Food

Food Policy & Values

The Brandeis Marin food policy is grounded in Jewish values. It guides practices and policies with regard to individual student lunches as well as food served communally to be enjoyed together. Our policy strives to balance the needs of families to make food choices for their children that reflect their values with the need to be inclusive of the full range of Jewish practice present in our community. We are a nut-free campus. 

Statement of Core Jewish Values:

    1. Masoret (Tradition): Traditional kashrut reminds us that our food came from somewhere and directs us to be mindful of what we are eating.
    2. Clal Yisrael (Inclusivity): We will prepare and serve food to our community so that all can join at one table.
    3. Kehilla (Community): We eat food as a community and believe that eating together builds our community.
    4. Tzedek (Justice): We seek to purchase food from suppliers that respect workers’ rights.
    5. Briut (Health): We promote healthful eating as a mainstay of healthful living
    6. Osher (Happiness): Food sustains us and can also bring us pleasure.
    7. Areivut (mutual responsibility): We cherish one another and act towards others with a sense of responsibility for their wellbeing and respect for their personal choices.
    8. Bal Tashchit (Zero waste): We strive to make economic choices in line with our values in purchasing food, and we work hard to ensure that as little food as possible is wasted. This includes composting, reusing, recycling and reducing waste.
    9. Ta’am (Taste): We celebrate the opportunity to enjoy delicious food.
    10. Chinuch (Education):
      • Our students learn about kashrut and other Jewish values related to food, as well as sustainability practices.
      • We create educational initiatives for parents and students around food and food values to enrich our community.
      • We help connect students and families to resources in the wider community to aid in their education about kosher food and ethical food practices.
      • The structure of blessings some say before, during and after a meal creates an opportunity to infuse this most basic and ordinary activity with respect, appreciation and responsibility.

Communal Food

All food provided by Brandeis Marin to the community or brought from home to share with the community will be kosher, which means no pork or shellfish, no mixing of milk and meat, and any meat served will be certified kosher. Food provided by the school or brought from home to share with the community should reflect the values (above) that inform our food policy.

Personal Food Policy

Food brought onto campus for personal consumption may include meat that does not contain any type of pork or shellfish. We encourage families not to mix milk and meat in their student’s lunch. Food brought to school for personal consumption should reflect the values (above) that inform our food policy. Personal food may not be shared out of respect for the Jewish practices, as well as the health, of others. If a student is hungry, the school will feed him or her.