feature
Another Ritual at Synagogues,
Schools and Camps
Maren Hettler | JTA.org
N o challah on Shabbat for those with celiac
disease or wheat allergies. No cheese-
cake for Shavuot for those with dairy
allergies. No mishloach manot gift packages on Purim
for kids with severe allergies to the treats inside.

Synagogues and other Jewish organizations are
seeing a rise in the number of children and teens
who suffer from food allergies and are adjusting to
make sure that no one is endangered or feels left
out – from nut-free policies to separate gluten-free
kitchens. For some, however, such accommodations aren’t
enough to make them feel part of the mainstream.

“I try not to let it get the best of me, but in the back
of my mind I’m like, ‘Wow, I really wish I could try what
everyone else is trying,’” said Micah Pierandri, 17,
from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who often feels disconnected
from others during community events involving food.

More children and teens are being diagnosed
with food allergies than ever. In 2007, only about 4%
of children in the United States under 18 reported
food allergies, but last year the number more than
doubled. A 2020 review of hospital admissions data
showed a global increase in hospitalizations for
anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threaten-
ing allergic reaction. One study found that 37% of
children in an Orthodox Jewish community had food
allergies. Food allergies can have a significant impact on
a person’s mental health. Up to 40% of parents of
children with allergies said that they would associ-
ate the word “isolating” with their child’s allergy,
24 JUNE 15, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
according to a study by Allergy UK. And while many
synagogues are taking steps to become more aller-
gy-friendly, holidays and religious events involving
food can be a struggle for many children and teens
with food allergies.

“I’m that allergy kid that has to sit out or bring their
own dessert or their own food to events,” Pierandri said.

Pierandri, who has an airborne allergy to peanuts
and severe allergies to pecans, walnuts, soy and
eggs, often brings food to synagogue events. This
can make her feel separated from the rest of the
Jewish community during the holidays, even if her
food is similar to her peers.

Tu Bishvat and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli
Independence Day, are especially difficult to
celebrate because of the foods that are involved. On
Tu Bishvat, the springtime New Year of the Trees, it’s
customary for people to eat nuts and try fruits that
they haven’t tasted before. For Pierandri, who has
oral allergy syndrome, eating most fruits could cause
an allergic reaction. Many Israeli dishes contain
sesame or nuts, and her mild sesame allergy and
severe nut allergies mean that she struggles to find
foods that are safe for her to eat on Yom Ha’atzmaut,
forcing her to choose between bringing her food or
eating before she goes.

By listing the ingredients in all food dishes at events,
Beth El Temple Center in Belmont, Massachusetts,
makes it easier for people with food allergies to be
included. Around 10% of students at their religious
school have allergies. Though the number hasn’t
changed much over the past few years, it is high
enough that all teachers are notified about students’
allergies, said Joan Perlman, its director of education.

“It’s important to accommodate people with food
allergies because it aligns with our core value of being
an inclusive community,” said Debbie Ezrin, executive
director of Temple Beth Ami in Rockville, Maryland.

To her, inclusivity means making sure that everyone
feels like they belong. Their congregation is a nut-free
facility and works to accommodate people with food
allergies during any event involving food.

“While the synagogue adheres to traditional
Jewish dietary laws, we always ask people to share
their dietary needs and do our best to accommodate
them,” said Rabbi Daniel Kaiman of Congregation
B’nai Emunah, the synagogue that Pierandri attends.

She also feels like her food allergies have stunted
her BBYO experience. “Part of me feels like it’s not
really having food allergies, it’s more like people not
being cautious,” Pierandri said. She’s been to multi-
ple chapter and regional events where there have
been peanuts even though people are aware that
she has an airborne allergy.

“This is one of the areas where we really try to
make sure that we’re accommodating our teens, and
I think it’s a small step we can take towards creating
a supportive, inclusive, welcoming environment,”
said Drew Fidler, director of BBYO’s Center for
Adolescent Wellness.

Like many other organizations, BBYO has seen
an increase in the number of teens with allergies
over the past decade. All of BBYO’s conventions
are peanut and tree nut-free to accommodate teens
with nut allergies, and the organization also offers
vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free meals
by request.

“They just want to participate and feel normal
and be a part of what’s going on,” she said about
members who might feel excluded. At its international
Getty Images; Design by Mollie Suss
Fighting Food Allergies



Courtesy of Josephine Schizer
BanksPhotos / Gettyimages
convention and summer programs, BBYO has a
dedicated area for special meals so that teens with
dietary restrictions can eat during meals.

Many Jewish summer camps are taking similar
steps toward inclusion. “We always tell families that
food should never be a reason that campers cannot
be at camp or participate in Jewish life,” said Rabbi
Ami Hersh, director of Ramah Day Camp in Nyack,
New York.

Around 10% of the 800 campers that attend each
session have food allergies, a larger percentage than
in past years. The camp has a dietary specialist who
works with each family to find alternative meals for
campers. It’s important that the alternative meals
closely mirror what the other campers are eating “so
that no one’s feeling left out or excluded based on
food needs,” Hersh said.

“I think that sometimes food needs and allergies
are misunderstood as something that people are just
being difficult about,” he said. “No one wakes up in the
morning and says, ‘I really wish I had a food allergy.’”
After noticing an increasing number of campers
with celiac disease, NJY Camps, an organization
that runs five Jewish summer camps in eastern
Pennsylvania, opened a dedicated gluten-free
kitchen in 2011.

Taking care of children with food allergies costs
US families more than $25 billion each year. When
parents have to provide food for their children, it can
be expensive and isolate the child even further. In
From left:
Josephine Schizer
at dinner with a
friend a study by Dalhousie Medical School, all 56 gluten-
free products tested were more expensive when
compared to their regular counterparts.

At NJY Camps, the camp charges the same for
the gluten-free meal plan as for the regular meal
plan. “We don’t charge families extra despite the
additional cost, it is simply a courtesy provided to
those who need it,” said Carrie Youngs, director
of Camp Nah-Jee-Wah, its camp for younger kids.

Within the last five years, they’ve had as few as 30
and as many as 60 gluten-free campers register for
each session.

The gluten-free kitchen has separate staff, equip-
ment and serving area to avoid cross-contamination.

Like Ramah Day Camp, NJY Camps try to make the
gluten-free meals match the regular meals being
served that day so that campers with dietary restric-
tions won’t feel left out.

“Because we’re a kosher camp, some allergies
are just a good fit,” she said. The camp doesn’t have
to make accommodations for allergies like shellfish
because shellfish aren’t kosher. Camp Nah-Jee-Wah
is also completely peanut free to accommodate
campers who have airborne peanut allergies.

Before arriving at camp, families can meet with an
allergy liaison who ensures that all of their needs are
met. “We just feel that accommodating campers and
giving them the most incredible camp experience is
important for their upbringing,” Youngs said.

Eating away from home can be scary for people
with food allergies, especially when those allergies
are life-threatening. “My house is the space where
I feel most comfortable when it comes to food,”
said Josephine Schizer, 21, a sophomore at Harvard
University. She’s allergic to eggs, dairy, sesame
seeds, chickpeas, kiwi, lentils and peas, but thanks
to her school’s Hillel, she’s been able to eat safely
while she’s away from home. She’s developed a
relationship with the Hillel’s dining hall staff and
made them aware of her food allergies. They’ll often
make special meals for her so that she’s able to eat.

Her allergies don’t usually make eating a problem
during Jewish holidays, but on Passover, a holiday
that imposes additional dietary restrictions, she
struggles to find nutritious meals because there
are fewer options. “Many of the options that I could
normally eat are out of the question during Passover
because of the holiday or have egg in them because
flour gets replaced with egg,” Schizer said. Nearly
everyone in her family has allergies, making it easier
for her to celebrate Jewish holidays at home.

“I think it’s harder when I’m in places that aren’t
my own home,” she said. “It’s harder, but it’s still
doable.” ■
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