School Cafeteria Chow May Go Global

Smack! It hit me like a sack of flour as I was looking out the window into semi-darkness, ritualistically peeling a navel orange at breakfast. The daily truth imparted: Everybody looks out a different window eating breakfast. I absolutely never thought about that concept, and that is the reason there are no straight lines to follow anywhere. Everybody starts from a different point. Heavy stuff before 7 a.m.
Countless releases filter through my email on a daily basis, more than I can read most of the time. One from Assembly Democrats Jan. 30 caught my eye. It was about a bill (A-3360) to accommodate cultural preferences in school menus.
Cutting right to the menu: A half dozen legislators put their names to that bill that advanced to the Senate, “to require public school districts to consider making their breakfast and lunch menus more culturally sensitive.”
In the name of multiculturalism, “superintendents in public school districts containing a middle or high school (would be required) to establish a district-wide food services advisory committee to recommend breakfast and lunch menu options that reflect the student body’s cultural, traditional and overall dietary preferences if the student population suggests such a need exists.”
Understand, not all boys and girls eat cereal or waffles, eggs or quick treats as they race out the door to the school bus.
According to the release, “Consistency in teaching New Jersey’s children about embracing cultural diversity requires us to ensure that they know everyone is welcome in the classroom as well as in the cafeteria,” said Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden/Burlington). “School menus that respect students’ dietary preferences will send a message of inclusion that is central to our state’s value system.”
“School breakfasts and lunches cannot provide the nourishment that New Jersey’s students need if they aren’t eaten,” said Gabriela Mosquera (D-Camden/Gloucester). “Making vegetarian, vegan, kosher, halal and other cultural dietary options available can increase the likelihood that students will eat the food on the menu and help ensure that New Jersey’s School Nutrition Programs reach their intended goal.”
I wondered if that requirement to have kosher food would mean that a rabbi would have to be present in the school’s cafeteria when the meals were being prepared. I posed the query to Rabbi Jeff Lipschultz of Beth Judah Temple, Wildwood on that point.
The rabbi agreed the idea was good of having kosher food in public schools, “but it is my guess that most students who keep kosher are in Jewish day schools but those who are not would greatly appreciate it.”
He added that to do kosher in a cafeteria would be difficult, since a rabbi would have to supervise the preparation, and he noted that would be expensive. Further, the rabbi cited airlines and prisons which provide kosher food. They purchase it from firms that have supervising rabbis as meals are prepared.
Imagine being a superintendent in a district that had such a diverse population in its school body that all those special menu items were required. It would be like operating the dining room at the United Nations.
Dare I ask, when did it, or will it, become the duty of public schools to provide every dietary variety known to mankind? What would be the harm, if parents so desired their child(ren) to follow a special diet they would prepare it themselves and send it along to school with their youngster? That way, there would be not even a slight chance that unacceptable food would be eaten or intermixed with their child’s food.
Middle Township School District’s motto “Diversity is our strength” is embraced by all districts in the state. There’s no denying we are better together than alone, but are special school menus really needed?
Remember, if you can, when bagels were virtually unknown to mainstream tummies. For the longest time, there was little reason to imagine bagels being eaten with anything other than lox and cream cheese.
Then, as more diverse flavors of bagels were produced, and those donut-like hard rolls were sampled, their popularity grew. Same goes for pizza or hoagies or egg rolls or tacos and burritos, the more we try ‘em, the more we like ‘em. But should the state mandate that schools provide that diversity of flavor?
I fear that every such move means more money going to pay for those non-essential educational endeavors. The very fact that a large percentage of students eat free or reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches translates into tax dollars being used to fund the feeding. Is it the best use of funds, or will children, being the little people they are, sample their friend’s meal, and thus negate the whole idea of special dietary menus?
“On its face, this legislation is about making sure that all students receive the nutrition they need, but the larger notion is that this is a state where we welcome people of all backgrounds,” said Benjie Wimberly (D-Bergen/Passaic). “Just as we strive to ensure that our children succeed academically, this bill fosters the kind of cultural awareness and acceptance that will be a foundation for unity in our state for generations to come.”
The bill was approved by the full Assembly last month and awaits final legislative consideration by the full Senate. Eat well. Bon appetite! Welches Gericht würden Sie empfehlen? ¿Qué plato le recomendaría?
All that to state, “Everybody looks out a different window eating breakfast.”