Jewish Friends

Ask some of the Jewish parents...they would be appreciative of you taking the time to consider their lifestyle.

Most are not Othodox so therefore will do pretty much everything you do...the only thing I would stay away from is pork. Get the kosher franks if you do hot dogs.
On the other hand if they are Orthodox you should have it on a Sunday-they won't do anything on the Sabbath. Also-they will not eat anything not Kosher and it is impossible for you to cook Kosher-you actually need a special kitchen!. You would have to order out. OR you could have something like fruit salad.

Call and ask if they keep kosher. If they do they won't eat at your house. If they don't keep kosher they will eat what they do eat. Some Jews are vegetarian as a way of keeping kosher but are not concerned about whether the plates and cookware are kosher. Others won't eat ham or shellfish which are definitely not kosher.
Go on the Chabad website. There is a Jewish calander look to see if you are going to have your son's party on a sacred day. The holidays change every year as they use a moon based calander of 13 months and we use a 12 month solar calander.
There are also variations in how observant Jewish people are around the sabbath. Saturday might not be okay until after 1 pm. Sunday is always a safe day unless it falls on a religious holiday.
It is very considerate of you to ask these questions so that his friends can be at his party.
Oh I remembered one last thing. You can grill kosher meat on a barbecue as the fire makes the grill kosher. Or get kosher franks if that is what you want to do.
Serve on paper plates and use plastic non reusable forks and paper cups. Those are the kinds of thing religious Jews will use in a non kosher home.

I would just ask a couple of the Jewish moms about it.
For me, I have Jewish people who won't talk on the phone or be in an elevator during Sabbath and then people who love prosciutto on their matzo crackers. Levels of observance are so diverse. Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods) and Adam Richman (Man vs. Food)....both Jewish and they eat EVERYTHING.
Some families go to temple on Saturdays, and some don't.
You won't know until you ask. I honestly don't think anyone will be offended. Trust me, they won't expect you to just know.

It doesn't have to be about religion. You're talking about a party for a 4 year old. Some kids that age still take naps, some are allergic to eggs, dairy, or nuts.
Just explain that you're planning a party and trying to make sure you accommodate everyone.
Pretty much just the normal mom stuff.

I hope the party is great and your son has a wonderful time!

That is so kind of you. I am not Christian and because I am to worried to offend I never ask what they are serving my daughters had to go without because they only had pepperoni pizza :-( I wish there were more people like urself! Good job!

Not saturday if you can manage any other day!! (Friday for Islam, Sat for Judaism -technically sundown friday night to sundown Sat-, Sun for Christians)

No shellfish or pork or any meat cooked in dairy (the whole you don't boil a baby in it's mother's milk issue)..

IF your friends keep kosher, DO let them know you'll be serving kosher OR that you won't be (I always put down menu and what's purchased from where in a slip inside our invitations and welcome people to bring their own food/cupcakes or to chat me up to make sure they and their child can eat & celebrate... we have halal friends, kosher friends, vegetarian friends, and allergy friends... so it's pretty vital).

I think you are very nice to be that considered, I personally would not go that much out of my way..A birthday party is stressful as it is, I truly respect all the different costumes, but this is your party, you shouldn't go extremely out of your way and stress yourself out.
Do the party on a Sunday and tell your jewish friends, maybe to bring some kosher food...and you get to try something new :)

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I think you are very nice to be that considered, I personally would not go that much out of my way..A birthday party is stressful as it is, I truly respect all the different costumes, but this is your party, you shouldn't go extremely out of your way and stress yourself out.
Do the party on a Sunday and tell your jewish friends, maybe to bring some kosher food...and you get to try something new :)

I used to be a nanny for a Jewish family and the only time they were strict on their diet was during Passover and Rosh Hashanna. I took the kids to bday parties on any given day (except when they felt like going to Temple) all the time and they chowed down on cake, ice cream and hot dogs just like all the other kids.

Would you be able to offer options? Kosher and non Kosher?

You could research over the internet or library to get familiar with their customs.:)

very curious to know what Jewish community you are living in in Kent...have not heard of a lot of Jewish people living there...but, the answer really depends on what stream of Judaism your child's friends practice. If Orthodox (most religious) then you should not have the party on Saturday (Shabbat) and they would not eat any food you serve unless it is straight from the package and they can inspect to see if it has been approved. If not Orthodox, the restrictions are not as significant, but you might want to avoid shellfish and pork products. Even if you get something that says it is Kosher, or that comes from a kosher deli - they likely won't eat it if it is handled by you (i.e. OPENED before they can inspect it). You are very thoughtful for doing this!

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well - you cannot serve any pork or shell fish because it is considered "unclean" - there are kosher hot dogs that you can buy if you are planning to do hot dogs.

Also - they usually do not celebrate anything from sundown on Friday - til' sundown on Saturday, so plan your party for Sunday if possible......

I would definately talk to some of the mother's and just be honest and ask them for some idea's... I know that everything they eat need's to be "Kosher" and they also don't eat pork. And then come's the cleanliness part, I know that they have two sinks and two dishwasher's, basically two of everything. Your best bet is to ask them! Good Luck!

If your friends are religious then Sat is out. No mixing milk and meat, no pork, Are you going to have lunch? Cheese pizza would work.

I would ask one of your jewish friends for help on this, there are a lot of rules about what can or can not be eaten. Honestly you may be best off getting it catered by a kosher deli.

I would honestly ask them, there are so many practices and many do not abide by them all. We have very close family friends that do not follow the food restrictions closely so for us it does not matter but there are times when they have special requests. I have found that the best way to handle it is to ask, they will tell you.

Generally, if they are orthodox (and strictly kosher) they will either bring their own food or not eat - unless they know that the food is prepared in a kosher kitchen following all the rules. Generally no one expects this. If you provide disposable plates and utensils it should be fine. Also avoid Saturday if possible (of course no one expects you to schedule your party around their lives - but it is considerate of you to think about it). If they are conservative or reform (the majority of Jews), I would have no worries at all. Most Jews (us included) do not keep kosher and food is not an issue. Most people do not even know that half their Jewish acquaintances are Jewish.

Just ask. I wouldn't guess from the internet. We also live in a very Jewish community and people vary on their level of kosher observance. Some food doesn't matter and sometimes the parents bring kosher deli meat for the kids. I treat it like accommodating any kid/dietary need. Like the kid who came to SS's party and couldn't have peanuts. Something that seems to help is to have paper products for plates, etc. so you don't have to worry about the dishes. It depends on the family if they will party on Saturday or not. I'd pick a day that works for your family and understand if they can't come, just like any kid who might have a schedule conflict. Cheese pizza and bagels with toppings seem to be popular choices, but find out if they need to be from a kosher kitchen for your guests.

Sunday is the best day to have the party. It also depends on how strict they are in their religion. Some of my jewish friends are very flexible, some can't talk on the phone or leave the house from sun down Friday- sun down Saturday.... Read up on the food... If they are strict, everything has to be kosher and if your not jewish, they can't eat things you've made in your oven.. Or even eat at places that are not kosher...