Winter 2026

“I would like to purchase a countertop which can be kashered for Pesach. What should I buy?”

“I moved into a house, and the previous owner was not Jewish. Can I kasher the countertop?”

The answer to these questions and variations thereof depends on the material from which the countertop is made. We will begin by addressing which materials can be kashered and which cannot; then describe the kashering process; and finally, conclude with guidelines for countertops that cannot be kashered.

Countertop Materials

Kitchen countertops can be made from a host of different materials.  Some materials can be kashered, and some cannot. (See the chart in Fig. 1.)

With regard to stone countertops, there are two basic types:

► A natural stone slab – This is one large piece of natural stone. The slab is mined whole and left intact.

►  An engineered stone composite – This consists of stone fragments which have been pressed and […]

Winter 2025

Mazel tov, you are the new parents of a baby boy! If the baby is the bechor of his mother – meaning that he is his mother’s first child – he will need to be redeemed by a kohen. The Torah tells us that Hashem slew every firstborn male in Mitzrayim, passing over the houses of the Bnei Yisrael. As a result, firstborn males acquired a measure of kedusha and must be redeemed by a kohen. The halachos of pidyon haben are somewhat complex and you may not have the time to familiarize yourself with them. Here, then, is a brief primer according to Ashkenazi custom.[1]

When Is a Pidyon Not Required?

If the baby is not his mother’s first child, even if he is his father’s first child

If the father is a kohen or levi, or if the mother is the daughter of a kohen or levi[...] Read More