PDF - Kosher Certification

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Dear Reader,
SHARE YOUR SPIRIT
QUESTIONS FOR THE ~
ANGELS IN OUR MIDST
By Sophia Franco
WHEN THE SEAL
IS BROKEN
By Rabbi Yosef D. Chanowitz
A TRUE BEACON
OF LIGHT
By Dovi Scheiner
A DAY IN THE LIFE
OF RABBI LEVY
CHANUKAH RECIPES
CENTER FOR KOSHER
CULINARY ARTS
CHASSIDIC INSIGHTS
THE MONTH OF KISLEV
Compiled by Dina Fraenkel
~ IN ACTION
KOSHERFEST
135 WAYS OK KOSHERED
YOUR WORLD IN 2008
ODDS & ENDS
IN MEMORIUM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
EDITOR:
Dovi Scheiner
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Dina Fraenkel
DESIGN:
www.SpotlightDesign.com
2 • www.OK.org
s we celebrate Chanukah, the
Festival of Lights, the bright
light of holiness illuminates
our dark world. After Hashem created
the Heavens and the Earth, the very
first thing He said was, “Let there be
light.” Hashem created light right
away even though He did not place
the sun in the sky until the fourth day.
The world and the Torah were created so that the light of G-dliness
would shine. The Torah is often referred to as Torah Ohr, the Torah of
light. Light dispels the darkness and the unknown; light gives clarity and
understanding. The message of Chanukah is the same – we light up the
outside world and illuminate the darkness. One small flame can chase
away a lot of darkness and give us clarity and understanding.
Our Sages tell us that there are two ways that Hashem can become
known in the world. The first way is through consistency – the sun rises
and sets each day and that is the work of Hashem. The second way is
through a nes (miracle) or when something extraordinary happens. For
example, the wildfires in California and the tsunami in the Far East
showed us the strength of Hashem through fire and water. An historic
election, an economic meltdown, an unprecedented assault on the biggest
kosher slaughterhouse…events like this need a little light to give us clarity
and understanding.
There is a famous story told about the Baal Shem Tov. One night the
flame in his lantern was about to burn out and no extra fuel was available.
Well aware that his Rebbe was exceedingly fond of light, his attendant
began to panic. “Go outside and snap off some icicles hanging from the
roof,” instructed the Baal Shem Tov, “and light them!” The attendant
rushed outside, grabbing the large icicles that hung on the sides of the
roof. After bringing them inside, the attendant held a match to the icicles
and watched in amazement as the frozen water caught flame and burned
brightly!
As we see, light can come from many different places. We all have to
do our part to increase light – read about Chassidus Mivueres spreading
the light through Torah, the Sephardic Angel Fund spreading the light
through chessed, and see the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, in conjunction with the ~, spreading the light of kashrus to the chefs of tomorrow.
At the ~, we strive to be lamplighters through our annual kashrus conference for ~ mashgichim. We also offer many workshops and education
classes for children and adults.
In addition, delve into the fascinating journal account of a day in the
life of ~ Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Don Yoel Levy. Like the story of
Chanukah, find out what is behind the kosher seal/symbol on your favorite product with Rabbi Chanowitz’s insightful article, “When the Seal
is Broken”.
The Torah tells us that olive oil gives off the purest light, but an olive
has to be squeezed to collect the oil. When we feel like the world around
us is squeezing us, it helps to remember that we are being squeezed in
preparation for the ultimate light of Moshiach.
Best Wishes for a Freilichen and Lichteken Chanukah,
Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
Editor-in-Chief
FEEDBACK
Share Your Spirit
Readers share their thoughts
about the last issue...
Dear Kosher Spirit,
I
very much enjoyed your magazine. I have
the Elul issue and I would like to be on
your mailing list for all the publications. Please
let me know how we can arrange this.
Thank you,
Dr. Chersky
KS: In order to educate and reach the most
people possible, we don’t offer a subscription or mailing list anymore. Instead, the
magazine is distributed in Jewish newspapers and is always available at www.kosherspirit.com.
Dear Kosher Spirit,
I
read with great interest Rabbi Chanowitz’
article on Chodosh in the Diaspora and I
have a question. Does the Bac”h hold that
Chodosh is allowed in all of the Diaspora, or
only in the field of a non-Jew?.
Regards,
YB
Rabbi Chanowitz responds: Thank you for
writing. According to the Bac”h, Yoshon is
only applicable when a Jew owns a field and
Chodosh is permitted in the field of a nonJew. Some even hold that this applies to the
fields in Israel as well.
We welcome your comments,
submissions and letters to the editor.
MAIL: 391 Troy Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11213
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Dear Kosher Spirit,
I
In the Chodosh article, you wrote about spring
wheat and why it is usually Chodosh. Can
you please explain what winter wheat is and if it
is a problem for those who keep Yoshon?
Sincerely,
MS
Rabbi Chanowitz responds: Winter wheat includes hard red winter, soft red winter, hard
white, and soft white. Winter wheat is planted
between September and December. The
wheat sprouts before freezing occurs and then
becomes dormant until the soil warms up in
the spring. Wheat grown in the winter tends to
be softer and more crumbly, since there is a
lower percentage of gluten and protein. Usually winter wheat is used for cookies, crackers, cakes, pretzels, matzos and other baked
products that are soft or crumbly. One would
not need to be concerned about Chodosh with
regard to winter wheat, since it takes root before Pesach and is not available to the consumer until after Pesach.
www.OK.org • 3
The ~ receives many
letters/emails with kosher
questions...
Dear ~,
I’ve been wondering, do granola and granola
bars need to be Pas Yisroel?
F
Rabbi Hanoka responds:
irst, let me explain what falls into the category of “pas” and is therefore subject to the
classification of Pas Yisroel. According to
most poskim, dough made from the five grains
(wheat, oat, spelt, rye and barley) and then baked,
and would satisfy a person as a meal (if enough is
consumed) is considered “pas” and would require
one to bentch Birkas HaMazon.1 This includes
bread and cookies, cakes, pizza, etc.
On the other hand, stalks of wheat or oats have
the brocha of Ha’adama. When deshelled or
cooked, they lose some of their appearance (like
oatmeal) and have the brocha of Mezonos, but
they always carry the brocha achrona of Al
HaMichya, regardless of how much is consumed. Because these foods always carry
the after brocha of Al HaMichya, thus they
are exempt from Pas Yisroel.2
Granola is made from solid ingredients
(as opposed to flour), such as oat flakes,
nuts, fruits and flavorings,
which are stuck together by
using hot honey, malt
syrup and liquid sugar
first (in the case of the
granola bar are pressed
together) and then
dried in an oven, thus
not having the ruling of a
dough. In addition it does
1. Yoreh Deah siman 112 seif 6 and PriChodosh, end of the Siman.
2. Shulchan Oruch HaRav, Birchas HaNehenin, Perek 1, seif 8 & Perek 2, seif 15.
3. Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 113 seif 1
and Rambam Hilchos Machalos Asuros
perek 17 halacha 15
4 • www.OK.org
not carry the appearance of bread, as it is made of
bits and pieces and thus never requires one to
bentch Birkas HaMazon regardless of how much
is consumed.
In terms of the question of Bishul Akum, granola
does not require Bishul Yisroel for numerous reasons, including that it is not eaten as a meal, but
rather as a snack food, and is not a food that can
be classified as being of a royal nature. (It is not
the norm to eat it with bread, a person does not invite one’s friend to come over just to eat it, etc.)3
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s Jews, we have been trained
from the beginning of time to
help each other, guide each
other, and be there for each other.
The scope of this “help” has grown a
hundred fold over the generations.
The Angel Fund, created in the
Sephardic community in 2002 as a
quasi “hatzolah” for working men and
business owners, was visionary in its
philosophies. In response to a desperate need for business advisement and
guidance, Angel started out consulting companies in crisis, advising start
up businesses, providing loans, creat-
ing partnerships and supporting
people as they navigated career and
business options.
Today, Angel still operates as a free
service and a not-for-profit organization open to everyone, but since its inception, several new branches have
sprouted from this extraordinary tree:
SCS, making successful job and career
placements daily; Generation Angel,
educating and raising the awareness
of our young people; The Executive
Seminar Series, tapping the resources
of business’s best and brightest; The
Merchant Banking Group, navigating
clients through all stages of business
opportunities including purchasing,
selling, investing and raising capital;
and most recently, The Ladies Angel
Network, specifically geared to help
women grow their career dreams.
Today, The Angel Fund proudly presents its newest venture, “Angel
Foods,” an incubator program for culinary entrepreneurs.
Just Like Grandma
Used to Make
We all have to eat. Not once, but
www.OK.org • 5
three times a day. The food industry is
booming. Apart from the myriad of
restaurants stationed on and around
every street corner in Manhattan, there
are over 900 food production firms
employing over 16,000 people in New
York City alone, and another 2,500
New Yorkers who are self employed in
the field. Each of those is an entrepreneur waiting for their big break.
In our community, hundreds of men
and women are preparing food to sell
from home to bring in extra income.
The Angel Fund cannot help but recognize this as one of the most prevalent business choices available today.
As with every entrepreneur, we want
to help bring these enterprises to the
next level.
While cooking or baking as a side
business works ideally for a stay-athome mom, the situation is sure to get
sticky as her product gains momentum,
and …sells! While this is the general
idea, lack of oven space, time, organization, insurance, licensing from Department of Agriculture and many
other logistical problems leave a girl -or
guy-with nowhere to turn. Until now.
Good Enough To Eat
Renting a kitchen is not like renting
an office. You can’t just plug in your
Mac and get started. Good kitchen
6 • www.OK.org
equipment is expensive
and needs constant
maintenance. Workspace must be immaculate and insurance and
health regulations must
be up to date and
strictly adhered to. In
our case, an added requirement is the halachic supervision that is
required to sell food
and baked goods to the
stores that bring big
business.
If you are looking for
all the above, I guess
today is your birthday!
This past July, The
Angel Fund began their kitchen initiative in earnest. Searching for a proper
kitchen to fit the bill was not an easy
task. While the National Incubation
Association includes 21 kitchen programs, only a handful exist in the tristate area. The executives at Angel
originally set out to build their own
kitchen, but they decided that a situation in which they were sharing the
burden of work and upkeep with
other people might benefit everyone
involved.
When it came to their attention that
Kingsborough College’s Culinary Institute had a kitchen to
offer, they knew it would be
the perfect fit. Located on
Oriental Boulevard in lovely
Manhattan Beach, Kingsborough’s Rotunda directly overlooks the water. The setting is
ideal, the appliances and
ovens are top of the line, and
the staff is knowledgeable and
helpful.
Fresh From the
Oven
Currently there are six to
eight different bakers and/or
cooks using the kitchen twice
a week. For an eight-hour
shift, the charge is less than two hundred dollars, which includes a locked
storage space to keep utensils and supplies. The Angel Fund provides a
cleaning service to help “kosher” the
kitchen and to clean up throughout
the day, and provides the halachic supervision of the ~ at no charge to the
chefs.
Rabbi Fogelman explains ~’s passion and involvement in The Angel
Fund’s kitchen, “As a Jewish organization, we like to say that we are in the
kosher business, not in the business of
being kosher. We want to help and encourage every Jew who approaches us
in any way we can. You can give a
man a fish or you can teach him how
to fish. Teaching him is the highest
level of the mitzvah. We are here for
The Angel Fund and all of their clients.
We want to help.”
Businesses Rising
With the Dough
Once the cooking and baking are
complete, Angel Fund’s job begins.
Irwin Dayan, Executive Director of
The Angel Fund, explains, “The product itself is only half of it. Once you
are up and running we are here to help
you with packaging, promoting and
marketing. We want you to succeed,
and we will be with you every step of
the way.” Angel Foods is also proud
and excited to take part in Kosherfest
on November 12, 2008, a nationwide
food trade show open to all kosher
food vendors and services.
Response so far has been fantastic.
The food industry is a billion dollar
business and Angel’s clients are getting
a chunk of it. Esther Faham, baker,
launched her sticky buns with the help
of the Ladies Angel Network last year.
In that short time, her business has exploded, “Thank G-d, since I started
cooking in the Angel Foods kitchen
and got the ~ supervision, my business has doubled. My bake time is
one-third and the orders have simply
snowballed. I love it!”
Claudia Bildirici, of Lottie’s Biscotti,
has been selling her cookies for years
but is excited to present her cool new
packaging simultaneously with the
opening of the Angel Foods Kitchen.
“The kosher certification is incredible.
I was doing great before but now the
possibilities are endless. I have already
gotten shelf space in Pomegranate,
Kosher Corner, Grace’s Marketplace
and Fairway. I also sell to two differ-
ent kosher caterers and many small
shops along Kings Highway and Avenue U in Brooklyn. It’s been a whirlwind. In this kitchen I can do in one
day what used to take me two, and
the people here are incredibly helpful.
We are trying new recipes and perfecting the old ones, and still we are having fun.”
Check It Once,
Check It Twice
The Angel Fund encourages all culinary entrepreneurs to do their homework. Find out how much your
ingredients cost; your assistants, gas,
traveling time, pots, pans, and trays…
You will also need to factor in the cost
of liability insurance. Ask yourself if
there is a need or desire for your product. Can you get shelf or freezer space
in the stores you are looking to sell to?
All these factors must be considered
carefully before starting any endeavor.
Angel Fund will assist you in figuring
out these costs and if the kitchen will
be a profitable venture for you, but
you’ll need to come organized and
prepared.
Culinary trends and market forces
have made the kitchen incubator an
idea whose time is now. Current sales
of specialty foods at retail were $24.7
billion, and jumped 17.9% between
2002 and 2004 versus a 7.7% rise for
sales of all food. Over half of all the
products sold in specialty food stores
are purchased directly from the manufacturer. No matter the economy,
people still crave the luxury of home
cooked food. If you are good at what
you do, there is money to be made in
the food industry. The Angel Fund can
help you take the first step.
If you are interested in
joining our Angel
Foods Community
Kitchen and would
like to set up a
consultation to discuss
terms and fees please
log on to our website
www.angelfundnetwork.org and register. In
24 hours you will receive a phone call to set
up an individual meeting.
www.OK.org • 7
When
the
W
hen the Maccabees reclaimed
the Beis HaMikdash
from the Greeks, one of
the most important tasks
they had was to light the
menorah. In order to do so,
the Maccabees had to find a
bottle of oil with the seal
of the Kohen Godol still intact. It was essential that
the oil was pure olive oil
with the seal.
8 • www.OK.org
by Rabbi Yosef Dovid
Chanowitz
is
Broken
Today, every Jewish home is considered a Beis HaMikdash Me’at (a
miniature sanctuary). Any food we
bring into our homes should be
kosher and processed on kosher
equipment. In addition, processed
food product that we bring into our
homes may need to be sealed with a
kosher symbol, which remains intact
until we break the seal ourselves.
Kosher certification can be broken
down into a two-part process – first,
the product has to be produced with
kosher ingredients on kosher equipment; and, second, the product has
to be marked with a kosher symbol
to show consumers that the product
is kosher certified and has not been
tampered with. If the kosher symbol
is missing, or the package is not factory-sealed, then the consumer must
assume the product has been altered
and may not still be kosher. Sometimes, stores repack bulk kosher
items without a mashgiach present or
authorization from the certifying
agency and continue to use the original kosher certificate to claim the
repackaged item is kosher certified.
Once an item is opened, one does
not have the authority to use the
kosher symbol, since the original
kosher organization does not oversee the repacking. In addition, some
non-kosher vendors buy kosher
products and may reheat them or resell them alongside non-kosher food
items and still claim the food is
kosher under the original certification!
The sample cases below are examples of the kosher symbol as
merely an indicator and not a seal.
At the ~, the kosher symbol
is treated as a seal of approval, with the kosher
symbol serving as one
in a series of many
CASE 1:
safeguards, which ensure that the
products you buy are indeed kosher.
The ~ only gives its certification
and allows a company to display the
~ symbol if the following conditions are met:
• A signed contract between the ~
and the company that requires the
company to adhere to all kosher
laws and provides legal consequences if the contract is breeched.
• A database of all ingredients, products and product formulae that are
approved as kosher for the facility.
Each product approved by the ~ is
assigned a seven-letter kosher
identification code (“K-ID”) that is
linked to the kosher certificate. As
a general rule, anyone can request
a K-ID from a certified company
and view the kosher certificate at
www.ok.org. (Due to confidentiality, some certificates are not available online.)
• Many facilities have a label book
with a copy of each label as it is
displayed on the product. The
mashgiach periodically reviews the
A
concerned consumer once called ~ Kosher Certification regarding baked
goods that were displayed with a small sign claiming the ~ certified the
items. However the store itself was not kosher certified. I was sent to investigate. When I arrived, I indeed saw a sign advertising that the ~ certified the
baked goods. I asked the owner to show me the kosher certificate for the
baked goods. He handed me a kosher letter certifying the bakery where he
bought the baked goods. I thought to myself, “How are we to know that he
is buying baked goods from this vendor, and only from this vendor? How
are we to know he did not process them further? He has no obligation to
the ~ to uphold the standard of kosher that we require.” I advised him that if he continues to display
this sign, we will immediately take legal action to protect the kosher consumer and inform the public
that this is an unauthorized kosher claim. He took down the sign and the ~ continues to monitor this
location to make sure that the ~ symbol is not erroneously displayed.
A
CASE 2:
nother startling incident occurred when consumers alerted the ~ that a hot
dog stand in Brooklyn was selling knishes and claiming the ~ certified
them as kosher. I was immediately dispatched to this location. When I arrived
I was shocked to see a cart filled with items as far from kosher as you can get:
ham and cheese, crab slammers, etc. First, I introduced myself, without letting
them know I worked for the ~, so that I would be able to get all the facts straight. The
worker explained to me that they were getting kosher knishes sealed in a box, and all they were doing
was slicing them, filling them with ketchup and mustard (and G-d knows what else), then warming
them up (on the same equipment as non-kosher) to sell to the customers. I immediately got a hold of
the owner and explained the situation to him. He answered innocently, “I especially kept the original
box to show the consumer that the knishes were kosher.”
www.OK.org • 9
CASE 3:
T
here is another case
with a well-known
producer of Cholov Yisroel cheese (not certified
by the ~). The company used stickers to
affix a kosher symbol
to the individual cheese
packets. It was later
discovered that someone secretly removed the stickers from the kosher
cheese and affixed them on non-kosher cheeses to
pass them off as kosher. In light of this incident, the
company was advised to change the way it labeled
the products with the kosher symbol. The ~ requires
all of its certified companies to print the kosher symbol either directly on the plastic packaging and/or on
stickers that cannot be removed.
“For example, when something is labeled “dairy,” it
must be considered Cholov Stam unless the words
Cholov Yisroel are printed on the packaging.”
C
CASE 4:
ompanies often use the
“K” symbol to indicate
that they consider their product kosher. In contrast to the
symbol of a kosher certification agency, which is trademarked to prevent fraud, the
letter “K” is only a letter of
the alphabet, not a distinct
symbol, so it cannot be trademarked. If a company
fraudulently uses a trademarked kosher symbol, the
owner of the trademark may start legal proceedings for
trademark infringement, but there is no recourse for a
company printing the letter “K” on its product to indicate kosher status, therefore the letter “K” has no validity to indicate kosher supervision. (Some states require
a rabbi to stand behind a letter “K,” but that is not the
universal practice.)
10 • www.OK.org
book to ensure accuracy. This is in
addition to having the company
send the ~ a copy of labels for review before printing.
• Certain industrial facilities have additional restrictions such as a kosher
stamp, signature or a kosher letter
accompanying the product. We also
record the lot number or assign a lot
number to be printed on the product
to track what day and hour the
product was produced.
• Each facility is assigned a mashgiach
who oversees the plant for kosher
compliance. Depending on the complexity of the plant, the ~ determines how often the mashgiach
visits; some facilities require full
time mashgichim. The assigned mashgiach reviews all receiving and production log forms. He also fills out
an inspection report at each visit,
which gets processed and reviewed
by the Rabbinic Coordinator, who is
equipped to handle any changes or
issues.
• Identifying information on removable stickers. The ~ does not allow
a company to print a generic “~”
sticker to apply to the product label.
The sticker must display the company name and product name, to ensure that it cannot be affixed on
another product. The ~ sometimes
uses holographic stickers, which are
extremely difficult to counterfeit.
The sticker contains the ~ logo, an
ID number and a special holographic
design to ensure the highest level of
kosher security.
C
onsumers are an integral part of
the kosher system. As illustrated
above, many times it is the consumer
that notifies the ~ when someone is
improperly displaying the ~ symbol.
To further understand your role as a
consumer, it is important for you to
understand how to read a
kosher symbol and to
verify its authenticity.
• Each
kosher
certified
product is
SYMBOLS
What do they mean?
~
~D
~DE
~D l`xyi alg
Pareve
Cholov Stam
Dairy Equipment
Cholov Yisroel
assigned a list of restrictions by the
certification agency, which is displayed on the kosher certificate.
Some products just require the
company name to be displayed,
some require a kosher symbol as
well, some even require a kosher
stamp, kosher tape, mashgiach signature or kosher letter accompanying the product. The kosher
certificate for every product contains the list of its particular restrictions.
~M (Meat)
Chassidishe Shechita
~F (Fish)
fish). The requirement for two
seals makes it more difficult for
someone to fraudulently claim a
product is kosher. In the case of
meat, a fraud may be able to print
a kosher symbol on the label, but
the meat would be missing the second sign, often a plumba.
• Certain items have additional
kosher indicators displayed on the
packaging. For example, once, I
was inspecting packages of tilapia.
I saw that under the kosher symbol
was printed (in small letters) “only
kosher when patch of skin is displayed”. There was no patch of
skin on the fish, so it could not be
considered kosher.
• One should closely examine any
designations displayed alongside
the kosher symbol, including:
dairy, meat, Cholov Yisroel, Yoshon,
Pas Yisroel, fish, kosher for Passover
etc. If a kosher designation is not
displayed, a designation cannot be
assumed. For example, when
something is labeled “dairy,” it
must be considered Cholov Stam
unless the words Cholov Yisroel are
printed on the packaging. The
same applies to Pas Yisroel. Products are only Pas Yisroel if it is
clearly written on the product.
• Meat, fish and wine require two
simanim (signs) indicating their
kosher status, such as a symbol and
plumba (metal tag affixed to the
meat), or a symbol and skin tag (for
• Often a kosher certification is issued only for particular products in
a facility, not to the entire facility.
This is common in stores that sell
repackaged bulk items with their
~P (Pesach)
~ Pas Yisroel
own label, as well as sell other
items in their original packaging.
The hechsher may only certify the
repacked items, not items that are
sold in their original packaging.
One should always check the
kosher certificate to ensure the individual product is on the certificate.
• All products with kosher certification should be sealed. Once they
are opened, one cannot be assured
that the container was not reused
for a non-kosher product, or that a
non-kosher ingredient was not
mixed in. This holds true for stores
that repackage products, mishloach
manos gift baskets and candies sold
loosely in machines.
The Mishna says that the world
stand on three things and the same
holds true in the world of kashrus.
Expert rabbonim, a tight kashrus protocol, and the watchful eye of the
consumer ensure that kosher products remain kosher from the moment
of production until they are served at
your table.
www.OK.org • 11
Light
A True
Beacon of
‫חסידות מבוארת‬
By Dovi Scheiner
C
hanukah is all about
light. Every night we
kindle the menorah in
an effort to fill our hearts,
homes, and environments
with as much light as possible. Chanukah is a time
when we celebrate our
good fortune in being
Jews, and connect with the
many lights in our lives.
There is the light of the
candles, the light of
mitzvos, and of course, the
light of Torah.
One great light that is increasingly burning bright in our generation is the light of Chassidus,
Pnimiyus HaTorah, the study of
which has helped strengthen the
connection of many Jews, and provide deeper perspective in the
ways of Yiddishkeit, the will of
Hashem, and the very purpose of
creation.
12 • www.OK.org
One daunting obstacle that
stands in the way of those who
wish to study Chassidus, is the sheer
depth of its teachings, which are
often inaccessible to the layman.
Fortunately, in November of
2000, an organization emerged to
address this challenge.
Machon Eliezer Yitzchak, the publishing arm of Heichal Menachem, is
headquartered in Boro Park, Brooklyn, NY, and produces the very
popular Chassidus Mivueres series.
Rabbi Yaakov Leib Altein, Editorin-Chief of the Machon, heads up a
talented team of Jewish thinkers,
including Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Reb Meir Kleinman, along with
Rabbi Dovid Olidort, who work
tirelessly to render complex texts
of Chabad Chassidus accessible, by
way of brilliant commentary.
The work of Chassidus Mivueres
is extremely important in our
times.
We are living in a period in Jewish history when the frum community is outwardly growing as never
before, and yet, inwardly, the soul
of the frum community faces its
greatest challenge, as the myriad
realities of our modern world impose great hardship on the effort of
the individual to attain a significant
degree of inspiration in the service
of Hashem.
The challenges the frum community faces in today’s day, and the
role that Chassidus can play in easing these pressures, is best illustrated by the following true story.
A number of young Yeshiva students set up a mobile seforim store
on a street corner in Boro Park. A
Chassidishe gentleman approached,
reviewed the offerings, and selected three copies of the exact
same sefer, a volume of Chassidus
Mivueres. As he paid for the seforim,
the student asked him why he is
purchasing three copies of the
same volume. The man responded
simply, “One copy is for my house,
one copy is for my office, and one
copy is for my car.” This only made
the students more curious. “Why,”
“As I read the pages of this
sefer, it spoke to me as no sefer
ever has. The light literally
jumped off the pages...”
they asked, “do you need a copy of
Chassidus Mivueres in three different locations?” The man paused for
a moment, pondered, and explained: “If you look at me,” he
said, “I wear the clothing of a Chassidishe Yid, and you would assume
that is who I am. But inside, I have
struggled for so long. I have so
many doubts, so many questions.
In fact, there was a time when I
nearly gave it all up. And then
something happened. I came across
a volume of Chassidus Mivueres. As
I read the pages of this sefer, it
spoke to me as no sefer ever has.
The light literally jumped off the
pages.”
The Chossid concluded, “I hope
this explains why I am buying
three copies of this sefer. In a world
full of darkness, Chassidus Mivueres
sheds light, and wherever I am—at
home, at work, or in my car—I
never want to know darkness
again!”
As this story illuminates, the
Chassidus Mivueres movement,
which began in the year 2000 with
the printing of a handful of pamphlets, and has since gone on to
produce a slew of handsomely
bound and ever popular seforim.
These seforim were projected to sell
2000 copies in the first year and
sold out in one week, and have
thus far sold more than 75,000 volumes. The Chassidus Mivueres
movement has had a remarkable
impact on the frum world. Indeed,
it has been embraced in the most
far ranging quarters, from Boro
Park to Bnei Brak, from Gerer
Chassidim in Ashdod, to members
of Israel’s Settlement movement,
from Rabbi Weinberg of Aish
Kodesh in the Five Towns, to Rabbi
Bentzion Twersky of Milwaukee.
All have found in the texts of Chassidus Mivueres the very essence of
Torah, brought to life in the light of
Chassidus, in a fashion that energizes the soul as nothing else can.
When I asked Rabbi Altein about
the secret of the Machon‘s success,
he pointed to his partner in the
founding of Machon Eliezer Yitzchok,
Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, Kashrus Ad-
ministrator of ~ Kosher Certification, and Chairman of the Board of
Machon Eliezer Yitzchok. “Rabbi
Levy was there from the very beginning,” explains Rabbi Altein, “in
fact, he was there before the beginning. Rabbi Levy witnessed the
good work of Heichal Menachem,
and as a leading student and proponent of Chassidus, he wanted to
extend the reach of the organization. It was his vision and constant
encouragement, guidance, and support, which enabled the establishment of Machon Eliezer Yitzchok and
helped (and continues to help)
spread the light of Chassidus to the
masses.
To learn more about
Machon Eliezer Yitzchok, and to order volumes of Chassidus
Mivueres, including
the latest sefer - Volume 1 of Chassidus Mivueres on Tanya,
please call (718) 633-1076, or go online to
www.chassidus.com.
www.OK.org • 13
A
LIFE
DAY in the
Journal by Rabbi Don Yoel Levy
Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Fogelman
5:30 AM
My Blackberry is vibrating. I get out
of bed to see what it is. It’s an e-mail
from Rabbi Levy arriving in my inbox.
No, it’s not a major kashrus emergency; it is a typical morning for Rabbi
Levy – just checking his e-mail and
forwarding relevant e-mails to me.
Even so, that e-mail got me wondering… what time does Rabbi Levy wake
up? What is on his “To Do List” on an
average day? Just what does it take to
run one of the largest kosher certifying agencies in the world? What is typical for a day in the life of Rabbi Levy?
I asked Rabbi Levy to keep a journal
for just one day to give us all a glimpse
into the reality of life as a Kashrus Administrator.
9:20 AM
After davening Shacharis and learning, I arrive at the office and meet
with my assistant to pick up phone
messages and review my schedule.
Part of Rabbi Levy’s responsibilities
involve reading all reports that come
in for new facilities. In order to make
sure the companies are set up properly, Rabbi Levy outlines exactly how a
facility is set up and how a report is
written. The report has to be written so
that any member of the ~ office staff
14 • www.OK.org
of Rabbi Levy
can pick it up, read it and understand
the production and kashrus restrictions for the particular facility. The report must also include instructions for
the plant personnel and instructions
for the inspecting rabbi. All of these
reports come across Rabbi Levy’s desk
for final approval.
9:35 AM
I read through a report and notice
that certain details, regarding the
heating of the equipment need clarification. In the next report, I notice
that the rabbi’s instructions are incomplete. Although I knew what
they meant, I sent the report back to
the rabbis for proper completion. In
another report, I do not agree with
the number of visits the rabbi assigned to the mashgiach, so I call the
rabbi to discuss the situation. I also
receive a report about a company in
China that is using alcohol certified
by a major kashrus organization. For
all alcohol productions in China, I
like to investigate the number of visits by the other kashrus organization
to the plants. To my consternation I
find out that it is visited only once a
year!
Rabbi Levy is also responsible for
setting policy on daily operations and
adapting policies due to ever-changing food production issues, such as the
recent problem of tainted food products from China.
10:00 AM
I have to revisit the ~’s policy regarding dairy products from China.
Many kosher consumers in America
use Cholov Stam, based on Rav
Moshe Feinstein’s heter. The heter is
based on government controls in the
United States. Recent food production scandals confirm that my longstanding policy to accept only dairy
products with a mashgiach temidi
from the milking process (Cholov Yisroel) from China is correct. The most
recent issue in China is the contamination of Cholov Stam products with
melamine (a chemical used to enhance the proteins in milk), which
has caused death in infants. Therefore, the ~ policy remains to reject
all non-Cholov Yisroel products originating from China and certified by
other hechsherim. In addition, the
United States has now banned many
dairy products originating in China.
Furthermore, the ~ policy remains
to certify products (such as candy,
etc.) in China only with a mashgiach
present.
Rabbi Levy often has to decide the
~’s response to problems in the
kosher world, including tightening restrictions to prevent problems and
working out solutions for affected
companies.
10:30 AM
I have a meeting with our Restaurant and Catering department regarding the recent closings of major
kosher slaughterhouses. We discuss
installing extra precautions to prevent any non-kosher meat from
“slipping in” to our facilities (G-d forbid). (On top of the fact that we already require a mashgiach temidi with
sole control of the meat in ALL meat
facilities, even if the owner is a religious Jew.) Since the challenge of
getting acceptable meat is so great,
extra precaution has to be taken.
12:30 PM
I receive an e-mail from one of the
~’s top rabbis in China. It appears
that someone is producing fish products in China, stamped with an
unauthorized ~ and, of course,
without using a mashgiach temidi as
required by the Shulchan Oruch. A
nerve-wracking ninety minutes go
by as we investigate this matter. The
ramifications are enormous. Thank
G-d it turns out to be a misunderstanding and the product is actually
from Thailand and the production is
authorized and done with two
mashgichim present. However, until
we verify these facts my blood pressure goes through the roof!
It is essential that kashrus organiza-
tions have interaction with each other,
so Rabbi Levy makes an effort to regularly meet with rabbis from many different certifying agencies. Today,
Rabbi Levy meets with a rabbi from
one of the major kashrus certifications
in Israel.
2:00 PM
Rabbi Avrohom Rubin from Eretz
Yisroel visits the ~. We meet to discuss the latest kashrus issues in Israel.
Since our capable Israeli regional coordinator, Rabbi Haskel, from Eretz
Yisroel, is also in our New York office
today, he is present at the meeting.
One of the topics we discuss is
shmitta, since shmitta produce is still
in circulation during the year after
shmitta. This is especially true regarding fruit, which of course includes
wine. (The ~ certifies the majority
of the prestigious wines in Israel, so
this is an important issue for us!)
Rabbi Levy takes a break to daven
Mincha with the office minyan before
resuming his intensive schedule of
meetings.
3:45 PM
Rabbi Rubin and I continue our
meeting to discuss kashrus issues of
ingredients and plants around the
world, since Rabbi Rubin and the ~
both permit the use of ingredients
certified by each other’s agencies.
4:15 PM
With Rabbi Haskel in town, I take
the opportunity to meet with him
and discuss many kashrus issues and
continue the discussion started over
a month ago when Rabbi Steigman
and I traveled to Israel to meet with
him. Since ~ Israel is closer to the
Far East than America is, many relevant responsibilities are delegated to
Rabbi Haskel. We discuss making
common policies, among all hechsherim for kashrus in the Far East. This
is sorely needed. Instead of competing with other agencies that may not
have the highest kashrus standards, I
feel that the correct direction to take
is to try to institute a common minimum standard that all hechsherim
must meet in the Far East. This is always better for kashrus and only
benefits the consumer in the end. I
schedule a meeting with some of the
major agencies that certify companies in the Far East to discuss this at
length. After this meeting, I am
heading home. It is almost 6:00 PM
and it’s been a long day.
It’s been told that many great people, from the holy Rambam to the
busiest executives, somehow find time
each day for some physical activity to
stay healthy. Before he arrives to the
~, Rabbi Levy manages to get in a
three-mile constitutional almost every
morning after learning and Shacharis!
Rabbi Levy is also very tech savvy —
if you need advice on the latest cell
phone, or a quick tip for your Blackberry, he’s the go-to rabbi.
It takes a certain kind of person to
run a large organization with everchanging issues, a certain kind of person to shoulder the responsibility for
hundreds of thousands of kosher products. It takes a certain kind of person
to run the ~, and that person is Rabbi
Levy.
www.OK.org • 15
Chanukah Recipes
16 • www.OK.org
Spicy Potato Patties
1-1/2 pounds potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup EACH chopped
onion, coriander, tomatoes,
cashews
2 tablespoons EACH
chopped green, red bell
peppers
1 teaspoon EACH salt, curry
powder, minced ginger,
jalapeno
Olive oil for frying
Cucumber Raita
Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender.
Cool under cold running water. Peel when
cool enough to handle. In mixing bowl, mash
with fork or masher. Blend in egg, flour, and
baking powder. Add onion, coriander, tomatoes, cashews, peppers, salt, curry, ginger, and
chile. Mix well.
Shape into 8 balls; form into patties in one
layer on a platter. Cover and refrigerate until
ready to fry. In large non-stick skillet, heat
enough oil to cover bottom of pan over
medium heat. Cook two at a time, until crisp
and golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook on other side, adding oil
as needed. Remove to platter and keep warm
in 200° oven until all patties are fried. Serve
with Cucumber Raita. Makes 8 servings.
AT LAST!
Center for
Kosher
Culinary
Arts
A
t last, the professional
culinary world has risen
to the challenge of serving an increasingly sophisticated,
demanding – and hungry – Jewish
populace. In July 2008, The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts
(CKCA) in Brooklyn, NY became
the only venue in the United
States for “Professional Training
in Kosher Culinary Arts”.
Many others have tried and failed
to establish such a program. So, what
made CKCA different? A bit of history: CKCA Founder, Dr. Elka Jacobs
Pinson, a psychologist, saw the opportunity to develop the school from
an original base of activity in Happy
Home, her husband’s cookware/
bakeware store, which had an ongoing program of cake decorating and
fruit and vegetable garnishing classes
since its opening in 1993. She re-
cruited CKCA Director Jesse Blonder
to make her vision a reality. Jesse
studied Communications at Cornell
University, apprenticed at the New
School Culinary Center of New York
and later served as kitchen manager,
and worked at Macy’s Degustibus
Cooking School, Saffron 59 catering
company, and as a freelance caterer.
Dr. Pinson and Jesse have weathered
their first year of operations with
success well beyond expectation.
www.OK.org • 17
Founded in mid-2007 and initially
offering a recreational program (the
motto is “We cook and bake, then eat
what we make.”), Blonder brought in
highly trained chefs each offering a
class in their specialty. Classes have
included diverse offerings such as
Knife Skills; a wide array of ethnic
cuisines such as Provincial and Classical French, Rustic Italian, Greek; as
well as techniques such as Challahbaking and chocolate-making. Not
surprisingly, the exotic Oriental
menus (such as Thai and Japanese)
have consistently been the most popular. The cake decorating and garnishing programs have expanded,
advanced Master Classes added and
appearances by international food
celebrities and demonstrations by
popular cookbook authors rounded
out the curriculum.
Initially, the plan was to just expand the recreational program, but
the phone rang frequently with calls
from people who were searching for
kosher professional training. Until
now, US culinary students could only
attend non-kosher programs; where
they were not able to taste the food
18 • www.OK.org
Until now, US culinary students could only attend
non-kosher programs; where they were not able to
taste the food they prepared and all of their expensive
knives and equipment became treif and unusable.
they prepared and all of their expensive knives and equipment became
treif and unusable. Yes - they spent
$40,000 or more to attend top-level,
prestigious culinary schools and
were never able to eat!
Fortuitously, CKCA received a call
from Professor Jon Deutsch of the
Department of Tourism and Hospitality at Kingsborough Community
College of The City University of
New York, located in Brooklyn. Himself a trained chef, he proposed a
meeting to discuss the development
of a kosher version of an existing
KBCC culinary arts course. The
unique collaboration between public
and private institutions has proved
fruitful and the first CKCA Pro class
graduated in August 2008. Students
hailed from as far away as California,
Toronto, and Florida to take part in
the 6-week program. A part-time
night program is now also being offered as well. A “Professional Baking
and Pastry” specialization program is
slated for later this winter.
CKCA students earn academic
credits upon enrollment at KBCC.
With a curriculum modeled on those
of established culinary schools, students learn skills and techniques used
in a professional kitchen. They learn
how to obtain important food safety
certifications, such as ServSafe (National Restaurant Association) and
NYC Food Handler’s Certificate.
Upon completion of the program,
students can consolidate their skills
in the professional world through
placement in apprenticeships and job
referrals are in the works. Graduates
of culinary programs may become
professional chefs, choosing to work
in restaurants and catering companies, but many become personal
chefs, or go into food production,
food styling, and other creative culinary fields.
Naturally, the larger part of the
Professional Training Program is in
actual cooking skills. However, the
kosher culinary professional must be
trained to maintain kosher integrity
in all stages of work: purchasing,
preparation, handling, even serving.
Not only do ingredients need to be
kosher-certified, so do techniques. In
addition, kosher chefs must gain experience in running a professional environment that may include
non-Jewish workers.
Therefore, another unique collaboration was developed – between
CKCA and ~ Kosher Certification.
Under the direction of Rabbi Chaim
Fogelman, Rabbinic Coordinators at
the ~ and experienced mashgichim
The CKCA has
already become the
“go-to” resource in
the Jewish world.
lecture culinary students on a variety
of topics, such as the general tenets
of kashrus, checking fruits and vegetables for infestation, the laws of
Cholov Yisroel and Pas Yisroel, and
working with a mashgiach. This constitutes the first “kashrus curriculum”
developed for kosher chefs. ~ Rabbinic Coordinators, Rabbi Marrus,
Rabbi Gornish, Rabbi Hanoka as
well as Rabbi Fogelman, have participated in this, offering both halachic
direction and practical guidelines and
advice borne from extensive experience in real-world kitchens.
The CKCA has already become
the “go-to” resource in the Jewish
world. At Kosherfest, the premier
kosher trade show, their exhibit heralded numerous services in addition
to the cooking school. They showcased a referral service for personal
and professional chefs, as well as a
service that provides “kitchen support” personnel for demonstrations
and events. Also available from
CKCA were privately hosted classes
and consultations on program development including developing vocational education programs for Jewish
high schools.
Even “gastronomic tourism” plans
are in the works. Visits to wineries,
trips to local farms to handpick fresh
produce, and even vacations focused
on various cuisines! With the
CKCA’s top-notch culinary curriculum and ~ Kosher Certification’s
top-notch kosher curriculum, aspiring chefs have found a winning combination at CKCA. B’teavon!
The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts
1407 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY
718.758.1339
www.KosherCulinaryArts.com
www.OK.org • 19
dic Insig
assi
ht
h
C
s
KISLEV
:
The Month of
E
very month in the Jewish calendar represents a unique
way to serve Hashem. This is
exemplified in its central theme and
its numerical place in the order of the
year.
The central theme of the “third
month” is Matan Torah, the giving of
the Torah to the Jewish people. There
are two ways to count the months of
the Jewish year – beginning with
Nissan or beginning with Tishrei. Biblically the first month is Nissan, and
Sivan is the third month. When
counting from Tishrei, Kislev is the
third month of the year.
In Sivan, on Shavuos, we received
the Written and Oral Torah through
Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai. According to the Talmud, the three parts
of Tanach (Torah, Nevi’im and Kesuvim) were given to the nation of three
people (Kohanim, Levi’im and Yisroel),
through the third person (Moshe
Rabbeinu was the third child in his
family), on the third day of preparation for receiving the Torah.
In the month of Kislev, the other
20 • www.OK.org
ke
en
a
r
iled by Dina F
l
Co
mp
“third month,” the Jewish people received the hidden Torah, the wellsprings of Chassidus. Although
Chassidus, the secrets of Torah, were
included in Matan Torah, they were
not revealed to the people at large.
On the 19th of Kislev, with the liberation of the Baal HaTanya, Rabbi
Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the light of
Chassidus won out over the darkness
of the Soviet empire and was allowed to be freely spread across the
world. Thus, the 19th of Kislev was
the Matan Torah of Chassidus.
The festival of Chanukah occurs in
the third month for a reason. It is
written in the Midrash that the
Mishkan was finished in the month
of Kislev, but it was not erected until
Nissan. Since Kislev did not get the
recognition for the completion of the
Mishkan, G-d promised to give Kislev
a dedication of its own, and He made
the Chanukah (dedication) of the Beis
HaMikdash by the Maccabees occur in
Kislev. This dedication was the
rededication of the Second Beis
HaMikdash, which is actually the
third Sanctuary if you count the
Mishkan built by Moshe Rabbeinu,
connecting it to the number three.
The rededication of Chanukah was
necessary, because the Greeks defiled
the Beis HaMikdash. When the Maccabees restored the Beis HaMikdash to
its glory, they enabled the revelation
of G-dliness, the eternal illumination
of the darkness through the
Chanukah lights. This is the central
theme of Kislev. This illumination is
also linked to the revelation of Chassidus in the month of Kislev, because
the light of Chassidus came out of the
darkness of exile in Russia.
Just as we light the Chanukah
menorah at the entrance to our homes
to light up the darkness outside,
Chassidus illuminates the darkness of
our world through the Baal Shem
Tov’s promise: “Your wellsprings will
spread forth to the outside.” When
all of the darkness has been converted into light, the illumination
will be so great that the world will
shine with G-dliness and Moshiach
will bring us into Geulah.
in
Ac-
2008 ~ Mashgichim Conference
Rabbi Chaim Fogelamn
to Featured
nts an awardFe
Rabbi Levy prese
Mashgiach Rabbi Dovid der
Rabbi Ahron Haskel
Rabbi Shlomo rowits
– Kosher EducaHotio
n
eichal Menachem
Rabbi Leibel Altein – H
~
Mashgichim Conference
www.OK.org • 21
ods
Conf. Pictures
Ardalin1FoMashgiach
Golden Taste
Haggada P assover Bak
ery
Sabra Foods
Setton Farms
22 • www.OK.org
Weberman’s Traditional Foods
Golan Heights Winery
Beigels Bakery
Tiv Tirat Tsvi
Anderson Cheese
Prigat
Kleins Natural
Rabbi Levy with Menac
hem
Lubinsky
L,chaim!
www.OK.org • 23
N E W C O M PA N I E S
135
WAYS
~ Koshered your
world in 2008!
CALIFORNIA NUGGETS
RIPON, CA USA
Snack Foods
PROMIND AGROINDUSTRIAL, S.A.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Coloring
MACOLIVE S.A.
LAMIA, FTHIOTIS GREECE
Pickled Products & Olives
THAI OLEOCHEMICALS
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Fatty Alcohols, Glycerine, Methyl
Ester
HYDROTEX
FARMERS BRANCH, TX USA
THAI FATTY ALCOHOLS
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Fatty Alcohols
AEB GROUP - SPINDAL
HUFF HISPANIC HOLDINGS,
LLC
NUTKAO S.R.L.
KARN CORN COMPANY
GRETZ, FRANCE
CANOVE DI GOVONE, ITALY
Cocoa Products
ROLADIN
KADIMA, ISRAEL
Flour
MENDY’S PASSOVER BAKERY
FLUSHING, NY USA
VEGETABLE JUICES, INC.
BEDFORD PARK, IL USA
CODY KRAMER IMPORTS
ORANGEBURG, NY USA
SUDSPRIT GMBH
SCHROBENHAUSEN, GERMANY
Glycerine
WESTLAKE VINYLS, INC
CALVERT CITY, KY USA
24 • www.OK.org
MORRISTOWN, NJ USA
THAILAND
ZOOP SDN BHD
MALAYSIA
Fatty Acids, Methyl Ester, Glycerine
TERRAFINA LLC
BROOKLYN, NY USA
Fruit (Dried), Legumes, Nuts &
Seeds, Organic Foods, Rice & Rice
Flour
MOLKEREI ALOIS MULLER
GMBH & CO. KG
BAVARIA, GERMANY
Fruit (Fresh Packaged)
BARBER MILK COMPANY
BIRMINGHAM, AL USA
PERFECTION FOODS CO.
PHILADELPHIA, PA USA
YAEYAMA SHOKUSAN CO.
WISKERCHEN CHEESE
AUBURNDALE, WI USA
CARR VALLEY CHEESE .
LA VALLE, WI USA
CHALET CHEESE COOP
MONROE, WI USA
NORTH AMERICAN
BIOPRODUCTS, INC
NEW YORK, NY USA
Baked Goods, Cereals, Organic
Foods, Snack Foods
KLONDIKE SPECIALTY
FOODS
THE GIFT OF GAB LLC
BLUE SEASON INT. LTD
MOSHAV BEIT ARIF, ISRAEL
MILL CREEK CHEESE
ARENA, WI USA
P.T. LAUTAN OTSUKA
CHEMICAL
JAKARTA, INDONESIA
Food Additives
VANDA FROZEN CO, LTD.
BANGKOK, THAILAND
BAYONNE, NJ USA
Nuts & Seeds, Snack Foods
KANCHANABURI, THAILAND
LENA, IL USA
VITA FOOD FACTORY
SAN ANTONIO, TX USA
ISHIGAKI, OKINAWA JAPAN
VANDA PRESERVED FOOD
CO., LTD.
THAMAKA, THAILAND
HILL COUNTRY BAKERY
EMPIRE GOURMET SNACKS
TORKELSON CHEESE
DULUTH, GA USA
Chemicals
MONROE, WI USA
ZIMMERMAN CHEESE
SOUTH WAYNE, WI USA
SHANGYU YONGJIA FOOD
SHANGYU, CHINA
Vegetables (Frozen)
BLETSOE’S CHEESE INC
MARATHON, WI USA
CHULA VISTA CHEESE CO
BROWNTOWN, WI USA
NORTH HENDREN
CO-OPERATIVE DAIRY
WILLARD, WI USA
WHEY TO GO LLC
ARENA, WI USA
ARENA CHEESE INC
ARENA, WI USA
ZILA LAGUNA
DAUGAVPILS RAJ., LATVIA
Fish Products, Pickled Products &
Olives, Salads & Salad Spreads
W & W DAIRY INC.
MONROE, WI USA
FOSTER FARMS DAIRY
MODESTO, CA USA
SHANGHAI AGRO FROZEN
FOOD ENTERPRISE CO.
MEGIDO, ISRAEL
Fish Products
CARUSO’S COFFEE
BRECKSVILLE, OH USA
XUWEN TONGDA FRUIT JUICE
& BEVERAGE
ZHANJIANG, CHINA
Fruit (Canned), Fruit Concentrates,
Juice & Juice Concentrates
URUMQI SUMMER
INDUSTRIAL CO.,LTD
URUMQI, XINJIANG CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
SHANDONG YONGKANG FOOD
CO., LTD
YANTAI, SHANDONG CHINA
Fish Products
KUKU FASHION ACCESSORIES
EIN VERED, ISRAEL
Cosmetics
PT. SORINI TOWA BERLIAN
CORPORINDO
PASURUAN, EAST JAVA INDONESIA
PETER CREMER (S) GMBH
SINGAPORE
BGL, LLC
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI USA
SIME DARBY BIODIESEL SDN.
KUALA LANGAT, MALAYSIA
Esters, Fatty Acids, Glycerine, Oil &
Shortenings
SWEET-NES ENTERPRISE, INC.
BROOKLYN, NY USA
NEXSOL PTE LTD
SINGAPORE
Glycerine
INTEGRATED FORMATION
KAMUNTING, MALAYSIA
Oil & Shortenings
GLICK’S BAKERY AT EMPIRE
KOSHER
BROOKLYN, NY USA
MOZART COFFEE SHOP LLC
DANIA, FL USA
AGUR WINERY
EMEQ HA’ELLA, ISRAEL
Wine
OURI’S SUPERIOR CATERER
BROOKLYN, NY USA
PAGODA 770
SUNNY ISLES, FL USA
SHILANG PHARMA (NANJING)
CO.LTD
NANJING, JIANGSU CHINA
Sweeteners
THE KOSHER FRESH DIET
BROOKLYN, NY USA
CHINA SHAANXI DACHENG
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CO.
LTD
XI’AN, SHAANXI CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
MR. WHEAT
BROOKLYN, NY USA
SOYAWORLD INC.
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
DAICEL CHEMICAL
INDUSTRIES,
TOKYO, JAPAN
WEINAN UPRISING FOOD CO.
SPICE HOUSE INT’L
SPECIALTIES, INC.
HICKSVILLE, NY USA
Coating Mixes, Flour, Fruit (Dried),
Herbs, Legumes, Nuts & Seeds, Pasta
& Grains, Potato Products, Rice &
Rice Flour, Seasonings & Spices,
Snack Foods, Soup & Soup Mixes,
Sugar, Vegetables (Dried)
BARNEY’S PREMIUM FOODS
FRESNO, CA USA
AMYEL LLC
SURFSIDE, FL USA
ACEITUNAS TORRENT S.L.
XICHANG FOVALLEY FOOD
XICHANG, SICHUAN CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
DECHANG YUANKUN GREEN
FRUIT INDUSTRY LTD.
DACHANG, SICHUAN CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
SICHUAN XICHANG GUOGUO
FRUIT CO.LTD
XICHANG, SICHUAN CHINA
Fruit Concentrates
GUANGZHOU RUNHUA FOOD
ADDITIVE CO.,LTD
GUANGZHOU, GUANGDONG CHINA
Emulsifiers & Stabilizers
WEINAN, SHAANXI CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
CORDOBA, SPAIN
Pickled Products & Olives
XIANYANG, CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
RISHON LE ZION, ISRAEL
Beverages
ZHANGQIU, SHANDONG CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
PLATRES, CYPRUS
Wine
NANTONG, CHINA
Fatty Acids, Fatty Alcohols
SHAANXI SHIJI MINGDA JUICE
PRODUCTOS QUIMICOS
GALLEGOS PROQUIGA SA
BERGONDO, SPAIN
Cultures & Rennets
LAIWU MANHING
VEGETABLES FRUITS AND
PROVISIONS PROCESSING
LAIWU, CHINA
Vegetables (Fresh)
DAVIDOVICH BAGEL & LOX
FACTORY INC.
JAMAICA, NY USA
MARUBENI AMERICA
CORPORATION
HOUSTON, TX USA
LIONSING (GROUP) FOOD CO.
GUIYANG, GUIZHOU CHINA
Rice & Rice Flour
SUN UNION INC.
VERNON, CA USA
Vegetables (Fresh)
DANISCO SUGAR A/S
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Sugar
MR. BAGUETTE RESTAURANT
BROOKLYN, NY USA
TRIGO L.L.C.
NORTH MIAMI, FL USA
HIGH DESERT MILK
BURLEY, ID USA
N.K. HURST CO
INDIANAPOLIS, IN USA
SEPHARDIC ANGEL FUND
BROOKLYN, NY USA
SYMRISE, INC.
TETERBORO, NJ USA
CAGLIFICIO CLERICI S.P.A.
CADORAGO, ITALY
GOURMET EXPRESS
FOLCREST, PA USA
NIKUY HAGALIL 91 LTD
AKKO, ISRAEL
Beverages
SASOL YIHAI (LIANYUNGANG)
ALCOHOL INDUSTRIES CO.
LTD.
LIANYUNGANG, JIANGSU CHINA
Fatty Acids, Fatty Alcohols, Oil &
Shortenings
MILCHVEREDELUNG
NIEDERGRAFSCHAFT EG
UELSEN, GERMANY
KESHMESH LTD.
LAMBOURI WINERY LTD.
MONARCH CATALYST PVT.
LTD
THANE, INDIA
GANSU XUEJING
BIOCHEMICAL
LANZHOU, CHINA
Food Additives
HAMSA
JINAN DONGCHEN FRESH
JUICE
TECKGUAN (CHINA) LTD
PAN INTER FOODS CO., LTD.
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Vegetables (Canned)
SINGSINO GROUP LIMITED
QINGDAO, SHANDONG CHINA
Food Additives, Starches
HENAN JINGYUAN FRUIT
INDUSTRY CO. LTD
TENAFLY, NJ USA
LINGBAO, HENAN CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
KORLA, XINJIANG CHINA
Vegetables (Canned)
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
XINJIANG LUYUAN TOMATO
PRODUCTS CO., LTD
SONS OF HANNA SHAMSHOUM
NAZARETH, ISRAEL
UNISERVIS LTD
GEDERA, ISRAEL
FUJIAN DONGSHAN HAIKUI
AQUATIC PRODUCTS GROUP
ZHANGZHOU, FUJIAN CHINA
Fish Products
ANTARES HEALTH PRODUCTS
BATAVIA, IL USA
Pharmaceutical, Drug & Personal
Care Products
HAITONG FOOD GROUP CO.
CIXI, ZHEJIANG CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates,
Vegetables (Frozen)
PROLIANT, INC
ANKENY, IA USA
Dairy Products
B2B ECUADOR S.A.
GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR
Fruit (Dried)
CAFECO VIETNAM LTD.
LONG THANH, DONG NAI VIETNAM
Coffee
EQUINOX CHEMICALS
ALBANY, GA USA
Esters
POST FOODS LLC.
ST. LOUIS, MO USA
Cereals
MEYTIN IC VE DIS TICARET
TORBALI, IZMIR TURKEY
SPEEDY CHEF
MONSEY, NY USA
Frozen Foods
LEBANESE CUISINE
BROOKLYN, NY USA
CHR. HANSEN ARGENTINA
SAIC
HERBO SPICE S.L.
SAN GINES, MURCIA, SPAIN
VALRHONA SAS
TAIN-L’HERMITAGE, FRANCE
Candy & Chocolates
BARBOUNIA
BROOKLYN, NY USA
KIKAR TEL-AVIV RESTAURANT
AND CATERER
MIAMI BEACH, FL USA
SUNWIN STEVIA
INTERNATIONAL
FRISCO, TX USA
Sweeteners
QINGDAO ZHUOYUE
CONTAINER PACKING
MATERIAL CO. LTD.
QINGDAO, CHINA
Packaging
CHOPIN DRINK LTD.
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
Beverages
ALDERFER POULTRY FARM
TELFORD, PA USA
Egg Products
SHAANXI TIANYUAN FRUIT
AND VEGETABLE JUICE
DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
XI’AN, SHAANXI CHINA
Juice & Juice Concentrates
HANDAN YONGFENG FRUIT &
VEGETABLE JUICE CO. LTD
WEI, HEBEI CHINA
Fruit Concentrates, Juice & Juice
Concentrates
Visit www.ok.org
for a complete list of certified
companies and their products.
www.OK.org • 25
ODDS & ENDS
Chanukah
In Kabbalah it is taught that the decrees of
Rosh Hashanah are not fulfilled until the end
of Chanukah. There are hints to this in the
Chumash as well.
Parshas Vayeshev is always read in close
proximity to Chanukah. There we read the
story of Yehuda and Tamar. The scene in
heaven is played out this way: Yehuda represents Hashem and Tamar represents Klal Yisroel. The Satan tells Hashem that Tamar/Klal
Yisroel sinned, so Yehuda/Hashem decrees we
must be punished. Tamar then says, “To the
one who owns the seal, cord and staff - that’s
the one who is guilty. Pardon me on account
of these 3 things.” Klal Yisroel also asks
Hashem to pardon us on the account of those
3 thing: the seal - we went the extra mile to
find oil with a seal; the cord - the wicks for
the Chanukah candles, and the staff - the
walking stick representing our difficult path
in life. Yehuda/Hashem says, “She is right,”
and exonerates Tamar/Klal Yisroel.
There is another hint to this concept in
Parshas Noach. It says in Bereishis (8;6),
“Vayehi mikeitz arbaim yom...” (And it was at
the end of 40 days). This can refer to the 40
days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur. If
one hasn’t done proper teshuva yet and thinks
it’s all over… “Vayiftach Noach es Chalon” can
be interpreted to mean “Hashem opens a window of opportunity to do teshuva on Noach
(‫[ ”)נח‬Nun-Ches = Neiros Chanukah] When the
word Chalon (‫ )חלון‬is broken down into two
parts: Ches-Nun = Chanukah Neiros and
Lamed-Vov = 36 candles, the equivalent of all
the candles lit on Chanukah.
Did You Know:
In the Diaspora, on Chanukah we spin a dreidel
that has 4 Hebrew letters on it: Nun Gimmel Hey and
Shin (which stands for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham; A
great miracle happened there). The gematria
(numerical value) of Nun-Gimmel-Hey-Shin is the
same as that of the word Moshiach (358).
In Israel, the dreidel has the letters Nun Gimmel
Hey and Pey (which stands for Nes Gadol Hayah
Poh; A great miracle happened here) The
gematria of Nun-Gimmel-Hey-Pey
is the same as that of the
word Menachem
(138). Menachem is
one of the names
for Moshiach.
‫ג‬
‫נ‬
‫ה‬
‫פ‬
– Maharsha”h
Pesachim,
Daf Hey
‫ג‬
‫ה‬
‫ש‬
Q. Did you know that many Jews don’t say the
blessing over the Chanukah candles “L’hadlik ner
shel Chanukah,” rather they say “L’hadlik ner
Chanukah“?
A. This is because the candles of Chanukah are different from
Shabbos candles (where all say “L’hadlik ner shel Shabbos“),
since one cannot benefit from the light of the Chanukah
candles. Therefore, the candle is not a candle for Chanukah
(ner shel Chanukah), it is a Chanukah candle (ner Chanukah).
How are Chanukah
and Purim different?
On Chanukah the nes (miracle) was an open and revealed miracle
from above (l’maalah) while on Purim the nes was hidden and
seemingly natural (l’matah). To commemorate the way the
miracles happened, on Chanukah we spin the dreidel from the top,
while on Purim we spin the gragger from the bottom.
26 • www.OK.org
‫נ‬
~ In Memorium ~
RABBI GAVRIEL & RIVKAH
HOLTZBERG s”hv
~ Kosher Certification, along with
Klal Yisroel, are numb and
heartbroken upon the news
from Mumbai where our colleagues, our brothers and sisters,
Hakedoshim Rabbi Gabi and Rebbetzin Rivka Holtzberg, Rabbi
Leibush Teitelbaum, Rabbi Benzion Kruman, Yocheved Orpaz
and Norma Schwartzenblat-Rabinovitz, were murdered in the terrorist attack on the Chabad House there.
Gabi and Rivka gave up the comforts of life in the West to share their
love of Judaism and the warmth of
their family with people of all backgrounds in India. With lots of hard
work and dedication, they opened the
Chabad House in Mumbai — a home
to thousands of Jewish tourists, Israeli
backpackers and international business-travelers.
Not only did Rabbi Gabi
Holtzberg work hard for the people
who lived in and visited India, he
was a dedicated rabbi who made
many regular and unannounced
kashrus inspections on behalf
of the ~ to ensure that people all over the world
would have kosher
ingredients without
compromise.
The Holtzbergs
were a ray of Jewish
light in Mumbai, and like
directors of thousands of
Chabad centers worldwide, they
proudly served on the frontlines of a
raging spiritual battle—spreading
Jewish knowledge and observance to the far-flung corners of
the earth.
Gabi and Rivka made the ultimate
sacrifice for their faith and their community. They lived and died as exemplars of the Jewish people. Two bright
lights have been extinguished.
We have no words; we have no answers. We do not begin to understand
G-d’s ways – and are not expected to.
We only know that we must continue
their life’s work; they deserve no less.
A special fund has been set up for
Chabad of India and for Moshe, their
toddler son who just marked his second birthday. You can contribute to
the fund at ChabadIndia.org as
well as to TeitelbaumOrphanFund.org, and KrumanFoundation.com
During this Chanukah, the
Festival of Lights, we remember the lights that were extinguished in Mumbai and
pray for the ultimate
light of redemption.
www.OK.org • 27
Kosher Without Compromise.
~KOSHER
CERTIFICATION
Kosher Spirit, 391 Troy Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
28 • www.OK.org
718-756-7500 • [email protected] • www.ok.org