“Hillel is for people who keep kosher, so it’s unfair that those who need it for religious reason can’t get food,” she said.

Tachibana said that she probably will not be dining at Hillel anymore.

Likewise, Jennifer K. Cloutier ’13, who is not a member of the Jewish community, said that those who keep kosher should have a priority in getting food at Hillel. But she said that Harvard should put in extra money to make all dining halls inclusive.

“I want the Harvard community to be an inclusive environment,” she said. “That is the type of culture where I want to be.”

Alex J. Lopatin, a second year graduate student who keeps kosher, said that the restriction would “ensure that [kosher food] is not raided by people who have no interest in being a part of or learning about the Jewish community.”

“We would like a community that is centered around Jewish students,” he said. “We are not just a branch of Annenberg with a Jewish star.”

The restriction, however, raises questions about Muslim students who keep halal.

Ana R. Nast ’12-’13, the president of Harvard Islamic Society, said that a lot of people in the Muslim community go to Hillel for its food. Though she said she cannot gauge the impact of the restriction on the Muslim community because she has yet to talk to people at HUDS or Hillel, she anticipates that she will be able to work on the issue.

“HUDS has been receptive in the past working with us to make sure we have resources in the dining hall, and we have a close relationship with Hillel,” Nast said.

Steinberg added that “Hillel dining hall is a safe and welcoming place for Muslim students.”

Though the sign limits dining hall access to members of Harvard’s Jewish community, both Viswanath and Steinberg said it is unclear how HUDS will enforce the restriction.

“I don’t know how you could visually single out individuals as belonging or not belonging in a community,” Steinberg said. “I just hope we will work out a way with HUDS to make Hillel both a cost-efficient and a welcoming institution.”

—Staff writer Jane Seo can be reached at janeseo@college.harvard.edu.