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I was raised in an area with a lot of conservative Jews. Their dietary habits have a strong similarity to Muslim ones.

Cooking bacon in the office microwave would be - well, I can't tell how upset they would be. If you go to a supermarket in Long Island, they have different slicers for kosher meat, non kosher meat, and cheese.

Really observant Jews often have 2 dishwashers and 2 fridges in the kitchen so meat and dairy don't get too close. That's also why doilies are placed beneath kosher products in the supermarket. You won't get milk in a jewish deli either - only non dairy creamer.

If she was asked twice to respect their dietary rules, I have to say I understand the tension. Perhaps a better alternative would be to provide her with a separate place to eat. But if keeps persisting in putting pork in the microwave, it won't be tolerated.

By the way, I know someone who was fired from a chef job for putting dairy on a counter in a exclusive restaurant where a lot of meat appetizers were prepared. I think they tossed them all.

If you go to a supermarket in Long Island, they have different slicers for kosher meat, non kosher meat, and cheese.

That's just not true, except for perhaps a few towns where there are a lot of Jews. I've lived here for over 40 years, and have NEVER seen such a thing.

"...Perhaps a better alternative would be to provide her with a separate place to eat. But if keeps persisting in putting pork in the microwave, it won't be tolerated..."

People who are trying to keep kosher [or halal] must make their own accommodations, not expect others to alter their eating habits. I remember Dr. Laura talking about how happy she was to finally find a kosher Chinese restaurant.

I'm old enough to remember a time when complaining about someone having a BLT at work would be considered absurd.

It still is, even in these PC multicultural times.

I'm no expert, but my understanding is that kosher/halal food cannot even be kept in the same fridge as non, so the argument is dubious. This is essentially a power struggle.

This is America. Many of us eat pork. Our women sometimes show their ankles in public. Those from elsewhere who cannot handle it have plenty of places to go where they can avoid dealing with such things.

I wonder what the weather is like in Syria this time of year.