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Maine USA

✈ Keeping Kosher in Bangor, ME

Contributed by: Daniel Wenger | Last Date of Travel: June 2004

Kosher Info: We relied on Brookline, MA, for our Kosher food supply for all of Maine, as well as Shabbat in Bangor. As far as I can tell, that’s still the closest place to stock up on major kosher supplies. The Shul did have a nice Kiddush and Seuda Shelishit, but I presume that that was all prepared in-house.

Tourist Info: The Shul was in a largely residential part of town, so we really didn’t see much over Shabbat. Bangor’s tourism website has plenty of info, but we really used it as the closest Jewish community to Bar Harbor, which is the seaside luxury tourist spot.

Jewish Info: Bangor and Portland are the only two Maine cities that the OU website listed as having a Mikvah. The Orthodox Shul is Nusach Sfarad, and is situated across the street from a non-Orthodox Shul, which threw me for a loop when I tried to enter the wrong one. The community is not particularly large, but it is certainly well attended and active (daily Minyan, etc.) and hosts a great Shabbat.

About the author

Daniel Wenger

Daniel was born and raised in Teaneck, NJ, and the taste of Noah's Ark is still fresh in his mouth. After attending Rutgers University and majoring in Computer Science and Art History, he moved with his wife down to her hometown of Atlanta, GA. They have found that what Atlanta lacks in a wealth of Kosher eateries, it makes up for with more people who can cook well on their own.
Says Daniel, "Whenever it snows here, BBQ at my house!"