practices: kosher

Question 1

what does kosher mean?

Answer 1

means ‘clean’ or ‘fit’. often refers to the food that jews are able to eat and how it is prepared

Question 2

what are jewish dietary laws known as?

Answer 2

kashrut
tell what a jew is allowed and not allowed to eat and how it should be prepared

Question 3

what is known treifah?

Answer 3

food that is unclean

Question 4

what do jews believe about keeping the follow laws?

Answer 4

ivery important part of their observance

Question 5

where does kosher refer to contained in the torah?

Answer 5

refers to the set of jewish food and dietary laws in the torah mainly in the book of leviticus

Question 6

what does orthodox, reform and liberal jews believe about kosher?

Answer 6

orthodox will keep these food laws strictly
reform and liberal may choose not to follow strictly

Question 7

what does kosher also refer to expect food that are allowed to eat?

Answer 7

refer to certain actions that are allowed
clothing they may wear
for males, circumcision is considered kosher

Question 8

how are food indicated that it is kosher?

Answer 8

contain a label

Question 9

what are the 5 foods that are kosher?

Answer 9

1. fruits
2. vegetables
3. animals with spilt hooves that chew the cud (grass)
4. some birds like chicken, duck and turkey but births of prey are not allowed
5. fish that have fins and scales

Question 10

what is the source of authority relating to kosher?

Answer 10

“of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat” - leviticus

Question 11

animals will only be considered kosher…how?

Answer 11

if they have been slaughtered in a certain way

Question 12

preparing kosher food:
1. how can it be slaughtered?
2. what do they use to cut the animals throat?
3. why must all blood be drained?

Answer 12

1. slaughtered in a way that cause the least amount of pain to the animal
2. cutting the animals throat with a razor-sharp knife
3. all blood must be drained from the throat which causes an immediate loss of consciousness and death to avoid prolonged suffering

Question 13

combining foods: what must jews keep in mind?

Answer 13

what foods are kosher and treifah

Question 14

combining foods: why must jews be careful about what foods they put together? why?

Answer 14

as some combinations of food are also forbidden
comes from the instruction in the torah “do not cook a young goat in its mother milk”

Question 15

combining foods: why can’t lasagne or cheeseburgers be eaten?

Answer 15

they are forrbudden to eat meat and dairy products together

Question 16

what is in a kosher kitchen?

Answer 16

separate utensils
separate washing up bowls
separate tea towels
this is so milk and meat are kept separate

Question 17

benefits:
1. what are the laws of kosher considered?
2. what does it mark jews as?
3. what reminds them every time they eat?
4. what enables jews to have a daily relationship with god?
5. what is kosher also part of?
6. by following, what are they fulfilling?
7. what is god seen as?

Answer 17

1. the laws of kosher are a central part of their jewish identity
2. marks jewish people as different and distinct
3. every time they eat, it helps to remind themselves of their relationship with god
4. preparing and eating food is something that has to be carried our daily so keeping kosher enables jews to have a daily relationship with god
5. kosher is also one of the 613 mitzvot
6. by following, they are fulfilling the covenant that was made with abram and renewed by moses at mount sinai
7. god is seen as a lawgiver and a judge so god will judge them kindly

Question 18

challenges:
1. what can be difficult?
2. why will some only eat in kosher restaurants?
3. why will some only eat in vegetarian restaurants?
4. what is guarantee it has been prepared in the right way?
5. why is there a 3 hours gap?
6. what do rabbinic authorities regularly publish?
7. why is it expensive?

Answer 18

1. eating out can be difficult
2. some will only eat in kosher restaurants because they have been checked by rabbinic supervisors to make sure the kashrut laws have been observed
3. some will only eat in vegetarian restaurants as they will have no meat/fish
4. meat has to be bought from a kosher butcher to guarantee it has been prepared in the right way
5. a 3 hours gap must be observed after eating meat before eating diary
6. rabbinic authorurutes regularly publish lists of products that comply with the kashrut laws
7. expensive especially if the kosher food is only sold in specialised shops