Kosher Can Bring Us Together

Sometimes being Jewish and kosher can show us the better side of the people around us who aren’t Jewish, especially when they reach out beyond the norm to fit us into their thoughts and plans.  I had a wonderful little experience today with just this thing that I would like to share.

As most of you know, we keep a kosher home and that extends outside to restaurants and elsewhere.  Working in a public school means there are often times when colleagues will bring donuts, pastries, snacks, or who knows what else to share; not to mention training, workshops and meetings that are catered.  This past year I had an experience of going to an all day training that was catered on the Queen Mary…DURING PASSOVER. Forget that I keep kosher, it was double whammy.  :)  Ok…getting off track here…

I am leaving my current school for a brand new school next year which meant I had a lot of good-byes and so-longs to say and receive.  One of my closest teacher friends really wanted to do something special for me and for the 19 or so other teachers who are leaving this year.  She wanted to make sure that whatever she did food wise I would be able to eat.  She even called another Jewish colleague of our’s to ask if a particular bakery would be kosher enough.  The fact that my colleague and friend would take so much consideration to include me means more than she probably realizes. 

This morning I got to school and went to visit and say my goodbyes.  She pulled out a box of some of the most delicious pastries around, PORTOS.  She had that look of, “Gosh I hope you can eat these” on her face.  I thanked her profusely and ensured her that the thought is sweeter than the sugar.  It truly was. She explained how she had called the other teacher and tried so hard.  It’s my fault she wasn’t sure if I’d eat them because the year previous we ate some of these delicacies together being that I was only keeping kosher in the home and vegetarian out. 

So what’s the point?

Sometimes our friends and colleagues really do go out of their way to understand and reach out. It’s at these times we all get to teach, learn, and show each other the true beauty of friendship.  It’s also at these times that I often feel most connected to Judaism. When I stick by my beliefs and hold to my convictions.  It’s hard sometimes.  It is also something that I thought of value to share for those of you who might be trying to connect on bigger scales and worry about these exact situations popping up.

Today was proof that these potentially awkward moments don’t need to be so awkward afterall.