Passover Problems: How to keep kosher over spring break

Passover Problems

ANNIE COHEN, LADUE HORTON WATKINS HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR

Interested in keeping kosher for Passover? Here are a few tips for Jewish teens (and anyone else wanting to try):

1. PACK IT. Let’s face it, you’re all-inclusive trip to Cabo San Lucas will be many things, but kosher-friendly probably won’t be one of them. It’s like that ancient Jewish proverb my great-grandmother used to tell me: “If you’re going on a vacation for spring break and they won’t be kosher for Passover, pack your own food! Yolo.” By simply bringing a duffel bag of some select kosher goodies, you can guarantee yourself a fun, yet Passover-conscious spring break.

2. GO GLUTEN FREE FOR A WEEK. Join the ranks of Miley Cyrus and Gwenyth Paltrow and go gluten free for a little while. By eliminating all wheat products from your diet, you can avoid chametz and follow a glamorous celebrity trend. Just don’t get a platinum-blonde pixie cut. Hardly anyone can pull that look off.

3. AVOID BREAD COMPANY AT ALL COSTS. It’s delicious. It’s inexpensive. And wherever you may be come spring break, there’s bound to be a Bread Company (or, as places outside of St. Louis call it, Panera). But don’t be tempted. After all, when it comes to keeping kosher for Passover, eating bread of any kind is expressly prohibited. Look no further than the name: Bread Co. If you were a vegetarian, would you go to a restaurant named the Meat Company? I rest my case.

4. THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT! Oh, but there is. In between your Temple Run and Snapchat, see if you can squeeze in some space for an application called OU Kosher. This app serves as a super helpful go-to for guides and inquiries about keeping kosher, both all the time and specifically for Passover. Look out Angry Birds, there’s a new hot app on the rise!

5. SPRING CLEANING. It’s a seasonal tradition: The air is fresh, the sun is shining, the birds are singing. What more is there to do than clean out your house? That goes for your fridge, too. Rid your kitchen of all that is not kosher, and pretty soon, you’ll be munching on a piece of matzah saying, “Bagel? What bagel?”