Keeping Kosher

Keeping Kosher

It is possible to keep kosher while on the CET program, but you will need to be prepared that it will be more challenging than in the U.S. since availability of kosher restaurants and kosher food is limited. With patience, flexibility, and proper planning, it is certainly possible to observe kashrut in Prague. Your Resident Director in Prague will be able to help you with questions about where to get kosher food, but you should take responsibility for meeting your dietary and religious needs. Students wishing to keep strictly kosher should be ready to incur additional expenses as they would in the United States (though a bit higher).

Keeping Kosher in Prague

There are three kosher restaurants in Prague, all conveniently located in the Jewish Quarter.

The most affordable option is the Café Shalom, the Kosher canteen at the Jewish Town Hall. It serves meat lunches everyday except Sunday, and dinners on Friday nights and holidays. Vegetarian options are available. The style of cooking is "typically Czech." This means students will receive a soup, a meat, a side dish, and a desert at every meal. The food does tend to be on the heavier side. CET has arranged for students to be able to purchase reduced rate meal tickets (the restaurant does not accept cash). All meals should cost 100 crowns, or about $5.

There is also a kosher cafe with a New York deli-style lunch selection, plus a full breakfast menu and dinner specials. It is under the Kashrut supervision of Rabbi Manis Barash of Chabad Prague.

Another kosher restaurant is King Solomon. This is a high-end meat restaurant and the food is wonderful. Meals cost between $20 - $60.

The Jewish Town Hall also has a small store with Kosher food items available for sale.  The owners of King Solomon Restaurant have recently created an online store with delivery to addresses in Prague.  Their site is http://www.kosherfoodonline.cz/  Click on the American flag to display the site in English.

All students will be provided with a list of kosher foods that can be found in local supermarkets. The list of kosher foods can be seen at the following website. When reading the webpage please note that "E" refers to preservatives.) http://www.stormloader.com/shmil/kosher.htm

Keeping Kosher on CET Study Trips

Kosher food is difficult to find in Poland. However, in past terms, students have been successful in using available resources and supplementing students with food from Prague. Budapest has many more kosher options than Prague or Poland. There is no kosher food in the Czech Republic outside of Prague.

If you have further questions or concerns about keeping kosher, please do not hesitate to contact the CET staff in Washington.