How do we explain it?

By Alyssa Appelman
KOC Editor
University of Missouri

Comedian Joel Chasnoff shared a bit with us at the KOACH Kallah in February. Of course I’m going to ruin the delivery, but the idea was that we all grew up knowing, if not always following, the rules of kashrut, and they all made sense to us: no pork, no shellfish and no mixing meat and milk. But when we try to explain those rules to non-Jews, we come off sounding more than slightly archaic ("God only wants us to eat animals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves." "God doesn’t want us to boil a kid in its mother’s milk." "It’s not humane to eat an animal without properly draining its blood.") So how do modern-day Jews justify the laws that separate treif (unkosher) from Kosher?

Some people say we follow them out of tradition and I think that’s a nice enough sentiment. For people unconvinced by the we-do-it-because-we’ve-always-done-it spiel, there’s always the animal-rights argument, which I’m also fond of. Some argue that it’s healthier and more sanitary and some just avoid the rationalizing and say we should do it because God says so. I always liked the idea that we do it because it helps us to build a community. We can bond over the frustrating Kosher section of the grocery store, where clerks have given up hope of understanding the Hebrew calendar and try to sell us Matzah, Hamentashen, Falafel and Hanukkah candles year-round.

I’ve been a vegan for the past five years, and I was an on-and-off vegetarian for years before that. For me, the animal-rights argument has always won. But when asked to explain my decision, I always mention that it helps me to keep Kosher. There’s something comforting about the elements of tradition and community that dictate Kosher living.

In this issue, we’re exploring how those elements contribute to modern day kashrut. Nichole Hellman, from the University of Arizona, shares her own path to keeping Kosher. KOACH fieldworker Mark Greenberg suggests a new technique for explaining kashrut to your friends. Check out this month’s Culture Corner, where NYU’s Eric Goldberg recalls his trip to Israel, and this month’s Campus Updates, where KOACH interns David Kaplan and Shaina Akrish fill us in on what they’ve been up to. And don’t forget to read our joke. Enjoy the issue!

[Posted 4/6/08]