Navigating Tensions That Come With Keeping Kosher

The only thing more stressful on erev Passover 2019 than the long line at Call Your Mother, a "Jew-ish" deli in Washington, D.C., was the last-minute texting with my mom asking about my holiday dietary needs. After many conversations about how we could all be flexible yet authentic in our Passover practice, so that we could happily spend the holiday together, I was about to board a train home to Philadelphia. Naturally, I needed to get in those final leavened carbs, and eat them in peace. Yet the limited kosher-friendly options on the trendy treyf menu and the line full of people in Easter pastels made it clear that I may not be the target clientele. Upon arriving home to my Jewish family, I would once again find myself marginalized for my food choices. For as my family sees it, my diet is very religious.