Keeping Kosher when Visiting a Tribal Home (Mong New Year)

One of the most difficult things to do when you are a kosher traveler is to visit a local, tribal home.  That is because in most cultures, the offering of food to guests is very important.  Yet, as a kosher traveler, we have to turn down these offers. In most cultures, turning down an offer of food is very rude.  So what to do?

Inside a native Hmong (Mong) home, our hostess prepares an elaborate breakfast to celebrate the New Year. To refuse to eat anything at all would be incredibly rude, but what could we eat and still keep kosher?

Imagine you meet a visitor traveling from a faraway country and culture you have never even heard of before.  You are excited to get to know them and invite them to your home for a Friday night Shabbat dinner, to show them your home and culture.  When they get there, they refuse to eat, but happily sit through the whole meal not touching a thing.  Awkward at best, this could be downright insulting.

Fortunately, most of us Westerners have come into contact with people with other religious and cultural beliefs that affect food consumption.  We understand (because we keep kosher) that perhaps a Muslim will only eat what is halal. We can understand the strict Buddhist tenant not to eat after noon.  We can even grasp the Jain concept of not eating, breathing, or even walking on bugs.

But people from small native villages don’t have this exposure.  The concept of refusing to eat a meal with your hosts can be deeply insulting. So what do you do?

Firstly, it depends on the level of kashrut you are keeping.  If for you eating vegetarian food is kosher, then you can probably get by with only minor challenges.  But if you keep strictly kosher, you will have a harder time.

In some cultures, such as the Hmong (Mong) and Thai cultures, rice is a staple food.  These cultures will have a special pot set aside for cooking rice and nothing but rice will be cooked in it.  You can probably help them check the rice (they usually check it for stones, but you can always help them look and look for bugs instead!) and then offer to help stoke the fire or add the rice to the pot, so that you are participating in the cooking process.  If you pose it as wanting to be involved in, learn about, and participate in their culture, they will usually be enthusiastic about you helping with the cooking process.

At least then you can manage to eat some plain rice.

Making chapatis requires a special kind of plate, which is used only for this purpose.

The same kind of process usually applies to whatever the staple food of the culture is, whether it is rotis, bread, or chapatis. Most of these foods require a special dish to cook in and you can help with the cooking process in some way without offending your hosts.

Any other kind of food cooked in the place you are visiting is likely to be too difficult to make kosher, unless you managed to find a tribe of vegetarians (they do exist, but I haven’t found them yet). Otherwise, it’s likely that food will get mixed up and even a purely vegetarian dish will not meet kosher standards.  For example, at the Hmong home we visited during the Mong New Year this week, they prepared a vegetarian dish of pumpkin – after chopping it directly on the same chopping block as the pork, without washing it in between.  So that dish was clearly not kosher.

Stick with the plain rice or chapatis and you’ll be fine, or at least less awkward.  And if you can’t manage to do that, at least in a Buddhist country you can always explain that you only have fresh fruit and water after noon!

Happy eating and happy travels!

Parshas Noach: Halacha of Traveling by Ship

Most of the time, Rabbi Ben and I travel by land or air.  For long distances, air is simply fastest. For short distances, overland travel is most economical.  But sometimes we do travel by water.  I love the water and really enjoy taking short jaunts on boats.  Most of the time, travel by water these days does not take as long as it once did. Our ships are faster and more stable.  But sometimes, like on cruises, or for sailors, trips by sea take much longer.

I’ve also taken a couple of cruises through the Caribbean, although cruises are not my personal favorite. (I get what I call “golden cage” syndrome – the ship is to me like a big, fancy prison – I just want to be off and exploring!)  Of course, Jews traveling on cruises have to take many factors into account.  You are allowed to go on a cruise that will be afloat over Shabbat, although you should not depart too close to Shabbat – make sure it leaves on a Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.  Chazal, concerned about the possibility of seasickness, determined that it is inappropriate to leave within 3 days of Shabbat.  If your trip is traveling on Shabbat, make sure the ship is neither owned nor operated by Jews, and that it runs on fixed schedules, regardless of the number of passengers.

Of course, once you’re already on the cruise, you can disembark if the ship docks on Shabbat.  Just be careful – there won’t be any eruv, so you can’t carry. This applies even if you have some sort of ID badge!  So if you need ID to get back on the ship, best discuss it with the staff beforehand.  Don’t worry about going through metal detectors or the like – as long as you are wearing nothing that will set it off, it is fine to walk through them.  And since you won’t be carrying anything, you’ll have nothing to put through the X-ray machines! But while you’re off the ship, be careful not to walk too far – only about 7/10 of a mile is permitted.

While you’re on the ship, you might encounter many of the same challenges as if you are staying in a fancy hotel.  If your hotel uses electronic key cards, you will have to have staff open your door for you.  If doors are electronic, you will have to wait for a non-Jew to pass through and open them up.  If lighting candles is forbidden, you will have to light electronic ones (without a blessing!).

You should also plan a few things before you go. Make sure that kosher grape juice or wine and challah will be available – even if you have to bring it yourself.  Also, you should either explain to the ship that you want your Shabbos lunch served cold, or you should ask them to serve you a meal that contains no liquid that might be heated.   And make sure they know not to cook anything new on Shabbos! (If a non-Jew reheats a meal consisting only of solids on Shabbos without being asked, you can still eat it – but not if it includes liquids, sauces, or if it was cooked on Shabbos!) Make sure to also pack the essentials: a kiddush cup, candle(s) for havdallah, and a small sachet of besamim.

Even when it’s not Shabbat, you still have to take care on a cruise ship, especially with things like kashrus.  Make sure to order kosher meals in advance. It is easiest if you don’t go with a company that cannot order them for you.  Otherwise, you can always double-wrap some potatoes and veggies in foil and bake them, or maybe even get some fresh fish filleted for you.  It is best, however, to make sure you turn on the oven or place it in yourself. Other than that, you can always wash and check some veggies for yourself – if they’re cut with a clean, cold knife and aren’t sharp (like onion or radish) then they’re usually okay (although check with your rav depending on how strict you are!). If the ship has a “kosher” kitchen, inquire as to the divisions and the mashgiach situation – otherwise, it might not be reliable.

This week’s parsha features a really giant ship that was at sea for 40 consecutive days and nights.  Noach wasn’t bound by keeping the Torah, but it did get me thinking.  Noach did not sleep the entire time the ship was afloat!  He had to spend all of his time caring for the myriad animals aboard.  So I guess if you find Shabbat restrictions on a cruise ship challenging or tedious, just think about poor Noach, shoveling all that elephant poo!

Shabbat shalom!

Read more on Parshas Noach: Finding Good Role Models in Unusual Places

How a Jewish Woman can Cover her Hair While Traveling

A few days ago I posted about a shiur I attended in Sydney on why married Jewish women cover their hair and addressing some halachic issues. Now I’d like to address some travel-related questions.

How should I cover my hair while traveling?

While white water rafting, I prefer to wear a scarf because it fits easily under a helmet and doesn't come off easily, even when I remove the helmet!

Putting aside all debates about what is preferable, wigs versus scarves, etc, the best way to cover your hair while traveling long term is generally with a scarf.  This is purely for practicality’s sake.  There are quite a few challenges to traveling with a wig.  First is the cost.  Most wigs are expensive.  Even a “cheap” wig is going to cost say $60-100.  If it is ruined, it is not only a greater financial loss, but you also won’t find it easy to replace in many places.  And if you are really traveling, it really will run the risk of being ruined.  How will it fare in your backpack? How will it do if you’re sleeping with it on while on a train or camping in the desert sand? And what will become of it when you’re wearing your helmet while white water rafting?  Bear in mind that a lot of the best travel experiences require you to cover your hair in strange circumstances, like sleeping or doing something very active.   This is also why a hat is impractical, as it can easily fall or fly off and be lost.  On the other hand, if you do wear a wig it will help you keep your hair covered in cultures where keeping your head covered in a building is seen as disrespectful (as in some native communities in Fiji, for example). But for me, this is not persuasive enough to be so at risk and so inconvenienced. (When I was staying with a native family in Fiji I just explained why I cover my hair and they were very respectful.)  Of course, you could wear a snood or similar and achieve the same effect as a scarf, but they will be hard to replace if they are lost or worn out.  But I have never traveled anywhere in the world where it was impossible to buy a scarf.  Scarves are universally available.  Plus, they are very lightweight so you can always carry a backup or two without adding much weight to your load.  You can also use them to keep warm in cool weather, so they are multipurpose!

Will it be a problem to wear a scarf on my head in other places?

A Buddhist Nepali woman with her hair covered by a sort of cap - she definitely did not think it strange to see my hair covered!

The truth is that covering hair is common in almost every culture in the world.  It is only in Western society that it has fallen out of fashion, and even then, it is relatively recent!  Even in Europe, women used to cover their hair.  From natives in South America to Africa to Hindus to Muslims the world over, women cover their hair.  True, some wear hats, some wear hijabs, and some just toss a scarf loosely over them, but how is not so important.  What matters is that the concept of hair covering is only unusual in Western societies and in other parts of the world, it is a common practice, even if most women today choose not to follow it.  What this means is that people understand the concept of covering hair and will respect it.

Is there a way to cover my hair so that I won’t stand out so much?

Let’s be frank – in most places in the world, you are going to stand out.  What, you’re a white person in a tiny village in Africa and you’re not going to stand out?  You’re going to stand out in Africa, in Asia, in any of the Pacific islands, and even in most of Central and South America, just because you’re white.  If you’re dark, you’ll still stand out everywhere but Africa, plus places like Russia.  No matter what you look like, you’re going to stand out in most exotic places you’re traveling in.  So if you’re wearing a scarf it’s not likely to affect you at all.  In some places I have visited, the locals have never met a white person before, so they just assume it’s part of my culture – and it is.

Native Hindu women from a small village in India all wear their scarves

That said, there are many ways to tie scarves so that it just looks trendy and fashionable.  I often tie my scarves up on top of my head (I have a lot of hair under there) and people think I’ve got dreadlocks! They just think I’m even more of a hippie than I really am. It’s kind of funny.  But the point is that often when I travel people just think I’m covering my hair for fashion.  If I want to project that image, I can.

So go forth and travel and don’t let covering your hair be a concern.  You can travel anywhere and for as long as you want with your hair covered and the worst effect it will have might be when you pass through airport security – although even then the vast majority of the time they never even look at me funny!

Enjoy!

The totem pole at Eden Village Camp is a favorite gathering spot for campers.

Some years ago, before we could go online at get the answers to anything, I sought out an old Indian tribesman. At the time I had a fascination with the North American Indians and I wanted to know more about their religious beliefs.

My overall impression was that the North American Indians believed in the one spirit that moved through all things which is a similar idea to the G-dly energy we Jews believe in. When they had ritual practices of prayer to something other than this ultimate one spirit, they could direct attention towards a lesser spirit, like the spirit of the wind or the rain.  But never did they worship it as a god.

Here at Eden Village Camp there is a totem pole by the campfire ring looking out to the lake. It’s a peaceful area and I enjoy going there to exercise.  So it got me thinking about totem poles, and is a totem pole an avodah zarah (idol)?

The totem poles were never an object of worship and thus would not be considered an idol (avodah zarah) The early Christian missionaries and European explorers came up with the idea that totem poles were connected with idol worship but the locals who built them never treated them with significant reverence. A totem pole was built as a monumental sculpture, to tell over a story, to show clan lineage, but most often a totem pole was a display of art.

So I think it is fine to take pictures of them without worrying about avodah zara issues.

Checking kale for bugs in the Eden Village Camp kitchen

For the last couple weeks I’ve been acting mashgiach (kosher supervisor) at Eden Village Camp. The camp serves mostly vegetarian organic food. A vegetarian kitchen has fewer complications when it comes to kosher supervision. However because Eden Village is using only organically grown produce and, well, this makes for lots of bug checking.  Eden Village also uses far more green leafy vegetables than almost any summer camp.

The Torah forbids eating an insect or any part of one. This prohibition of eating sheratzim includes a multitude of insects: from ones that crawl to ones that fly, to ones that both crawl and fly, etc. Thus, from a kosher perspective, a salad filled with bugs could be worse than eating a piece of pork.

Well what about the whole idea of ‘batel b’shishim?’  This is a kosher concept that says that if something non-kosher gets mixed into with something kosher as long as there remains 60 parts more of the kosher stuff, it is okay to eat. However there is the rule of a ‘bari,’ which means that a complete entity never becomes nullified. A complete bug floating in a bowl of soup or on a piece of lettuce must be removed. If the bug were mashed up than it could be okay, however a Jew may not deliberately mash the bugs up.  Therefore, many products that contain mashed up bugs are still kosher.

For Example, the FDA permits the following insect counts in spices. These spices with the ground up bugs and maggots could still be kosher. Yummy!

• Ground Oregano: Less than 1,250 insect fragments per 10 grams
• Ground Paprika: Less  than 11 rodent hairs per 25 grams
• Ground Cinnamon: Less than 400 insect fragments per 50 grams
• Ground Pepper: Less than 2 rodent hairs per 50 grams

And for spinach:

• Less than 50 aphids, thrips, and/or mites per 100 grams
• Less than 12 mm of combined length of caterpillar

In frozen broccoli the FDA will allow up to 60 aphids, thrips or mites per 100 grams of the vegetable….sounds good!

Use a good light when checking for bugs

Well it’s only a few more weeks of bug checking for me. I took the job because it is the pre-camp season at Eden Village Camp. When the summer arrives there will be 200 people here and I’d not want to be checking vegetables for bugs nonstop.

You can find the above info on the FDA site. Makes for happy reading. Enjoy!

http://www.fda.gov/food/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/guidancedocuments/sanitation/ucm056174.htm#intro

During the shmittah year in Israel, farm land lies fallow

Parshas Behar is chock full of really good stuff that’s very important for the traveler to know.  In fact, it starts out with a discussion of shmittah.  Shmittah is the “sabbatical year” – it is a “Shabbat” for the land – where every seven years, the land gets a year off.  There are a lot of really esoteric meanings behind this whole concept, but this week let’s focus on some more practical questions.

In travel, we often survive by eating fresh fruits and vegetables.  Not only is this usually the healthiest option, but it’s also often the only truly kosher one.  When it comes to eating the fruits and vegetables of any other country, the only big concern we have is bugs.  But when it comes to eating fruits and vegetables grown in the land of Israel, there are a whole slew of laws and we have to make sure they’ve been followed.  Shmittah is one of those.  If it is the shmittah year we are commanded to let the land lie fallow and not to cultivate it.  We’re told not to pick the crops and sell them for ourselves, but rather to open our lands and let anyone come in and take whatever happens to be growing there.

Shmittah poses a practical problem for the traveler in Israel if you happen to be there during the shmittah year or the year after.  Often we don’t realize it, but our juices, canned foods, and dried foods are not from the current year, but are from the previous year’s harvest.  That means that for at least two years out of every seven, you’ll have to watch what you buy as you travel through Israel.  (Just FYI, the last shmittah year in Israel was 2007-2008, so the next years you’ll need to worry about are 2014-2015 and preserved produce during 2015-2016.)

But this issue won’t only come up as you travel in Israel!  If you’re traveling in third-world countries, very little produce is internationally imported because it’s prohibitively expensive for the local population, so if you simply avoid anything priced unusually high, you’ll be fine.  But in the first world, more of our food comes from different locations than doesn’t. (In fact, some places that are famous for a certain food, like Florida is with oranges, will export their entire crop and sell it for a higher price – then import cheaper oranges for its own population. Crazy!)  This means that even if you’re living in the United States or Europe, you’ll have to check all your fruits and veggies to be sure they aren’t coming from Israel.  Rabbi Ben and I recently encountered carrots imported from Israel on a trip to Canada.  In fact, sometimes you really have to be careful.  Just this month, Coles and Woolworths, two Australian supermarket chains, were fined recently for failing to label their grapefruit as coming from Israel.  Maybe during the shmittah year we should all just buy our produce from local farmer’s markets!

So what really happens in Israel during a shmittah year?  Does everyone just starve? Do you have to just sit and watch your produce rot in your field?  Do all those farmers just go without an income for a year?  Do they really let their land lie fallow?  The answer is, yes and no.  There are many farmers who do really let their land lie fallow and there are organizations set up to help them out financially during that year.  There are also some “loopholes” to the law.

First, the Torah prohibition only applies to certain activities.  You’re not allowed to sow, plant, prune, reap, harvest, or otherwise improve the land.  You definitely cannot go out with your harvesting machines and start selling all those fruits.  But if something is growing there, you are allowed to pick it and eat it yourself (with your family’s help).  You’re also allowed to eat produce grown the previous year, the sixth year, so you can get plenty of canned and dried goodies – you’re not going to go hungry on account of shmittah. The Torah prohibition also only applies to things growing on/in the land.  This means that if you’re growing something apart from the land, as in hydroponically or in a greenhouse, shmittah laws do not apply.  (Make sure terumah and maaser have been taken, but without a bracha.)

Instead of simply letting their land lie fallow, some farmers will plant during the sixth year.  They are then allowed to give their land to a beit din, a Jewish religious court of law, and the beit din can then collect the produce and sell it for just enough to cover their expenses (known as otzar beit din). (Terumah and miser hasn’t been taken from this kind of produce, and when you discard this fruit, it must be specially wrapped and thrown out separately because it has the holiness of the shmittah year in it.)

A pomegranate tree grows wild in Israel during the shmittah year. You are allowed to come pick and eat its produce, but you cannot cultivate the tree or sell its produce.

Finally, shmittah only applies to Jews.  Non-Jews are permitted to grow produce on their land and Jews are allowed to buy it, even if the non-Jew’s land is in Israel.  This means you can always buy from a non-Jew who owns land in Israel, even during the shmittah year.  Many farmers will lease their land to a non-Jewish farmer for the shmittah year, which is permitted as long as there is rabbinic oversight.

Shmittah is an important commandment.  It is one of the commandments that prove that Hashem gave us the Torah. (Because why on earth would an person writing a religious book tell all the people not to grow anything all during the same year? Only G-d can ensure that we will grow enough in the sixth year to get through a seventh while growing nothing.)  But it is important, both within Israel and without, for anybody who’s planning to buy produce in a first-world country.  And as travelers, that’s a lot of what we eat!

Click here for our page on ‘fruits and vegetables,’ and to learn more about fresh produce around the world.