Harvard limits non-Jewish access to kosher meals

JTA — Harvard University Dining Services has moved to curb the number of non-Jewish students at Harvard Hillel who eat at the kosher dining hall.

A sign posted Nov. 9 at the entrance of the dining hall limited entry to “a member or an invited guest of Harvard’s diverse Jewish community,” the Harvard Crimson reported.

“The most important part of Hillel’s mission is hospitality,” Harvard Hillel’s executive director, Rabbi Jonah Steinberg, told the Crimson. “[The restriction] creates conflict with our inclusive and welcoming environment, but I understand HUDS’s concern about its budget.”

According to Steinberg, who has been in contact with HUDS, kosher meals at Hillel cost twice as much as meals in other dining halls.

“I don’t know how you could visually single out individuals as belonging or not belonging in a community,” Steinberg said. “I just hope we will work out a way with HUDS to make Hillel both a cost-efficient and a welcoming institution.”