Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
It’s no longer enough just to offer glatt kosher burgers and hot dogs but one needs to serve food that meats the highest secular standards as well and the Boulder County Center for Judaism is stepping up to the plate.
When the Boulder Jewish Festival started years ago, Rabbi Pesach and Chany Scheiner, co-directors of the Boulder County Center for Judaism (called Chabad of Boulder at that time) noticed that while all the listed food booths looked delicious, none of them were kosher. Feeling that Jewish Festival without any kosher offerings would be a chillul Hashem (literally, a desecration of Hashem‘s name), they decided to create the Kosher Grill, in addition to the organizational booth they’d already committed to running.
At that time, it was not so easy to source kosher meat along the Front Range, but, after some searching, appropriate hotdogs and hamburgers were found, high-quality bakery buns were purchased, a grill was obtained, and they were in business. According to Chany, “It was a hit!”
She saw two types of people on the long lines. “Some came to the Festival from Denver because they knew they would be able to eat there,” she said. “The others waited all year to eat a kosher hotdog and hamburger.” Both were equally welcome.
Since that first year, Chany says they have gone through several grills, each one larger than the last. And they long ago lost count of the thousands of burgers and hotdogs they’ve served. They quickly added drinks and chips, then pickles, knishes, and various other things. “One year, we even managed to get kosher bison burgers,” said Chany.
A few years ago, when festival organizers informed them that they were asking all food suppliers to provide certification that anything they serve meets the highest standard of good and welfare – meaning animals are raised in the most humane and ethical way possible – the Scheiners were all for it. However, Chany said, “We were not at all sure we’d be able find a source that met both their standards and ours.”
It took a lot of research, but eventually they found a supplier, but the price was out of reach. At the beginning Hazon stepped in and underwrote the difference in price. This year, Chany decided to carry the kosher hotdogs and hamburgers that were a high standard of Kashrut and of good and welfare once again and foot the difference. Additionally, she is offering Kosher vegetarian burgers for those who are vegetarian that are cooked on a separate part of the grill.
The Boulder Jewish Festival is this Sunday, June 12, 11-5 pm, stop by at LB Kosher Grill to taste the difference! For more info email: lbkosher@gmail.com or 720-422-6776.
