Kosher Coming to You

      Thanks to Keith Lake, Manager of the Market, Alicia Stultz, Assist. Director of Retail Dining and Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, their collaborative effort brought a much needed Kosher dining option for the campus community at The Market. Kosher hot dogs are now served every Wednesday from 11:30am-1:30pm at the Market in the Kansas Union, Level 3.

      Rabbi Zalman came to Lawrence a few years ago from New York City to oversee the Chabad Center for Jewish Life at KU.  In taking on this role, Zalman committed to the welfare of the university and Lawrence communities.  When students, faculty and staff expressed a need for Kosher food in the dining facilities, Zalman immediately approached Alecia Stultz and Alecia moved to Keith Lake, to see what they could do about it.  There was a clear need to satisfy the Jewish population on our campus.  With the already changing menu to accommodate for food allergies diets such as: gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan, it seemed like no better time to begin working on a kosher plan.  

      For almost two years Zalman, Stultz and her team worked to produce the most pure kosher hot dog cooking process possible.  Sysco, KU's food service, offers kosher hot dogs, but they weren't Glatt kosher.  Glatt kosher is kosher to the furthest extent.  The animal is thoroughly inspected and must be healthy and pure before going any further.  Rabbi Zalman is able to provide Glatt kosher hot dogs directly from the manufacturer. 
      The preparation and service of the hot dogs is completed by a Jewish KU student,  Joel Mann, on a hot dog roller specifically designated kosher.  This roller is wrapped and sealed each night by Joel to ensure its kosher integrity is not compromised.  If the seal is broken on the hot dog roller, serving utensils, or any of the kosher materials, they are is no longer of any use to the kosher concept.

      Must a person be Jewish to eat this hot dog? Not at all! Lake informed us that when he bit into his first kosher hot dog, thought to himself, "Wow! I can certainly taste the difference."  So stop by The Market and see for yourself what all this talk is about and don't forget to let us know what you think!





Check out more photos from this event on our Facebook page!
Click here for more information about eating kosher!