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 […]

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

http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=57739

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=55132

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 […]

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/272450/what-it-took-for-star-k-to-certify-the-ga-under-secret-service-surveillance.html

http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=54403

[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 […]

http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=51435

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/253323/star-k-food-service-kashrus-training-seminar-draws-attendees-from-far-and-near.html

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 […]

http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=48939

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 […]