Kosher in America

What the Kosher Symbol Really Means

Why do food companies put symbols on their products that are meant for only a tiny fraction of their consumers?
Dr. David Zvi Kalman is a research fellow in the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Kogod Research Center. David Zvi works on issues of technology, religion, and art. He holds a position as Senior Advisor for Sinai and Synapses and is the host of the Belief in the Future podcast. He is the owner of Print-O-Craft Press, an independent publishing house that has released books including Jessica Deutsch’s The Illustrated Pirkei Avot and Noam Sienna’s A Rainbow Thread:


For a hundred years, companies have been putting symbols on their foods that are meant for a tiny fraction of their consumers. Why do they do this, and what does it tell us about North American Jews and their relationship to America?

There are lots of ways to learn about American and Canadian Jews, but perhaps none better than their food. From kosher certification to kosher-style delis, Kosher in America sheds light on how American Jewish ideas and identity get codified in the food that Jews eat. 

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