Eli's Kosher Kitchen remains closed
Eli’s Kosher Kitchen has been temporarily closed since Dec. 14, 2022, due to staffing concerns. // Photo courtesy of Jacob Lewis.
Hofstra University has one of the largest Jewish populations among colleges in the U.S., according to Hillel International. With a sizable Jewish community, some kosher students believe the food options should be more extensive.
Eli’s Kosher Kitchen, the on-campus kosher dining establishment, has been temporarily closed since Dec. 14, 2022, for the second time since the start of the pandemic. This is due to staffing challenges, according to Jose Rodriguez, resident district manager of Campus Dining by Compass Group.
“[Hillel has] been working very closely with food services to make sure we can have more kosher food for our students and for our community,” said Rabbi Dave Siegel, the executive director and university chaplain of Hofstra Hillel. “To be fair, I also eat [at Eli’s] so the biggest problem has been some staffing challenges and making sure that we have the right mashgichim.”
A mashgiach is a supervisor who ensures adherence to kosher food laws (kashrut) by inspecting the premises where food is prepared. Many mashgichim are older and have been uncomfortable being on a college campus amidst a pandemic, according to Siegel.
“They could pull anyone off the street [to be a mashgiach], but I won’t eat there,” Siegel said. “I know other people won’t eat there.”
Campus Dining offers hot and cold grab-and-go meal options that are prepared by a part-time campus mashgiach, according to Rodriguez.
“Our Kosher is certified by the Vaad of Merrick under the direction of Rabbi Ira Ebbin and Rabbi Dov Winston with a menu that consists of 15 different sandwiches, 12 salads and 28 ready-to-heat meals that are on rotation each week and available at select convenient locations across campus,” Rodriguez said. “We will continue to evaluate the needs of the campus community and the future of the kosher dining program at Eli’s.”
Even with the grab-and-go options, students long for more variation in their diet.
“It is a little frustrating because [Hofstra is] supposed to be a relatively Jewish campus,” said Andie Bigio, a junior Jewish studies and history double major. “But they’re not really helping orthodox or traditional Jews keep kosher.”
Other students have expressed frustration on social media. Hadassah Schneider, a first-year law student, commented on an @EatingatHofstra Instagram post inquiring about where to get kosher food on campus.
“When I was looking into Hofstra, I wanted to make sure that there would be a place for me to be able to eat on campus,” Schneider said. “When I actually got here, there was almost nothing that was kosher, and so the post on Instagram [said], ‘Oh, we have kosher food available,’ and I’m like, ‘Where?’ Because I’ve been looking for it and I can’t find it.”
The Campus Dining website states that kosher grab-and-go options are available at locations across campus for “convenient access to kosher meals throughout the day,” but some students feel it is hard to find.
“Online they list places where you can get kosher food, and I’ve gone to some of those places, and there is nothing there,” Schneider said. “There’s the mass-produced packaged stuff like potato chips, but that’s not real [food].”
Separate from Campus Dining, Hillel offers kosher food at various events that they hold throughout the semester.
“At our Hillel programs, there is often food,” Siegel said. “Probably the best thing we offer is Friday night dinners where people can come for Shabbat, spend time together and have a variety of different foods.”
If students have any questions or concerns regarding kosher food on campus, they can contact Rodriguez at Jose.Rodriguez@compass-usa.com.
