-Shabbat/Holiday)
Potluck Meals at Kol Rinah

1. Food purchased for the potluck (and not prepared at home) should be certified kosher.  
 
2. Food prepared at home should be dairy, parve (neither dairy nor meat), or have kosher fish.  If you have questions about fish, please check with Rabbi Arnow.  No meat of any kind, please!  
 
3. You can cook at home, using your normal pots, pans, stove, oven and implements, and ingredients.  Just no ingredients with any meat, shellfish or non-kosher fish.  
 
4. We are not able to warm up or keep warm food brought for potlucks.  
 
5. Kol Rinah will not provide serving utensils or serving dishes.  Please bring your food in a serving dish, and bring any necessary serving utensils/implements, whether disposable or not.  
 
6. You can bring home your serving dish, utensils and leftovers at the end of the evening.  You will need to wash them once you are home.  
 
7. Please bring a note card/piece of paper listing: 
a. Your name
b. The name of the dish (i.e. Charlie’s Famous Chickpeas with Chocolate)
c. A complete list of all ingredients you put in
 
8. KR will provide paper plates, napkins, cups and disposable utensils.
 
9. The Sara Myers Room and Prep kitchen will be locked and unavailable.
 
Mon, December 2 2024 1 Kislev 5785