Volume 67, Issue 7

Frum Jews Stay Fit
by Binyamin Harbor and Oren Litwin

Before scarfing down the cafeteria food, you must read this!

A university meal-plan is expected to provide healthy food for the well-being of its students.  But the Yeshiva cafeteria goes against almost all recommended nutritional guidelines.  Not only is this extremely sad, but a very serious sin, as the Rambam, the great codifier of Jewish law, clearly states that unhealthy eating could be one of the worst sins possible.

Whole grains and starches are not supplied by the normal Yeshiva lunch and dinner.  A typical lunch includes ziti, french fries and rice; a typical dinner meal would include chicken nuggets, french fries and rice, with the option of unappetizing canned soggy vegetables, maybe canned corn.  The maximum recommended amount for the normal person is 5-6 servings of whole grains, not bleached processed grains that have no dietary fiber or nutritional value.

The recommended levels of fruits and vegetables are obviously not being observed.  The salad bar, which includes iceberg lettuce (the least nutritious of all lettuces), is not only poor, but is usually closed during dinner.

The recommended amount of protein, in which meat is included, refers to lean meat.  Chicken nuggets and beef rolls layered in oil and fat are poor choices, especially in a college environment with little physical activity.

A student at Yeshiva shouldn’t have trouble getting his recommended salt, sugar and fat intake, however, considering grease, cookies, french fries and soda are not only prevalent but often the only option; unless, of course, one desires to buy the $7.99 vegetable sushi.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, Yeshiva forces all resident students to eat their food by automatically charging them $900 a semester.  The sad part is the amount that the cafeteria charges is easily $10 a meal with a drink and doesn’t even provide suitable food.  To pay such high prices for such low quality is an outrage.

If we as Jews spend so much effort to keep kosher, how much more so must we strive to eat healthy?  The Rambam writes, "It is impossible for one to understand or to know the wisdom of his Creator if he is sick," and most of the food sold at the cafeteria is not nutritious and does not contribute to good health.

We as students and all of the Roshei Yeshiva should strike and not accept such disregard on the part of the ones responsible for this food.  If the school didn’t have a kosher cafeteria, certainly all the Roshei Yeshiva and students would rise in outrage.  Why then, when the Rambam states the seriousness of avoiding unhealthy behavior, is it tolerated?  Please, let’s all make a kiddush Hashem and do the tremendous mitzvah of ensuring the good health of all the students and faculty here. For as the Rambam states, "All the mitzvot depend on it.”.

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