“Sometimes it’s just better.”
The group’s complexion changes every few minutes. It starts with a girl from Korea, a Panamanian Jew and a redhead dragging around a large acoustic bass. But moments later, that same group has transformed into an African-American bobbing his head and listening to his headphones and a tall white guy in a kippa. This group, though, shares little more in common than the fact that all these people go to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. And they all are waiting in line to eat kosher food at Northwestern’s Allison Dining Hall.
Until 2001, there was no kosher food option in Northwestern’s dining halls. However, over the last few years, there has been a growing campaign to develop some type of program for kosher students. Rabbi Dov Klein, the director of Chabad Northwestern, said that a personnel change in the Northwestern administration enabled the transition.
Before a new Vice President of Student Affairs, Bill Banis, took over in 2001, Klein, who has been at Northwestern for 26 years said, “The university fought not to have a kosher program.” University officials were mostly considering proposals that included surcharges, a model used by schools with comparable Jewish communities. All of these potential options turned out to be too expensive for students to afford. Klein said that in addition to the standard meal plan, students who wanted a consistent kosher option would need to pay $800, a figure Klein said was “so beyond people’s means.” Klein estimated that at the time, a kosher option would cost $2.60 per academic quarter more than the regular meal plan.
Which makes it all the more remarkable that today at Northwestern, there is no additional charge for kosher meals.
Klein credits much of the kosher food program’s success to the recently retired Banis. The program has offered progressively more extensive food options at more meals. What started as one stir-fry option on Tuesdays at lunch has morphed into every lunch and dinner Mondays through Thursday. There’s also lunch on Friday, but not dinner, which is available for free at Hillel, Meor and Klein’s Chabad.
The kosher option at Northwestern has grown so much that many students-regardless of religious beliefs-go to the kosher section of the dining hall for meals.
Leon Sasson, a Northwestern freshman from Panama City, Panama said he is kosher and tries to eat as many meals as possible at Northwestern’s kosher dining hall. He said it made sense that non-Jews could frequently be spotted in the kosher line.
“They eat it because it looks good,” Sasson said. “Whoever wants it [should eat it].”
From stir-fry to matzo ball soup to cookies, the kosher program has a wide variety of offerings.
Yossi Nagar witnesses the diversity of students eating the kosher food on a daily basis. The native of Petah Tikva, Israel is the kosher program’s on-site supervisor and said that many of the students he serves are not Jewish.
“We serve everyone,” Nagar said. “We don’t discriminate.”
Nagar offered one explanation as to why those students chose the kosher option.
“They say the kosher food is healthier,” Nagar said.
Numerous non-Jewish students agreed with Sasson, saying that they chose the kosher option purely out of culinary appeal.
“I heard the hummus was really good, so I tried it,” said Kathleen Ferraro, a freshman who frequently eats in Allison Dining Hall.
Marcus Lee, a sophomore who is not Jewish, said that he has never noticed anyone questioning his presence in the kosher line. He, like Ferraro, has found the kosher food to be the best option available at times.
“I obviously don’t keep kosher, but sometimes it’s just better,” Lee said.
Now, as the kosher food options continue to grow at Northwestern, just like students can choose to eat vegan or halal, so too can they choose kosher.
“Isn’t that worth it, to be able to enhance the diversity of our campus?” Klein said.
As for the increasing number of students choosing the kosher option for non-religious reasons, Klein said, “The more the merrier.”
Gabi P. Remz is a freshman at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He spent the past year studying and doing national service in Israel. He is a New Voices Magazine national correspondent.
