Grandma’s Pork Sandwich Lands Lone Soldier in IDF Hot Water
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
An American serving in the Israeli army was sentenced to military jail for bringing non-kosher pork sandwiches to his base and offering them to fellow soldiers.
The 11-day sentence was reduced, however, to missing a weekend furlough after an Israel Radio reporter contacted the Israel Defense Forces about the case. Israel Radio was the first Israeli news outlet to report on the case on Monday.
It is against IDF rules to bring non-kosher food on its bases, which are kosher. The soldier, who said he was given the pork sandwiches by his grandmother, who lives on a kibbutz, reportedly told the army he was not aware of the rule.
The soldier is training to be a commander. The army told Israel Radio that he was levied a jail sentence due to his leadership position.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
