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Forum -> Working Women
Please help me draft a letter: re: kosher food at conference



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ruchelbuckle




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 17 2015, 8:20 am
I am registered for a work-related conference in June. I paid $600 for a 3 day conference (hotel not included). That was the early bird special-- it will be $800 next week! (So its not a cheap conference)

When I was registering, (online)there was a drop down menu for "restricted diet." The choices were: gluten free, lactose free, vegetarian, and vegan. No choice for kosher.

Then below it said, "These are the only special dietary accommodations we can fulfill. "

I would like to draft a brief email to the organization to request that in the future to include a kosher option, even if there is a small surcharge.

For example:

Dear John:

I am very excited to attend the conference on June 13. I am looking forward to the networking and great workshops. However, I was disappointed that there was not a kosher option for meals....... ect.....


any suggestions? thanks!
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 17 2015, 8:28 am
Maybe it's a language thing, but I woud turn it positive: so many options, btw I didn't see if there is a kosher one blah blah.
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Frumdoc




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 17 2015, 8:46 am
I would just ask straight out: Is there a kosher option or possibility to provide one?

No disappointment, no saddened, just yes or no.

TBH, I don't expect to be provided with kosher food to my standard, even if the non jewish conference organisers offer, unless it is from a reliable company that provides such meals. Otherwise they just run out and buy the nearest thing labelled kosher which is invariably not really or not to my kashrus standards.

My rule of thumb is not to expect anything in such situations, bring food and eat lots of fruit!
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asp40




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 17 2015, 8:55 am
Is it at a hotel? If so, call the hotel directly and ask. I did this last year and I was surprised to find out they do it and have done it before. I had attended the same conference for several years and never thought to ask.
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vicki




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Apr 17 2015, 9:14 am
And sometimes it's just not worth it.

For a period of time I had to travel to Boston from the NY area weekly for a team meeting. It included lunch. I got along fine fending for myself but the secretary felt bad for me so she insisted kindly on ordering for me.
I felt a disaster coming but I gave her the name of a well-known kosher restaurant around the corner. I knew it was dairy.
The next week I saw a platter of beautifully unwrapped dairy sandwiches, wraps, etc, side by side with meat sandwiches. Apparently they have a related fleishig kiosk a few blocks away and she livened up the order by getting delivery from both.
She was very angry at me when I gulped out that I still cannot eat it.

For me, it's just not worth it. It never ends well. I hope your story has a better ending than mine.
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Mrs Bissli




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2015, 10:54 am
Agree with other posters it's always safer to arrange your own meal. Call the hotel directly, ask to speak with a conference catering manager. Saying this from my own experience after getting a halal meal at a business function some time ago...
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ROFL




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2015, 1:15 pm
And I got an old disgusting kosher meal that looked like it was in the back of the freezer for more than a decade. It was double wrapped but all squished inside that it was unappetizing. It us lots of money to pay for a. Conference and not get food, but you will be better off with good you buy or bring by yourself.
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amother
Purple


 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2015, 5:37 pm
I'm not sure what your standards are, but my LOR allows dry non-buggy vegetables with EVOO on the side at a treif venue. So I usually ask for iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and avocado, with EVOO on the side.

If you are stricter than that, maybe ask them for a whole avocado and whole tomato and you can cut them up yourself if it's not too awkward. Avocado and EVOO is very filling.
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Mimisinger




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2015, 5:55 pm
Are you in the US? Dh has been at conferences all over the states and has gotten kosher food at all of them. The food varies, but he always gets it. A lot of times, theres a kosher restaurant or catering place that works with hotel in these situations. Where is it? We can help.
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Mrs Bissli




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 19 2015, 6:15 pm
amother wrote:
I'm not sure what your standards are, but my LOR allows dry non-buggy vegetables with EVOO on the side at a treif venue. So I usually ask for iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and avocado, with EVOO on the side.

If you are stricter than that, maybe ask them for a whole avocado and whole tomato and you can cut them up yourself if it's not too awkward. Avocado and EVOO is very filling.


It would probably work in US but be very careful with avocados in Europe right now. Vast majority comes from Israel, so a shmitta product.
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hila




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 12:44 am
No - Avocados are not "shmitta" yet. That starts from the beginning of August according to my chart.
Right now they are still shishit.
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DrMom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 1:27 am
How many people attending this conference might make use of a kosher meal option? If it's only 1-2, I doubt they will go through the effort to arrange something, and you're better off bringing your own food.

Since you say they ended their list of special dietary options with the sentence "These are the only special dietary accommodations we can fulfill," it doesn't sound like they are particularly accommodating.

Maybe you can find a kosher place nearby which is wiling to send over a meal. Coordinate it with the hotel beforehand.
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abby1776




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 3:49 am
I wouldn't trust an organization with no kashrut experience to get you kosher food. I have been attending a conference every may for 15 years. 10000 people a attend. A couple hundred keep kosher. I never trust them to get me kosher food and always bring my own. Last year it was in Hong Kong. They told everyone they arranged kosher food. And everyone assumed it was from Chabad in Hong Kong. But it wasn't. It was halal. No one knew the difference. Bring your own food.
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5mom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 4:03 am
Since they were clear about only providing some options, I doubt that they will accommodate a request for kosher food. I'd suggest bringing your own food or asking the hotel to bring something in.

Then I would write a letter to the conference organizers saying that although you made your own arrangements, you were disappointed to see that there were no options for halal or kosher food. You are sure that next time around, they will be sensitive to the needs of Muslim and Jewish employees. (It helps if your name isn't incredibly Jewish sounding.)

There's no chance they want to be seen as insensitive to Muslims. Sorry for the cynicism, but I have encountered this before, and when you want accommodation for Jewish practices, the best way is usually to bundle it with a request for everyone. Not to mention that Muslims who eat halal and want time to pray deserve to have their needs met too.
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Sadie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 4:05 am
vicki wrote:
And sometimes it's just not worth it.

For a period of time I had to travel to Boston from the NY area weekly for a team meeting. It included lunch. I got along fine fending for myself but the secretary felt bad for me so she insisted kindly on ordering for me.
I felt a disaster coming but I gave her the name of a well-known kosher restaurant around the corner. I knew it was dairy.
The next week I saw a platter of beautifully unwrapped dairy sandwiches, wraps, etc, side by side with meat sandwiches. Apparently they have a related fleishig kiosk a few blocks away and she livened up the order by getting delivery from both.
She was very angry at me when I gulped out that I still cannot eat it.

For me, it's just not worth it. It never ends well. I hope your story has a better ending than mine.


One time I was working in a treif restaurant (before I became mitzva observant but was interested and learning somewhat) and we were hosting a company party where a few of the attendees kept kosher and had ordered food from another restaurant to be delivered to us.
My manager accepted the order but was confused about what to do with it and started thinking aloud, "should we open it? should we plate it?" and I leaped over and explained to him that he should let the person who was eating the food open it; they never knew who saved their dinner that night.
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esther09




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 6:55 am
Sadie wrote:
One time I was working in a treif restaurant (before I became mitzva observant but was interested and learning somewhat) and we were hosting a company party where a few of the attendees kept kosher and had ordered food from another restaurant to be delivered to us.
My manager accepted the order but was confused about what to do with it and started thinking aloud, "should we open it? should we plate it?" and I leaped over and explained to him that he should let the person who was eating the food open it; they never knew who saved their dinner that night.


Can someone explain to me what the obsession with this is? I've had to plan a few events recently where I was in charge of ordering the kosher food for a select few for large events (so clearly it was all properly hechshered) and my non-Jewish co-workers were all convinced that only I was allowed to accept the delivery and touch the packages because "non-Jews are not allowed to touch Kosher food." What a chillul Hashem embarrassed Especially because many of the cooks and delivery guys and waiters at kosher restaurants aren't Jewish!! In the past, they had been scolded for opening the packaging, etc. and were told it's no longer kosher if they do.

What's the obsession with not letting anyone but people who keep Kosher touch the food??? Is this just regarding making sure the person eating the food sees the kosher seal or is there something I've never heard of?
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 7:02 am
They may not understand the difference between serving it closed, opening it and plating it. For us it's clear, they don't have a concept. If you are in a place to clarify, they may appreciate it.
They may confuse it with wine. If a [non jew] touches an open bottle of non mevushal wine...
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Sadie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 7:05 am
esther09 wrote:
Can someone explain to me what the obsession with this is? I've had to plan a few events recently where I was in charge of ordering the kosher food for a select few for large events (so clearly it was all properly hechshered) and my non-Jewish co-workers were all convinced that only I was allowed to accept the delivery and touch the packages because "non-Jews are not allowed to touch Kosher food." What a chillul Hashem embarrassed Especially because many of the cooks and delivery guys and waiters at kosher restaurants aren't Jewish!! In the past, they had been scolded for opening the packaging, etc. and were told it's no longer kosher if they do.

What's the obsession with not letting anyone but people who keep Kosher touch the food??? Is this just regarding making sure the person eating the food sees the kosher seal or is there something I've never heard of?


I'm sorry it came out sounding like that! It had nothing to do with having a non Jew touch the food. I myself wasn't halachically Jewish at the time, and I definitely helped Jewish friends cook and serve kosher food all the time. It has to do with the restaurant possibly putting the food on a non-kosher plate, putting it together with non-kosher food or heating it up in a non-kosher oven. Those are all possibilities if a person in charge of the food doesn't know the rules.
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Mrs Bissli




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Apr 20 2015, 8:05 am
Methinks it's easier just to say no to everything? It may be confusing to tell non-kashrut aware staff it's ok to open packaging but not if it's hot food in double foil wrap or non-mevushal wine? Also speaking from my own experience where my kosher airline food was spoiled because the FA (on an Asian airline known for courteous services) opened the main course foil package BEFORE bringing it to me (or before heating, who knows).

Hila thanks v much for correction. For some reason I had an old shmita date list that had an error (or probably printed in a weird way so rows got mixed).
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