San Francisco 49ers practice at Superdome
San Francisco 49ers practice at SuperdomeReuters

As U.S. citizens prepare for the ancient American rituals involved in the football match of the year on “Super Bowl Sunday,” a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi assures the Jewish public that kosher food will be available as well.

Rabbi Mendel Rivkin of Chabad-Lubavitch of Louisiana says there will be a glatt (strictly) kosher food cart on the fifth floor concourse of the Superdome in New Orleans, where the much-anticipated Super Bowl XLVII (47) match is taking place. 

Rivkin says that in addition to the kosher food cart, which is supervised under the Louisiana Kosher Committee and set up outside Section 543, there are also two kosher restaurants under LKC. Both the Kosher Cajun and the Casablanca eateries deliver to locations downtown and in the French Quarter, he told Chabad.org.

In addition, Rivkin’s own organization is willing to help out with special needs, he says. 

Held this year in New Orleans, the San Francisco 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens as millions of people in the United States – and around the world – watch to see which team becomes the NFL (National Football League) Champions of 2013. The fortunate, of course, will have seen to it long ago that they have tickets to be there in person, and will have already arrived last week.

There are special traditions to uphold, even for the novices among the viewers, you understand. One must have the proper kavana -- intent -- in mind. The proper fast foods, the proper junk foods, the proper beverages (read: soft drinks for the children, beer for the adults), the proper equipment (read: sofa, recliner, cushy armchair, large-screen television, remote, remote, remote....) -- you get the picture.

In terms of the economy, most major corporations focus a solid percentage of the advertising budgets on this event as well, building market share and public relations collateral on the ad campaigns created just for the game. There are entire competitions between the ad agencies that are held to see which campaigns were the most popular, most successful and drew the most viewers – some of them run for months and even years later on YouTube.

The parties begin long before kickoff time, set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Americans around the country spend an entire week preparing for the event, with some media outlets focusing their issues and web sites on special recipes and party planning tips for the day.

Jewish football fans – including Orthodox Jewish football fans – are by no means immune. Quiet Super Bowl Sunday parties, and some more boisterous ones held by the unrepentant, are held in homes and kosher eateries both in the U.S. and abroad.


http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/47