Keeping kosher is a term used by Jews who observe kosher dietary laws. It is a difficult when those who observe kosher traditions want to travel. Observers need to know that all ingredients and the facility in which they are prepared have been certified kosher.

The Broad Street Guest House is Charleston's first kosher bed and breakfast. Certified kosher by Rabbi Ari Sytner, under the "Palmetto K" symbol. Innkeeper, Hadassah Rothenberg only serves glatt kosher meals, the best quality and most strict form of kosher foods.

Some of the standards to follow when keeping kosher are:

• fish must have fins and scales (shellfish is not kosher and is forbidden under the laws of Kashrut)
• chicken, ducks, and geese are commonly known as Kosher birds. Eggs of kosher poultry are kosher and pareve All birds of prey (falcon, vulture, etc.) and their eggs are forbidden.
• reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians, such as snakes, lizards, crocodiles, snails, oysters, clams, squid, frogs and toads are forbidden.
• animals that chew their cud and have split hooves (i.e., cows, goats, lambs) are kosher. Animals that have only one or none of these two characteristics are considered non-kosher.
• meat and dairy products cannot be cooked or eaten together.
• eating utensils that come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa.
• all foods that grow in the earth are kosher, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts. These foods are considered "pareve" because they contain neither meat nor dairy ingredients.
• eggs from kosher animals are kosher.
• grape products must be certified as kosher, these include wine unless the wine is made from grain or another fruit.
• animals that may be eaten must have been killed causing as little pain to the animal as possible, in accordance with Jewish law.

The Broad Street Guest House features a custom-built kitchen under strict kosher rabbinic guidelines. Meat and dairy products are kept separate. The main kitchen is equipped with two separate ovens, sinks, dishwashers, refrigerators, cutlery, and sets of dishes to insure that meat and dairy products will not mix. Hadassah even has three separate work areas in the kitchen, an area for meat, dairy, and pareve preparation.

Jews who keep kosher, typically observe the Sabbath. Observing Sabbath requires that one will not work from Sundown Friday evening through Sundown Saturday evening. This includes abstaining from electrical or motorized tools or cars. Did you know that there are refrigerators built for Sabbath observance? The refrigerators at The Broad Street Guest House are programmed to be quiet during Shabbos (the Sabbath). Hadassah carefully selected 133 Broad Street due to its proximity to the Orthodox congregation (Shul), Brith Sholom Beth Israel. Hadassah walks to Shul every Saturday morning and returns home to serve a meal that she prepared before Shabbos. Guests who observe Shabbos and kosher traditions can be completely comfortable and assured that they are in a home just like their own.

To learn more about Judaism and the laws of Kashrut, visit Aish HaTorah.