Students Push for Proper Kosher Dining

The demand for kosher dining is real.

An online petition being circulated on social media by the Dartmouth community has called for Dartmouth Dining Services (DDS) to provide kosher dining options that adhere to Orthodox Jewish dietary requirements. According to the Change.org petition, Dartmouth College is the only institution within the “Ivy League that does not provide an Orthodox Jewish hechsher (certification)” for its dining options. Support for the petition has gone viral on social media sites.

The only kosher dining option currently for most kosher-only students on campus is the Pavilion section at the Class of 1953 Commons (FoCo). Jewish student leaders argue that this dining option is not suitably overseen for Orthodox Jewish students to be able to eat there. DDS’ resistance to the push likely stems from financial considerations, as the supervision required for an Orthodox Jewish hechsher certification may necessitate hiring and bringing in an outside supervisor that would impinge upon DDS’s $1.3 million net income.

President of Chabad at Dartmouth Mayer Schein ’16 commented to The Review, “The Administration has made it clear that it’s more important for the College to advertise that they have ‘kosher’ food than it is for kosher students to actually be able to eat there.”

The Dartmouth Review encourages the Dartmouth community to support this movement by signing the Change.org petition online by clicking here.