Handling chametz and non-kosher food in at the workplace over Pesach

Question:

Hi, I am a special education elementary school teacher at a public school. I will have to work for part of Chol Hamoed. This is the first time I will be faced with being in a non-kosher environment at work over Pesach.

1) Am I able to handle my students’ food, such as carrying it to the classroom for them, helping them clean up, getting lunch for a kid who didn’t take it himself, etc?

2) I bought my own small refrigerator which I use to keep both my own food and to keep student’s milk, fruit cups, apple sauce. Sometimes the assistants in my class like to put their own food in my fridge as well. Are there any issues with this since none of the food will be mine? I do not plan on keeping my own food in the fridge over Pesach.

3) There are some food items that the school gives out for breakfast such as oatmeal and granola bars, graham crackers, apple sauce and yogurt with a hechsher. I keep these in my desk and in the fridge for both giving out to the students and I eat them sometimes as well. I also may have snacks that I give out that I purchased. Do I need to get rid of all of these over Pesach? Do I sell them? I have a non-Jewish teacher’s assistant. Should I give my supplies to him before Pesach and do some kind of mechira transaction with him? If there are any left after Pesach, can I “buy” them back?

Thanks!

Answer:

My apologies that it took some time to get back to you, besides with the current situation most of the question may no longer be applicable, nevertheless here is the answer.

1. You should not handle the students food, which is chometz, because you might accidentily come to eat it, and because when you carry it, you also want it to exist, so you can give it to your student (rotzeh b’kiyumo). Therefore either the students should bring it themselves or a gentile staff worker should bring the food to them for this week.
2. The best thing is to sell the fridge together with the rest of your chometz to a gentile for Pesach and not use it yourself (as you write).
3.  We can not keep any chometz in our possession during Pesach, therefore use up what you have before Pesach and get kosher for passover treats to give out to to your students.

Have a happy and healthy Pesach