Potlucks & Onegs at Shir Hadash

Reconstructionist dietary practices vary widely. Our commitment has always been to be as inclusive as possible and, for that reason, we do not allow meat or meat byproducts of any kind at our events. As guests of Congregation Beth El Ner Tamid, we also follow that congregation’s kashrut policies at all programs in its building. For programs at members’ homes, please consult the host or program chair.

Guidelines for food preparation

Please save these guidelines for future reference.

1.   No home-baked goods. All bakery must be certified Kosher, including challah, breads, cakes, cookies, etc.  You may purchase other pre-packaged items with a Hechsher (Kosher symbol.)
2.   All flavors of juice are acceptable, as long as they have a Kosher symbol.  Also, wine and vinegar used in cooking must be Kosher.
3.   Salads (both fruit and vegetable) may be prepared at home if ALL the ingredients start cold and stay cold.
4.   You may prepare/cook food at home.  Bring your cooked dishes in containers that are either disposable or which you will take home with you.  The BENT oven may NOT be used to reheat dishes cooked at home.  Cooked dishes you bring may have to be served cold or at room temperature since the portable oven has limited capacity.
      Serving dishes/utensils may be brought from home, but cannot be used in the kitchen.
5.   Shir Hadash serves DAIRY or PAREVE foods ONLY.  No meat, meat products or
shellfish may be brought in at any time.
6.   Pre-packaged products with Kosher certification are acceptable.
7.   Cheese also must be free of animal rennet.  (Animal rennet is a naturally occurring enzyme that works to help coagulate the milk during the curd-formation stage.)  The packaging should clearly say it is rennet-free and Kosher.
8.  All food should be eaten on plastic or paperware. You may bring reusable plates and utensils, but they cannot be washed in the kitchen.     

Kosher markings include:

If you have any questions about these policies, please contact:
 Rabbi David Brusin.

Note:  As a consideration to those who are helping to prepare the meal for the potlucks, bring only those foods that can be assembled and/or cooked within a 45 to 60 minute time period.  This will help to ensure the meal is ready when services are over.  And please remember that the oven and convection oven have limited capacities.  The potlucks are meant to be an enjoyable and community-building experience for all.

Rev. 8/10

Kosher Komments

There are frequently questions about the availability of Kosher items that are appropriate to bring for an oneg or a potluck.  While the CSH “Guidelines for Food Preparation” provides important information, the question remains, “What is out there and where can I buy it?”  So I did a little research and will pass it on to you.  While I am certainly not an expert on all things Kosher, I hope that this will be helpful.

The obvious places to look would be the Kosher Meat Klub Supermarket on Burleigh Ave., North Shore Bakery and Shalom Bakery, (based in Chicago with products available at some Pick ‘n Save stores), and any of the Kosher sections in the larger grocery stores, usually near the Hispanic and Asian foods.  Brands and items found elsewhere on the shelves would include Entenmann’s, Archway, Pepperidge Farm, Rippin’ Good, Chips Ahoy, Oreo, Keebler, Nabisco Saltines and Ritz, Old Orchard juices, LaCroix , Graf’s soda, powdered Kool-Aid and Countrytime, Dannon and Stoneyfield.

For rennet-free Kosher cheese, brands include Ha’olam, Amy’s, Oneg, Mt. Sterling, Sugar River and Apple Smoked, Chippewa Valley, Horizon, Pasture Pride, Wisconsin Organics , Organic Valley and Cedar Grove.  These are available at many Pick ‘n Save stores, some of the Sendik’s stores and Outpost Natural Foods.

Several stores on the North Shore have an expanded inventory of Kosher food items, including the Pick ‘n Save Metro Market on N. Port Washington Road in Mequon, Pick ‘n Save on Green Tree Road in Glendale, and Trader Joe’s in Bayshore Town Center (also has Kosher challah.)  Please remember that in all these stores, items that are Kosher may also be found on the regular food shelves.  Also, the JCC has freshly baked challah every Friday.  Check their website for information on how to order.

It is very important to read labels, however, because not all of a company’s products may be Kosher.  So look for the Kosher symbols on the product.  Some also add “D,” for Dairy, or Parve.  During Pesach, you will also find Kosher for Passover cans of Coke and Sprite.

So enjoy your shopping, and read those labels!

-- Ellen Blankenship, Congregational Assistant

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