Ham and pork come from the same animal? Yeah right, Angelsoft, some wonderful, magical animal!
The issue isn’t with the coffee itself. You have to keep in mind that the vessels and utensils used to prepare and serve the coffee may not be Kosher, thus rendering the coffee non-Kosher. There may also be an issue with condiments.
Black coffee, if brewed in a Kosher pot is completely Kosher. Jews that keep Kosher can still frequent places like Starbucks because the coffee pots there are only used to hold black unflavored coffee and water, both of which are considered Kosher even without rabbinical supervision.
In fancier, sit-down coffee shops, you can get your piping hot coffee in a glass or mug. However, that presents a Kashrut dilemma because the mug may have been used previously to hold hot, flavored coffee that may have contained non-Kosher ingredients. But this is an easy issue to work around by just ordering the coffee in a paper or Styrofoam cup instead.
Eureka touched upon the issue of coffee condiments. Creamers, whether dairy or non-dairy need rabbinical supervision, due to the fact that they may contain non-Kosher stabilizers. There is no problem with pure sugar because it is considered Kosher even without rabbinical supervision. Pure cow’s milk is slightly more complicated than the other natural from-the-source foods such as coffee beans and sugar, but in America all milk is considered Kosher even without rabbinical supervision. I’d be glad to elaborate on this point if anyone’s interested.
Pork, ham, pork rinds, bacon, Canadian bacon, trotters, head cheese* . . . some incredible animal, there.
*Yes, I know it can come from animals other than pigs. Shut up.
Discussions of kashrut always fascinate me. A couple of good friends of mine are Orthodox Jews and I sometimes help with the cooking for the holidays. I’m always afraid I’m going to mess up the dishes, so I always ask before doing anything.
Yes, I know. My point was that in Israel, things are set up for keeping kosher. So homes are built with kitchens that are set up for keeping 2 of everything, people buy two sets of dishes when they get married, etc. I just meant that if it’s part of the surrounding culture, then it’s not as hard as it would be otherwise. Remember that even Brooklyn is not as Jewish as Israel.
It’s like the pray-5-times-a-day thing in Islam. When half or more of the people around you are doing it too, and when you can’t help but hear the muezzin’s call (because there’s a loudspeaker on every block), it’s not so onerous, or hard to remember to do.
Ok, here’s another one. Around here, it’s easy to keep vegetarian. When I visit Indiana, it is not. This is because it is part of the culture here and not there.
But since were are all here to learn: here’s a serious question for the Israeli’s, especially the OP:
How hard is it really in Israel, to keep kosher?
Dude, why are you so surprised? You have chosen to obey strange rules about your diet. Not everyone obeys those rules. You will therefore on occasion be invited to places where people who don’t obey those rules eat. Granted you live in a place where this is less common, but come on. If I choose to eat only horseradish and beets I’d have problems dining out with friends, too.
Not here! Let me make you a batch of grandma’s horseradish-and-beet casserole!
That extra flavor in the background? leans in close That’s beet.
I’ll admit it seems a little unusual that somebody in Israel would set up a business lunch without inquiring if the person they were meeting kept kosher. People who keep kosher must be pretty common in Israel.
Normally, I’d say raise the subject and request a change of venue. But I can see where somebody going to a job interview doesn’t want to appear “difficult”.
Not hard at all. The supermarket where I live is entirely kosher - all products have some type of rabbinical supervision. Everything in the makolet (corner grocery store) is under some type of supervision. All of the supermarkets in the next big city, about 20 km away, have kosher meat and fish departments. Most, but not all, of the eateries in that city have some type of rabbinical supervision.
So, it’s not hard at all, at least where I live.
And even in the big cities, there are kosher places. Maybe not as many, but they are there.
So, the answer is “not hard at all.”
No, I have not. At least in Israel, if I tell people I keep kosher, the vast majority of them understand what I’m talking about. Not like the U.S., where most people thought that kosher meant “blessed by the rabbi.”
I’ve worked for two large companies here - companies that are worldwide. Both places have strict rules that any company function here must be kosher. It’s not a strange or foreign custom in Israel.
Nor do I know the area well. For all I know, this is the only restaurant in the area.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and confidently predict there’s a kosher restaurant in Jerusalem.
Okay, seriously, I understand you’re talking about one particular area of the city. But still, it’s Jerusalem. Kosher food must be as easy to find as pizza is in New York City.
Decaf coffee is an abomination, and as such should not be kosher.
I’m a messy eater. I would love a chance to get out of having a meal at an interview. I’d be overjoyed to be able to eat later and not obsess over my table manners or whether I’m going to spill food on my interview clothes (I eat in my interview clothes only when absolutely necessary). I’m always too nervous to be hungry before or during interviews, anyway.
It is hard to learn for someone who’s not used to it, especially for someone who doesn’t normally read food labels. But once you learn it becomes second nature pretty quickly.
Shouldn’t the OP be more worried that she or he is too nervous to ask that they switch venues? What will this mean if you get the job and are working for this guy (if that is how the job would be set up)? Will the OP still be worried about matters of faith? Will the employer be respectful? (Name be damned – I know hassidic Jews who don’t give a shit.)
It could be this. Especially in an academic setting – there are a lot of rabid “secularists” in Academia.
As an atheist, non-kosher-keeping, anti-religious-establishment Israeli, I get to see more than my share of these types of people. Who are sure they’re scoring points with me when they brag about how they were mean to / tricked/ heckled some religious person :mad: :rolleyes:
Yeah, there are assholes in every walk of life…
Having said so, if the interview is with somebody from the Mt. Scopus campus, chances are that it’s Aroma or the Uni cafeteria. [disclaimer – this is based on age-old knowledge. I’m from Tel Aviv myself, and don’t know that area very well.] If it’s the Givat Ram campus, there’s just no excuse – it’s right in the middle of downtown, pretty much.
To the OP – I’d say you should probably call the interviewer and ask whether the interview could be someplace kosher. Either he’ll realize he’s made a faux pas, or I don’t think you want to work for him 
[hijack]It’s always good to have another Israeli Doper – mind if I send you a PM? [/hijack]
To all the other questions about keeping kosher in Israel – outside of Tel-Aviv, I’d say that’s probably the default option. And most-to-all large companies that have on-premises eating places make sure those are kosher. I think it’s a good thing that all options are available.
On further perusal – I see you posted yesterday evening, so the interview has come and gone already :smack:
Oh well – sorry I was too late to help, and I hope the interview went well 
Poor you, OP…as a Jew, shy person, ex-pat and a pescatarian I feel for you very deeply and hope your interview went well!
In the future I’d say either ring them in advance or meet them at the appointed place and say that while you’d absolutely love to grab a bite with them, you’re really a bit limited by the options on offer- prospective employers, especially in a culture that prides itself on being so ‘informal’ should be okay with swinging something if you happen to be allergic to nuts, gluten, or shellfish so why not?
I’m sorry, I have a big issue with this. It’s not up to you what other people can and can’t eat, nor is it up to you to decide how available certain things should be. If certain foods are out there, you get to decide what you want to eat, not anyone else.
Israel is not a strictly Jewish state. It contains many Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and people of other faiths as well. Jews spent thousands of years being ruled and enslaved by others; you should be the last person to tell others how to live.
And yes, I’m Jewish.
Thank you for putting your finger on why the attitude that there shouldn’t be non-kosher food available in Israel bothered me. I knew it did, but I couldn’t articulate why.
I am Jewish and keep kosher.
So - with Rabbinical supervision, how close is it?
Does every restaurant/store have it’s own personal rabbi? Can you go to rabbi school with the intent of not working at a synagogue, but just supervising food?
Gracious, I did miss that the first time around and I do agree with you on that coun, Agent Foxtrot. In addition to non-Jews living in Israel, there are many different sects of Judaism (and those who merely consider themselves ethnically Jewish)and we can argue until the cows come home about how Jewish or not it makes you if you don’t keep kosher…
I think that assumption that everything is supposed to be observantly, orthodoxly Jewish is part of the package that often comes with people making aliyah, though I could be mistaken.