The Sharpe Refectory officially opened a new kosher kitchen Sept. 20, according to a recent University press release. On the same day, the Ratty opened an allergen-free kitchen as well as an “enhanced dining platform” with halal options.
Discussions surrounding the changes have occurred over the last two years, and renovations officially began in April, according to Vice President for Dining Programs George Barboza.
“With the addition of these kitchens and platforms, it will allow us to have an expanded variety of menu items,” Barboza wrote in an email to The Herald, emphasizing that “nutrition and healthy options are an essential part of our menu engineering process.”
While the Ratty previously offered special dining options for students with dietary restrictions, it required students to enroll in specific dining programs, according to the press release.
For Adam Orlow ’25, these recent changes have begun to address the limited dining options previously available for University students who maintain kosher diets.
“The kosher situation was pretty dire," Orlow wrote in an email to The Herald. Previously, Brown Dining Services offered kosher options that required advance meal selection or outsourced catering, according to a University press release from 2022.
Although he doesn’t actively keep kosher, Orlow was excited by the prospect of new dining options, noting that it could help Jewish students and others with dining restrictions maintain their practices or diets.
Sanford Hollander ’54, who was among one of the first cohorts of University students to eat in the Ratty when it opened in 1951, recently returned to campus to take advantage of the new offerings.
In a video reflection shared with The Herald, Hollander noted that the recent expansion of kosher facilities means that any Jewish student can, “as part of the entire Brown community, get a Kosher meal without having to go somewhere special.”
Orlow echoed Hollander’s sentiment, expressing his belief that, before the recent dining expansion, students may have had trouble finding enough kosher options.
“I hope that the kosher kitchen has provided opportunities for the students that keep kosher to be able to actually eat while on a meal plan,” Orlow wrote. “In the past, I imagine it could have been difficult for those students to eat with other students at the (Ratty).”
Rabbi Josh Bolton, who currently serves as the executive director of Brown RISD Hillel, echoed the importance of the recent expansion as a step towards greater inclusivity.
“Every student should be able to feel at home on campus,” Bolton said. “Building these kitchens really ensures that every Jewish student, regardless of their level of commitment, background or observance, is able to feel at home.”
Clarification: A previous version of this article mischaracterized the University's dining options available to students who keep kosher.
Aniyah Nelson is a University News editor overseeing the undergraduate student life beat. She is a junior from Cleveland, Ohio concentrating in political science and sociology. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music and watching bloopers from The Office.
