The Scarborough Campus Student Union of the University of Toronto passed a motion last week pledging to exclusively order from kosher caterers who "do not normalize Israeli apartheid."
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Outlined in an 86-page meeting agenda, the litmus test to filter out supposed pro-Israel caterers was unclear.
Still, Jewish students are reportedly worried about not being able to keep kosher.
"Jewish students at SCSU will now be forced to prove that kosher caterers do not support their Jewish homeland, which is basically impossible," said Gabriela Rosenblum, a member of the campus activism organization Hasbara Fellowships Canada.
Hillel UofT, a Jewish campus at the university, said that it was "deeply disappointed" by the union's position and called on the body's executives to "take immediate steps to reverse this shameful resolution."
Last year, the Ivy-league school Columbia University became the 44th school to approve a BDS resolution.
In comparison, the Canadian Union of Public Employees voted overwhelmingly against a BDS resolution on Thursday.
"Whether the SCSU likes it or not, Israel is an essential part of Jewish identity," said Daniel Koren, executive director of Hasbara Canada. "They do not have the right to tell Jewish students how to practice Judaism on campus."
UofT President Meric Gertler said in a statement that the school "is opposed to all forms of discrimination, and committed to the protection of freedom of speech and academic freedom. The University was alarmed to learn about two motions passed at the Scarborough Campus Students' Union Annual General Meeting on November 24. Both motions are inconsistent with the University of Toronto's core values of freedom of speech and inclusion.
"One motion reaffirmed SCSU's commitment to the "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" (BDS) movement; another concerns the rights of Jewish students at UTSC …
"One of the requirements in the BDS motion is that SCSU 'refrain from engaging with organizations, services, or participating in events that further normalize Israeli apartheid.' The motion allows an exception for suppliers of kosher food if 'no alternatives are available.' A requirement that providers of food as a religious accommodation be required to apply for an exemption, or even be asked about their views about issues elsewhere in the world is unacceptable.
"So too is the striking of the language about academic freedom from the second motion. Academic freedom is an individual right, and the Policy on Open, Accessible and Democratic Autonomous Student Societies requires that these organizations must permit their members to determine which positions to take. Nor should they restrict the speakers that they can invite, or organizations with which they can cooperate based on their connections to a particular country.
"The motions are specifically focused on Israel in a way that is troubling to many members of the community. Such motions would be no more acceptable if focused on another country, or if a student organization in which members are enrolled by their registration were to take multiple stands on a wide variety of issues …
"The University of Toronto is dedicated to fostering an academic community in which the learning and scholarship of every member may flourish, with vigilant protection for individual human rights, and a resolute commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, equity and justice.
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"Within the unique university context, the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research. And we affirm that these rights are meaningless unless they entail the right to raise deeply disturbing questions and provocative challenges to the cherished beliefs of society at large and of the university itself.
"These requirements apply directly to the SCSU motions. It is not acceptable to impose political tests on the recognition of Jewish student groups on any of the University of Toronto campuses. It is unacceptable to impose political tests on suppliers of kosher or any other type of food.
"The university will be following up with the SCSU to address our concerns," Gertler said in the statement.
