Changes

When all is said and done, whether something is kosher depends a lot on one’s interpretation of the rules. Most of what I wrote above may be easily challenged by anyone who says their rabbi has a different view on this detail or another. There’s more than one kosher certifying agency and their criteria aren’t exactly the same. There’s even more discrepancy among ordinary Jews, both in theory (defining what is or isn’t kosher) and in practice (deciding to what extent one is willing to actually follow the rules).

There are Jews whose lips will never touch anything they aren’t 100% sure to be kosher. On the other hand, there are many Jews who consider the kosher dietary laws ancient superstition and break them with full premeditation. Jewish delicatessens in the United States often sell a snack called Reuben sandwich composed of corned beef, Emmentaler cheese and sauerkraut grilled between slices of wheat-and-rye bread. While obviously unkosher (meat and cheese together), it is nonetheless part of Jewish culinary culture. In Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter of Cracow, you will find many restaurants serving dishes which may look and taste just like traditional kosher delicacies, such as Jewish caviar, cholent or geflite fish. But as long as these establishments use ingredients with no kosher certification, cook with the same equipment for both meat and dairy and don’t sell their “leaven” before Passover, then they may be “kosher style”, but certainly not kosher. Again, there are Jews who will never patronize such places, but there are plenty of those who wouldn’t mind.