MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni sent a letter of protest to the
administration of Katzir School in Rechovot, which sent out
letters notifying students taking part in the Roots Journey
to Poland next month that the food they would be receiving
during the trip would not be kosher and those who preferred
kosher food would have to place a special order.
The letter was sent by the travel agency hired by the school
while making arrangements for the trip to concentration camps
in Poland.
Rabbi Gafni's letter, a copy of which he also sent to
Education Ministry Director-General Mr. Shmuel Abuhav, quotes
the letter he received from parents saying, "A representative
of the travel agency organizing the trip explained during a
parents' meeting that the $1,200 price included non-kosher
meals and anyone interested in kosher food should attach a
written request and a separate shipment would be sent from
Israel."
He goes on write that Jewish youths, some of whom observe
kashrus — even if they are not religious — go on
a roots journey to the concentration camps where many made
extraordinary sacrifices and lived with considerable self-
sacrifice over kosher food, among other matters. On this trip
the food will not be kosher and those who want to eat kosher
food will be set apart from their fellow students. This
deplorable arrangement carries negative educational messages
laden with significance and stands in clear contradiction to
the journey."
Rabbi Gafni ends the letter with a request to instruct the
travel agency to provide kosher food for all of the students
embarking on the trip to learn about their Jewish roots
firsthand.
