What is kosher? · Neighbor Radio

Kosher is a Hebrew word meaning ‘fit’ or ‘proper.’ In food, it describes what Jewish religious law (halakha) permits. The basics: no pork, no shellfish, no mixing of milk and meat, and animals must be slaughtered in a specific way. Not every Jewish person keeps kosher, and those who do follow it to different degrees. The OU symbol (a U inside a circle) is the most common kosher certification you’ll see on packages.

1 · MindWhat people believe, and how they know

The laws of kashrut (the dietary laws from which ‘kosher’ comes) are found primarily in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. They specify which animals may be eaten: land animals must have split hooves and chew cud (cattle, sheep, goats, yes; pigs, rabbits, no), seafood must have fins and scales (salmon, tuna, yes; shrimp, lobster, no), and birds follow a list of forbidden species.

The prohibition against mixing milk and meat (basar b’chalav) comes from a repeated verse in the Torah: ‘You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk’ (Exodus 23:19, 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). Rabbinic interpretation extended this to a full separation of dairy and meat products, separate dishes, utensils, and sometimes waiting periods between meals.

Animals must be slaughtered by a trained shochet using a swift, precise cut. Certain internal fats and the sciatic nerve are forbidden. Blood must be removed by salting or broiling.

Not all Jewish people observe kashrut. Pew Research (2013) found that about 22% of American Jews said they kept kosher at home. Among Orthodox Jews, it’s near-universal; among Reform Jews, much less common.

Kosher certification agencies (such as the Orthodox Union, whose mark is OU) inspect food production facilities and certify compliance. Many mainstream food products carry kosher certification; the market is larger than just Jewish consumers.

What each tradition or community says

Orthodox Judaism

Keeping kosher is a halakhic obligation, not optional, and not primarily about health. It’s about the sanctification of ordinary life. What you eat is part of who you are before God.

Conservative and Reform Judaism

Views vary. Many Conservative Jews keep some form of kashrut at home. Many Reform Jews don’t, or observe it selectively (no pork, but not the full separation of dishes). The tradition matters; the observance varies.

For the neighbor

If you’re hosting a Jewish colleague or neighbor, the simplest question is: ‘Do you keep kosher?’ If yes, ask what their household practice is. A fully plant-based meal (with no meat and no mixing of anything) is usually a safe bet.

2 · HeartWhat it feels like

If you’ve ever felt like your dietary needs were an inconvenience at someone else’s table, you know the mix of gratitude and awkwardness that comes with being accommodated. Jewish people who keep kosher navigate that at every potluck, every holiday gathering, every work lunch.

The most meaningful thing a neighbor can do is ask before the meal, not after.

There’s a running joke that the real purpose of kosher law was to make Jews ask a lot of questions and do a lot of reading. Given what I’ve read, I’m not ruling it out.Neighbor Radio

3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor

If you’re cooking for a Jewish friend or neighbor, asking about kosher is always appropriate. If they say ‘I’m not very observant,’ you can follow up with ‘Is there anything you don’t eat?’ and go from there.

For a shared meal, labeling your dishes (dairy vs. meat vs. pareve, which means neither) helps everyone navigate. A fruit salad offends nobody.

This weekWhen did someone accommodate a food restriction of yours, or fail to? What did that feel like?

SourcesWhere it is in the scriptures

Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament)

Leviticus 11 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture
Deuteronomy 14 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture
Exodus 23:19 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture
Deuteronomy 14:21 Read it in the World English Bible on Free Scripture

Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?

Kosher: Food that follows Jewish dietary laws. For example: no pork or shellfish, and meat and dairy kept apart.
Torah: The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, Genesis to Deuteronomy. Jews read from a Torah scroll in the synagogue. The word also means “teaching.”
Orthodox: For Christians: the Eastern Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, Ethiopian and others). For Jews: the most traditional branch of Judaism. The word means “right belief.”

All the words →

Four questions to take with you

From Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, about the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Samaritan Test.

Did they see? Or look right past?
Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?

Try it on: a dietary rule you follow, religious or not. How would you want a host to handle it?

Quick questions

Why can’t you mix milk and meat?

It comes from a Torah verse about not boiling a kid in its mother’s milk, extended through rabbinic interpretation to prohibiting mixing all dairy and meat products.

Is kosher food healthier?

Not inherently. The laws are religious, not nutritional. Some people assume kosher means healthier; it doesn’t, it means religiously supervised.

Do all Jewish people keep kosher?

No. About 22% of American Jews reported keeping kosher at home in a 2013 Pew survey. Orthodox Jews keep it nearly universally; non-Orthodox observance varies widely.

Sources and research

How this answer was made

Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Each faith's and community's section is checked by someone from that faith or community. Until then, this page says so. Spot something wrong? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.