Leadership & Governance

Introduction:

The observance of kashrut – Jewish dietary law – is a practice that connects us with our Torah, with Jews who came before us, and with Jews around the world. When we strive to maintain that practice, we are not only extending a discipline that has been a defining feature of Jewish life, but we are also elevating the spiritual significance of the act of eating by making a conscious choice to allow ourselves to eat some food but not others.

Reflecting the larger Jewish community, however, members of Hill Havurah differ significantly in their kashrut observance. Some of our members are more traditional in their kashrut observance and refrain from consuming any foods considered treif or “forbidden” by standard interpretations of biblical proscriptions, and they consume only meat that has been certified kosher in accordance with rabbinical standards of ritual slaughter. Other members of Hill Havurah have different kashrut standards; they may practice kashrut in their homes but be more lenient when they eat elsewhere. They may or may not mix milk and meat. Some members have adopted vegetarian or pescatarian dietary practices that are consistent with traditional standards of kashrut but may also be motivated by considerations of “eco-kashrut” – honoring Jewish biblical commandments to practice environmental sustainability and avoid cruelty to animals. And many individuals in our community do not practice kashrut in any form.

In our communal meals at Hill Havurah, we want as many members as possible to be able to eat comfortably, to be able to participate in preparing meals for one another, and to participate in the sanctification of the act of eating. And we also believe it is important to honor and perpetuate Jewish tradition, including kashrut. Thus, we have adopted a Hill Havurah approach to kashrut that adheres to the spirit of the practice and to many of its specifications, while allowing our many members who do not have strictly kosher kitchens to contribute comfortably.

Communal Meals:

• Hill Havurah communal meals must be either (1) pescatarian (including fish, dairy, and vegetarian food only) and must not include shellfish, catfish, shark, swordfish or any adult fish lacking fins and scales, or (2) certified kosher meat. When Hill Havurah communal meals include meat, that meat must be prepared by a certified kosher caterer, and members should not bring any foods containing dairy products to the event.*
• Communal meals include food served as part of regular Shabbat and holiday celebrations, cultural or educational programs for members, teen programs and adult programs, and Yavneh and Gan Shalom programs or gatherings.
• When preparing or purchasing food for Hill Havurah communal meals, members should take special care that the ingredients that they use do not contain meat of any kind, including beef or chicken broth in soups or sauces, or prohibited kinds of fish. Similarly, members should make sure that baked goods contain no lard or other meat derivative. Hill Havurah does not require that any packaged or processed foods served or used in preparation carry a rabbinical certification of kashrut (“hechsher”).

Hill Havurah Events Hosted in Members’ Homes:

• Havurah-initiated events in members’ homes to which members are invited via the Shmoozy News or other wide-distribution mechanisms (including teen events, Torah study sessions, Sages, and Family Shabbat observances, and Yavneh or Gan Shalom official events), should adhere to the “communal meals” guidelines. Members are encouraged to seek guidance from Rabbi Hannah with any questions.

Hill Havurah Jointly Sponsored Events:

• When Hill Havurah participates in jointly-sponsored events, it is our policy to ensure that there are food options available for Hill Havurah members that comply with the “communal meals” guidelines (i.e. pescatarian, vegetarian or certified kosher catered). However, co-sponsoring organizations may serve food at these events that may mix milk and meat or may include treif ingredients (e.g., lard, pork, shellfish).
• If a Bar or Bat Mitzvah service is held on the same day that Hill Havurah hosts its regular Shabbat morning service, (currently the first Saturday morning of the month), we ask that any food served to the entire congregation immediately before or after the services follow the Havurah’s “communal meals” guidelines. This is because the entire congregation is invited by implication to the service, and they could be expected to partake of any oneg or kiddush accompanying the celebration.

Limited Invitation Events:

• The nature of food served at private meals connected to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah not hosted concurrently with regular Havurah Shabbat morning services is at the discretion of the hosts and not subject to Hill Havurah dietary guidelines. We encourage the hosts to consider the variety of kashrut practices that may be observed among invited Hill Havurah guests.
• The nature of the food served at other private events not connected to official Hill Havurah services or programs – such as life cycle events like baby namings, weddings, and shiva minyanim, or fundraising events involving a meal – is at the discretion of the hosts and not subject to Hill Havurah dietary guidelines. We encourage the hosts to consider the variety of kashrut practices that may be observed among Hill Havurah invited guests.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the chair of the Ritual Committee, or Rabbi Hannah Spiro.

*Although kosher meat may be prohibitively expensive in most cases, this policy is intended to be broad enough to cover a wide variety of circumstances that may arise over time (e.g. a family wants to host a kosher-catered meal in concert with Bar/Bat Mitzvah on the first Saturday of the month, a member wants to donate funds specifically for kosher catering).