Suggestions relating to observing Jewish customs during medical treatment

Diet
Jews eat only meat which is killed by their own religious-trained personnel in a humanitarian way; this ensures that as much blood as possible is drained from the meat before it is prepared by soaking and salting, then cooked. It would be extremely unusual for a Jewish patient to eat pork in any form, the pig and horse are totally forbidden animals. Jews who are observant will not take meat and milk at the same meal, and prefer at least a three hour wait before these kinds of foods. A kosher household will keep meat and milk utensils, crockery and cutlery rigidly separate. The very orthodox are prepared to avoid any suspect food, and an item such as cheddar cheese may be refused because it contains animal rennet from a non-kosher animal; and the same applies to jellies containing gelatine. Jews will eat eggs and white fish; but there are prohibitions on shellfish and fish lacking fins and scales. The teachings of the religion do stress that to avoid a deterioration in health, some laxity may be allowed: a Jew who would not eat out in a restaurant or café because of the risk of inadvertently eating from plates which have contained forbidden foods or which have been part of a mixed washing-up, will take a cup of tea or a plate of cereal in order to avoid undue health risk. The meat of wild birds is also prohibited.

Observant Jews may request a vegetarian hospital diet, as this avoids the need to make special requests in order to avoid eating non-kosher meat. However, deep frozen kosher meals are available through the hospital service: hospitals in the East of Scotland should contact MacKinnon House, Morningside Place, Edinburgh, while those in the West contact the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow. Alternatively, in larger centres such as Glasgow and Edinburgh the local Jewish community can arrange for kosher food throughout the patient's stay in hospital - the patient ensuring that any fee or donation for this service is paid.

Fasting
There are several minor fasts in the religious calendar but the prominent fast which almost every Jew observes is Yom-Kippur, the day of atonement, a 25-hour fast, usually falling in late September/October. If health permits a Jew would prefer to keep that day and also to pray and to be quiet and penitential. It is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, one that is considered to set the path for the year to follow.

Ablutions and Toilet
Jews are religiously enjoined to wash their hands and say a brief blessing before eating. Very orthodox Jewish women prefer to keep their hair covered, usually with a scarf; very orthodox men prefer to be bearded or will only use an electric razor, a modern circumvention of a ruling against shaving.

Attitudes towards medical and social work staff and illness
The medical professional is treated with great respect. There is very little mystique about medicine within the community and medical staffs are likely to find that the patient and his family ask many pertinent questions. Probably the close-knit family ties will bring some extra questioning from relatives. Since there is a requirement upon the Jews to be aware of bodily function of diet, ablution and mode of life, they are likely to be aware and questioning patients.

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