One of the greatest attributes of AU is its commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse environment that welcomes students of all backgrounds. When it comes to dining options, we are at the forefront of offering vegetarian, vegan and healthy choices for students, faculty and staff alike.
Yet in the area of kosher and halal food, our campus is far behind many other universities with much smaller kosher and halal communities than ours. In fact, we have one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, without offering a kosher meal plan.
Now that AU Housing & Dining is reviewing its campus dining services plan, I feel that there is no better time than now to create a kosher/halal meal plan. As a student who keeps kosher, it is difficult to recall how many times I have had to settle for a snack or go off campus in order to find something kosher to eat.
In fairness to the University, the availability of kosher food here has improved since my freshman year. But there is a big difference between offering kosher food and creating a kosher meal plan, meaning having a dining area set aside for kosher food preparation.
It is a well-known fact among the student body that many non-kosher students prefer the kosher box lunches to the non-kosher ones. At most universities with kosher meal plans, non-kosher, and even non-Jewish students prefer the food that is prepared according to the kosher guidelines.
In addition, many of my Muslim friends have bemoaned the lack of halal options on our campus. Perhaps the University can address both options at the same time. To this end, what better way to promote diversity than to create a joint kosher/halal dining facility that will serve as a place to bring Jews and Muslims closer together.
If AU truly wants to create an environment which is truly diverse and all-encompassing, then we must be inviting those who keep kosher or Halal, as well as everyone else.
Oren Rabinowitz is a senior in the School of International Service.
edpage@theeagleonline.com
