Search Articles
Filter By
  • Appliances
  • Getting Certified
  • Insect Checking
  • Insights From the Institute
  • Israel
  • Keeping Kosher
  • Medicine
  • Mitzvos
  • Shabbos
  • Travel
  • Yom Tov
    • Hotel Kashrus on the Front Lines

    Hotel Kashrus on the Front Lines

    Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld, Star-K Kashrus Administrator

    Published Summer 2007

    Introduction

    The world of hotel kashrus is exciting, stressful and always a challenge.  Effective hotel
    kashrus demands a keen understanding of modern equipment and complex facility
    dynamics, along with an excellent mastery of the hotel food and beverage industry.  These
    criteria are essential in facilitating the role of the administrator and mashgiach as respected members and powerful presence in the hotel kitchen.  The role of the mashgiach, once typecast as that of an old man with a white beard sitting on a chair, has changed.  Not only does the mashgiach need to know that dairy and meat must be kept separate, the “new-age” mashgiach must relate to the kitchen and serving staff with diplomacy and grace.

    Planning Your Simcha; The Agony or Ecstasy

    Planning Your Simcha; The Agony or Ecstasy

    By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

    Published Summer 2007

    The joy, the planning, the anticipation, the expense — there is a lot that goes into a Yiddishe simcha. Be it a chasuna, Bar Mitzvah, or bris, every significant life cycle event is extra special and the baalei simcha want to ensure that their guests have a good time.  Central to that goal is a delicious seudas mitzvah.  Endless hours of planning are spent making sure everything is perfect, from the decor to the menu.  Is the same effort expended regarding the kashrus level of the event? If the simcha is being catered, does the caterer have reliable kosher certification?  As catering costs have risen, consumers have opted to cater their own simchas.  This article will attempt to address some key issues that one should consider when catering an event. 

    Kashrus seminar-2007

    Kashrus seminar-2007

    With the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, Poland became the recognized haven for exiles from Western Europe and the cultural/spiritual center of the Jewish people.  Prior to the outbreak of World War II, it housed the second largest Jewish community in the world, with nearly 3.5 million Jews.  All that changed rapidly following Nazi Germany’s invasion in 1939. A scant 11 percent (369,000) of the Polish Jewish population escaped the death camps.  Many fled their native Poland in reaction to anti-Semitic violence or repression under Communism.  Those who stayed often turned their backs on Yiddishkeit.  Now, Polish Jews are feeling a new sense of tolerance and security in their post-Cold War democracy.  An increasing number are returning to their Jewish roots, which in many cases have been discovered only recently.

    Rabbi Mati Kos is the first known religious person in his family in the past […]

    Shmitta 5768

    Shmitta 5768

    By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

    Published Fall 2007

    Dates of Kedushas Shviis, sfichim, and biur can be found in our 2008 Pesach Directory, click here.

    For over nineteen hundred years, the Jewish people have longed to return to Eretz Yisroel, the land of Israel.  It is only there that we can realize our full potential as a nation, and the Torah’s blueprint for life can be completely fulfilled.  Throughout the millennia, the most important dimen­sion of this yearning was to once again be able to fulfill the mitzvos hatluyos ba’aretz (agricultural laws), the commandments that can be observed only in the land of Israel.  With Hashem’s help, many of us in this past generation have realized part of this two thousand year-old dream.  Yet, this realization has presented us with new challenges.

    The Safety of Our Kosher Food

    The Safety of Our Kosher Food

    By: Dr. Avrom Pollak

    Published Winter 2007

    How many Kashrus Kurrents readers have heard this true Jewish fish tale?  In the early 1900’s, when it was customary for Jewish housewives to make homemade gefilte fish, a very important food safety issue came to light.  Diphyllobothrium latum, a fish tapeworm, was identified in the intestines of Jewish homemakers.  It was measured at 30 feet and had a life span of up to 20 years.  This largest parasite of humans attacked the digestive system of the cooks, who would periodically taste the raw concoction of ground freshwater fish to ensure the correct mix of salt and pepper.  Although not fatal, gastrointestinal symptoms accompanied by increased weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy and fatigue were present for months, until the cause was finally discovered.  In our day, the pernicious anemia that results may more likely be obtained from eating sushi or raw contaminated beef.

    It’s Kosher on Paper Only

    It’s Kosher on Paper Only

    By: Rabbi Baruch Beyer

    Published Spring 2008

    If you have ever left cookies in the oven a little too long, and they became stuck to the pan, you know what a frustrating experience it can be.  Imagine multiplying that feeling hundreds or thousands of times, and you will begin to understand one of the major problems that commercial bakeries and food producers face all the time.  To avoid this problem, food manufacturers use release agents to grease the pans.  These agents are frequently found in a spray form, like PAM, and must always be kosher certified.  Paper pan liners may also be used as release agents, particularly in bakeries.  They provide more consistent browning and baking with no added fat or calories, and require less clean-up.  Pan liners are also used by candy makers, and may be used as cupcake holders or wraps for frozen gefilte fish.  Consumers are also discovering […]

    McBiodiesel: New Not So Kosher Vistas for Spent French Fry Oil

    McBiodiesel: New Not So Kosher Vistas for Spent French Fry Oil

    By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

    Published Spring 2008

    In an energy driven world with limited fuel resources, and a public that is totally enamored with its automobiles, industry is constantly looking for inexpensive new sources of alternative fuel.  Biodiesel fuel is one answer.  Biodiesel is a chemical process that separates vegetable oil or animal fats into two parts:  methyl esters – which is another name for biodiesel, and glycerin.  The biodiesel is then blended with alcohol to make biodiesel blends that can be used as a substitute for diesel fuel or other fuel substitutes.

    Meat and Dairy-A Kosher Consumer’s Handbook

    Meat and Dairy-A Kosher Consumer’s Handbook

    By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

    Published Spring 2008

    One of the best known halachos of kashrus is that one may not eat meat and milk together.  One of the reasons that kosher symbols incorporate a ‘D’ onto the kosher certification is to notify the consumer that the product may not be eaten together with meat, or within six hours after eating meat.  Similarly, products containing meat as an ingredient will state “meat” next to the Star-K or other kosher symbol.

    Star-K Side Bar Summer 2008

    Star-K Side Bar Summer 2008

    Other News From The STAR-K

    STAR-K CERTIFICATION

    Announces Monthly TeleKosher Conference Program for Local Kashrus Agencies

    Rice: Natures Answer to Hashems Blessings

    Rice: Natures Answer to Hashems Blessings

    By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

    Published Summer 2008

    It has been touted as nature’s most versatile food.  There is no grain that feeds more people worldwide, and can boast that it is free of gluten and allergens.  When the Gemara in Brachos discusses the blessings that are made before and after eating this grain, the mnemonic used to remember the Gemara’s conclusion is Amen,אמן : “נפשות ” , “מזונות ”, “אורז ” – “Orez”, “Mezonos”, “Nefashos”.  If you haven’t guessed by now, the grain we are discussing is Oryza Sativa, otherwise known in Talmudic terms as 1 “Orez“, “אורז ”. We know it simply as rice.

    Beware: Glatt May Not Always Mean Kosher

    Beware: Glatt May Not Always Mean Kosher

    By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

    Published Summer 2008

    It is written in our Torah, “Ubosor basodeh treifa lo socheilu” (Shmos 22:30), it is forbidden to eat treif meat.  While the expression “treif” has become the universal connotation for food that is not kosher, in truth, the word treif specifically refers to an animal whose flesh was torn or ripped.  Technically speaking, if a kosher species of animal or fowl was attacked by a predator, the meat of the victim may be deemed treif, non-kosher.  However, the meat of an animal improperly kosher slaughtered is not treifa, it is called a neveila.  Technically, meat of a non-kosher animal species is the meat of a temeiah.  Yet, the term “treif” has found its way through the portals of the slaughterhouse, as well as the aisles of the non-kosher meat section of the supermarkets.  No matter what the name, all of these categories of meat […]

    Creating a Round Cake Decorated as a Sun | Doing Dental Work on a Parent

    Creating a Round Cake Decorated as a Sun | Doing Dental Work on a Parent

    By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

    Kashrus Kurrents Summer 2008

    Inaugural Issue: Shailos From The Institute Of Halacha
    Kashrus Kurrents is proud to launch a new column, “Insights from the Institute”.  In this regular feature, Rabbi Mordechai Frankel will share with our readership intriguing shailos from his email inbox. The following is a sampling of the types of interesting questions that will be addressed in future columns.

    STAR-K Launches the Institute of Halacha

    STAR-K Launches the Institute of Halacha

    Summer 2008

    The Mishnah teaches us, “appoint for yourself a rav,” a Torah guide from whom you can acquire clarity through wisdom.  But, what happens when you do not have a personal rav, or you live in a large Jewish community but your Rav is unavailable and time is of the essence for your halachic query?

    STAR-K realizes that there is no substitute for a person’s own rav.  In an effort to offer a possible solution, it has launched its Institute of Halacha as a public service.  Over the years, the agency’s Kashrus Hotline has answered generic halachic questions from kosher consumers the world over, including inquiries regarding the kosher status of foods and certified Sabbath mode appliances.  The formation of a separate official division within STAR-K testifies to the need for addressing these issues.

    The Institute of Halacha is directed by HaRav Mordechai Frankel, under the guidance of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K’s […]

    Star-K Side Bar Fall 2008

    Star-K Side Bar Fall 2008

    Other News From The STAR-K

    STAR-K CERTIFICATION

    TeleKosher Conference Program for Local Kashrus Agencies

    STAR-K’s 5th Annual Kashrus Training Program

    STAR-K’s 5th Annual Kashrus Training Program

    Published Fall 2008

    What do Plano, Texas; Thornhill, Ontario; and Olney, Maryland have in common?  They are just some of the hometowns of STAR-K’s fifth annual Kashrus Training Seminar participants.

    Profiles of Courage and Inspiration

    Profiles of Courage and Inspiration

    By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

    Published Fall 2008

    Part I – A Trip to the Otzer Bais Din
    Dateline:  Erev Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Balak, 8 Tammuz
    Place:  Geula, Yerushalayim

    Charting the Course of Shmitta

    Charting the Course of Shmitta

    By: Rabbi Dovid Stein

    Published Fall 2008

    The mitzvah of shmitta poses many challenges for those who live in Eretz Yisrael.  The main challenge, of course, is for the farmers.  However, the consumer has his challenges, as well.  It is always preferable to purchase produce from stores that have reliable kosher certification to ensure that there are no halachic problems.  If there is no such store available, one must be certain not to transgress the laws of shmitta in the purchase, consumption, or interaction with shmitta produce.  These are the different categories of halachos that one has to take into consideration:

    Heating & Cooling – Using Ice from an Ice Maker on Shabbos | Using an Electric Hot Water Heater on Yom Tov

    Heating & Cooling – Using Ice from an Ice Maker on Shabbos | Using an Electric Hot Water Heater on Yom Tov

    By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

    Kashrus Kurrents Winter 2008

    Q: My freezer has an ice making machine, which has an arm that rises as ice is produced and lowers when ice is removed. I generally turn the machine off before Shabbos by lifting the arm until it is fully raised. If I forget to do this, can I remove ice on Shabbos from the ice maker?

    A: There are various types of ice maker machines available, and they do not all work in the same way.  However, many of the commonly available models employ the following mechanism.  The ice making process begins when the ice maker signals the water valve to open, and a specified amount of […]

    Birchas Hachama 5769

    Birchas Hachama 5769

    By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

    Published Winter 2008

    To hear a comprehensive shiur on Birchas Hachama, click here.
    Listen to a teleconference interview about Birchas Hachama, click here.
    To see Sefer Shaarai Zmannim referenced in this article, click here.

    Bayamim Haheim Bazman Hazeh: Olive Oil – The Contemporary Industry of Antiquity

    Bayamim Haheim Bazman Hazeh: Olive Oil – The Contemporary Industry of Antiquity

    By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

    Published Winter 2008

    Olive oil, the liquid gold of the ancients, was touted for its nutritional, medicinal, and cosmetic value.  As a fuel, olive oil illuminated the home; as a food ingredient, it was a feast to the palate.  Olive oil production is one of the world’s oldest industries.  Interestingly, much of this ancient industry has not changed over the millennia.

    Maris Ayin When Entering Non-Kosher Venues

    Maris Ayin When Entering Non-Kosher Venues

    By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

    Kashrus Kurrents Summer 2009

    Q: May one enter a non‐kosher restaurant to get a drink of water, use the restroom or attend a business luncheon?  If a person does enter such an establishment, may he eat kosher items such as whole fruit?  May one buy a cup of coffee at a non‐kosher facility, such as a highway rest stop or Starbucks?

    The Drinks of a New Generation

    The Drinks of a New Generation

    By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

    Published Summer 2009

    Those of us who remember the famous marketing jingles of years past certainly recall the memorable multitudes of people locking their arms together while singing the praises of a soft drink, “What the world wants is the real thing!”  Today, that exclamation resounds throughout the beverage industry while most of the world is looking for the healthy, natural, nothing artificial, real thing …  others just want something yummy.

    Raising Cane: The Kashrus and Other Halachic Issues of Cane Sugar

    Raising Cane: The Kashrus and Other Halachic Issues of Cane Sugar

    By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

    Published Summer 2009

    It is noteworthy that in both Jewish and secular sources, the first recorded references to cane sugar are attributed to Jewish kings. In Shir HaShirim1, Shlomo Hamelech writes “Yaari Im Divshi,” “My forest with my honey.” Some commentators2 deem this to be referring to cane sugar and deduce that sugar canes are considered trees. Secular sources indicate that cane sugar was first used by man in Polynesia, and from there it spread to India. Darius of Persia invaded India, where he found “the reed which gives honey without bees”. Darius was the son of Achashveirosh and Esther[...] Read More

    When Non-Mevushal Wine Becomes Stam Yeinom | Shipping Packages for Shabbos Delivery

    When Non-Mevushal Wine Becomes Stam Yeinom | Shipping Packages for Shabbos Delivery

    By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

    Kashrus Kurrents Fall 2009

    Q:       I had a bottle of wine stored in the shelving unit on the door of my refrigerator.  I was in the kitchen, and I saw my non-Jewish hired help open the refrigerator.   She knows that she is not allowed to touch my wine, but did not pay attention to the fact that opening the refrigerator moves the wine on the door.  Can I still drink the wine?