Tag Archives: shechita

Producción de Carne Kasher: Shechita Flies South

By: Rabbi Zvi Holland

Spring 2024

From time immemorial, no matter where in the far-flung Diaspora, the presence of a Jewish community has always meant that there was shechita in proximity. The position of community shochet was one of a klei kodesh and the shochtim of a community were subject to the supreme jurisdiction of the local rav and/or Beis Din.

Here, in the U.S., it was no different. On November 15, 1660, a man named Asser (Asher) Levy acquired a license to serve as the first kosher butcher in the small Dutch-controlled hamlet of Nieuw Amsterdam – now better known as New York City.[1] Ever since, maintaining a reliable supply of kosher beef has been an integral part of Jewish communal life in the U.S. Previous Kashrus Kurrents articles have offered a glimpse into the challenges shechita has faced on these shores and the changes to the way kosher meat is supplied […]

The Kosher Conversation Episode 13: Nikkur and Melicha

By: Rabbi Chananya Jacobson

Nikkur and Melicha With Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld

In this episode we go in depth about the steps taken to prepare kosher meat for consumption – nikkur and melicha.

Rabbi Kurcfeld, drawing on his experience in this field, and describes the various parts of the animal, and how they are prepared by removing cheilev, the forbidden fats, and how the blood is removed through salting.

Bonus Question! Is pate de foie gras kosher?

The Kosher Conversation Episode 12: Kosher Meat Production

By: Rabbi Chananya Jacobson

Kosher Meat Production with Rabbi Tzvi Shaul Goldberg

In this episode, Rabbi Tzvi Shaul Goldberg, Kashrus Administrator at the STAR-K, takes us through the various steps of kosher meat production. Hear about the thought, the training and the skill that go into shechita, bedika, nikkur, and melicha, as Rabbi Goldberg talks about his personal experience and training in the field.

Learn about some of the gritty details that need to be observed to determine if a shechita is acceptable.

Finally, unravel some of the mystery surrounding chassidishe shechita!

The Kosher Conversation Episode 11: Shochtim and Chalafim

By: Rabbi Chananya Jacobson

Rav Moshe Heinemann on Shochtim and Chalafim

In this episode Rav Heinemann discusses what exactly “kabbalah” for shechita means, and what a shochet needs to know to qualify.

We also take a look at the knives used for shechita, and learn about the Rov’s personal chalaf collection.

The Kosher Conversation Episode 10: Which Meat Is Kosher?

By: Rabbi Chananya Jacobson

Rav Moshe Heinemann on Which Meat is Kosher

In this episode Rav Heinemann discusses the traditions to eat various animals. Some of the topics discussed:

What makes a chicken a chicken? Is turkey kosher? Do we need a mesorah for various breeds of cows? Can we shecht giraffes?

All this and much more on this episode of the Kosher Conversation!