Tzivia Emmer (10/1/2009) wrote:
Going Kosher Step By Step: A Guide for the `Kosher-Perplexed
More than 11 million people today are buying kosher food, according to Rabbi Zalman Goldstein, the author of Going Kosher in 30 Days: An EasyStep-by-Step Guide for the Rest of Us. It’s not difficult to keep kosher, he says, once your make it a part of your life.

But how do you do this if you don’t have the experience of living in a kosher home? Where do you begin? How do you wade through the guidelines without being overwhelmed? And most of all -- how can you be sure it’s worth the effort? Going kosher is not a snap decision; it requires thought and preparation.

Fortunately, Rabbi Goldstein has been able to step into the shoes of those who are not familiar with what it’s like to keep kosher, or never understood its principles. He has created a user-friendly guide that leads the reader step-by-step to an understanding of all the basics, from the biblical origin of the Jewish dietary laws to their practical application today.

The book is organized into a 30-day education for beginners, but will hold the interest of anyone interested in Judaism. From Kabbalistic insights into the spiritual basis of the kosher laws to practical advice for people in varying circumstances (families, singles, college students, etc.), Rabbi Goldstein has addressed just about all the concerns and questions that may come up along the way.

Keeping kosher, he explains, is not just about separating meat and dairy or avoiding non-kosher foods. It’s about tuning in to the potential of the Jewish soul, about having the power “to enable all creation to soar higher than any individual component of the material order can do individually.”

After a brief historical overview that places kosher observance in the context of the experience of previous generation, when keeping kosher was truly a challenge, Going Kosher in 30 Days addresses some common misconceptions that people have -- like the idea that kosher has to do with cleanliness or that it means a rabbi blesses the food. It includes an explanation of what kosher agencies do and a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish terms relating to the kosher laws.

It will naturally take time to get one’s kitchen ready for the changeover to keeping kosher, and the book provides a practical checklist, breaking it down so that one will know exactly what to do in a reasonable order and timeframe. “Day 7,” for example, lays out just what to expect -- a chance “to look before you leap.”

“Day 9” provides a list of the specific steps to take for transforming the kitchen. It’s the first chapter that introduces more than a day’s worth of actual tasks. It can be read quickly, but implementation will in fact be spread over the ensuing days or weeks. To make it even easier, there’s “Day 10” which outlines some of the very simplest first steps to take.

Although his tone is encouraging and non-judgmental, it’s clear that the end goal is true kosher observance. This isn’t “kosher-lite” but the real thing. As the author observes, “In the Torah they’re called commandments, not options...”

In addition, “going kosher” can be a gateway to “going more Jewish.” An added bonus in the book is a guide to the blessings over various types of food and an overview of the Jewish festivals. As the introduction points out, there are lots of books about the kosher laws and Jewish observance and lots of kosher cookbooks. But anyone looking for an introduction to kosher living that’s both comprehensive and authentic, Going Kosher in 30 Days is a great place to start.

The question will probably arise: “Can you really do it all in 30 days?” The answer is “yes and no.” The chapters can easily be read day by day in the course of a month, although it’s just as likely that someone eager for knowledge will sit down and read the whole thing through at once, going back later to absorb and apply the information. So the pace is optional, but the well-thought-out, gradual approach will make it manageable and doable for everyone.

The book is the latest in Rabbi Goldstein’s Jewish Learning Group series, which also includes The Shabbat Table Companion, The Passover Seder Table Companion, and others. The series is designed to make authentic Jewish practice accessible “for the rest of us.”