Let’s Talk Kashrus

The AKO Camp Initiative Back for it's second year, the AKO Kashrus Camp Initiative is here to help any camp that wants set itself up to suceed at serving kosher all summer long. Rabbi Moshe Kaufman, Kashrus Administrator for KVH Kosher ~ Rabbinical Council of New England and Co-chairman of the AKO Camp Kashrus Committee explains to us in depth, the great need to set your camp up with the proper sy...

With summers arrival, grilling season has officially begun. What is the deal with pre-seasoned cast iron pans. Can they be used as is? Do they need to be kashered? If so, how does one kasher? Let's listen to Rabbi Dovid Cohen - Administrative Rabbinical Coordinator at the cRc, as he navigates with us through this sugya. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/it-s-grill-pr...

On The Cow Carousel Shavuos has become synonymous with milchigs. But what does it take to set up a system to ensure cholov yisroel milk? Let’s take a walk with Rabbi Tzvi Rosen - Kashrus Administrator at the STAR-K through a dairy farm. As we take this virtual tour he explains all the processes and systems to ensure the highest level of kashrus. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawaren...

While there are many things that overlap between vegan products and kosher products, one does not guarantee the other. Let's listen in to Rabbi Sholom H. Adler - Senior Kashrus Administrator at Earth Kosher as he explains the nuances differentiating the two. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/vegan-certified-vs-kosher-certified To Sponsor An Episode: https://pay.banqu...

But is it kosher? A walkthrough of your local Dunkin’ Donuts store from a kashrus perspective with R’ Sholem Fishbane, Director of Kashrus for the Chicago Rabbinical Council and Executive Director of AKO. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/america-runs-on-dunkin To Sponsor An Episode: https://pay.banquest.com/kashrusawareness Join a Let’s Talk Kashrus WhatsApp Group f...

מצוות התלויות בארץ It happens all the time that we hear about a specific store selling produce from Eretz Yisroel. Most of us stay away from that produce to avoid problems with Trumos and Maasros. Well not anymore! Rabbi Dovid Cohen - Administrative Rabbinical Coordinator at the cRc, walks us through the Mitzvah of separating Trumos and Maasros clearly and concisely. View it in its entirety at htt...

If you’re wondering why a tank would need to be kashered, you probably aren’t thinking of a storage tank. Storage tanks are those massive white round buildings you often pass on the highway, and have probably wondered what they are. Let’s listen to Rabbi Yochanan Schnall - a Rabbinic Coordinator at the cRc as he explains the processes involved in kashering entire multi-storied buildings! View it i...

It’s All A Matter Of Perspective Potatoes. A staple for Pesach in most homes. Let’s listen in to Rabbi Avraham Juravel - Rabbinic Coordinator at the OU, and the chief Rabbi of Idaho Falls, as he talks about potatoes and the kashrus related issues. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/potayto-potahto To Sponsor An Episode: https://pay.banquest.com/kashrusawareness Join a...

Lishmah We Must Mention In Part 2 of our matzah baking episode, we listen to Rabbi Dovid Cohen - Administrative Rabbinical Coordinator at the cRc explains to us how to achieve the obligation of having your matzos baked with the right intentions, lishmah. To what extent? How do we achieve this? Who can bake the matzos? All these questions and more. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawar...

Baking Matzah Let’s listen in to a fascinating conversation with Rabbi Dovid Cohen - Administrative Rabbinical Coordinator at the cRc as he walks us through the matzah baking process in great detail. A step by step explanation of the process explaining where there may be potential problems of letting the dough sit, without being worked on. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.co...

Chometz In Disguise. “What can be wrong with…?” That’s a question that is fairly common when it comes to kashrus. But when it comes to Pesach, the answer to that question changes drastically. Let’s listen in to Rabbi Avraham Juravel who is a Rabbinic Coordinator at the OU, as well as being in charge of their ingredient division, who explains in great detail what can be wrong with seemingly innocuo...

The Forbidden Formula Back in the day, Hamantashen were much simpler. There were a few basic fillings, such as raspberry jam and poppy seed. Today it is much more complicated, as they can range from dairy caramel filled Hamantashen, to pulled beef stuffed Hamantashen. How does this affect the Halacha? Do they need special simanim? Let’s listen to Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Kashrus administrator at the...

In It For The Long Haul Most commercial products nowadays have some sort of liquid in their ingredient panel. The complexities of transporting liquids and keeping them kosher while being transported, falls directly under the watchful eye of Rabbi Yochanan Schnall - a Rabbinic Coordinator at the cRc in charge of their transportation industry. Let’s listen in as he takes us on a tour behind the scen...

To Eradicate The Pests Hydroponics. Aeroponics. Vertical farming. These are just a few of the terms of recent innovations in the world of agriculture. How do these various methods of planting produce affect the levels of infestation? Let’s listen to Rabbi Sholom Tendler - Kashrus Administrator at the STAR-K as he addresses these timely issues and more. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashru...

Shabbos Mode Redefined How has Shabbos mode been refined to avoid the newer shailos that have arisen? Let’s listen to Rabbi Tzvi Ortner - Director of the Technology Department at the OU as he walks us through ovens and other appliances. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/oven-overhaul Join a Let’s Talk Kashrus WhatsApp Group for educational content and kashrus updates...

The Shabbos Keeper. Technology has come a long way since the refrigerator has been invented. Together with the advancements in technology come many complications in Halacha. Whether it involves sensors, compressors, defrosters, or the good old shaila of the light bulb, a group of Rabbonim have strived to find a heter to all of these shailos that is 100% lechatchila to use. Let’s listen to Rabbi Tz...

Some topics need to be revisited as technology evolves. Food delivery service apps such as door-dash and Uber-eats definitely fall in that category. So even though we already covered the basics last year, let’s find out what’s new in this field with Rabbi Sholom Tendler a Kashrus Administrator at the STAR-K. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/there-s-an-app-for-that J...

Purity In A Sour World The key ingredient in all vinegars is wine. The key ingredient in most wines are grapes. For this reason many vinegars are very kosher sensitive. Let’s listen in to Rabbi Dovid Cohen - Administrative Rabbinical Coordinator at the cRc as he details each type of vinegar and their kashrus concerns. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/vinegar-vignett...

A Guide To Chodosh In The Digital Age For those who are makpid on eating only yoshon, it always involved a paperback booklet that listed various products and at what date they started being problematic. Let’s listen to Rabbi Sholom Tendler - Kashrus Administrator at the Star-K as he guides us through advancements in technology, and what that means for the consumer. View it in its entirety at https...

Bishul Yisrael Sefaradi One of the biggest and often the most complicated chumros that sefardim are makpid on is the criteria to have bishul yisrael. Let’s listen in to R’ Hayim Arking - Administrator at the JSOR as he explains the complexities of restaurants dealing with bishul yisrael Sefaradi requests, and the ingenious ideas that are implemented. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusa...

Nusach Sefard Most kashrus agencies rely on the psak of the Rem”a for ashkenazim, because that is the base of their clientele. Let’s listen in to R’ Hayim Arking - Administrator at the JSOR as he explains the complexities of certifying kashrus according to the Mechaber. He goes through one by one, the various challenges that need to be addressed to ensure kashrus lemehadrin for sefardim (in additi...

Kashrus 101 Sometimes when we think of certain products we assume that they are very basic simple products, so what can go wrong with them. We will focus on 2 such products today, olives, and olive oil. Rabbi Menachem Fishbane - Rabbinic Coordinator at Kof-K explains to us what goes into these 2 products. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/olive-beis Join a Let’s Talk...

חמץ שעבר עליו הפסח Chometz? Who’s thinking about Chometz now? Pesach isn’t for another 4 months. For some Mashgichim like Rabbi Akiva Niehaus (Director of Kashrus Operations at the cRc and the Rabbinic Coordinator of the Liquor Industry at the cRc), it is a year round worry. If the owner of a liquor company is Jewish, there can be some serious concerns in regard to aged liquor. Specifically when i...

Croutons, Bagel & Pita Chips In this final segment of our Brachos series Rabbi Dovid Heber - Kashrus Administrator at Star-K breaks down the various breads that aren’t necessarily homatzi once they are in their final stage. View it in its entirety at https://www.kashrusawareness.com/post/breaking-bread Join a Let’s Talk Kashrus WhatsApp Group for educational content and kashrus updates https://wa....

Can Alcohol Be Avodah Zara? What’s the possible connection between alcohol and avodah zara? From Saké which plays an integral part in Japanese culture to Trappist beers created in monasteries by monks, Rabbi Akiva Niehaus - Director of Kashrus Operations at the cRc and the Rabbinic Coordinator of the Liquor Industry at the cRc discusses the various drinks and the halachic ramifications. View it in...