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September 10 – Baltimore–STAR-K Certification Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Sholom Tendler was invited by HaRav Hershel Rosenfeld, the Rosh HaKollel of Baltimore’s newest kollel, Khal Chassidim Kollel L’Horo’ah, to present a shiur on chalav Yisrael to the yungerleit, on Labor Day.

Explaining how the chalav Yisrael kashrus program for STAR-K certified “Pride of the Farm” works, Rabbi Tendler began by reviewing the basic halachos of chalav Yisrael. He then covered how the farm operates and what oversight and safeguards are in place to ensure the cows are kosher and not “treifa”—i.e., that they are not operated on or have any sicknesses that would affect the kashrus of the milk. He concluded with an explanation of how the milk is watched and tracked to ensure chalav Yisrael status and maintained l’mihadrin min ha’mihadrin.

“Rabbi Sholom Tendler, besides being a big Talmid Chuchem, is an expert in Kashrus,” noted HaRav Rosenfeld. “The way he […]

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http://matzav.com/pluto-and-the-turs-jewish-calendar-cycle/

http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=64235

“New Horizons” (NASA’s Mission to Pluto) recently came within 7,800 miles of Pluto and brought much attention to this dwarf planet that at any given time is between 2.66 billion and 4.68 billion miles away from Earth.

As we begin Rosh Hashanah, 5776, which will mark the beginning of the final year of the 304th nineteen year cycle since Brias Haolam (the creation of the world), it is interesting to note the amazing similarity between the amount of time it takes Pluto to orbit the the sun and the Jewish Calendar cycle based on 13 – nineteen year cycles found in the Tur (Orach Chaim Siman 428).

The Tur’s chart is based on a 247-year cycle and it takes Pluto about 247 years to orbit the sun.

This is the Tur’s 247-year calendar found in Orach Chaim, Siman 428, in Hilchos Rosh Chodesh. Note the marks we have added to illustrate how the […]

http://matzav.com/two-star-k-kashrus-training-seminars-draw-participants-from-toronto-to-deerfield-beach/

​http://www.thelakewoodscoop.com/news/2015/07/two-star-k-kashrus-training-seminars-draw-participants-from-toronto-to-deerfield-beach-photos.html

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http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/329375/two-star-k-kashrus-training-seminars-draw-participants-from-toronto-to-deerfield-beach.html

Baltimore, MD – July 27, 2015 – If you place food on a crock pot that is on a timer for Shabbos, is it considered bishul Yisroel? Beyond the food, what obligations does a Kashrus agency have in a facility, e.g., the attire of the wait staff, the type of entertainment and music played, etc.? What is the criterion for Kashrus agencies to decide whether or not to certify an establishment that has just lost its certification?

The answers to these intriguing questions and more were shared by STAR-K Rabbinic Administrator HaRav Moshe Heinemann, shlita, at the 12th Annual STAR-K Kashrus Training Program, held July 13-16, and its back-to-back annual Food Service Kashrus Training Seminar, held July 20-22, in STAR-K’s Baltimore, Maryland, offices.  The former was coordinated by STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Zvi Goldberg; the latter, by STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Sholom Tendler.  In addition to lectures such as: Administrative Issues; […]

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/318326/mevakshai-hashem-cheder-students-get-their-kashrus-queries-answered-by-star-k-certification.html

http://matzav.com/mevakshai-hashem-cheder-students-have-their-kashrus-queries-answered-by-star-k-certification/

http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=61182

Last month, STAR-K Certification received an envelope filled with handwritten letters that asked questions like: ‘How many different lands do you go to, to give a hechsher?’ ‘How many hours a day do you spend at each company?’ and ‘How do you become a mashgiach?’ Accompanying the inquisitive, complimentary letters full of hakaras hatov, written by the obviously precocious second graders of Mevakshai Hashem– a Chasidishe cheder located in Boro Park–was a cover letter addressed to STAR-K by the boys’ rebbe, Rabbi Dovid Weinberger:

“These letters were written to you as part of our school’s General Studies “food science project”. This program consisted of writing first to ordinary food companies, and then to kashrus agencies. Each class was given another organization to write to; we chose the STAR-K.”

Eight-year-old Chananya Rosenberg was creative in illustrating every letter “K” in his letter as a “STAR-K” logo when he wrote:

“I want to thank you […]

http://matzav.com/star-k-speakers-bureau-travels-near-and-far-to-bring-kashrus-to-a-variety-of-venues

https://www.chazaq.org/?section=news&k=star-k-speakers-bureau-travels-near-and-far-to-bring-kashrus-to-a-variety-of-venues

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It was not Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld’s first time in South Bend, Indiana, when he traveled there on January 27. Although the STAR-K Kashrus Administrator had been there previously, solely on Kashrus business, this time, in addition, he was asked by Rabbi Meir Bulman, Rav of the Hebrew Orthodox Congregation, to make two, women-only, vegetable inspection presentations– one for the Bais Yaakov of Indiana high school students and the other for the women of the community.

“I was totally amazed and, quite frankly, pleasantly surprised at the number of frum women who attended,” admitted Rabbi Kurcfeld. “Additionally, it gave me great pleasure to see both their attention and enthusiasm, but more so, the seriousness they gave the subject matter by really trying their utmost to learn the process in the short time that we had.”

Rabbi Kurcfeld is part of STAR-K’s Speakers Bureau, comprised of administrative staff members who travel throughout the […]

http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/products/star-k-kosher-certification-sets-precedent-with-staff-haccp-training/

http://www.gourmetretailer.com/top-story-center_store-star_k_kosher_certification_haccp_trains_entire_administrative_staff_-11976.html

http://www.qai-inc.com/newsroom/enews/qnews_2015_q4_haccp-training.asp

STAR-K Kosher Certification has become the first major organization of its kind to train its entire Kosher administrative staff in Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP)––a systematic, scientifically-based approach to food safety, provides a method for identifying significant physical, chemical, and microbiological hazards in the production of food and implementing control measures to prevent, eliminate, or reduce significant hazards to an acceptable level.

The two-day in-house training at STAR-K’s Baltimore headquarters was lead by NSF International in November 2014. The Kosher organization’s staff traveled from all over the U.S. After formal training, all staff members passed the qualifying exam.

“STAR-K Kosher Administrators, who are already visiting plants to set up impeccable Kosher standards, have a distinct advantage when they are proficient in areas of food safety, as well,” explains STAR-K Kosher Certification president Dr. Avrom Pollak. “It is with that in mind that we arranged to have NSF International provide in-house HACCP […]

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/278129/STAR-K-Visit-Highlighted-by-Rav-Binyomin-Friedman-on-Atlanta-Scholars-Kollel-Trip.html

One of the first stops Rabbi Binyomin Friedman made in Baltimore, on Thursday, December 11, after flying up the night before from Atlanta, was STAR-K Kosher Certification. The dozen or so men, aged 30-60, who accompanied him were just some of his students at the Atlanta Scholars Kollel (ASK). The Kollel organized the trip for the purpose of providing the opportunity to learn in a Yeshiva—something that most of these men had never experienced in person.

“We spent Thursday through Sunday at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel,” says Rabbi Friedman, an alumnus of the yeshiva who is the Rav of Congregation Ariel in Dunwoody, Georgia, in addition to one of the founding rebbeim of ASK. “When we were not learning, we spent our time learning about the infrastructure of a frum community. The STAR-K was one of our first stops. Commercial Kashrus supervision is fundamental to the existence of the contemporary Jewish community. […]

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By BJLife/Isaac Draiman
Baltimore, MD – Dec. 8 – This past Sunday a group visiting from Detroit had an opportunity to learn about the various response organizations that serve the Baltimore Jewish Community.

Approximately 30 visitors traveling to Baltimore with the Partners in Torah branch of Detroit came to Baltimore to see how our Orthodox Community is structured. After visiting Ner Israel and having a meeting with the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Aharon Feldman, shlita, they came to Bnos Yisroel to see firsthand the uniqueness of our chesed organizations.

Representatives of Hatzolah, Shomrim and Chaverim were on hand, explaining their histories and services provided. Dovid Heyman, Executive Director and Paramedic with Hatzalah of Baltimoreexplained the lifesaving emergency services they provide. Nathan Willner, General Counsel  and  Michael Diamond, dispatcher, of the Baltimore Shomrim Safety Patrol , and David Bagan, President of Chaverim also took turns explaining their organizations services as well. Many of the attendees […]

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[By: Margie Pensak]

Security was tight at STAR-K Certification’s largest and most challenging food service supervision, to date–The Jewish Federations of North America’s 2014 General Assembly (GA), the premier annual North American Jewish communal event, held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, in National Harbor, Maryland, November 9-12. Vice President Joe Biden was one of the several scheduled speakers and I had to make sure I arrived early enough before Gaylord’s security lockdown. I never did get to see the Vice President, while I was touring the kosher kitchen with STAR-K Assistant Director of Supervision Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld, who spearheaded the kashrus team for this event. But, I did feel the thrill of the anticipation of his arrival, as I went through more than one security checkpoint and watched a sniffing K-9 attack trained German shepherd police dog check out the crowd!

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center is […]

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Baltimore, MD – Aug. 4– Yosef Cohen has been attending a community kollel in Raanana, Israel, for the past five years. He decided to sign up forSTAR-K’s Food Service Kashrus Training Seminar, held July 28-30, because he is considering moving back to the US and will need a parnasa.

“I was always interested in Hashgacha and have taken a Hashgacha course in Eretz Yisroel and received a certificate from Rav Efrati and the Rabanut of Israel,” notes Mr. Cohen, a first time STAR-K seminar attendee.  “The STAR-K training seminar was a great review of the pertinent Halachos, and gave amazing hands on information and tips for the seasoned and beginner.”

What Mr. Cohen found most helpful was learning how to deal with the vendors: “We learned to always be a mensch and remember that you are the Rabbi while on the job, whether you think of yourself like that or not, and […]

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Baltimore, MD – May 2014 – Earlier this month, STAR-K Kosher Certification was represented at the sold-out Torah Umesorah 58th Annual National Leadership Convention by STAR-K President Dr. Avrom Pollak, STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Baruch Beyer, and STAR-K Director of Special Projects Rabbi Zvi Holland, who introduced mechanchim to the STAR-K Kosher Classroom.

The STAR-K Kosher Classroom, which debuted at the convention, is an initiative to develop curricular materials for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. The first group of  posters and videos were prepared to present to the 1,800 attendees from throughout the U.S., Canada and elsewhere around the world, to generate interest, feedback and partnership from those who will actually be presenting the materials.

“Just as we do not charge for our extensive Kashrus education programs and community services, we are not charging for these materials, “ noted Rabbi Holland. “We wanted the teachers to tell us what materials they […]

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/213354/heimishe-kosher-visits-star-k.html

STAR-K Kosher Certification recently held its first Winter Kashrus Training Program for a group of mashgichim from New York. The participants, who live in Boro Park, traveled to attend the seminar in Baltimore on three consecutive Sundays, January-February. The program was the brainchild of Mr. Meir Rand, a Chasidishe mashgiach who has worked in various kitchen venues in Boro Park. Realizing the lack of Chasidishe mashgiach training, he approached STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Zvi Holland with his well-accepted idea of a training program.

“I was very, very happy with the program; I learned such new chidushim and how to deal with people in Kashrus work,” says Mr. Rand. “I have no words. It was mamash amazing–meyradik!

“The Chasidishe community doesn’t yet have such a training program for their mashgichim,” continues Mr. Rand. “We have no mesuderdik system for training them and we found out that STAR-K has the best training system for […]

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/211002/star-k-hosts-j-e-w-seminar.html

On Wednesday, January 8, STAR-K Kosher Certification’s Baltimore offices hosted a seminar for Jewish Experience Week (J.E.W.). The seminar, led by STAR-K Kashrus Administrators Rabbi Zvi Goldberg and Rabbi Zvi Holland, enlightened college students from around the country about the function of a kosher certification agency and various practical Kashrus issues.

Rabbi Holland’s presentation, “The Wonderful World of Kosher Certification”, covered the history of kosher certification, the globalization of food production and Kosher certification, the difference between a local agency and an International agency, non-profit public agencies certifying kashrus as opposed to individuals, the need and value of retaining public trust in kosher agencies, how halachic decisions are made at STAR-K and how they are kept separate from business, and STAR-K’s unique role as the only major non-profit Kosher agency dedicated only to Kosher. An informative Q & A session followed.

Rabbi Goldberg’s talk, “The Mystical and the Practical”, addressed the Torah basis […]

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/kashrus-corner/178543/star-k-kosher-certification-hosts-back-to-back-training-seminars.html

Is a kosher caterer’s non-Jewish chef allowed to squeeze the juice of fresh grapes into the food he is preparing for an event? Questions such as these, and more, were answered by HaRav Moshe Heinemann, shlit’a, at STAR-K Kosher Certification’s back-to-back seminars, held in their home offices, earlier this month. Participants joined the Foodservice Kashrus Training Seminar, July 1-3, and the Tenth Annual Kashrus Training Program, July 8-11, from across the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Rabbi Yechiel Biberfeld, who has been the Rosh Kollel of the Philadelphia Community Kollel for 13 years, attended the Tenth Annual Kashrus Training program so he could see and hear, first hand, the behind-the-scenes in Kashrus.

“I would like to see the standards of kashrus in our community be even better than they are already,” said Rabbi Biberfeld. “The information and insight from the STAR-K seminar will be helpful in attaining this goal. It gives you a […]

Rabbinic alumni from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) visited STAR-K Kosher Certification’s offices, during their Yarchei Kallah, held in Baltimore, Maryland, April 22-24. Participants traveled from as far away as Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and Oakland, California, for this annual event for American and Canadian Rabbonim, coordinated by Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, University Professor of Jewish History and Jewish Thought and Senior Scholar at Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future.

Over the summer, STAR-K’s Baltimore offices hosted two Mashgichim Review Seminars which were attended by close to 50 mashgichim. The participants, who act in a kashrus supervisory capacity primarily for restaurants, caterers, camps, and college campus Kosher programs, came from throughout the Maryland-Pennsylvania region.

Rabbi Daniel Presman traveled 10,800 roundtrip miles, a 22-hour roundtrip flight from his hometown of Porto Alegre, Brazil, just to attend STAR-K’s ninth annual Kashrus Training Program, July 16-19, held in its Baltimore offices. Hearing about the program via an email, he was convinced that it would be well worth the trip– he was not disappointed.

The field of Kashrus is diverse and multi-faceted. These attributes are mirrored in the multi-talented, eclectic STAR-K Kosher Certification’s Kashrus Administrators, who recently took Kashrus on the road to audiences in Baltimore, Lakewood, North Miami Beach, and Oak Park, Michigan. Their topics spanned everything from Astronomy to Kosher Organic Certification.

It should have come as no surprise when the Philippine Department of Agriculture sponsored the first official Philippine Pavilion at last month’s Kosherfest 2012, which included manufacturers of Kosher-certified products derived from coconuts, bananas and processed mangoes. Consul General Mario L. de Leon Jr., of the Philippine Consulate General New York, cut the ribbon at the pavilion and spoke at the Interest Session provided by Kosherfest organizers. The way was paved for Filipino exporters of processed food to explore the lucrative niche market of Kosher-certified food products.

A Supreme Effort for Kashrus

I doubt if any of the 3000 plus attendees at the 2012 Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly (GA) had as great an appreciation as I, of the efforts made to ensure the food they ate met the fod service industry’s highest kosher standards.

It’s a busy Friday afternoon, with just a couple of hours left until Shabbos. Not the best time, perhaps, for your husband to be unsure about the kashrus status of the chicken you are about to cook! You try contacting your Rav, but to your great dismay, he is unavailable.