Pre-Purchase Advice – for Ovens and Cooktops
Visit the STAR-K website at www.star-k.org.php73-40.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com.php73-40.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com.php73-40.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com for lists of oven products under STAR-K certification.
Countertop Pre-Purchase Advice
Granite, Marble, or Stainless Steel – To kasher (for year-round and Pesach), clean the countertop, wait 24 hours after its last use, and then pour boiling water over each part of the countertop. You may need to refill the pot several times. (It is not sufficient to pour on one spot and let the water run over the counter.) Make sure the material is a pure granite or stone. Sometimes they are really “composites” and therefore CANNOT be kashered.
Wood may also be kashered as stainless steel if it has a smooth surface and no cracks.
Porcelain Enamel, Dupont Corian® Solid Surface and Corian® Quartz Surface (formerly called Zodiaq®), Formica, Silestone – Star-K policy does not allow kashering of plastic or materials with plastic components.
Year-Round Use: As long as the countertop is clean, it may be used for cold pots and food. Hot food should not be placed on it. If inadvertently hot food was put […]
Rabbi Dr. Moshe Tendler Revisits the Question of Kosher Veal
Click here to visit the entire article and pictures: http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=59168
Baltimore, MD – April 23, 2015 – It is well known that when the Posek Hador, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Zatza”l, wrote his famous Teshuva inIgros Moshe Even HaEzer IV 92, in 1982, which placed severe restrictions on the production and purchase of Kosher white veal to the point that those who followed his Psak stopped eating Veal, his son-in-law, Rabbi Dr. Moshe D. Tendler, Shlit”a, a Rosh Yeshiva in Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchonon, Rov in Monsey and biology professor at Yeshiva University, was Rav Moshe’s “right hand” in this psak. Rabbi Dr. Tendler in addition to his vast knowledge of Halacha and Science, had significant practical experience in Shechita including having headed the Shechita department of the Orthodox Union for a time.
Since then, Rav Tendler, Shlit”a, and many of his and Rav Moshe’s Talmidim, have abstained from eating veal due to […]
What it Took for STAR-K to Certify the GA Under Secret Service Surveillance
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 […]
STAR-K Summer 5784/2024 Kashrus Training Seminars
11th Annual Foodservice Mashgiach Training Seminar
July 29-31, 2024
Foodservice Mashgiach Training Application Form
21st Annual Kashrus Training Program
August 5-8, 2024
Kashrus Training Program Application Form
For more information, contact Rabbi Zvi Goldberg at 410-484-4110 ext. 219, or email him at [email protected].
Please note that applicants may apply for only one seminar per year.
Both programs will be held at STAR-K’s Baltimore corporate headquarters.
Each program is limited to 25 attendees.
This widely acclaimed four-day program provides rabbonim, certifying agency administrators, kollel members, and others serving in klei kodesh, the opportunity to meet the personalities behind the internationally recognized and trusted STAR-K symbol. Attendees will be provided with a hands-on, practical application of the Shulchan Aruch, and learn how to structure a kashrus organization, along with the ins and outs of kashrus challenges at various venues.
Seminar participants will be taken behind the scenes of a first class luxury hotel’s kosher kitchen […]
Heimishe Kosher Visits STAR-K
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 […]
When You Need to Knead: A Guide to Hafrashas Challah
One of the many ways Klal Yisroel serves the Ribbono Shel Olam is through the performance of mizvos hateluyos ba’aretz, mitzvos that are dependent on land. Those who live in the land of Israel have many opportunities to fulfill these mitzvos. In chutz la’aretz, the mitzvah of hafrashas Challah is one of the only agricultural mitzvos that we are obligated to perform.1
HOT OFF THE HOTLINE: Kosher is Healthier
“Do you really know what Kosher means?”
“I think so.”
“Fine, so tell me, what is Kosher?”
“Kosher means that the food is clean and healthy.”
“No, Kosher means that the food production was blessed by a Rabbi.”
A Crystal-Clear Halachic Approach to Glass
Glass is one of nature’s most versatile products created from some of nature’s most prevalent raw materials: sand, soda and lime. In the food industry glass applications are extremely diverse. Glass can be made into delicate drinking glasses as well as tough heat resistant ceramic cook tops withstanding temperatures over 1000°F.
The Kashrus of Tea – With No Strings Attached!
Published Summer 2013
Americans, generally, do not drink as much tea as the rest of world. This may have something to do with a certain party they had in Boston a while back. That being the case, you might be surprised to learn that tea is second only to water in worldwide beverage consumption. In fact, some estimates place tea consumption in the billions of cups daily. That’s a lot of tea. However, with recent health benefits being ascribed to tea, its popularity in this country is definitely on the rise. In this article we will explore the world of tea and what questions there are vis-à-vis kashrus and halacha. First, a little background is in order.
Knowing Your Beans: The Kashrus of Coffee
Bedouins savor it thick and rich out of small ornate cups. Some like it black, while others must have cream and sugar. The adventurous will try one of the many flavored coffees available, while the purist would not hear of it. No matter how you enjoy it, coffee remains one of the most popular beverages on the planet. The per capita consumption of coffee in the U.S. alone approaches 30 gallons a year.
Kashrus in High Spirits
Winter 2005
Jewish life-cycle events, be it a bris, a bar mitzvah, or a wedding, are special occasions that we anticipate eagerly and celebrate with joy. At any simcha, we fill our cups with wine, raise our glasses of schnapps, and with great fervor pronounce a resounding “L’chaim!” in honor of the blessed event. This custom of melding alcohol with simcha has been a Jewish practice from time immemorial. The cup that is raised today, however, bears very little resemblance to that of yesteryear.
The Art of Kosher Wine Making
In the Torah’s eye, nature’s quintessential beverage is “the fruit of the vine,” grape wine. Our Sages tell us of wine’s importance throughout the calendar year and throughout the Jewish life cycle. The Jewish People sanctifies Shabbos or Yom Tov over wine. At the Pesach Seder we express the four expressions of Geulah (freedom) over wine. One recites Sheva Brachos at a wedding over wine. A special Bracha was established by our Sages especially for wine, “Borei Pri HaGafen “ .
Facts on Wax: Are Vegetables and Fruit Waxes Kosher?
You may notice at your favorite supermarket the following statement next to the prominent “Summer Fruits from California” banner: “Coated with food grade vegetable, petroleum, and/or shellac-based wax or resin to maintain freshness” on their favorite fruits and vegetables. What are waxes? Are there any Kashrus concerns? Let us examine some of the Kosher facts on wax.
Hydroponics
The AeroGarden is a unique hydroponic system, enabling home-growing of vegetables. ( Note: STAR-K no longer certifies The Aerogarden) The entrance of this system into the marketplace presents an opportunity to discuss the history and halachos of hydroponics.
All Washed Up
In the health conscious world of the new millennium, healthful fine dining and garden fresh vegetables have taken an honorable position of prominence. Salad bars are in vogue. A colorful salad helps dress up the bland dinner plate. Fresh vegetables are healthy and wholesome. Unfortunately, it also causes havoc with the G-d fearing housewife, or the caterer’s mashgiach, who want to make sure that the vegetables served are not only clean and fresh, but insect-free, as well. Oftentimes, this task is tedious, time consuming, and frustrating. This is particularly true when dealing with large quantities of exotic, leafy vegetables that have to be inspected in a relatively short amount of time. What is the answer?
The Spice of Life: A Kashrus Overview of Salt & Pepper
The use of spices in preparing food has played a role in history disproportionate to their nutritional value. A ransom paid by Alaric the Goth that included three thousand pounds of pepper delayed the attack of Rome for two years. The discovery of the New World was due, in great measure to the search for such spices; that was the main objective of the early trans-Atlantic explorers. Our Rabbis tell us1 that the Torah is compared to salt and the Mishna to pepper. Indeed, the kashrus issues related to salt and pepper give us sufficient reason to analyze these primary food ingredients.
Olive Oil: The Contemporary Industry of Antiquity
Olive oil, the liquid gold of the ancients was touted for its nutritional, medicinal, and cosmetic value. As a fuel it 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.
Industrial Eggs: Not As Simple As it May Seem
The talmudic paradigm for a concept that is blatantly obvious is Keveiasa Bechuscha, the issue is as clear as the permissibility of mixing eggs into dairy products. However, things are not always as simple as they may seem, and just as the Ba’alei HoTosfos in Maseches Eiruvin discuss how less than “obvious” this concept may be, the production and use of eggs in modern food production pose questions whose answers are far from being considered obvious. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the issues that confront modern kashrus supervision as they relate to egg production.
Dried Fruit: Nature’s Way of Wrinkling Gracefully
It has been called nature’s candy. It’s a sweet source of nutrition whose popularity is on the rise. Commensurate with its growing popularity is its demand. In today’s global economy the dried fruit trade literally spans the entire globe. Apples from China, prunes from Bulgaria, figs from the Middle East, dates from Tunisia, or raisins from South America, and of course apples, peaches, plums, raisins, figs, and dates in the good old USA. Naturally, this growth presents a whole new set of challenges to kashrus agencies. How do you send a mashgiach to supervise date productions in Pakistan, raisin productions in Iran, or plum productions in Bulgaria?
A 30 Year Retrospective on Kashrus Kurrents
Published Summer 2008
Approximately thirty years ago shortly before “Pesach” 5738 Mr. A. J. Levin, a vice president of the Orthodox Jewish Council, began publishing Kashrus Kurrents. In that first issue, printed on the familiar yellow paper with the blue Kashrus Kurrents logo, it was deemed necessary to advise the Baltimore community that they cannot rely on labels or advertisements that merely states ‘Kosher for Passover’. From that same issue we learned that the fledgling Star-K organization had just inaugurated its kosher hot-line whereby one could get accurate kashrus information Monday through Thursday between the hours of 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Money-Saving Tips and Strategies for Passover and Year-Round
When we prepare to celebrate our freedom from Egyptian slavery on Pesach, the last thing we want to do is enslave ourselves to debt in paying for that eight-day celebration! Although the Gemorah states that when Hashem assigns a person’s livelihood on Rosh Hashanah for the coming year, He does not deduct Shabbos and Yom Tov expenses from the sum allocated, it is no mitzvah to spend money for those expenses, needlessly. With a little forethought and planning, you can implement some helpful money saving tips, year-round, in anticipation of Pesach.
Optimally, it would be wise to budget for Pesach, well in advance. Decide how much you will have to spend, and what you might need to cut from your budget to achieve that figure, by asking yourself: How much do I typically spend on groceries, monthly? How much did I spend on Pesach, last year? What are the specifics of […]
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.
Shmitta 5768
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.
Meat and Dairy-A Kosher Consumer’s Handbook
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.
Creating a Round Cake Decorated as a Sun | Doing Dental Work on a Parent
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.
Birchas Hachama 5769
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
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.
Drinking Responsibly: Taking stock of the Star-K Liquor List
Published Fall 2009
Introduction:
Since the appearance of the first Star-K approved liquor list over 12 years ago, the liquor industry has become visibly spirited, sophisticated and very high profile. As society moves in that direction, so has the kosher consumer. Whether or not this is meritorious is not for us to editorialize. However, baruch Hashem, life cycle simchos continue to abound, and a hearty l’chaim is still an integral part of sharing in one’s simchos. Briefly, Kashrus Kurrents wants to update its readership concerning the past and current trends that have taken place, as well as how we arrived at our conclusions, under the direction of our esteemed Rav Hamachshir, Harav Moshe Heinemann, shlita.
The Halachic Guide to Kiddush
Published Winter 2009
One of the most beautiful scenes in Yiddishkeit is the family gathered around the table for Kiddush, a special moment for which we wait all week. On Yom Tov, the beautiful melody1 ushers in each of the Shalosh Regalim with much excitement.
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