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Dedication service to mark opening of kosher kitchen

Jillian Engel

After months of sharing a kitchen with the church next door, the Hillel at Miami University has finally opened its $60,000 newly renovated kosher kitchen.

Tal Rosen, executive director of Hillel at Miami, said Hillel's kitchen was up and running in early April, just in time for Passover dinners. The organization is hosting a special dedication ceremony at 6 p.m. April 24, during its Friday night Shabbat dinner. The ceremony will include dedicating an inauguration plaque to those who made donations to the renovation project.

Rosen said renovations for the kitchen, the only kosher kitchen in Oxford, were funded through local donations as well as grants from the Cincinnati Jewish Foundation and the Cleveland JewishFederation.

"We've been happy that we were able to generate support from the local community, alumni and parents and the two organizations who gave us the bulk of the funding to get this done," Rosen said.

Rosen said in addition to honoring the donors, the new kitchen is most special to Hillel's designated chef, Paula Duncan.

"This (project) is a testament to her (Duncan) and her continuing to provide some good, quality services to students on campus," Rosen said.

Duncan, who has been cooking at the Walnut Street facility for the past 18 years, said virtually everything in the kitchen was updated, excluding the floors. She said she is thankful to Hillel for her new kitchen.

Duncan said the new kitchen features stainless steel sinks and Oakwood cabinets to replace the old wooden cabinets and sinks that were "falling through." The stove and the dishwasher were both also replaced, she said.

"Everyone was very excited to know we were getting a new kitchen," Duncan said.

If the previous decaying kitchen had not been reconditioned, Rosen said those who use its services would be out of luck.

"For any Jewish students or faculty or community members who follow Jewish dietary laws, this (kosher facility) is a good service for them," Rosen said. "If we weren't able to use the kitchen, we would not be able to offer them this service."

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For the interim while the kitchen was out-of-use and being renovated, Rosen said the community offered a helping hand.

Miami students, faculty and local community members who traditionally use the 34-year-old kitchen shared space with the neighboring Holy Trinity Episcopal Church since the facility was shut down in early summer 2008, Rosen said.

"We have been able to continue to offer Sabbath meals because the Holy Trinity Church offered their kitchen to us," Rosen said. "They really exemplified what it means to be a part of the Oxford community."