# I just do not believe this \[Interview at Non-Kosher Place\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 25, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409 "2009-02-25T19:46:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/81 "2009-02-28T03:47:36Z")
> [@MissGypsy](#): > > Along the same lines, would eating turkey bacon be “cheating”? The prohibition is on “foods including things made from animals that don’t have split hooves or don’t chew cud,” not “things with the same name as foods made from pigs.” In fact, I was told by an Orthodox colleague that there had been found a kosher species of pig, because it chewed cud and had split hooves. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/82 "2009-02-28T05:22:23Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > Tel Aviv has many eateries that serve pork, shellfish, etc. Pork in Israel is called _basar lavan_, which literally means “white meat.” It’s not that hard to find outside of Jerusalem, unfortunately. Why unfortunatley? Just because you keep kosher doesn’t mean that others can’t / don’t / won’t enjoy a good slab of pork. (unless you are saying that it’s unfortunate that you can’t find pork inside of Jerusalem, in which case I apologise) ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/83 "2009-02-28T06:12:19Z")
> [@Tenar](#): > > I’m surprised that no one else has mentioned this yet (unless they have, and I’ve missed it), but is it possible that the job interviewer is _trying_ to avoid hiring observant Jews, and is using his choice of meeting places as a way of weeding out people who keep kosher without having to ask them up front about it? I know he has a “Jewish-sounding” name, but that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t be discriminatory towards observant Jews. Maybe he just doesn’t like them Maybe he is hoping to make the new hiree work on the Sabbath – who knows? His choice of eateries may not be a faux pas at all, but a deliberate attempt to skirt fair hiring practices (I don’t know if there are laws prohibiting discrimination against observant Jews in Israel, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were.) > > Makes sense to me, anyway, but I’ve never been to Israel. Ha, this would be clever and may be a possibility. It also may bne that the interviewer had a brain fart - I believe the OP mentioned that this chain is kosher, except for this one location? Also, if lunch is as big a deal as the OP mentions, maybe the interviewer / prospective boss will be regularly taking lunch with the new hire, and just doesn’t want to have to deal with the need to stay kosher to please the staff? Is that really discriminatory? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/84 "2009-02-28T07:03:44Z")
> [@MissGypsy](#): > > I just had to say, I’ve learned quite a bit from this thread! And I have a couple of pretty stupid questions: > > Is there a way to make a cheeseburger kosher, maybe by using some sort of non-dairy cheese product, if there is such a thing? Maybe a Boca burger with cheese? > > Along the same lines, would eating turkey bacon be “cheating”? > > And while I cook meatless meals frequently, I’m having a hard time thinking up a full meal involving meat but no dairy at all – no milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, etc. (does margarine count?) Just for my enlightenment, what might be a couple of fairly typical meat/no-dairy meals? Having worked in or near the appropriate sections of a grocery store, I can answer a few of these. Yes, there is such a thing as non-dairy cheese; we stocked soy and vegetable cheeses, IIRC. Margarine is made from fat (animal or vegetable), so it may not be acceptable. As for meat with no dairy, how about stew? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/85 "2009-02-28T21:18:10Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Who eats at a job interview?!? Way back in the early part of the 20th century, my grandfather would interview prospective employees over lunch. He would pay particular attention to how fast they eat, assuming the fast eaters were indicative of higher productivity. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/86 "2009-02-28T21:40:03Z")
I used to really like the iced coffee thingies at Aroma, but when I suggested going there with a (_very_ observant) friend, he told me that it’s not kosher, but “kosher-style”, which in this case meant that they didn’t observe kosher for Pesach, which made it treif year round, for him, anyway. It’s entirely possible they’ve changed this, but if this matters to you, you may want to look into it. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/87 "2009-02-28T22:22:42Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Do you enjoy being a dick? Keeping kosher is not remotely strange in _Israel_. Do you enjoy being an idiot? “Strange” doesn’t only mean “unusual in a particular geographic setting.” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/88 "2009-02-28T22:25:57Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Do you enjoy being an idiot? “Strange” doesn’t only mean “unusual in a particular geographic setting.” This is ridiculous. Keeping kosher is not remotely odd in Israel, which, in case you missed it, is where the OP is. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/89 "2009-03-01T03:14:23Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > …In fact, I was told by an Orthodox colleague that there had been found a kosher species of pig, because it chewed cud and had split hooves. :dubious: Did it also have wings? Because I think it can fly.😛 I suppose it’s possible, but my BS meter just red lined. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/90 "2009-03-01T04:04:06Z")
Perhaps he was talking about the [North Sulawesi Babirusa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sulawesi_Babirusa), which, it seemed was considered a possible candidate for a kosher pig, but apparently turned out not to be a true ruminant. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/91 "2009-03-01T17:29:33Z")
As it turns out, the interviewer postponed the interview last week, and we’re supposed to reschedule for this week. And yes, I am going to ask him if we can pick an alternate (i.e., kosher) establishment. As far as the ease of finding pork in Israel, yes, it is unfortunate. However, I personally can’t do much about it, any more than I can chain stores that sell bread during Passover, people who drive on Shabbat, etc. It happens, and I deal with it. (I actually live in a neighborhood where there are no vehicles on the streets on Shabbat and holidays, except for security vehicles.) But I can always hope. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/92 "2009-03-01T17:55:41Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > (I actually live in a neighborhood where there are no vehicles on the streets on Shabbat and holidays, except for security vehicles.) But I can always hope. SRSLY? Where do you live, Meah Shearim? ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/93 "2009-03-01T18:25:39Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > SRSLY? Where do you live, Meah Shearim? Actually, I live in the Shomron, a/k/a Samaria. The streets are not physically blocked, but there are signs posted that says driving on these streets is not allowed on Shabbat and holidays. It’s actually a nice feeling being able to walk in the streets, especially in the spring and summer when everyone is outside in the nice weather. BTW, the streets are not blocked through the entire settlement; it’s only part. There are cars driving through the other parts, but traffic is greatly reduced. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/94 "2009-03-01T19:46:56Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > Actually, I live in the Shomron, a/k/a Samaria. Oh, so you’re a settler? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/95 "2009-03-01T19:50:26Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > As far as the ease of finding pork in Israel, yes, it is unfortunate. However, I personally can’t do much about it, any more than I can chain stores that sell bread during Passover, people who drive on Shabbat, etc. It happens, and I deal with it. (I actually live in a neighborhood where there are no vehicles on the streets on Shabbat and holidays, except for security vehicles.) But I can always hope. WHY, though? If there are non-Jewish people living in the area, why do you want to forbid them from eating due to their customs? What are they possibly hurting? I was raised Catholic, (now lapsed) but even if I lived in Rome, I wouldn’t be upset if someone sold meat on Fridays. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/96 "2009-03-01T20:02:59Z")
> [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](#): > > Oh, so you’re a settler? I guess if you want to call it that, then yes, I’m a settler. We didn’t move here to make a statement. We did a great deal of research on communities before we moved; some were over the green line, some weren’t. We visited many of those communities when we came on what’s commonly called a “pilot trip.” We decided on what we thought would be the best place to live, based on our family needs and what we wanted in a community. Why, what type of picture do you have about “a settler?” > [@](#): > > If there are non-Jewish people living in the area, why do you want to forbid them from eating due to their customs? It’s not the non-Jewish people I care about. It’s that fact that I hope the Jews here (the vast majority) would become stronger in their faith, and that Israel could become more “Jewish.” ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/97 "2009-03-01T20:07:03Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > As it turns out, the interviewer postponed the interview last week, and we’re supposed to reschedule for this week. And yes, I am going to ask him if we can pick an alternate (i.e., kosher) establishment. > > As far as the ease of finding pork in Israel, yes, it is unfortunate. However, I personally can’t do much about it, any more than I can chain stores that sell bread during Passover, people who drive on Shabbat, etc. It happens, and I deal with it. (I actually live in a neighborhood where there are no vehicles on the streets on Shabbat and holidays, except for security vehicles.) But I can always hope. Whoa–who are you to decide how other people live or other Jews practice? Hope for what–that other Jews come around to your way of devotion? My eyes are being opened by this thread–it never occurred to me that there could be Jewish people who were as arrogant in their faith as some Christian folk I’ve had experience with. I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/98 "2009-03-01T20:08:57Z")
Not to pick on Jews, but I went to a graduate school (in the US) with a large orthodox Jewish population and administration. Always annoyed the hell out of me that on Jewish holidays where fasting was required they would unplug and cover with butcher paper all of the vending machines in both the school and housing. It seemed somehow arrogant. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/99 "2009-03-01T20:13:37Z")
> [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](#): > > Why, what type of picture do you have about “a settler?” My impression is that many (or most) move for financial rather than ideological reasons. My impression is also that settlers who move for financial reasons tend not to refer to the West Bank as ‘Judea and Samaria.’ My further impression is that whatever their reasons for moving to the WB, they are an obstacle to peace. So before I cry you a river over your Diet Coke lunch, how easy is it for the Palestinian Arabs of the West Bank–I mean, ‘Samaria’–to find halal restaurants in your neighborhood? I’m guessing pretty fucking hard. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409/100 "2009-03-01T20:14:58Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Whoa–who are you to decide how other people live or other Jews practice? Hope for what–that other Jews come around to your way of devotion? My eyes are being opened by this thread–it never occurred to me that there could be Jewish people who were as arrogant in their faith as some Christian folk I’ve had experience with. I was wrong. Wait, since when is hoping that other people would act as you do arrogant? That seems to be all the OP is doing – wishing, not trying to make people be that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-do-not-believe-this-interview-at-non-kosher-place/487409.md?page=6)