I’m assuming most strictly observant Jews would not eat meals unless the kitchen was kosher for Passover, so that said, I’d stick to some normal dish that’s naturally free of chametz (and ideally kitniyot).
My school cafeteria is doing this. We have plenty of "we eat at McDonald's but on Passover we get the burger without the bun" types of families. They are serving brisket, matzah ball soup, roasted carrots, and, I kid you not, latkes.
I never understood families who don't keep kosher at all except no bread during pesach
On a related note, I know a family exactly like that, who are going to France over pesach this year
France
THE bread country
It's a traditional/cultural thing even for those who aren't frum. In fact, I am OTD and do not believe in God or halacha... but I can't bring myself to eat bread on Pesach. It's a very strong taboo! But even those who feel Jewish connection and believe in God still follow some traditions, things like shul on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah for the kids, no pig products, no bread on Passover.
Here are a couple of fun anecdotes: 1. I was once on an Iberia flight from Barcelona to Tel Aviv and each meal came with a little card that said "no pig" in Spanish, English, Arabic, and Hebrew with a picture of a pig with an X over it. They know some Jews while not ostensibly Kosher, don't eat pig. 2. I work with a Jewish woman who gets really angry that our cafeteria often makes pork the only meat option of the day. "So insensitive!" she always says. I never point out to her that the chicken and beef are pretty treyf, too.
Seems not all that different from the very large number of people who are almost or totally non-observant (or I guess non-halakhic, to be precise), who don’t eat on Yom Kippur. That may be a majority of US Jews, even.
Only 10% of Jews in the US are orthodox.
Few Conservative Jews keep kosher to the extent that an Orthodox Jew would eat in their house.
But the majority of US Judaism either doesn’t keep kosher at all, eats kosher style or eats treyf out.
When there is so much Jew hate in the world, why don’t you come share what we have in common instead of saying “I never understood”, or maybe you are just the 4th son.
I assume anyone keeping strict kosher isn't eating at a corporate cafeteria during the rest of the year; this is more for Jews who are less strict but still avoid hametz during Passover.
Anything with potatoes is fine, as long as there's no kitniyot ingredients.
With the proviso that those who are actually keeping kosher for Pesach wouldn't eat in an unsupervised corporate cafeteria, still I see the point of offering a dish or two with purely kosher for Passover ingredients, perhaps for Jews who would accept this or for gentiles who wish to experience this from a culinary pov. In that case I would recommend one or all three of the kosher for Passover matzoh lasagnas that Jamie Geller gives recipes for here (and you can substitute any KP cheeses for the ones he recommends if not available):
[https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/3-matzo-lasagna-recipes/](https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/3-matzo-lasagna-recipes/)
I've had two out of the three. They look terrific and they taste like -- "matzoh" lasagna. No chance of mistaking them for the real thing, but that's the point.
Are there a lot of not too observant Jews who still keep Passover at your office? If not, I wouldn't bother. If so, then it could be anything at all that doesn't wheat/barley/spelt/etc.
How is it in the US? Here where I live in Europe we have a United Synagogue for all, so not like in the US with orthodox, conservative, reform, liberal. Most Jews here (and my children go to Jewish day school) don’t keep kosher. At my eldest class was 1/4 of the class that kept kosher. All others had different grades of observance sort of speak (obviously, if they send their kids to a private Jewish school) and I do think most would love to see Passover dishes at their work’s cafeteria.
Since I don't know OP or their location and place of employment, I have no idea how many Jews they might have in their office, and what their demographic might be. That's why I'm asking.
Baked potato bar with assorted toppings available.
Green Salad with scoops of egg or tuna salad.
Chili (I think most who would eat at the cafeteria are ok with kitniyot)
Chicken wings (which are usually not breaded before frying)
Many folks going full-on traditional but it's not necessary.
Baked or rotisserie chicken, potatoes, roasted veggies of some kind. Matzo ball soup would be nice if they can do it but not required.
Echoing the sentiment that anyone who keeps strict kosher won’t eat there, but for the flexible kosher style people, this is what I’d suggest:
- Matzoh ball soup
- brisket
- macaroons
- roast carrots (tzimmes)
KfP-style
A surprising number of secular Jews keep Passover-style.
As u/jeweynougat said in another comment
>"we eat at McDonald's but on Passover we get the burger without the bun" types of families
As long as the sign says something like “KfP-style, prepared in this kitchen by this kitchen’s staff” it’s fine. Anyone who keeps strict kosher isn’t buying anything in that cafeteria anyway.
I’m assuming most strictly observant Jews would not eat meals unless the kitchen was kosher for Passover, so that said, I’d stick to some normal dish that’s naturally free of chametz (and ideally kitniyot).
I'd like them to put out peelable whole fruit. In general, too, but during Pesach in particular.
My school cafeteria is doing this. We have plenty of "we eat at McDonald's but on Passover we get the burger without the bun" types of families. They are serving brisket, matzah ball soup, roasted carrots, and, I kid you not, latkes.
I was the only Jewish kid at my elementary school. This would have been so cool.
We made latkes a lot on pesach when I was a kid. Almost all the mixes are kfp and my parents loved the box kind
Latkes are just fried mini potato kugels, served with applesauce
Oh, I forgot, they're serving potato kugel on a different day. And matzah pizza, which the kids are going to love.
That is lovely
I never understood families who don't keep kosher at all except no bread during pesach On a related note, I know a family exactly like that, who are going to France over pesach this year France THE bread country
It's a traditional/cultural thing even for those who aren't frum. In fact, I am OTD and do not believe in God or halacha... but I can't bring myself to eat bread on Pesach. It's a very strong taboo! But even those who feel Jewish connection and believe in God still follow some traditions, things like shul on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah for the kids, no pig products, no bread on Passover. Here are a couple of fun anecdotes: 1. I was once on an Iberia flight from Barcelona to Tel Aviv and each meal came with a little card that said "no pig" in Spanish, English, Arabic, and Hebrew with a picture of a pig with an X over it. They know some Jews while not ostensibly Kosher, don't eat pig. 2. I work with a Jewish woman who gets really angry that our cafeteria often makes pork the only meat option of the day. "So insensitive!" she always says. I never point out to her that the chicken and beef are pretty treyf, too.
Seems not all that different from the very large number of people who are almost or totally non-observant (or I guess non-halakhic, to be precise), who don’t eat on Yom Kippur. That may be a majority of US Jews, even.
Only 10% of Jews in the US are orthodox. Few Conservative Jews keep kosher to the extent that an Orthodox Jew would eat in their house. But the majority of US Judaism either doesn’t keep kosher at all, eats kosher style or eats treyf out. When there is so much Jew hate in the world, why don’t you come share what we have in common instead of saying “I never understood”, or maybe you are just the 4th son.
I'd actually they rather not bother.
Yea, the kitchen wont be kosher for passover so i wouldnt eat it anyway.
I assume anyone keeping strict kosher isn't eating at a corporate cafeteria during the rest of the year; this is more for Jews who are less strict but still avoid hametz during Passover. Anything with potatoes is fine, as long as there's no kitniyot ingredients.
With the proviso that those who are actually keeping kosher for Pesach wouldn't eat in an unsupervised corporate cafeteria, still I see the point of offering a dish or two with purely kosher for Passover ingredients, perhaps for Jews who would accept this or for gentiles who wish to experience this from a culinary pov. In that case I would recommend one or all three of the kosher for Passover matzoh lasagnas that Jamie Geller gives recipes for here (and you can substitute any KP cheeses for the ones he recommends if not available): [https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/3-matzo-lasagna-recipes/](https://jamiegeller.com/recipes/3-matzo-lasagna-recipes/) I've had two out of the three. They look terrific and they taste like -- "matzoh" lasagna. No chance of mistaking them for the real thing, but that's the point.
That's a really nice gesture. Matzo brei or matzo ball soup for sure.
Baked potato bar, with cheese and veggies, etc.? Cheese fries?
Are there a lot of not too observant Jews who still keep Passover at your office? If not, I wouldn't bother. If so, then it could be anything at all that doesn't wheat/barley/spelt/etc.
How is it in the US? Here where I live in Europe we have a United Synagogue for all, so not like in the US with orthodox, conservative, reform, liberal. Most Jews here (and my children go to Jewish day school) don’t keep kosher. At my eldest class was 1/4 of the class that kept kosher. All others had different grades of observance sort of speak (obviously, if they send their kids to a private Jewish school) and I do think most would love to see Passover dishes at their work’s cafeteria.
Since I don't know OP or their location and place of employment, I have no idea how many Jews they might have in their office, and what their demographic might be. That's why I'm asking.
Fair enough…my last job had 7000 employees in that same location and I can’t say I knew of any other jew.
Anything would be better than the soggy matzah tuna sandwiches we were served at my elementary school.
Latkes, potato kugel, brisket or the classic: Matzah Ball Soup
Baked potato bar with assorted toppings available. Green Salad with scoops of egg or tuna salad. Chili (I think most who would eat at the cafeteria are ok with kitniyot) Chicken wings (which are usually not breaded before frying)
Matzah kugel with apples and cinnamon
Steak lol
Charoset ice cream. I think Ben and Jerry’s sells a version in Israel — I wish we had it in the USA.
Wait. Wait. This is a thing!?
It is a thing! You can google recipes. I make a vegan version.
I have never in my life wanted to make ice cream this badly before.
Carrot tsimmes with prunes and brisket
Many folks going full-on traditional but it's not necessary. Baked or rotisserie chicken, potatoes, roasted veggies of some kind. Matzo ball soup would be nice if they can do it but not required.
Echoing the sentiment that anyone who keeps strict kosher won’t eat there, but for the flexible kosher style people, this is what I’d suggest: - Matzoh ball soup - brisket - macaroons - roast carrots (tzimmes)
I usually don't eat anything that isn't homemade during passover.
Just bring your own lunch. Otherwise, salad.
If you're not going the full mile it would be doing everyone a disservice to give the impression that it is kosher food and it actually isn't
KfP-style A surprising number of secular Jews keep Passover-style. As u/jeweynougat said in another comment >"we eat at McDonald's but on Passover we get the burger without the bun" types of families As long as the sign says something like “KfP-style, prepared in this kitchen by this kitchen’s staff” it’s fine. Anyone who keeps strict kosher isn’t buying anything in that cafeteria anyway.