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 […]

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 […]

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 […]