UF Hillel and Gator Dining Services are working together to make sure Jewish students don’t go without kosher food options this Passover.
During the eight-day celebration, observers are prohibited from eating food that rises. For the first time, kosher-for-Passover food will be available on UF’s campus at Gator Corner Dining Center and the Fresh Food Company.
The food will be available throughout the holiday, which takes place from Monday to April 22.
Rabbi Gail Swedroe, the assistant director of Hillel who is serving her second year as campus rabbi, said as far as she knows, this is the first time UF has offered kosher options specifically during Passover.
“Last year, I found out like a month before the holiday that there wasn’t any kosher-for-Passover food in the dining halls, which totally surprised me, given the large number of Jewish students here,” she said.
Last June, Swedroe started coordinating with Gator Dining to get kosher options in UF’s dining halls this year to better meet the needs of the student population.
“A lot of people keep kosher for Passover even if they don’t keep kosher for the rest of the year,” she said.
Jaron Mandel, a 21-year-old UF accounting senior, said he thinks the option is going to work well for a lot of students.
“I’m happy that they’re doing it,” he said. “I’m sure it will be the start of something really nice.”
Jonathan Josephf, a 19-year-old UF biology sophomore, said he struggled to find kosher options on campus last year with his meal plan.
“I’d have to buy matzo at Publix and just make make matzo and cream cheese sandwiches and PB&Js on my own,” he said.
Josephf, who still has a meal plan, said he thinks the partnership with Hillel is “very progressive,” and he plans to take advantage of it.
Kosher offerings include hard-boiled eggs, tuna salad, fruit and salad. Gator Dining is also exploring the option of serving kosher yogurt and sausage, Swedroe said.
Passover-friendly options will be marked with kosher symbols, she said.
The food will be prepared in disposable pans and served on disposable plates so it doesn’t touch anything that has prepared or served bread products.
In addition to the strictly kosher foods served, kosher-style options containing no-bread products such as salmon prepared with no breadcrumbs will also be available.
“It’s hard if you’re living on campus,” Swedroe said. “I want to make it easier.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 4/10/2014 under the headline "Hillel, Gator Dining team up for Passover"]
