WATCH: How White House Kitchen Goes Kosher for Hanukkah Party
Doughnuts being fried in the White House kitchen, which was kosherized for the annual Hanukkah party. Image by You Tube
By Liza Schoenfein December 14, 2016
At tonight’s White House Hanukkah party, where President Barack Obama will light the menorah for the last time as Commander in Chief, the festive food being served will come out of a kitchen that meets the highest standards of kosher observance. So how is this feat accomplished?
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who oversees the kasherizing process, told Mishpacha magazine that Marines or Navy personel employed by the White House scrub the ovens, which are then heated to 500–600˚ F. Every kitchen surface is cleaned and boiled, according to White House Executive Chef Christeta Comerford, then wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
A couple of helpful videos let us in on the process:
And here, you can watch the action at high speed:
Tonight, President Obama will enjoy kosher food with honored guests. Tomorrow, the White House kitchen will return to its regular state of treyf.
Related
Liza Schoenfein is food editor of the Forward. Contact her at schoenfein@forward.com or on Twitter, @LifeDeathDinner
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
