Conference taveng::bagels

Can't you just explain to your unit manager that you are unable to
participate in the buffet due to dietary restrictions (religious or
otherwise...), and that you will make your own arrangements for
lunch?  (i.e., brown-bag)

If you were allergic, diabetic, hypo/hyperglycemic, vegetarian, on 
low-cal, low-salt, low-fat diet, the same would be true.

Are there reasons why your manager would not understand?  Is there 
more to this than meets the eye?  It's beyond your manager's "power"
to insist on your participation.  He/she can't say, 'no, you can't
bring your own lunch in', nor, 'you still have to pay the $4.00 like
everyone else.'

Perhaps I don't understand??

    <one more thought>
    
    If you're concerned about him looking down his nose because
    it's a "religious thing', I think a simple, "I'm afraid I
    won't be participating in the buffet because I am on a
    restricted diet."  And if you are uncomfortable explaining
    the restriction, I don't think you should _have_ to.
    
    I hope this helps, Fred.
    
    /donna
    

    I have kept kosher ( and Shabbos etc. ) since I started with DEC
    almost 5 years ago.  There has never been a problem with my managers
    or others within the company understanding my dietary needs.  My
    assumption is that your manager already knows that you're Jewish
    and just needs to be educated about the dietary laws.  It may be
    different if you are becoming "kosher" at work.  But  I have found
    that peolpe will understand ( a respect you for your determination).
    
    BTW- I travel a lot and when confronted with business dinners/lunches
    etc. I just order a salad. (I'm a cheap date!!)  Whem I am questioned,
    I just tell people I keep Kosher and do not eat cooked foods in
    non kosher restaurants.  I have never been challenged.
    
    Recently my wife and I went to Nassau for a SWS Excellence Awards
    Program.  They ordered in kosher "TV" dinners (tasteless!! and worse
    than the airline kind) and provided us with a lower floor room so
    that we didn't have to climb 9 floors during Shabbos.  Next time
    I'll bring more of my own food.  But everyone was wonderful about
    it.  At the awards banquet (roast pork!!, shrimp appetizers !! ect.)
    we opted for beautiful fruit salad plates that had the others at
    our table (all upper level SWS managers) drooling.  The only thing
    we missed was kosher wine...we had used ours up during Shabbos.
    
    My group also sponsors Customer Satisfaction Award Dinners which
    I attend.  I usually have a salad, except when we have them in NYC--
    I then receive Louis G. Siegel specialties.
    
    Gamar Tov--
    
    --Av

    I had always heard that the Kosher meals on planes
    were BETTER than the ones served normally.

    Na?

RE .4:
    
    I have usually found that to be so.  I don't keep kosher but when
    I fly I order kosher for my meals.  For other restricted diets they
    still prepare it themselves -- but, since their kitchen isn't Kosher
    they use a national kosher caterer.  The caterers are in competition
    with each other so the food is generally good.
    
    Important exception -- the Continental kosher meals are even worse
    than their "regular" ones.
    
    A separate note to discuss the quality of the food on the various
    airlines may be in order.
    
    			Topher

    
>>    Important exception -- the Continental kosher meals are even worse
>>    than their "regular" ones.
    
re: .-1

That's funny!  I've had just the opposite experience.

The food in US is generally from one of two national caterers, and is pretty
mediocre (but glatt)!

Some of the best (read: "appetizing", "good, even") airline food I've 
ever had was westbound from Europe, especially from Amsterdam or 
Brussels. People around me were jealous and drooling. Not every time, but 
often enough.

/don feinberg

    I have found the kosher meals on airplanes to be better food than the
    normal fare. However, I have occassionally ordered kosher and had them
    "forget" and simply give me 2 salads and 2 desserts.
    
    Tamzen 

    I'll agree that the kosher cuisine on US-based airlines tends to
    be disapointing(and greasy!).  I guess I expect the kosher fare
    to be better than what usually passes for food on airplanes.
    
    By the way, I usually get a second look when receiving a kosher
    meal on a plane.  The stewards assume that I have to wear a kipah
    on my head to eat kosher.
    
    David

    My biggest problem is _not_ with the meal itself(it's great to
    be able to have a _hot_ meal while traversing the Southern and 
    South Central Areas).  My problem is that the airlines often 
    "forget"--- even if/when I call ahead to reconfirm! What then happens
    is that the "cabin attendant", more often than not, will offer me
    the regular meal.  I wonder... don't they at least explain what
    the Kosher meal means during training.??
    
    RE: Meal quality--- It would be nice if Schriber and Wilton would
    dream up something other than "Chicken and kasha" or "beef with
    rice and peas".  My mother made that.  :^}
    
    --Av
    

RE: .6
    
    I mentioned that the Continental kosher meals seemed poorer than
    their regular ones.  don feinberg objected saying that he had found
    the European airlines kosher food excellent.
    
    I appologize, I was being parochial.  I was referring to a medium
    size airline company in the US called Continental Airlines.  It
    didn't occur to me how the short name would sound to a European
    not familiar with the name of a purely domestic (they may have
    a few international flights) airline.
    
    Sorry for the confusion.
    
    			Topher

The quality of kosher airline food varies widely.  There are 
about ten different sources in Europe.  Some are quite good and 
some are quite bad.  

I've heard too often "Are you sure that you ordered your special 
meal?  It's not listed in the computer".

The one that really got me was flying out of Tel-Aviv on Swissair
and they just didn't have enough kosher meals on board for all 
those that WERE on the list.

For me - getting there is half the problem!  As I do not eat out
at all unless there is some sort of rabbinic supervision, my 
suitcase usually has more food than clothes.

Luckily at home most people don't mind going a bit out of their 
way to eat at a kosher place.

    As it turns out the requirement that everyone must attend the
    luncheon and chip in $4.00 was dropped. The cost center picked up
    the tab. This had absolutely nothing to do with me. A large
    percentage of the staff simply refused to come to the luncheon. 
    
    Previous to this I spoke to my manager about not attending a
    non-kosher buffet. He, and the rest of management were very
    receptive to the idea. 
    
    Since I was the only one in the department who did not attend the
    buffet, quite a few people asked me why I skipped a free lunch. I
    explained to the first two or three about not eating non-kosher
    food. However, it soon became so repetitious that I began to say
    that "I had other commitments". 
    
    Maybe I just made a big production over nothing. It didn't turn
    out to be that terrible experience I thought it would be. But even
    so, I feel a lot better now that it is behind me. A similar thing
    happened to one of my neighbors. For the first time he wore his
    kipor to work. He was very surprised to see that not only didn't
    anyone say anything to him but no one even stared. 
    
    I would like to thank all those BAGELS noters who called or sent
    mail with advise and encouragement. 
    
    			Fred 

    BTW - next week, I go once more into the breach. Soon we will be
    back on standard time. I'll have to make arrangements so that I
    get out early on Friday and don't miss shabbos services.