Halal, kosher foods may be off the menu
The new Quebec law forbids public institutions from serving halal or kosher food. Jean‑François Roberge claims “it isn’t complicated” to serve both kosher and other food, which tells me he has no idea what it means to keep a kosher kitchen.
One sad thing here is that people who have no family to accompany them to hospital and provide them with food suitable for their beliefs will either not eat, or be forced to eat food they feel is unfit. I suppose this has to be seen as a win for secularism.
jeather 15:15 on 2025-12-12 Permalink
” In a statement on Roberge’s behalf, a spokesperson says there are no exceptions provided for in the bill.”
That is of course not overall true: they are allowed crosses on buildings and religious names on schools, there are no exceptions provided for *non-Christians*.
Nicholas 15:16 on 2025-12-12 Permalink
It forbids them from serving only halal or kosher food, not serving it entirely. But as I’ve said, institutions will surely find creative ways around this, like handing people who want an alternative a tray with a kosher meal with meat and a sealed package of Quebec cheddar from a fridge kept outside the kitchen. The law doesn’t require serving pork or shellfish, and because the demand is nonsensical it’s impossible to put it into a written legal standard, so loopholes will abound.
It’s like those people who don’t want to eat a “vegan meal”; ok, here’s a glass of milk and a can of spam.
jeather 16:22 on 2025-12-12 Permalink
I’m just — if they serve salad, is that automatically halal/kosher so it doesn;t count, or does it have to have pork, milk and meat together, or alcohol in it? (I don’t really look closely at meat to know how much beef/chicken is kosher or halal, but for most people dairy is automatically kosher and doesn’t need a hechsher and eggs from kosher birds are automatically kosher as well, so a vegetarian meal created in a kosher kitchen is automatically kosher.)
Kevin 17:23 on 2025-12-12 Permalink
In order to demonstrate they are now free from the oppression of the Catholic Church, the CAQ has decided to oppress members of other religions.
Kate 17:35 on 2025-12-12 Permalink
Kevin, you’re already winning at “calendar quotes for 2027”!
Joey 20:02 on 2025-12-12 Permalink
Must be fun to be both a moron and an asshole. You can be a monster!
Kevin 20:59 on 2025-12-12 Permalink
Kate
It’s not even 2026 yet!
And damn, the abuse I endured as a child is paying off ↕️
Ian 10:20 on 2025-12-13 Permalink
@jeather my stepdad (who is not Jewish) spent his final year in a nursing home associated with the Jewish so all the food actually was kosher… but his only complaint was not enough salt and no pepper.
As they say in Yiddish, “הינדל טייסץ ווי הינדל” – chicken tastes like chicken.
Actually I just made that up, it’s not a saying – but it should be.
PatrickC 10:50 on 2025-12-13 Permalink
@Ian, You remind me of the movie “Take This Waltz,” in which Seth Rogen played a chef famous for a cookbook titled “Tastes Like Chicken!” The joke was that he actually used chicken in the recipes.
Uatu 17:31 on 2025-12-14 Permalink
Enjoy your non Kosher/ halal meal in the hospital caf. Now get back waiting the 12hrs to see an ER doc lol