Jacqueline Bryk, New York, NY – Ramaz High School, Grade 11

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By: Jacqueline Bryk

Live To Eat Kosher

It was 8 pm and our plane was delayed. The air conditioning was blowing hard and the tiny little hairs on my arms were standing on end. The three itchy cotton blue blankets I had smothered myself in just five minutes ago had not yet warmed me up. I was looking through the circular window at the bustle of activity taking place outside the plane in preparation for take off. Just then, a steward approached me. He was dressed in navy blue trousers, brown leather loafers, a crisp white collard shirt and a ruby red sweater vest with a pin in the shape of wings on the right side of his chest. He asked me if I was Jacqueline Bryk. I replied yes. He continued to confirm my meal arrangements. I would be receiving Kosher for both of my meals aboard this long transatlantic flight.

Now, for observant Jews this encounter is not uncommon and would certainly not arouse any curiosity. To most, this would simply be a meal confirmation. However, for some reason, that instance, that question, that meal, piqued my interest. Have you ever wondered why special meals are an option on airlines? Or why specifically there is even such an option as Kosher aboard an aircraft? When did western society reach a point of integrating Jewish halacha into secular life? Or more importantly, when did we Jews reach such a status in our society that our ritual dietary laws deserve to be one of the three meal options? The answers are not simple. They lie within the meaning of Kashrut.

Essentially, Kashurt is a way of elevating the basic and primitive act of eating to a spiritual level. It is a way in which we may build a relationship with God by means of something physical. It is a way of transforming our food from its natural state into a Godly entity. God commanded us that every aspect of our lives should be entwined with spiritual meaning; therefore, food must also be an act of holiness. In a sense, Kashrut teaches us that we must eat what we are, and not necessarily that we are what we eat. If we are holy and righteous people, our food must be sanctified as well.

In the past, Kosher was an idea often ridiculed by the non-Jewish community. They scoffed at the strictness of the dietary laws and mocked the uncompressing standards of purity. Even in America, for generations there was a scarcity of kosher products and stores. Our ancestors were limited to the meager kosher food that was obtainable. This is certainly not the case today in the United States. Nowadays, most non-Jews respect the Jewish connection between the physical and the spiritual. They are cognizant of our meticulousness with food and are sensitive to Jewish needs. They realize how important Kosher is to the Jewish community and have, therefore integrated our dietary laws into the mainstream consumer market. There are hundreds of kosher supermarkets, restaurants, butcheries and bakeries. Kosher is no longer a privilege or a rare phenomenon in the United States, but rather, it has become adopted as an optional lifestyle. As the steward continued on his way though the aisles of the aircraft, I thanked God for the myriad of privileges that have come our way. I thank Him for the constant freedom we enjoy to practice the sacred belief of Kashrut and for American society’s acceptance of our religious dietary practices. As Jews we must realize the honor we have to engage in such a direct contact with the Holy One by mans of the physical. We must realize that food is not just a means of nourishment for our corporeal pleasures, but also, a means of enriching our spiritual life. We not only eat to live, we live to eat Kosher.

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