On Friday night, Sept. 27, approximately 500 students and guests attended Hillel Shabbat dinner. Early Saturday morning, numerous students complained of intense stomach pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The number of students who were ill is uncertain. Aron Wolgel '05, Shabbat Dinner Coordinator, said that although nobody is sure exactly what happened, he and Aramark - Brandeis food supplier - "will do our best to prevent such an occurrence from happening in the future."

Mathew Harris '04, co-supervisor of BEMCo, was on duty this weekend. He stated that "one patient was transported to the hospital complaining of abdominal pain. It became known to the police and to responders that the patient had eaten at Hillel Shabbat dinner." However, there is no proof of correlation to food poisoning as it is beyond the scope of BEMCo training to make such a diagnosis.

There is no authoritative data as to whether or not the food was cooked or heated up properly. Additionally, it has not been confirmed who, if anybody, is responsible for mishandling the food or cooking equipment. Hillel Executive Board and Aramark are currently investigation the issues further.