A difficult question for my Jewish friends?

I don't think you should ask, after all, if it is a woman at the counter you would have little way of knowing if she also was an Orthodox Jew.

I also believe that if keeping to a kosher diet were a priority they would ask.

I am Reform. I do not keep a kosher diet. I respect those who do. The Jews in my family who keep kosher have no problem asking at any restaurant.

Jews are not the only folk out there who ask.

Years ago I went out to eat with a Muslim who was so concerned over the possibility that the dish he ordered might come into contact with pork, he asked the manager if he could see the kitchen and watch it be prepared. I thought that was a little extreme, but he said he did this because once when he took his mother and father out to eat, someone placed pork sausage on his mother's plate, and they believed it was intentional.

Here in my part of the country, there are very few Jews and I'm having the odd experience of seeing people wearing kippahs and tallit who LOOK Jewish but they're Messianic Christians who claim to be Jews. We have more of them than we have of Orthodox Jews.

So..I think you could suggest about labels or signs or simply figure out that if this was a major concern of theirs, they'd ask. Your heart is in the right place and have a star for a good question :)

edit: LOL see, I see so few Orthodox folk I forget those things.

I don't know where you live but I can tell you that in Israel Orthodox Jews buy nothing without a kosher certificate.

In America because most owners of restaurants are not Jewish they are not breaking any laws by selling non kosher food so if there is something that is kosher in a non kosher place it is ok to buy and eat the food, for example I heard some Jews buy coffee in Starbucks because Starbucks always uses kosher milk and coffee(don't take my word for it though, check for yourself), I personally ask the workers at the theater if their popcorn is kosher when I go to a movie and I ask to see if they have an OU on it and make sure there is no butter, there are certain foods that don't have OU on them but it's safe to eat them(according to what I have heard).

I know some people from England and they told me that there is no OU in England but they get a little book every year that says which products are kosher and which are not so when they come to the US and see foods from England they eat it.

My point is that there are certain foods that don't have an OU or K on them but they are kosher because there is nothing non kosher in them, I think the halacha says to eat only in a supervised place(not sure) because without supervision you don't know whats really in there but it all depends on the level of observance and I highly doubt that Jews wearing a kipa would buy non kosher food, if I were you and I would know that there is something that is not kosher for sure I would definitely try to say something in a very polite way and see how they take it, of course I wouldn't shout it out loud so they won't be embarrassed and there will be hilul Hashem. If you see people don't like to be told that then don't say it anymore.

Also please don't take my word about anything I said about the kosher foods, this is what I have heard but I am not a Rabbi.

My best advice though would be to call your local Rabbi and ask him what would be best to do.

Also abrasumente said something very smart, you could try to ask your employee or supervisor about putting up signs, explain to him that many Jews come to the theater and they don't know what is kosher or not, that might work and then you won't have the burden of warning people.

Or maybe, just maybe, they don't KEEP kosher, but prefer to wear a kipah. Surely, anyone who keeps kosher and goes out ANYWHERE, knows that they need to ask. I know people who wear kipot, but don't keep kosher. And I know people who are very careful at home, but don't worry about what they eat out of the home.

It's just a balancing act in this century! And I'm sure, if they were really concerned about keeping kosher at the movies, they would make sure that what they order is kosher.

How's the popcorn? could it be considered kosher by some? Surely the others there don't keep the traif completely out of the cooker. If something should fall in, they wouldn't know to say anything.

You bring up a very difficult issue. There are a number of Jews who are otherwise orthodox in their practice who are lenient in two areas. One of these is the area of Kashrus, eating only kosher foods. Many of these eat non-kosher food and make up all sort of reasons for doing so, declaring that the food is "not really non kosher".

The only suggestion I have is that if you see a young man wearing a yarmalka (kipah) you ask him, "would you want something with kosher certification?"

Abrasume has a good answer.

It seems to me that you are talking about food that is not certified as kosher, rather than food that is affirmatively non-kosher, such as non-kosher hot dogs. Certification does not make something kosher, and absence of certification does not make something non-kosher. Certification is simply evidence that someone has checked things out and believes it is kosher.

Either way, unless the customers have a reason to believe it is a kosher establishment, they certainly know what they are doing. Abrasume's suggestion would eliminate the problem of not being sure whether they know that it's not a kosher establishment.

OK, my answer is: in Judaism it is a sin to embarass another person. Thus, though you have the best intentions, IF they know the food is not kosher, your mentioning it would embarass them terribly and thus you would have committed a sin - even though you mean it kindly!

If they keep kosher they would be careful and ask you . Now if there are koshersigns on certain things and you know them to be false , that is a knish of a different color .

I think Trish gave a great answer.

Now, having said that, does the kosher food have a hechsher on it?? If so, then someone who is concerned enough about it would either check or ask anyway.

If they're Orthodox then they already will know what they can and cannot have.

If they're not Orthodox, many will keep kosherin their home but eat out whatever they want, so telling them wouldn't change anything.

I would just keep it to your own knowledge, and if they do or don't then don't worry about it. :) Good that you noticed though.

Talk with your employer or supervisor about posting signs indicating which foods (are) and (are not) Kosher.

This will relieve you of the burden of losing customers and your employment, furthermore, those whose lives are govern by (Dietary Law) would seek information from the Theatre about their food selection in regard to their Diet.