Some students who keep Kosher claim the University has not provided enough choices this semester. // Photo courtesy of Madeline Armstrong.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hofstra Dining Services made significant reductions to Kosher food options on campus. These changes have made it difficult for students who keep Kosher to acquire food, as the choices are limited.
“We have the little to-go [kosher meals], but I would say that there are not always a lot of choices and sometimes they are just not there because they have run out,” said Samantha Meltzer, a senior mathematical finance major.
Hofstra Dining Services limited Kosher food options on campus to pre-packaged meals from Al Fresco and Wing Wan, according to Compass Resident District Manager Bruce Bechtle. Hofstra Dining Services also removed Eli’s Kosher Kitchen, which used to serve hot, fresh Kosher meals Monday through Thursday. Some students like Meltzer have grown frustrated with what they perceive to be a Kosher food scarcity on campus.
“Al Fresco only delivers to us twice a week,” Bechtle said. “It’s a food management issue just to see what the rotation is [and] how often we can get [Kosher food] and making sure we restock better than we have.”
The scarcity of Kosher food on campus has also led some students to develop unhealthy eating habits.
“There is very little Kosher food. The joke I constantly make is that I survive [on] Chex Mix and Reese’s peanut butter cups,” said Eliot Drazen, a sophomore film major. “With fewer options to eat, the easier it is to decide not to eat.”
Some students also miss having hot meals, as many are unable to heat up the pre-packaged meals due to Kosher restrictions.
“I miss Eli’s every day. I miss being able to eat warm meat,” Meltzer said. “All of the options are cold, so if I’m eating a Kosher meal, I’m not going to put that in the microwave because the microwaves that I have access to [on campus] are not Kosher.”
According to Bechtle, Hofstra Dining Services decided to close Eli’s because COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible to safely serve students in the small space of the kitchen.
“The nature of the setup of the serving area for Eli’s was that a student could come in and select their meal in the space, which is impossible [now] because of social distancing regulations from the health department,” Bechtle said. He also said the Kosher kitchen on campus was too small to cook in while practicing social distancing, so cooks cannot even prepare food in the Kosher kitchen during the pandemic.
Because Hofstra’s Kosher dining options are limited this semester, some think Hofstra’s mandatory meal plans for residential students are unfair to those who keep Kosher.
“If you live on campus, you have to pay for [a] meal plan,” said Leilah Abelman, a senior political science major. “They are not offering me the same options [they] are offering other students, so I still have to pay the $2,000 … [That] is a lot of money, but they are only offering me little boxed meals.”
The residential student meal plans range from $1,020 to $2,820, according to the 2020-2021 dining plan contract, with first-year resident student meal plans ranging between $2,440 and $2,820.
Hofstra Dining Services is actively looking to get more Kosher meal options from distributors such as Chimichurri of Carle Place, Halal Shack and other distributors, according to Bechtle.
“My goal is to get things up and running by August,” Bechtle said.
In the meantime, the Hofstra Dining Service staff is willing to hear students’ concerns and help find a way to tailor foods to a specific student’s dietary needs.
“If students feel like they’re stuck and they only have these pre-packaged items, I would recommend that they speak with me or Bruce Bechtle,” said Jessica Jaeger, a registered dietitian at Compass. “We can coordinate with the chefs … I think that is one of the best ways we can manage and make sure that everyone is getting a nice variety.”
Any students with dietary concerns or in need of help finding nutritious meals should contact Jessica Jaeger at [email protected].
