Kosher Issue 2015 by Ami Magazine

THE KOSHER FOOD SHADCHAN • NEWS AND TRENDS IN KASHRUS • INSPIRATIONAL STORIES OF KEEPING KOSHER • THE MAN WHO CAME TO KASHER

AND DANGER H ON MASHGICHIM HY HASHGACHA COUNTRIES • W RDER THAN YOU TUNA FISH IS HA L MASHGIACH UA THINK • UNUS EXPERIENCES

The

Amazinyg

Journe of a

r e h t s a o e K r G

K O S H E R

r e k a m e Win Californ

I S S U E • T H E

ER THE KOSH MARKET M TO PIZZA, FRO FROM POPCORN SE: FACTS AND CANDY TO CHEE DN’T KNOW TIDBITS YOU DI TE KOSHER VORI ABOUT YOUR FA CTS PRODU

ISSUE 242 NOVEMBER 11, 2015 29 CHESHVAN 5776 $4.99 OUT OF NY/NJ $5.99 CANADA $6.50 UK £4.50 EUROPE €5.50 ISRAEL NIS 17.90

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THE H’S MASHGIAC WORLDIN FOREIGN

KOSHER STATS EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE KOSHER FOOD CONSUMER

KOSHER WORLD

I S S U E • T H E

Mega Kosher Issue!

THE KOSHER MARKET

K O S H E R

FATE AND TWO SOLDIERS ON A BATTLEFIELD • IS MY LIFE TOO GOOD? • DID A BOMB BRING DOWN THE RUSSIAN PLANE?

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T ARABS AND THE NAZIS: A FORGOTTEN AXIS OF EVIL H Lunchbreak with Shalom Chaim of Taaman Foods / The Light of Chabad Shluchim E

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10 years

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22,388 frum jews reached through a giveaway post in less than 24 hours.

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the statistics A study tracking eye movement, found that readers make eye contact with nearly 90% of all print full-page ads. The trouble is that only 55% ads that are viewed are remembered. The ads that hold the reader for more than 2 seconds are the most remembered. In the 2 seconds a reader takes to look at your ad, 1.5 seconds are dedicated to visuals, while only 0.5 seconds are spent looking at the copy. Research shows that people recall photographs 26% more than the surrounding artwork detail. The headline of an ad is the most important. On average, 5 times as many people read the headlines than those that read the body text. Meaning, if you don’t sell your product in the tag-line, you wasted 80% of your money.

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THE KOSHER ISSUE N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 â&#x20AC;¢ 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

IVE EXCLUS W IE INTERV

66 Departments

18 24 30 32

EDITORIAL Light multiplied

38 40 42

IN THE NEWS

LETTERS PAST FORWARD RAFAE L M EDOFF

ATIONAL AND N INTERNATIONAL NEWS YOS SI KRAUSZ

TURX

SIGHTINGS AND CITINGS BEN ROSEN

JEWISH NEWS GERSHON HELLMAN

48 50

BUSINESS

ARNOOOSA P Steering a supermarket

FORGOTTEN AXIS OF EVIL The Arabs and the Nazis

YEDI DA WOLFE

UNCHBREAK L With Shalom Chaim NE SANEL GANTZ

JOEL KLEI N

RAFAE L M EDOFF

244

HE HUMAN EXPERIENCE T Two mothers. Two sons.

249

MY WORD!

YITTA HALBER STAM MANDELBAUM

ASH ER V. FI NN

250

OUR JOURNEY Our kosher mommas

252

ASK My life is good. So, why am I worried?

RABBI SHOLOM FRI EDMANN

RABBI SHAI S TAUB

254

HE SHUL T CHRONICLES Ethics of war RABBI MOSH E TAUB

256

STREETS OF LIFE Hats off to Stan RABBI MORDECHAI KAM ENETZKY

GOOdBYE NUTCRaCkeR!

2 NEW EXCITING PRODUCTS CAYENNE PEPPER SWEET â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;N CRUNCHY ALMONDS DELUXE NUT MIX

RINKING WINE WITH A MERRY HEART D Jeff Morgan’s wine journey to Judaism

HE SHADCHAN FOR CORPORATE AMERICA T Phyllis Koegel markets kashrus around the world

OOD NEWS F New trends and information

HOOSING KASHRUS C Recalling the decision to “go” kosher

THE KOSHER ISSUE N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 • 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

RABBI YITZCHOK FRANKFURTER

RACHELI SOFER

THE KOSHER MARKETPLACE

JUDY JACOBS – RACHELI SOFER

YEDIDA WOLFE – JEANIE SILVER

107

143

THE KOSHERIZER The man who came to kasher YEDIDA WOLFE

KOSHER WORLD

65 216 218 219

HELLO COOKS

226

ONQUERING THE COASTS C A visit to chef Alex Reznik’s new upscale restaurant: Bedford NYC

VICTORIA DWEK

READER’S KITCHEN VICTORIA DWEK

HE STORY BEHIND “EVERYDAY” T The secrets behind restaurant recipes LEAH SCHAPIRA AND VICTORIA DWEK

VICTORIA DWEK

110

I N THE KNOW Mashgichim share important kashrus facts

112

ANGER AND THE MASHGIACH D Safety, security and supervision abroad

118

AZARDS OF THE JOB H Kashering a factory can be dangerous

120

HE MASHGIACH DIARIES T Mashgichim discuss unusual experiences on the road

132

BIG FISH STORY A The complicated world of kosher canned tuna

GERSHON HELLMAN – C.S. TEITLEBAUM

232

FOOD CURRENTS

236

MI READER’S SURVEY RESULTS A We asked; you answered

242

HE KOSHER FOOD MARKET T Menachem Lubinsky’s comprehensive look at the kosher consumer

RACHELI SOFER

WHISK 215

YOSSI KRAUSZ

RABBI MORDECHAI ROSS

CHANIE ASHER – C.S. TEITELBAUM

RABBI ZUSHE YOSEF BLECH – YOSSI KRAUSZ

MASHGIACH’S WORLD

109

KOSHER STATS

235

RABBI YITZCHOK FRANKFURTER

Light Multiplied

his past week, thousands of Chabad shluchim from around the world once again converged on Brooklyn, New York, for their annual kinus. As always, it prompts us to ask a question: How did this miracle of infinite light happen? There is, of course, no easy answer, certainly none that could be provided standing on one foot or written in one editorial. And how could there be? Every shaliach, no matter where he is stationed, is a catalyst and conduit for an inestimable amount of holiness. Multiplied by thousands, the kedushah brought into the world is staggering. Still, the key to deciphering this phenomenon seems to lie in the concept of ahavas Yisrael, in the boundless love the Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l, had for every Jewish person. No matter where a Jew lived or his level of observance, the Rebbe reached out to him through his emissaries to bring him closer to G-d. Never before in history had a Jewish leader created such a global network to spread the light of Torah and Yiddishkeit to the four corners of the world. Ahavas Yisrael, of course, is not a new concept. The Torah instructs us to love our fellow Jew as we love ourselves. Yet as the Rishonim have pointed out, actually loving someone else to the same degree that we love ourselves is almost impossible. In the words of the Ramban (commenting on Vayikra 19:17): “The human heart cannot take upon itself to love another with the same love one has for oneself.” The above is true, talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov explain, only if one views another Jew as “someone else.” In fact, however, as the Baal HaTanya writes, “They all have one Father. It is on account of this common root in the One G-d that all of Israel are called ‘brothers’—in the full sense of the word; only the bodies are distinct from each other.” Therefore, he concludes, “There can be no true love and fraternity between those who regard their bodies as primary and their souls secondary” (Chapter 32). It is that perspective, of stressing the primacy of the soul over the body, of the eternal over the temporal, which made the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s ahavas Yisrael so unique.

The Rebbe’s mission, motivated by love, to search out every Jew after the Holocaust has been contrasted to those darkest days in our history, when every Jew was searched out in hatred. These days, it might also be compared to the darkness and loathing that permeate the blogosphere, where people often devour their fellow Jews alive, and all standards of humanity and decency are suspended in order to score a cheap point. While lashon hara awareness has increased in the last few decades, largely through the influence of the writings of the Chofetz Chaim, scrupulosity in the observance of these laws has decreased dramatically with the rise of the Internet. In the virtual world, selfdiscipline and impulse control are considered failings, and slandering a fellow Jew a virtue. How can we neutralize the darkness that dwells in our computers and defiles our smartphones? The answer is, once again, ahavas Yisrael. As the Alter Rebbe taught, the only way to overcome the yetzer hara’s incitement to indulge in slander and defame a fellow Jew is through love. “Therefore, my beloved and dear ones, I beg again and again that each of you exert himself with all his heart and soul to firmly implant in his heart a love for his fellow. In the words of [Zechariah 8:17]: ‘Let none of you consider in your heart what is evil for his fellow.’ Moreover, [such a consideration] should never arise in one’s heart [in the first place]; and if it does, one should push it away ‘as smoke is driven away’—as if it were an actual idolatrous thought. For to speak evil [of another] is as grave [a sin] as idolatry and incest and bloodshed (Arachin 15b). And if this be so with speech, [then surely thinking evil about another is even worse], for all the wise of heart are aware of the greater impact [on the soul] of thought over speech” (Tanya, Part 4, Epistle 22). The Rebbe’s everlasting message, not only for his shluchim but for all of klal Yisrael, is not to fight the darkness overtly, but to make negativity disappear by illuminating the world with rays of light and love. Anyone who has ever witnessed a shaliach in action can appreciate the depth and wisdom of this transformational approach.

18 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

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LETTERS EXECUTIVE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Chesky Kauftheil EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter SENIOR EDITOR

Rechy Frankfurter MANAGING EDITOR

Yossi Krausz

RABBINIC EDITOR

Rabbi Moshe Taub CONTRIBUTORS

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky Nesanel Gantz • Joel Klein • John Loftus Shmuel Sokol • Maurice Stein Rabbi Shais Taub • Turx • Yedida Wolfe FEATURE EDITOR

Yitta Halberstam Mandelbaum FOOD EDITORS

Victoria Dwek

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Malky Goldstein

COPY EDITORS

Basha Majerczyk Mendelovicii Rabbi Yisroel Benedek Rachel Langer EDITORS/PROOFREADERS

Dina Schreiber Yitzchok A. Preis ART

ART DIRECTORS

David Kniazuk Alex Katalkin

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE ACCOUNT MANAGER

Zack Blumenfeld

EXECUTIVE SALES DIRECTORS

Surie Katz Esther Friedman Sarah Sternstein

EUROPE/ISRAEL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Sarah Margulies

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Malky Weinberger Ami Magazine P: 718.534.8800 F: 718.484.7731 info@amimagazine.org

M E D I A PA RT N E R

Ami Magazine. Published by Mehulol Publications LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to edit all articles for clarity, space, and editorial sensitivities. Ami Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements in the publication, nor for the contents of books that are referred to or excerpted herein.

A PARTISAN OR NOT? Critiquing the record of a bonafide hero

In reference to “Obey or Resist,” Issue 237

Dear Editor: As a target of Rafael Medoff’s article about Greek Jewry (“Obey or Resist,” Ami, October 7, 2015), I would like to offer the following comments: Focusing on the article’s discussion of Rabbi Moshe Pessach, Chief Rabbi of Volos at the time of the German invasion, whom we honored on Yom HaShoah, Dr. Medoff presents the different views on Rabbi Moshe Pessach’s wartime combat activities, although he seems to decidedly come down on the side of those who contest our determination that he established a unit of partisans that rescued Allied soldiers and led that partisan unit against the Germans. This narrative is supported by numerous sources, including some that Dr. Medoff failed to include, such as “Jewish Soldiers in European Armies,” published by the IDF in Maarachot: “In Thessaloniki a Jewish resistance group was founded, led by the elderly rabbi of the Volos community, Moshe Pessach, that ventured into the mountains to fight the enemy. This group cooperated with British commando units and performed demolition activities against German military facilities in Thessaloniki” (my translation from the Hebrew, page 185). I cannot see how a source such as Maarachot can be considered “ill-informed relative[s] and old apologetic source[s].” Also, according to historical sources, Rabbi Pessach fought on the side of Greece in the First Balkan War and therefore already had military experience, making it less improbable that he had a combat function in 1943. Furthermore, we can see in Dr. Medoff’s article alone, how quickly the historical record can become distorted. Dr. Medoff asserts, among other things, that Rabbi Pessach “was honored at Yad Vashem, in a ceremony organized by B’nai B’rith and the

Jewish National Fund…” The fact is that Yad Vashem had absolutely nothing to do with our event, nor was it held at Yad Vashem. Furthermore, Dr. Medoff asserts that “[Prof.] Kerem is the one who first proposed to the president of B’nai B’rith’s Jerusalem Center, Alan Schneider, that Rabbi Pessach be honored ‘as a Jewish rescuer.’” Besides getting my title wrong—although my correct title appears on all of my correspondence with Dr. Medoff—I also advised him clearly that Professor Kerem was not the first to propose Rabbi Pessach, but rather it was the rabbi’s great grandson and B’nai B’rith Greece member Dr. Ilias Pessach who did so in a private conversation with me. If such details—just a few weeks old— can be wrongly stated, how can one expect that the wartime record of Rabbi Pessach will be accurately and completely recorded for posterity? I suggest that we give all the narratives equal credence and not unnecessarily undermine the brave record of Jewish heroes. It is easy enough to raise conjecture 70 years after the fact, but none of the evidence provided by Dr. Medoff has convinced me that our description of Rabbi Pessach’s Holocaust-era bravery needs to be amended. Sincerely, Alan Schneider, Director B’nai B’rith World Center – Jerusalem DR. RAFAEL MEDOFF RESPONDS:

The B’nai B’rith press release announcing the honoring of Rabbi Moshe Pessach claimed that he “led a partisan unit against the Germans.” Note that Rabbi Pessach was 74 years old at the time and photographs show him using a cane. B’nai B’rith Jerusalem Center Director Alan Schneider was given ample opportunity to provide documentation of the claim that Rabbi Pessach “led” a partisan unit. The sources that he provided to Ami were quoted in my article.

TINY

LETTERS The two leading historians of Greek Jewry during the Holocaust, Prof. Steven Bowman of the University of Cincinnati and Prof. Yitzchak Kerem of Hebrew University, dispute the claim that the elderly rabbi “led” a partisan unit; former Greek partisan fighter Michael Matsas also disputes it. Their views were presented alongside Mr. Schneider’s. The article did not “target” anyone. It did not “come down” on one side of the dispute. It presented both sides. Mr. Schneider’s quarrel is with the historians of Greek Jewry and Dr. Matsas, not with me or Ami. Now, for the first time, Mr. Schneider presents a source that he did not provide at the time he was contacted regarding the article. Remarkably, he accuses me of having “failed to include” this new source, even though he was the one who failed to provide it to Ami at the time that he was repeatedly asked for documentation to substantiate his claims. This new source is an Israeli military publication which, like Mr. Schneider, claims that Rabbi Pessach “led” a group that “ventured into the mountains to fight the enemy.” Like all of the sources that Mr. Schneider presented, this is a secondary source. No footnote or original evidence is provided. Whether or not it is based on “ill-informed relatives and old apologetic sources” (Prof. Kerem’s term, not mine) cannot be determined if Mr. Schneider does not provide the original source that was used by whoever it was that made the claim. If he had provided that information

to me, it would have been included in my article. As for the very minor point concerning who it was that first suggested honoring Rabbi Pessach, Mr. Schneider’s assertion here does not help his case. Prof. Kerem told Ami that he was the one who suggested the idea, but that Pessach family members subsequently exaggerated the rabbi’s record and apparently convinced B’nai B’rith to make exaggerated claims. Mr. Schneider now responds that “it was the rabbi’s great grandson” who proposed it, not Prof. Kerem. But that was precisely Prof. Kerem’s point: The claim that Rabbi Pessach was a “fighter” has been promoted by an interested party—his family—and not by scholars or former partisan fighters. The Ami article also quoted Dr. Matsas, the former partisan fighter, describing how Pessach family members pressed him to present an exaggerated narrative (which he declined to do). Mr. Schneider is correct that the “Martyrs Forest,” where the B’nai B’rith ceremony took place, is not connected to Yad Vashem. Interestingly, the references to Rabbi Pessach on Yad Vashem’s website say nothing about him being a fighter with the partisans. Likewise, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, in its online history of Greek Jewry, describes how Rabbi Pessach helped “find sanctuary” for Jews in the mountains, but says nothing about Rabbi Pessach being a partisan fighter. The fact that neither Yad Vashem nor the US Holocaust Museum have supported Mr. Schnei-

der’s central claim should be considered in the context of the main point that Prof. Bowman made in my article: “There is no need to embellish Rabbi Pessach’s accomplishments. By refusing to obey the Nazis and encouraging the Jews of Volos to flee, he helped rescue many people, and surely that is sufficient to warrant honoring him.”

A MALIGNED PROFESSION Shadchanim are people, too In reference to “The Human Experience,” Issue 240

Dear Editor: The story of the shady shadchan brought out a lot of emotions in me. I believe the story had a undertone that expressed an attitude which is utterly baseless. It glaringly fails to recognize the enormous sacrifice and effort that shadchanim display on a day-to-day basis. Think about it. There are hundreds of bachurim and girls in each community who are at any given time in the parshah. How many dedicated, full-time shadchanim serve each community? While most shidduchim eventually happen through family members and acquaintances, ALL who are in the parshah reach out to a professional shadchan for help. And not only one time. I recently sat with a shadchan for an hour. At the end of the meeting, he showed me that he had 30 missed calls. Thirty! It is simply impossible for him to service and

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LETTERS answer each and every phone call or to return every call. A shadchan constantly has a shidduch in the works, which requires an enormous amount of time from him. While he tries to make each person feel important, he simply cannot call everyone back or give everyone the full time they need. Unfortunately, from the parents’ perspective, this is heartbreaking. They rightfully demand to have someone help them. And unfortunately, reaching out to a shadchan is the only thing that they can do to get things rolling. But ultimately, the shadchan cannot do it. He is simply overwhelmed. I have yet to hear of a shadchan who fears competition. Quite the opposite. They will all tell you that they are breaking under the load and bemoan the dearth of professional shadchanim. As an aside, I wanted to point out that a shadchan has a family to feed, too. It is not only human for him to exert more effort into a shidduch that will compensate him; it is his duty to his family. No one ever became a millionaire from redting shid-

duchin. Thank you for you great magazine. I read it from cover to cover each week. Your hard work is greatly appreciated. Shimon Weiss Monsey, NY

CONFUSED PRIORITIES Our children are not commodities In reference to “The Human Experience,” Issue 240

piness? Is this boy, his family, and their clearly skewed priorities really best for his daughter? Also, as a mother of children in the shidduch parshah, we deal with all kinds of people, both shadchanim and parents of prospective in-laws. Some leave us with a feeling of awe and respect in the way they deal with us. Others, on the other hand, reflect the message of story. Our children are not commodities. Let us all resolve to treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated, especially in the delicate interactions of shidduchim. R.G.

Dear Editor: The story of the shady shadchan made me sick to my stomach. Firstly, the father’s selection of the boy who would do him proud didn’t consider his daughter and her wishes, even momentarily. Do the word on the street about him and who his son-in-law is take precedence over his daughter’s hap-

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WELCOME TO NEW YORK •

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BY RAFAEL MEDOFF

Human Rights vs. Politics

“K

THE CASE OF UZBEKISTAN AND WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT IT

erry Presses Uzbek Leader on Human Rights,” a recent headline in The Washington Post read. Yet the same day’s New York Times announced: “Kerry Is Muted on Human Rights in Uzbekistan.” Two of the most influential and respected newspapers in the world, reporting the same story, on the same day—yet they were as different as night and day. How is that possible? And why should it matter to the Jewish community? The Post considered the story important news. It published it on page 8 as the lead article in its “The World” section. On a visit to the Central Asian Muslim country of Uzbekistan on November 1, the Post reported, Kerry “discussed [with Uzbekistani leaders] the potential for cooperation on trade, security and the environment if it improves its human rights record.” Kerry “singled out human rights, labor practices and religious freedom as areas in which ‘more needs to be done,’” according to the Post. And in talks with the Uzbek foreign minister, Kerry brought up the names of several imprisoned dissidents “and he urged their release from prison.” All of that must have sounded very reassuring to anybody who cares about human rights. But a reader of that morning’s Times would have discovered a very different story. The opening paragraph of the article—which took up almost the entire top half of page 3—declared: “Secretary of State John Kerry prides himself on his willingness to deal with some of the world’s most repressive governments, and his insistence on ‘engagement’ has yielded results from Iran to Cuba. But even the State Department had a hard time explaining the strategy for transforming the behavior of President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan…” The Times noted that Uzbekistan’s record on human rights is almost as bad as that of North Korea. The Times emphasized that Kerry spoke only “vaguely about ‘the human dimension’” in American-Uzbek relations. The Times also pointed out that Kerry “awkwardly” praised President Karimov for “what you and your government have done to preserve that history and culture, and some of the architecture” of his country’s past. One newspaper informs its readers that Kerry is telling off the Uzbek president over human rights. The other newspaper tells its readers that Kerry said very little to the Uzbeks about human

rights. What lessons can the Jewish community learn from this peculiar contrast in the two newspapers’ reportage? First: Don’t assume everything you read in our major daily newspapers is true. They may be the most famous or respected newspapers in the world, but some of their editors and reporters can, and sometimes do, slant stories according to their personal or political preferences. Second: Human rights is an issue that has become as politicized as anything else. Don’t assume that criticism of Israel for alleged human rights violations necessarily has any merit; and don’t assume that the Obama administration’s failure to criticize, for example, human rights violations by Arab regimes means that those violations aren’t occurring. Third: Don’t assume that John Kerry is the only senior government official who plays down human rights violations for the sake of some other policy objective. His predecessor did the same thing. On the eve of her first trip to China as secretary of state, in 2009, Hillary Clinton was asked by reporters if she would raise questions about the Chinese regime’s human rights abuses. She replied: “We have to continue to press them [on human rights]. But our pressing on those issues can’t interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis.” Clinton’s view of human rights as an annoyance that gets in the way of more important issues speaks volumes. Fourth: Don’t assume that Democratic administrations are the only ones that sometimes downplay human rights violations. In March 2008, President George W. Bush’s State Department was caught watering down a report on North Korean repression, for fear of harming relations with Pyongyang. In a leaked email, one State Department official explained that the US needed to “sacrifice a few adjectives” (i.e., the truth) rather than risk disrupting ongoing negotiations with the North Koreans. At a time when many pundits bemoan the difficulty of finding issues on which Democrats and Republicans can all agree, it’s sad to think that minimizing or ignoring human rights abuses is something that the two major parties sometimes have in common.

•

Dr. Medoff, the author of 15 books about Jewish history and the Holocaust, has taught at Ohio State University, SUNY-Purchase and elsewhere.

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ANALYZING THE NEWS THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Did a Bomb Bring Down the Russian Airliner?

WHILE THE US AND UK SAY YES, RUSSIA AND EGYPT WAIT

he horrific crash of a Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula last weekend, which killed all 224 people on board, has become a matter of international debate. UK Prime Minister David Cameron said late last week that “more likely than not” the plane had been brought down by an act of terrorism. President Obama said in a radio interview

that there was a “possibility” that there had been a bomb onboard the plane. But Russia and Egypt have said that there is no conclusive evidence yet to show that the crash was due to an attack. ISIS, for its part, has claimed responsibility for the attack, and its terrorists have handed out candy in celebration. In recent days, Russia has been bombing targets, in-

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cluding ISIS targets, in Syria. To understand the questions about the crash, we spoke to two experts in aircraft accident analysis. Robert L. Ditchey is a former Navy pilot and airline executive who has served as an expert witness in aircraft litigation in more than 50 cases. Peter Leffe is a mechanical engineer, former air transport pilot, and architect who specializes in

BY YOSSI KRAUSZ

accident reconstruction and analysis. The two presented views widely at variance with one another about what can be understood about the downed airliner. Ditchey said, “Based on info that I have and based on my experience, they have not revealed the essential information that would show that a bomb had exploded onboard.” He explained that the signs of an explosion onboard a plane are clear. “What always happens is that the metal of the fuselage is blown outward; the metal bends outward.” Those signs are very evident, he said, and they are in addition to burn traces, which can be analyzed by a laboratory to confirm the use of explosives. An explosion on the outside of the plane—for example, a missile strike—shows the opposite effect on the fuselage, with the metal bent inward. He said that those signs—how the metal bent—played an important role in the determination by the FAA and NTSB that TWA flight 800, which crashed off the coast of Long Island in 1996, was not shot down by a missile as many have claimed. Normally, Ditchey said, whether a bomb destroyed an airplane would be known within the first hour of an investigation. What does he believe happened? To Mr. Ditchey, this crash looks similar to the Indonesia AirAsia crash in the Java Sea at the end of December of last year. “They have a lot of the same characteristics and look almost identical.” He explained that the A320 series of planes (this plane was an A321) are fly-bywire. The connection of the pilot’s controls to the control surfaces of the plane are electronic, and they actually are processed through a computer, which among other things keeps the pilot from putting the plane through maneuvers that it can’t withstand. “What happens if the computer begins to misbehave?” he said. In the case of a computer malfunction, the computer shunts to

“There are satellite images that show a heat flash aboard the plane before it broke apart.” —Peter Leffe

different control programs known as laws. But if the entire computer malfunctions, the system goes into what is known as direct law—a direct electrical connection between the controls and the aircraft’s control surfaces. But it is hard to control the aircraft when flying at altitude without the assistance of the computers. “Airlines do not train their pilots in flying under direct law at all,” Ditchey said. It’s clear from the records of the ADS-B satellite positioning system that the plane made three violent movements up and down before it broke apart. “If a pilot loses control like that, he can over-power and rip the tail right off.” In fact, he pointed out, the tail was found five miles away from the rest of the wreckage, showing that it definitely fell off during flight. Once the tail falls off, the fuselage begins to oscillate around an axis through the wings, ripping the engines off the wings and causing an explosion. Ditchey believes the reason that the British authorities have been so willing to suggest that a bomb may have been involved is that they have about 20,000 citizens in the Sharm el-Sheikh area, where the flight originated, and they are using an abundance of caution in protecting their people. Mr. Leffe says that he believes there is compelling evidence already that a bomb went off onboard the plane. First of all, there are satellite images that show a heat flash aboard the plane before it broke apart.

“The plane had a catastrophic midair failure,” he said. “If it had been a Russian airplane, well, they don’t have a good safety record. But Airbus or Boeing planes don’t just blow up in midair. Had there been a missile, there would have been a long heat trail.” But a bomb would be consistent with the heat image that was taken. His assumption is that the bomb would have been near the tail, because the plane’s airspeed suddenly slowed to 93 knots, which would be consistent with the tail falling off. He said that examination of the injuries of those who were onboard may give investigators an idea about what exactly happened inside the plane before it fell apart. He says that the failure of the Egyptian investigators to reach an early conclusion may be due to incompetence. But he also said that there may be political motives at work. Neither Egypt nor Russia wants to admit that they allowed a bomb to be brought onboard a plane. The US and the UK, on the other hand, don’t want there to be a lack of confidence in commercial air travel, and stating that it was a bomb, rather than a failure of the airplane, alleviates that worry. Furthermore, such an incident gives the US and the UK a political case to continue their fight against ISIS. He said, “The general public will have to wait and see. Eventually it will become clear, though there are a lot of politics involved.”

•

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COMMUNICATED

Breaking the Silence There are some things that you just don’t talk about – right? Rabbi Arie Munk, Director of Bayit Cham, took a different stand – he chose to break the silence. Wisdom has it that some things are better left unsaid – we all know what Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: “There is nothing better for oneself than silence.” (Avos 1:17). But sometimes silence – or inaction – can kill. In 1997, Rabbi Shmuel Munk, together with Rabbi Yoram Mordechai, introduced a revolutionary idea to Israel: rather than abandoning patients to hopeless, endless years in psychiatric wards, offer non-violent people an opportunity to recover by reintegrating them in their communities. Find them satisfying jobs in the normative workplace accompanied by vocational coaches for emotional and practical support. With much siyata dishmaya, Rabbi Munk – who many insist is a lamed-vovnik – succeeded in convincing Israel’s Health Ministry that it was cost-effective (and far more humane) for them to recognize and fund his innovative program. And with that, he and Rabbi Mordechai established Bayit Cham, starting off with a staff of seven and 50 rehabilitants. As the organization flourished and expanded, reaching many locations throughout Israel, Rabbi Munk asked his son Arie to take over the administrative reins so that he could focus on the people. Rabbi Arie Munk, a deep and sensitive personality, put his entire heart and soul into researching the needs that were as yet unmet. And what he discovered was the anguish,

Rabbi Arie Munk

the irreparable damage, the deep shame and isolation that resulted from suffering in silence due to the horrific stigma associated with mental illness. The final straw that pushed Rabbi Munk to break the silence was the death of a despairing young man who he had come to know, a Bayit Cham client at vocational rehab. In that pivotal moment, he realized that honoring the taboo that forbade airing this ‘unspeakable’ topic is worse than cruel. It is transgressing “Lo sa’amod al dam rei’echa – do not stand idly by the blood of one’s fellow Jew.” Yet fear of stigma is what keeps most people from getting treated. Thus, upon the encouragement and guidance of leading Gedolim, in 2005, Rabbi Munk embarked on a one-man crusade, distributing more than a million pamphlets in all the religious population centers in Israel over a

period of two years. The first pamphlet was entitled – what else? – Breaking the Silence, and depicted the stories of Bayit Cham rehabilitants who had suffered from various mental health conditions – and how they were helped down the road to recovery by being brave enough to come forward, seek treatment, and reach out to Bayit

And what he discovered was the anguish, the irreparable damage, the deep shame and isolation that resulted from suffering in silence due to the horrific stigma associated with mental illness. Cham for help. This was followed a few months later by poignant first-person stories called Rehabilitants Break the Silence. After each pamphlet was massdistributed, the lines at Bayit Cham were flooded with callers. A few were from those who complained that this is NOT an issue for public airing; the stories were scaring their children (and perhaps, themselves as well). But far more calls came from people who, until then, had suffered in silence, either due to their own illness or that of a loved one. The second Bayit Cham revolution was set in motion and has not stopped growing since then – in leaps and bounds. Thanks to Bayit Cham’s outreach initiative, by 2007, the religious community in Israel was ready to move on, far past the stigma that had locked them in for so long. As a first step, Bayit Cham opened a help-line (1599-510-

New Multi-Service Center under construction.

550), which today receives more than 60,000 calls each year. In December 2007, Bayit Cham opened its first fullservice mental health clinic in Elad, followed by clinics in Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak, Modiin Illit, Ariel, Beit Shemesh, Ashdod and Zichron Yaakov in quick succession over the next seven years. These clinics offer psychiatric and psychological care, guidance and counseling, help establishing mental health disability rights and support groups for families. Another two clinics are in planning stages up north and in the Gaza Belt periphery. Bayit Cham’s initial pioneering venture, supported employment in the mainstream community, continues to grow, operating in 46 cities from Dan to Beersheva, serving all sectors of Israeli society. In 2011, Bayit Cham initiated yet a third revolution. Municipal welfare departments were looking for an organization that was brave enough to handle a malignant growing issue of untold suffering with no voice – treating children victims of unspeakable abuse in the frum community. Was the community ready for this? Yes, it was! Within a short period of time, this new program, entitled Be’Libeinu, operated three centers. This past year, 159 children were helped to heal. Many young adults who had been afraid to come forward, gathered the courage, but did not quality for the program which dealt only with minors. The solution? In 2013, Bayit Cham initiated

Yet fear of stigma is what keeps most people from getting treated. Thus, upon the encouragement and guidance of leading Gedolim, in 2005, Rabbi Munk embarked on a one-man crusade, ‘BeNafsheinu’ for women victims aged 18 and above. This past July 1st, the Mental Health Reform Law enacted in the Knesset went into effect, transferring the responsibility for mental health care from the Health Ministry to HMOs L-R Rabbi Shmuel Munk, Chief Rabbi David Lau, Rabbi Arie Munk in a children's therapy room at the Modiin Illit Mental Health Clinic.

(locally: Kupot Cholim). In addition to hospitals, Bayit Cham and one other (secular) organization were chosen to provide the public with mental health services, thus paving the way for nearly free healthcare in all Bayit Cham clinics, a huge boon to poor families. Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman publicly declared, “Everything I know about mental health, I learned from Rabbi Arie Munk. He is the go-to person for these issues.” Leading Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshiva in Israel and abroad know this as well, turning to Rabbi Munk for his personal intervention regarding many cases. And the public knows it, too. That

is why, in times of crisis such as the current ‘Knife Intifada,’ the helpline is flooded. In response, as it has in the past, Bayit Cham opened a separate hotline for people with anxiety (USA: 1.347.688.6927 / Israel and elsewhere: +972.3.372.3770). Addition community outreach includes workshops for mechanchim, mechanchos, parents, seminaries and yeshivas, and a webinar for anxious parents with children in Israel, in conjunction with Chai Lifeline. Says Rabbi Munk, “I pray for the day when terror and illness will be a thing of the past and we can close Bayit

Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman publicly declared, “Everything I know about mental health, I learned from Rabbi Arie Munk. He is the go-to person for these issues.”

Cham – may it be very soon, speedily in our days.” Until then, the public is very grateful that the silence is long broken; they know they’re not alone!

NEWS

NATIONAL AND WORLD

An Ex-Pres Attacks His Son’s Advisers GEORGE H. W. BUSH TELLS ALL “Bush 41 is getting up in years and misjudges Bush 43, who I found made his own decisions.” That was former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s response to early reports about a new biography of George H. W. Bush that is going on sale this week. In the new bio, the elder President Bush attacks both Rumsfeld and former Vice President Cheney for their behavior during his son’s administration. Speaking about Rumsfeld, Bush told the biographer, “I think he served the president badly. I don’t like what he did, and I think it hurt the president having his…view of everything.” “There’s a lack of humility, a lack of seeing what the other guy thinks… I think he paid a price for that.” In addition, he referred to Rumsfeld as “arrogant.” Bush also spoke about the vice president tenure of Cheney, who had served as Bush 41’s own defense secretary: “He had his own empire there and marched to his own drummer. It just showed me that you cannot do it that way. The president should not have that

worry. “The big mistake that was made was letting Cheney bring in kind of his own State Department. “He just became very hardline and very different from the Dick Cheney I knew and worked with…. His seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East.” Bush was less aggressive toward his own son, according to early reports. The Atlantic suggested that Bush may have particular animus toward Rumsfeld, who served together with him in the administration of President Gerald Ford. In 1976, Rumsfeld reportedly urged Ford to choose Nelson Rockefeller as running mate for that year’s election, rather than Bush. It may not be a surprise that Bush excoriated Cheney and Rumsfeld, but looking at how badly the US’s adventures in Iraq panned out, they probably deserved much of it.

LIFE IN NUMBERS

How the USA Sees Itself What do you feel about yourself? How’s your self-esteem? Well, YouGov recently asked the American people the question of whether they believe America is the best country in the world, and there were some interesting answers. Among all Americans, there isn’t an overall majority that believes America is the best. But when you break them down along party lines, there is a clear difference. Republicans do overwhelmingly believe America is better than any other place; Democrats do not.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE US IN RELATION TO OTHER COUNTRIES? All Americans: The US is the best country ��40% The US isn’t best but is one of the best ��34% The US is average ��16% The US is among the worst ��4% The US is the worst ��1%

Democrats: The US is the best country ��34% The US isn’t best but is one of the best ��39% The US is average ��19% The US is among the worst ��5% The US is the worst ��0%

The US is average ��7% Republicans: The US is the best country �� 61% The US is among the worst.........................1% The US isn’t best but is one of the best: �� 29% The US is the worst.................................... 0%

36 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

BY YOSSI KRAUSZ

U P D AT E S

New Info on Stories We’ve Run Well, that’s what friends are for, apparently. The Iranians may have made a nuclear deal with the US, but that doesn’t mean that they have suddenly started behaving. Their latest misbehavior is reportedly compromising the email and social media accounts belonging to Obama administration officials. “US officials were among many who were targeted by recent cyberattacks,” one official told the Wall Street Journal, though the White House would not confirm the reports. It’s believed that the hack was carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and it may have been an attempt by hardliners inside Iran to stop the nuclear deal from going forward.

let’s keep it rolling.

In last week’s magazine, we looked at attempts Jewish groups have been making in the University of California to address pervasive anti-Semitism against students. Last week, the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s Jew Hatred on Campus campaign released a list of its top 10 campuses with the worst anti-Semitic activity. Their list: Columbia University, Cornell University, George Mason University, Loyola University Chicago, Portland State University, San Diego State University, San Francisco State University, Temple University, University of California Los Angeles and Vassar College. Campuses were chosen for activity by professors and administration apathy, strength of anti-Semitic organizations, and individual antiSemitic incidents. Doctors Without Borders continued its campaign to confront the US military for an airstrike that hit a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, and killed 30 people. The group released a report that documented the fact that it had disallowed weapons in the building, that it had provided the US military with the hospital’s GPS coordinates and that during the attacks representatives of Doctors Without Borders had contacted the military to report that they were being attacked. Whether the State Department will have more sympathy for Israel after this…well, of course they won’t. We’ve previously discussed reports by US legislators looking at government waste. An unusual one came out this week, when Sen. John McCain and Jeff Flake released a report called “Paid Patriotism.” What they had found is that the Pentagon pays out millions of dollars to encourage patriotic displays. For example, they paid a sports team $300,000 to allow National Guard members to carry out various actions in conjunction with games, like spreading American flags and starring in video greetings on scoreboards. If you’re going to be patriotic, you really ought to do it for free.

732.987.7765 WWW.SELLMILESNOW.COM

IN THE NEWS

BY TURX

Arab Spring Forward, Fall Backward

[SUBTITLE REMOVED BY SYRIAN OPPOSITION]

emons. They’re handed out by life. You’re supposed to take those lemons and make various clichés out of them. You might expect to get at least a free lunch, but all they really give you are some lemons, and then you’re on your own. What people choose to do with them has been the subject of many an idiom. First there’s Syria. No life, no liberty; though, they do believe in the pursuit of happiness; by “pursuit” I literally mean “running” and by “happiness” I mean “for your life.” It’s as if life handed Syria lemons, which they traded in for a batch of rotten, explosive lemons, which they’ve been pelting each other with for five years. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is the kind of person whom life had given fresh lemonade, which he traded in for some lemons. The Nobel Peace Prize winner was given an Arab Spring and he exchanged it for a Syrian Civil War. Let’s consult with the original checklist. Brutal dictator? Check! Good rebels? Check! Bad rebels? Check! Terrorists? Check! Genocide? Check! Red lines? Check! Chemical weapons? Check! Beheadings? Check! Refugee crisis? Check! Pictures of dead Syrian children exploited by Palestinian propaganda to deceitfully incite the world against Israel? Check! The Syrian conflict had climaxed within its first year. Before its first anniversary they said it couldn’t get worse and they were right. It didn’t get worse, it simply sustained its horrendous peak throughout all this time. It’s come to a point where the Syrian people really have no idea if they’re worse off now than they were four years ago. While things have been exactly this bad the entire time, the only thing that has been increasing is the number of people affected by the scope of the horror. And has the American government done anything about all this? Sure. They trained 54 rebel soldiers this past summer, at a cost of close to one million dollars each. ($500 million had been set

aside for the entire program, which has since been suspended.) By September, all but four or five of the original group were reported dead. Life had handed them million-dollar lemons, which they squeezed dry. The program that was supposed to train thousands of rebels has gone the way of ice cubes that have been left to the mercy of the Syrian sun. Then there’s Vladimir Putin. Life gave him lemons and he forced life to take them back. From high above his lofty perch somewhere in a village that quite likely used to bear a Ukrainian name, Putin watched the killing taking place and wondered if he could possibly join the fray and get away with it. He could, he figured; and in wobbled the Russian military wearing sandals. No, not to blend in with the locals, but because Putin had apparently promised there will be no “boots” on the ground. About a day or two later, Obama read about Russia’s incursion on the news. Immediately the American president sprung into action by doing absolutely nothing for a month. After which, Obama announced that America would be sending a small contingent of soldiers to northern Syria. Just 50 of them. Not to fight. Just to oversee, or whatever. The decision to send fighters, who depart for Syria in about two weeks, has left the Republican Party—which is united in its opposition to Obama—completely fragmented. “Only 50?!” shouted half of the Republicans, who had supported the Iraq War. “You’re going to put fifty American troops in harm’s way?!” shouted the other half of the Republicans, who, incidentally, had also supported the Iraq War. This makes me wonder what exactly the Syrians are fighting for. Democracy?? I know dictators are bad and stuff, but do the Syrians really need a two-party system that’s forever bickering, to the point that when one side comes up with a dumb solution to a serious problem the other side just throws lemons from all directions without offering any solutions?

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Synopses of and excerpts from interesting items that have recently appeared here and there—and sometimes way over there —in the media

Laboured Condemnation

Corbyn criticizes crazy Kaufman—sorta The Jewish Chronicle reported that the head of the Labour Party in the UK, Jeremy Corbyn, issued a statement criticizing fellow Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman’s recent anti-Semitic speech at a pro-Palestinian gathering. Kaufman had explained what he believed was behind increased support of Israel by the UK: “It’s Jewish money, Jewish donations to the Conservative Party—as in the general election in May— support from The Jewish Chronicle, all of those things, bias the Conservatives.” He then went on

Sightings Citin By Ben Rosen

to cast doubt on the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel: “More than half the stabbing claims were definitely fabricated. The other half, some were true, the others there was no way to tell since they executed Palestinians and no one asked questions.” Corbyn, who himself has been accused of being anti-Israel and who recently appointed as his director of strategy and communications a man who has justified terror attacks against Israelis, released a statement, saying in part: “Last week’s reported comments by Sir Gerald Kaufman about the Jewish community, the Conservative Party and Israel are completely unacceptable and deeply regrettable. “Such remarks are damaging

to community relations, and also do nothing to benefit the Palestinian cause.”

Notice he says nothing about them being false…

vinced Ariel to reverse himself. Yet another animal population issue sprung up this week, when the West Bank settlement of Yafit found that a small crocodile had gotten loose in the town. The locals suspect that the crocodile escaped from a farm in Moshav Fatzael, though the owner of the farm, Gadi Bitan, claims that it is not one of his. The farm is no longer a working tourist attraction, and politicians are concerned about recent escapes, including several dozen crocodiles who got out in 2011. Haaretz quoted David Alhayani, head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council: “For safety reasons we don’t want them around. I really don’t know what can be done with them and if there is any country willing to take in more than 1,000 crocodiles.”

I don’t have any solution for the crocodiles, but now I have a way of getting rid of the cats…

Of Cats and Crocodiles

The Sheikh’s Sheker

Last week, Israeli agricultural minister Uri Ariel suggested that the burgeoning cat population should be transferred out of the country, in an effort to control their growing numbers in a way that would comport with the Torah. But a backlash from animal control experts and others con-

MEMRI reported last week that Jordanian cleric Ali Hassan AlHalabi, director of the Imam Albani Center for religious and methodological studies, clarified statements he had made in February, a video of which recently began circulating. In the original video, Halabi said that Palestinians

Dealing with animals at large

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Betraying a betrayal ban

A FAKE BIRTHRIGHT

ngs should not kill Israelis during peacetime. “Someone who protects you, gives you electricity and water, transfers you money and you work for him and take his money— would you betray him, even if he was a Jew? If you trust him and he trusts you, then it is forbidden to betray him. And therefore you are forbidden to murder him,” the sheikh said to a student. But this past week, Halabi, who had faced criticism from Muslim “activists,” redefined his own words in another video. In it he said that he had merely meant that Palestinians did not yet have the power to kill the Jews and that therefore they should not attempt violence at this time. But he made clear that in general there was an obligation to attack the Jews, whom he called “the brothers of apes and pigs,” “occupiers and plunderers,”

“Who is the largest trip provider? Chabad. And who performs the most conversions? Chabad. And who provides the largest number of post-trip programs? Chabad. It seems to me it should be you, not Chabad.” —Birthright Israel cofounder Charles Bronfman speaking at the biennial conference of the Union for Reform Judaism and urging the Reform movement to provide more Birthright trips. Apparently he forgot that Yiddishkeit is also part of the Jewish birthright. “people [prone to] betrayal, fraud, cunning, and deceit,” and “the slayers of the prophets and the messengers.” He stated at one point that “a Muslim’s fingernail is worth more to us than the heads of a thousand Jews.”

He’s trying to save his own fingernails, it appears.

“My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids in order to store grain.”

—Presidential hopeful and famed neurosurgeon Ben Carson speaking 17 years ago, describing a bizarre theory about the Egyptian pyramids that Carson says he still believes.

My own personal theory is that being smart in one way doesn’t necessarily transfer to other topics.

JEWISHNEWS

News Bits Henkin Family: “Please Stop Sending Funds!”

In a tremendous display of Jewish unity and ahavas Yisrael, a fund set up to help the orphaned children of Rav Eitam and Mrs. Naama Henkin reached its goal within three days of being established. The Henkins were murdered by Palestinian terrorists on Sukkos in front of their terrified children. The fund was established by the Mekimi organization with the goal of raising the amount necessary to renovate the homes of the four children’s grandparents, so that the children have suitable living accommodations in their new homes. The grandparents put out a letter letting donors know that they would no longer be accepting donations. The letter reads in part: “Thank you! Three days ago, we turned to the public with a plea for monetary help to make the needed arrangements in response to the situation that befell us. The Jewish people responded to the call and donated all that we needed and then some. We do not require any additional donations. We thank all those who joined in from the depths of our hearts.”

Chashmonaim Era Fortress Unearthed in Jerusalem In a case of Jewish history coming alive, and a slap in the face for Muslims trying to deny the historical connection between Judaism and the land of Israel, archaeologists in Jerusalem recently unearthed what they believe are the ruins of the Acra, a fortress constructed by the Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes for the Greeks and Hellenized Jews to wage war against the Maccabees

Postcards from Warsaw Ghetto to Be Displayed for the First Time Visitors to the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw will now be able to get a small glimpse of life in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. Thirty-nine postcards sent from the ghetto, which the institute recently acquired from a historian, are now on permanent display. Most of the postcards were written to Tamara Deutscher, a Jewish woman from Łodz who managed to escape to London, leaving her family behind in the Warsaw Ghetto. Her family was able to send her letters through Poland’s diplomatic mission in Lisbon, Portugal, which was a neutral country that still had mail service to and from German-occupied lands. From Lisbon, a family friend forwarded the letters to London. The postcards, written in Polish, had to pass through the German censor, and therefore do not depict all of the horrors of life in the Ghetto. However, Deutscher’s mother’s letters are full of emotion and pain at being separated from her daughter. She writes: “I touch and kiss every word you’ve written in your letters...I worry about you. Have you got someone who loves and cares for you? Don’t feel guilty. You’ve done everything possible.” Deutscher’s husband wrote: “We live under the idea of returning to nature.” It is believed that this was code for “We are being killed off and returned to the ground.” Other coded letters when speaking of family members include: “We haven’t seen him for some time” or “He has gone away”—which seem to be conveying that the person had escaped the ghetto, or was killed.

and prevent them from reaching the site of the Beis Hamikdash. The Acra’s existence is recorded in the “Book of Maccabees” and in Josephus’ historical work, both of which describe how the Maccabee army eventually conquered the forces in Acra as part of the Chanukah story. But archaeologists and historians have debated its location for decades. In the past few months, excavators working in the City of David discovered a huge

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section of wall, and a 65-foot-tall tower, both believed to be part of the Acra. They also excavated a sloping embankment at the base of the wall, designed to keep attackers away from the base of the Acra. The ruins are surrounded by relics from ancient battles, such as lead slingshots and bronze arrowheads, all of which bear the stamp of Antiochus Epiphanes. Ancient coins with Antiochus’ image were also found.

BY GERSHON HELLMAN

Kever Yosef Restored After Being Burned Down By Palestinian Terrorists

How to Tell When your Child Became a Shahid The rash of Palestinian terror attacks against Israel has led to a growing number of school-age children looking to gain notoriety by emulating the “shahids” who are glorified in their society. Many of the perpetrators of the latest terror attacks were minors and residents of East Jerusalem. It has been reported that most were from moderate families who do not support terror, but the children were influenced by extremist social networks and the incitement in the streets. In recent weeks, police sources have said that there have been a number of incidents where a student in Jerusalem left his home with the intention of carrying out a terrorist attack, rather than going to school, and left letters to his parents informing them of his plans. In these incidents, the parents, police and education officials have gone looking for the children to stop them. At a hearing in the Knesset Education Committee, a Jerusalem Education Administration official said that in order to help parents recognize warning signs for such behavior, a document has been drafted in Arabic with guidelines for identifying stress and pressure situations in children, and ways to cope with them. The letter was distributed to the parents of schoolchildren in East Jerusalem.

The kever of Yosef Hatzaddik, which was burned in an arson attack three weeks ago by Palestinians terrorists, underwent a thorough restoration early Tuesday morning, November 2. Fifty workers, including stonemasons, painters, welders, and electricians, arrived at the site with an army escort at 1:00 a.m. to make the repairs and worked for about five hours. The restoration work replaced the marble which had been damaged, repainted the building, and repaired and replaced lighting which had also been damaged. It was reported that the repairs cost approximately NIS 100,000 and were covered by the Shomron Regional Council. Under the Oslo Accords, Jews are allowed regular access to the site, but Jewish worshipers can currently only access the kever once a month in the middle of the night with an army escort. Several people have been arrested since the arson for attempting to gain access to the kever without army permission.

Attempts to Change German Euthanasia Law Draws Concern From Jewish Group Understandably, assisted suicide is a particularly sensitive subject in Germany, considering that the Nazis ran a “euthanasia” program for people they considered unworthy of life. An estimated 200,000 people, most of them mentally and physically handicapped, were murdered in this program. Germany currently has quite strict laws in this regard. Presently, doctors are allowed to hasten death for a dying patient who expresses the will to end his life by providing high doses of pain medication or stopping life support. It is illegal, however, to provide a patient with the means for suicide. The German Bundestag was set to vote on Friday to consider easing such restrictions. The Central Council of Jews in Germany issued a statement against any loosening of the law. “Seriously ill and elderly people should not be pushed to commit suicide,” Central Council President Josef Schuster said in the statement. “Assisted suicide must not become a regular service provided by doctors, an alternative to care for the dying.”

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B Y Y E D I DA WO LF E B Y Y E D I DA WO LF E

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Yellen says US banks still have risk management challenges US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen recently criticized risk management at the largest US financial firms and endorsed legislation that would lighten the regulatory load for midsize banks. During her three-hour testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, she said that “compliance breakdowns” at the largest firms have “undermined confidence.” While Yellen did not name specific institutions or their infractions, it was understood she was referring to 16 major American financial firms, including most of the banks and insurers overseen by a panel known as the Large Institution Supervision Coordination Committee. Yellen’s appearance was a stand-in for the vice chairman for supervision at the Fed, a position required by the DoddFrank Act that was never filled by the Obama administration.

STAT Men 65 and over spent more money on Apple products than any other age and gender demographic, despite the fact that they represent only 20% of Apple’s consumer base.

(Wall Street Journal)

American and Chinese Consumers Smiling; Europeans Frowning According to a Nielsen report, US consumer confidence surged 18 points this year to the highest level it’s been in a decade. “Despite some mixed economic signals, consumer confidence has strengthened and consumer spending is driving the economy,” said Louise Keely, president of The Demand Institute. And China’s consumers don’t seem fazed by rising debt levels and a slumping manufacturing sector. In Europe, however the region’s refugee crisis and risk of terrorism are stifling consumer hopes. “We think it’s linked to the refugee situation and generally heightened awareness and sensitivity around some of the dynamics in the Middle East," she said.

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(Wall Street Journal)

6OFFICE A NICER WAYS TO MAKE YOUR

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Being friendly and considerate to coworkers will make your workplace more harmonious. ASK ABOUT LIFE OUTSIDE WORK – Showing interest in others is a simple way to show you care. OFFER TO BRING BACK FOOD—This small gesture can save someone’s day, especially if he's stuck at his desk and it's lunchtime. INVITE SOMEONE TO LUNCH—Use this time to acquire an ally at work, while avoiding gossip and office politics. OFFER A COMPLIMENT— Look for someone who aced a project and let him know you noticed, either in person or in a short email. SAY THANK YOU—Recognize a coworker’s efforts to brighten their day. SHARE SOMETHING OF INTEREST—Pass on an article or book review to show you’re thinking of your team member. (Entrepreneur)

“If you see a snake, just kill it. Don’t appoint a committee on snakes.”

Ross Perot

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AT THE TIP OF YOUR FINGER AT THE WATER COOLER Elevators of the future will move in every direction, not just up and down. ThyssenKrupp AG is about to unveil a functioning model of its new elevator in Rottweil, Germany, which uses giant magnets to move cars in multiple directions. Magnetic levitation technology, already used in highspeed trains, has no cables and allows for multiple cars in a single shaft, increasing transport capacity as much as 50%. Thus far the company, which created elevators and moving stairs for One World Trade Center, has received 30 inquiries for magnetic elevators, which are best suited for buildings over 1,000 feet tall. As more of the world’s population moves to urban areas, these elevators are expected to be a “significant revenue and income generator.”

G N DI

(Bloomberg)

The creation of a hedge-fund version of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval has been suggested by Paul Tudor Jones of the Robin Hood Foundation, a group he founded in 1988 dedicated to poverty reduction using the principles of capitalism. His new initiative, dubbed Just Capital, will rate top-performing companies based on employee pay and treatment, customer service and environmental impact. Tudor’s operation polled 45,000 Americans to find out which issues mattered to them most, and will use the information to reward businesses in a range of categories. “The average American doesn’t really trust the markets anymore,” he said. “They don’t feel like corporations are there for them, linking them to the broader economy.” (Fortune)

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l TALK // WEEKLY INSIGHTS FROM BUSINESS LEADERS

BUSINESS

B Y N ES A NE L G A NT Z

with Shalom Chaim TAAMAN AGE

1998

COMPANY LOCATION

EMPLOYEES

Mishor Adumim, Israel

ESTABLISHED

150

BACKGROUND: Shalom Chaim is the founder of Taaman, an Israelibased food manufacturer with a focus on catering to the Orthodox market. From its humble beginnings, offering just one or two items, Chaim has built Taaman into an Israeli food giant, later bringing in his brother as well as other family members to join the business. Today he is also a well-known philanthropist, supporting various Torah endeavors. With offerings running the gamut from pasta to baby food, every one of Taaman’s hundreds of products is certified by the hashgachah of Badatz Eidah Hachareidis. With close to 90% of his consumers being religious, Chaim views his company’s massive success in great part due to his having made Badatz food widely available.

I was born in Yerushalayim. My father had a fruit and vegetable store, and we used to love helping him when we were growing up. Later, I served in the Israeli Army—I was a major in the paratroopers. I had a tough stint in the army—really very grueling—so when I knew I had to start earning a living I sought what I thought would be an easier line of work. I started out helping my father in his business. While I was dealing with the various food companies, a vegetable-oil manufacturer asked me to distribute his product in Eretz Yisrael. The oil had a Badatz hechsher and was well received. I realized something interesting about items with a Badatz hechsher: They weren’t available year-round! Sometimes you’d find them, sometimes not. The chareidi clientele didn’t 50 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

know for certain when they could get oil with a Badatz hechsher. In 1981, we started to change that! Our first step was ensuring that oil would be available yearround with the Badatz hechsher. This issue wasn’t exclusive to oil, of course. Next, we brought in pineapple from France; at the time, pineapple was available in Eretz Yisrael only once a year. The major factories weren’t interested in undergoing the hassle of making their premises hashgachah-friendly throughout the year. They didn’t view the chareidi consumer as “worth the trouble.” For example, cinnamon was not available with a Badatz hechsher at all. We started our company with the goal of making quality goods available to the chareidi consumer with the Badatz hechsher year round. We created many items that hadn’t been available before with the Badatz hechsher.”

When did you create the company Taaman?

How long does it take for you to manufacture an item?

In 1998. At first, we didn’t think a brand name was important. We printed generic labels for each product we manufactured. We were always careful with quality. For example, we produced canned pineapple in its own juice, since that preserves the pineapple and provides the customer with added value. When we saw that competitors were copying our generic label and marketing similar items, we realized that we needed a brand name for people to associate with our prices and quality. Thus Taaman was born.

It’s a long process. First we determine that there is a need for the item. Then it takes five or six months to find the right manufacturer. Then we work out the details of the hashgachah and the distribution. A mashgiach has to check if the food can be produced at a certain plant. It all takes time—even for us, a company that produces hundreds of items.

How did you grow your business so rapidly? Siyata dishmaya, period. We did something different for small food companies. The most difficult aspect of production is the initial order. You see, companies don’t want to produce test items in small quantities unless you pay a hefty premium. Most small companies are wary of placing large orders initially, and the premium that it costs to produce a small test run hurts them. From the get-go, we ordered large quantities, and then worked incredibly hard marketing them for the next few months. Because of that hard work, people started to hear about us, and slowly but surely we grew. We produce only with the Badatz hechsher, and only quality products at affordable prices. Of course, a good hashgachah increases the quality of the item.

How so? Big companies look at the mashgiach as a representative of your company. They feel as if you sent an inspector to make sure they’re doing a good job. In addition to being careful of the kashrus, the company makes sure not to play around and cut corners in other ways.

How much time do you give a product before deciding to pull it because it’s not doing well? Wow, that’s a solid question. In the beginning this happened to us more often than now, though it was pretty infrequent even then. It can take two to three years to see if the volume goes down and there is no market for an item. Today, we know the market pretty well, and it rarely happens.

What’s the biggest loss you ever had, and how did you pull through? It was in the beginning of our company. We had a warehouse that flooded, and we lost a lot. The only way you make it is by taking things day by day, surviving and keeping on going, day by day. We pulled through with emunah that everything is from Hashem. We try to do the right thing by giving tzedakah, and above all keeping the Torah.

How do you deal with stress? Stress? Ein lanu shum lachatz—we don’t have any stress.

Okay, how do you deal with stressful situations? I do what I can and try to solve the issues that come up. We can only try in life; it is all predetermined from Hashem. We do everything according to daat Torah. When we have an issue on which we cannot

BUSINESS

l TALK // WEEKLY INSIGHTS FROM BUSINESS LEADERS

come to a conclusion, we ask an eitzat rav. Today, we ask Rav Pinchas Abuchatzeira; we used to go to his father, Rav Elazar, zt”l. Plus, our goal when starting the company and till today is to help the tzibbur, so I feel that brings us siyata dishmaya.

What would you suggest for someone who wants to go into the food manufacturing business?

Absolutely. Israelis are constantly on the lookout for better quality food at a cheaper price, while Americans will often stick with the familiar brand that they’ve purchased for years.

What would you suggest for someone who wants to export his product internationally?

I would tell him that it’s very hard work. If a store in Kiryat Shemona is missing part of an order, you have to make sure that you get those few cartons up there, ASAP. There are tons of small details and it’s very hard work. You have to love this business and line of work. I ventured into real estate recently, and it’s 100 times an easier business.

Do not do your own international distribution, but you can and should handle your product distribution in your place of origin. As our base is in Eretz Yisrael, we do our own distribution there. However, for our large clientele in Europe, we have distributors in individual countries such as France. It’s simply not a smart move to go about it yourself; use someone who knows the market well. Your profit margin might not be as large, but you’ll be able to succeed that way.

In what way?

What is the key to successful employees?

You put up 100 apartments, and then you sell them. Of course there’s risk involved, but there are a lot fewer tiny details.

That’s an excellent question. We have over 150 employees, and they all feel like family. As part of a family, we care about each other and the company. A family will stay the long hours during the busy seasons, and do so without complaining—which our workers do. They’re happy to be part of the group.

Why did you go into real estate? Honestly? Someone offered me a deal with 100 apartments. I was hesitant, as I did not know the field and it was a significant financial investment for me. I went to Rav Abuchatzeira and he said, “Tikneh, tikneh—buy, buy.” I listened to him, of course, and it worked out well. Since then I’ve continued investing in real estate.

How would you compare the mindset of the Israeli consumer to that of the American consumer? The Israeli consumer is a lot more choosy than the American one. Israelis look for the best deal possible, in terms of price and quality. I just came back from a trip to America and I found many products to be more expensive there.

Are you saying it’s harder to sell food products in Eretz Yisrael?

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I get it—the key is to have camaraderie. But how do you create it in the first place? It starts from the very beginning of the company— in our case, when we had two workers. With every new worker who joined the company, we saw in a short while if they fit in and got along with everyone. A person who doesn’t get along with people isn’t around long in our company, regardless of his skill. People often keep toxic workers around because they value their skill and their talent. That’s a big mistake; if employees don’t get along with other people, how can they be good for business?  To suggest a candidate for this column or to submit questions for “Lunch Break” interviewees, please contact us at nesanel@amimagazine.org.

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BUSINESS

l PARNOOOSA

St e e ri n g a

Supermarket BY JOEL KLEIN, CPBC

RECAP: While we collect readers’ suggestions for consolidating Lipa’s chain of supermarkets and publish the winning strategy submission, we zero in on other key aspects.

JOEL

Lipa’s Supermarket Montréal, Québec Three locations 9,000+ sq. ft. of shopping 30+ employees 25 years in business Owner: Lipa Klein General Manager: Sruly Adler

Last week Sruly got a call that caught him by surprise. The landlord of Lipa’s warehouse, which is located quite a few blocks from the main store, informed Sruly that he would like to take back half the space for his own use. At first Sruly was at a loss, unsure of how to respond. Technically, we can refuse, as we have a lease. Plus, Lipa’s Supermarkets is growing and expanding. Can we afford to give up any space? The landlord, however, was persistent and appealed to our good will. It forced us to take a closer look to see if we are actually using all of the space. Technically, if we give up half of it, we’d save $3,000 a month in rent. Very often, business owners operate without focusing on how they can tighten their belts or “put their expenses on a diet.” Sometimes it’s space or equipment that isn’t utilized; other times it can be an employee who’s underperforming or an overload of inventory. When you consolidate your

54 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

resources, you can often find a new revenue stream or significantly decrease your expenses. In fact, that’s what we decided to do with Lipa’s warehouse. After strategizing, figuring out how we could possibly manage without half of our existing space, it proved to be a simple matter. The problem was one of efficiency and maximization. With better planning and creative shelving, we could easily make do with less and save a substantial amount of money. We are currently revamping the warehouse.

CLARIFYING JOB DESCRIPTIONS WITHIN THE COMPANY In a follow-up to our roundtable meeting last week we consolidated two positions: front and floor manager. This job entails responsibility for the inside and outside of the facility, checkout and delivery, human resources and shift scheduling. This position will be held by Heshy. The purchasing and inventory manager position will be held by Chesky, and involves buying the products and equip-

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ment and keeping track of inventory. It does not include the produce department, for which we are still seeking one individual to oversee all its aspects.

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

WITH BETTER PLANNING AND CREATIVE SHELVING, WE COULD EASILY MAKE DO WITH LESS AND SAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY.

The supply chain begins when a supplier or distributor delivers products to a warehouse, continues when a store receives the stock and displays it, and concludes when the products are purchased by the consumer. A quick check with Lipa’s bookkeeper revealed a serious flaw: There are no records of anything, no purchase orders or invoices documenting when Lipa’s, Bentzy’s or The Shitbel took inventory from each other. It was as heimish as borrowing a cup of sugar from your neighbor. When this happens inventory can’t be controlled, which results in: • No accurate records as to how much a store really profits. • No accurate way to forecast how much inventory a store needs for each season. • Staff members getting bogged down doing other things when they should be serving the consumers.

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Now that Chesky is the official buyer and will have control over the inventory of all three stores, we will hopefully be able to implement a system that keeps track of everything. Even

SIGHTS AND SMELLS We’re making a lot of exciting changes at Lipa’s. Here are three that have already been implemented: • We finalized the details of the store layout. Stay tuned. • The fresh popcorn has been moved to the front of the store, as its scent is inviting. • We are working on enhancing the bakery section at the front of store with increased variety, improved layout and freshness.

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BUSINESS

l PARNOOOSA

Lipa’s warehouse

items we prepare on our own, like sandwiches, salads and the like, can be made at the warehouse and delivered to each of the three locations with the appropriate billing and paperwork. * Now that the warehouse is being divided and will be run separately from the main Lipa’s, it will also get an identity of its own and will be included in next week’s Identity Question. We look forward to

your responses, to be sent to parnoosa@ amimagazine.org. To be continued...

•

With more than ten years of experience as a business coach and marketing pioneer, renowned speaker and leading expert Joel Klein, CPBC, offers time-tested principles and practices to help us rise to the challenges of day-to-day business life. He can be reached at parnoosa@amimagazine.org.

UPDATE

Many of you have been asking how Nationwide, a family-owned popcorn factory featured in the Parnoosa column, is doing. Here’s an update. We Won! Sunrise’s revolutionary new product won the Kosherfest Best Product Award. Sunrise introduces the newest popcorn product on the market, Popella. Popella is a gourmet popcorn that is different than traditional popcorn because the kernels are so tiny it makes it easier to eat; there are almost no shells, it has a more concentrated, distinct flavor and impressive crunch and doesn’t get stuck in your teeth! The award-winning Popella bag was designed by none other than our winning contestant in the Ami Rebranding Contest: Naftali

Weintraub and the Upper Level Team! We Moved! We outgrew our facilities and couldn’t handle new growth. So we found a great facility with the capacity to expand. The state-of-the-art facility is specifically geared for food and is certified, meeting the criteria set by GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and the HAACP. The new facility enabled us to launch our company’s popular hands-on tour where visitors get a chance to pop and bag popcorn and become a Sunrise employee for a day! All our machinery and systems were updated to enhance production quantity. You can expect to see more products from the Sunrise brand; but even as the compa-

56 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

ny is expanding by leaps and bounds, we still adhere to our commitment to the freshness, taste and quality of all our products so they can continue to be the best popcorn on this side of the Corn Belt. We Landed Great Deals! The Sunrise and Popella brands finalized exclusive deals and will be in some big box and chain stores very shortly. We are finalizing the details and the new Sunrise popcorn packaging from the Ami Rebranding Contest winner is coming to supermarket shelves very soon. Be on the lookout! Thanks again to Joel Klein and the team of IMBC. And for the wonderful opportunity of being a part of the Parnooosa Series.

THE ARABS AND THE NAZIS

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A FORGOTTEN AXIS OF EVIL

By Rafael Medoff

2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6 / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / A M I M A G A Z I N E

he controversy over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about the Palestinian Mufti and the Holocaust has drawn attention to one of the most controversial chapters in the history of relations between the Arab world and the West. While the record of the Muti is important, it should be viewed in the context of the broader phenomenon of support for Nazism in Arab countries during World War Two. More than 14 million Allied soldiers died in a war in which much of the Arab world supported the other side.

“We Salute Hitler” The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis to power in 1933 was greeted with enthusiasm in the Arab world, to judge by reports sent to Berlin by German diplomats in the Middle East. The German embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and the German consulate in Beirut, Lebanon, reported being flooded with pro-Nazi mail from local citizens. The German consul-general in Jerusalem, Heinrich Wolff, reported that soon after Hitler became Chancellor, he was

approached by Haj Amin al-Husseini, also known as the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who was the supreme Muslim religious authority for the Arabs in Palestine. “The Mufti made detailed statements to me today to the effect that Muslims inside and outside of Palestine salute the new regime in Germany, and hope for the spread of fascist anti-democratic leadership to other countries,” Wolff informed his superiors. At a second meeting with the Mufti a month later, which was also attended by a number of other local sheikhs, Husseini told Wolff that he approved the recent actions taken by the Hitler regime to expel Jews from various professions. The German consul-general in Jaffa, Timotheus Wurst, in 1935 sent the Foreign Office a report summarizing attitudes toward Nazism both among Palestinian Arabs and Arabs in the surrounding countries. He said that their sympathy for Hitler was based “mainly” on Germany’s antiJewish policies, and secondarily by their admiration of Germany’s intense nationalism, discipline, and militarism. Anti-colonialism was also a factor. Syria and Lebanon were occupied by the

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French. Palestine and Jordan (then known as Transjordan) were under a British Mandate. Iraq and Egypt were technically independent but still subject to a substantial British military presence. The French and the Italians ruled the other Arab countries of North Africa. Thus the hope for German assistance in throwing out the colonial powers was also part of the reason for the widespread Arab sympathy for Nazi Germany. Prof. Francis Nicosia of the University of Vermont, one of the leading experts on relations between Nazi Germany and the Arab world, notes that few Arabs understood or cared that in Nazi ideology, Arabs were “at the bottom of the racial hierarchy,” just barely higher than the Jews.

German Guns to Palestine In the spring of 1936, the Mufti and his followers launched nationwide violence against the Jews in Eretz Yisrael and the British occupation forces. The Muftiled Arab Higher Committee received some funds from Germany to assist the revolt. Diplomatic correspondence indicates, however, that Husseini’s requests for

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The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, poses for a group photo with officers and men of the Handschar Division, November 1943.

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military aid were rejected, because Hitler did not want to unnecessarily provoke the British before he was ready for war. On the other hand, there were numerous instances in which the British police, or French security forces at the Syria-Palestine border, intercepted weapons that were being smuggled to Palestinian Arab terrorists. Frequently the weapons were of German origin, which suggests that the German government quietly approved such shipments so long as they could not be traced to official sources in Berlin. The British sought to arrest the Mufti at a meeting of the Arab Higher Committee in Jerusalem in July 1937, but he was tipped off and managed to slip out a rear exit. He took refuge in the mosques on the Temple Mount and stayed there for more than three months, as the British were afraid of Arab reaction if they attempted to arrest him there. Finally, in October, the Mufti slipped out of the city—dressed in women’s clothes, according to some reports—and made his way to Lebanon, then Iraq.

The British sought to arrest the Mufti at a meeting of the Arab Higher Committee in Jerusalem in July 1937, but he was tipped off and managed to slip out a rear exit.

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Syria: “In Heaven Allah, on Earth Hitler”

Meanwhile, in neighboring Syria, there was substantial local support for Nazism. The lyrics of a popular song heard in the streets of Damascus and elsewhere declared: “Bala Missou, bala Mister. Bissama Allah, oria alard Hitler” which translates to “No more Monsieur, no more Mister. In heaven Allah, on Earth Hitler.” Sami al-Jundi, one of the early leaders of Syria’s Ba’ath party—which has ruled the country since the 1960s—has spoken openly of the role of Nazism in the formulation of Ba’athist ideology: “We were racists. We admired the Nazis. We were immersed in reading Nazi literature and books that were the source of the Nazi spirit. We were the first who thought of a[n Arabic] translation of Mein Kampf. Anyone who lived in Damascus at that time was witness to the Arab inclination toward Nazism. Michel Aflaq, a founder of the

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Ba’athist philosophy, admired Hitler and the Nazis for standing up to Britain and America. This admiration would combine aspects of Nazism into Ba’athism.” Following the German conquest of France in 1940, Syria came under the control of the pro-Nazi Vichy French. That did not last long, however. In the summer of 1941, British, French and Australian forces liberated the region from the Axis. (It was during that fighting that Moshe Dayan, a volunteer serving in the British Army, was wounded and lost one eye.)

Iraq: A Coup and a Pogrom In Baghdad, pro-Nazi activity was spearheaded by Yunis al-Sabawi, publisher of the fascist newspaper al-Alam al-Arabi and an Arabic translation of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. With assistance from the German ambassador to Iraq, al-Sabawi in 1935 established the pro-Nazi al-Muthanna Club and its al-Futtuwa youth arm, which was patterned on the Hitler Youth movement. Members of al-Muthanna helped the nationalist politician Rashid Ali and a

By the end of the month, the British succeeded in ousting Ali, but during the last days before the arrival of British forces, al-Sabawi and the Mufti helped instigate a pogrom against Baghdad’s Jewish community.

group of military officers known as the Golden Square overthrow the pro-British Iraqi government in May 1941 and establish an openly pro-Nazi regime. Al-Sabawi became Minister of Economics in the Ali administration. By the end of the month, the British succeeded in ousting Ali, but during the last days before the arrival of British forces, al-Sabawi and the Mufti helped instigate a pogrom against Baghdad’s Jewish community. The mobs rampaged through the Jewish quarter on June 1 and 2, during the Shavuos holiday. They murdered nearly 200 Jews, wounded many hundreds more, and looted Jewish homes and businesses. The assault has come to be known as the Farhud (“violent expulsion”).

Egypt: Nazi Spies and Muslim Zealots In Egypt, religious nationalist extremists responded to the rise of Hitler by establishing the Young Egypt movement, an openly pro-Nazi group complete with a paramilitary youth division called the Green Shirts. They adopted Nazi-style salutes and torchlight parades, encouraged the boycotting of Egyptian Jewish businesses, and engaged in sporadic violence against local Jews. Support for Hitler in Egypt in the late 1930s and early 1940s centered around a group of pro-Nazi Egyptian army officers. Known as the Free Officers’ Organization, they were led by two future Egyptian presidents, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat. The pair worked closely with the extremist Muslim Brotherhood movement,

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which had been founded in Egypt in 1928 by Sheikh Hassan al-Banna. The Muslim Brotherhood, which has always been fanatically anti-Semitic, remains a major force in Egypt and throughout the Arab world today; Hamas is its de facto Palestinian branch. In his autobiography, published in 1978, Sadat wrote of his “unbounded admiration” for Sheikh al-Banna. He attended al-Banna’s lectures and eventually the two began collaborating on plans to overthrow the Egyptian government, which they considered too pro-British. Sadat also wrote about the rising tide of sympathy for Nazism in Egypt as German forces defeated the British at the famous battle of El Alamein and moved across the desert towards Alexandria. Crowds of Egyptians filled the streets, chanting “Advance, Rommel!,” Sadat recalled. In 1942, Sadat became involved with German espionage activities in Egypt, which were aimed at making contact with the Germany military forces and paving the way for a Nazi victory. He was captured by the British and spent the rest of the war behind bars.

North Africa: Slave Labor Camps In Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, the phenomenon of Arab support for the Nazis was more complicated because, as of June 1940, those countries were ruled by the pro-Nazi Vichy French, following the German conquest of France. Thus Arab supporters of Nazism in those areas were actually supporting the government.

hours: sun 10-5 mon-thurs 9-8 Fri 9-2 The Grand Mufti Amin al-Husseini with the Waffen SS in 1943.

As soon as the Vichyites took power in North Africa, they began implementing Nazi-style treatment of the region’s 330,000 Jews. Discriminatory legislation forced Jews out of many professions, sporadic pogroms broke out, and thousands of Jews were taken away to slave labor camps. There were 30 such camps in Morocco and Algeria. Prof. Michael Abitbol, chairman of the African Studies department at Hebrew University and widely regarded as the leading expert on 20th-century North African Jews, has found little evidence of local Arab opposition to Vichy anti-Semitism. Abitbol discounts postwar rumors that the Moroccan sultan, Muhammad V, helped protect Morocco’s Jews. The sultan was “timorous” before the Vichy authorities and did not “hold a position or act publicly in any way that might be interpreted as a criticism of Vichy’s policy,” Abitbol has written. In Vichy-ruled Algeria, the Commissariat-General for the Jewish Question was “inundated” with letters from local Muslims offering “advice on the best way to resolve the Jewish problem in North Africa,” according to Prof. Abitbol. Many of the letter-writers criticized the authorities for not being harsher on the Jews. The cruelties inflicted on Jewish slave laborers by Arab guards in the camps was documented in later Allied military tribunals. “The internees were not treated as human beings,” one eyewitness recalled. “The guards, armed with cudgels, beat up the workers without any compunction, without any reason, just to hit.” In Tunisia, where part of the country was under direct German occupation from late 1942 through the spring of 1943, some 5,000 Jews were rounded up and taken to several dozen slave labor camps. Local Muslim extremist groups, such as the Parti Populaire Français and the Service d’Ordre Légionnaire, “whose zeal almost outdid that of the SS,” according to Prof. Abitbol, joined German soldiers in raids on Jewish

homes and business, or carried out such attacks on their own. They expelled Jews from their houses, extorted money from them, and stole their property with impunity. In 2002, Robert Satloff, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, moved to Morocco to search for instances in which Muslims in North Africa helped Jews during the Holocaust. He found a handful of instances of individual acts of kindness, which he chronicled in a 2006 book called Among the Righteous. The strongest case Dr. Satloff found was that of a Tunisian farmer, Khaled Abd elWahab, who allowed a Jewish family to stay on his estate in order to avoid being conscripted for slave labor. Based on Satloff’s research, Yad Vashem was asked to honor el-Wahab as one of the “Righetous Among the Nations.” Yad Vashem declined to so, on the grounds that elWahab did not risk his life, which is the standard criteria for such an honor. Moreover, el-Wahab did not break any laws by sheltering the Jews, and the local German authorities were aware that he was hosting them.

The Mufti’s Record While the spies in Egypt, the guards at the slave labor camps in North Africa, and the gangs in Tunisia did their best to aid the Axis, it was the Mufti who made the most important Arab contributions to the Nazis. Fleeing Baghdad after the defeat of the pro-Nazi Rashid Ali regime, the Mufti made his way to Tehran, where he was given sanctuary in the Japanese embassy. From there Husseini continued on to Italy and then to Germany. He and a large entourage were provided spacious living quarters in Berlin and put on the government payroll. During the next four years, Husseini compiled an extensive résumé of pro-Nazi and anti-Jewish activities. He made proNazi speeches that were broadcast to the

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Hitler speaking with Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and a virulent opponent of Zionism, in 1941.

Arab world; some of the speeches harped on the familiar theme of alleged Jewish plots to harm the Al-Aqsa Mosque, on the Temple Mount. He appealed to Muslims to “crush Jewish ambitions and the devilry which surrounds international Judaism.” The Mufti also helped develop an Arab Legion of the Germany Army and organized an all-Muslim division of the SS, known as Handschar. It committed so many atrocities in Yugoslavia that Husseini was later indicted as a war criminal; he escaped justice, but 38 of his division’s officers were prosecuted. The Mufti also organized sabotage squads that attacked Allied facilities in the Middle East. One such squad was parachuted into Transjordan with poison that the Mufti instructed them to dump in the Tel Aviv water supply, but they were intercepted by the British. In 1943, Husseini persuaded the Germans to cancel a planned prisoner exchange that would have sent 4,000 Jewish refugee children (and 500 accompanying adults) to Palestine. He urged the Nazis to instead send them to Poland, where they could be kept “under strict control.” The children were sent to Auschwitz. Historians have found ample evidence that the Mufti was aware of the mass murder of the Jews. Among other things,

Adolf Eichmann mentioned at his 1961 trial that members of the Mufti’s staff spent time in Eichmann’s headquarters, where they were tutored to become “experts for any Gestapo to be set up in the Near East.” Some of the Mufti’s assistants also were given a tour of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, which was adjacent to the headquarters of the Inspectorate of Concentration Camps, in order “to learn how to deal with the enemy, particularly the Jews.” A claim by one Nazi war criminal that the Mufti visited Auschwitz has never been confirmed.

A Haven for War Criminals Some postwar Arab historians have argued that the Mufti and other Arab leaders supported the Nazis not out of hatred for Jews, but because of an understandable desire to oust the British and French colonial authorities. That defense, however, is undermined by one of the most remarkable but little-reported aspects of the Arab role in World War II: the haven given by Arab countries to thousands of Nazi war criminals. During the 1950s and early 1960s, the names of prominent Nazis living in Syria began to surface. One was SS Captain Theodor Dannecker, who had helped Adolf Eichmann carry out mass killings in

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France, Bulgaria, and Hungary. When the legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen took up residence in Damascus in 1962, his Syrian acquaintances introduced him to a former Nazi who was serving in the Syrian Secret Service. The most notorious Nazi granted asylum in Syria was another top Eichmann aide, SS Lieutenant Alois Brunner. After being convicted in France in 1954 of responsibility for the murders of more than 100,000 Jews, Brunner disappeared. Two decades later, the famed French Nazi-hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld tracked down Brunner in Damascus, where he was making a comfortable living as an adviser to the Syrian intelligence services. Egypt was particularly hospitable to Nazi war criminals. Leopold Gleim, a Gestapo colonel in Poland, is believed to have worked with Egypt’s secret police. Other ex-Nazis were helpful in developing Egypt’s military rocket industry. Investigative journalist Paul Meskil calculated in 1961 that “more than six thousand” former Nazis had reached Egypt by 1957. So many ex-Nazis fled to Arab countries that “the underground route to Arabia soon looked like rush hour on the Autobahn,” he wrote. Dr. Johann von Leers, a former Nazi propagandist employed by the Egyptian Ministry of Information, himself wrote in 1953 of what he called “the moving humanitarian reception which hundreds, perhaps thousands of German refugees found after the war among the Moslems of the Middle East.” Decades after the British and French colonialists had left the Middle East, long after Syria and Egypt were completely independent, they continued to warmly embrace Nazi war criminals. That fact speaks volumes about the reasons that prompted so many in the Arab world to support the Nazi cause.

•

THE KOSHER ISSUE

Living a kosher lifestyle isn’t just a part of life; it permeates every aspect of existence. From a spiritual journey that started with winemaking to a “shadchan” for kashrus marketing to the personal revelations of keeping kosher, we explore the landscape of kashrus in the modern world.

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Phyllis Koegel visits companies to convince them of one thing: kosher lies in their future.

Two people look at what happened when they started keeping kosher.

Jeff Morgan began making kosher wine. Then he found that it encouraged him to explore his Yiddishkeit. 65 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / O C T O B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4 / / 2 8 T I S H R E I 5 7 7 5

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Drinking wine w a merry heart

with

An Interview with Kosher Winemaker JEFF MORGAN By Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter

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“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for G-d has already approved what you do.” —Koheles 9:7 Kosher winemaker Jeff Morgan is also a journalist and wine educator. His articles have appeared in such publications as The New York Times, Elle, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal and Wine Spectator. He is also the author of nine books on food and wine including his latest, The New Jewish Table (Schocken/OU Press), which was released in March 2015. Jeff’s interest in gastronomy and wine first blossomed in Southern France, where he lived and worked for nearly a decade as a saxophone player, eventually becoming bandleader at the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo in the mid-1980s. Ironically, the call of wine led Jeff back to America, where he grew grapes for several years and produced Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot commercially on Long Island. In 1995, Wine Spectator hired Jeff as its West Coast editor. He moved to San Francisco, wrote over 400 articles for the magazine and became a member of its close-knit tasting panel. In the fall of 1999, he headed to Napa Valley to take on the position of wine director for the nationally recognized gourmet food and wine purveyor, Dean & DeLuca. That’s when he met Covenant partner and co-owner Leslie Rudd. The two vintners founded the Covenant winery, which is under strict kashrus supervision, in 2003.

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How did the shift from musician and journalist to kosher winemaker come about? I got lucky! After a 20-year career as a saxophone player I was hired by some really great publications to write about food and wine. One day in 1992 they called me up from Wine Spectator magazine with my first assignment: “Jeff,” they said, “we’d like you to write about kosher wine for Passover.” “Are you kidding?” I replied. “I don’t know anything about kosher.” “But you’re Jewish, right?” they asked. “Yeah, but I wasn’t even bar mitzvahed.” “We don’t care,” they insisted. “Last year we had a non-Jewish guy write about this subject and we were accused of being anti-Semitic. This year you can write whatever you want, but at least we’ll be covered. Take it or leave it; it’s your foot in the door.” I said okay. Panicked, I called the Herzog family, the biggest name in kosher wine. They put me in touch with Jay Buchsbaum and Nathan Herzog. “Guys,” I said, “you don’t know me. My name is Jeff Morgan. I’m writing a story on kosher wine for this big magazine. Can you help me out?” That was my introduction to the world of kosher wine. I’m one of the only people who could grow up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and barely knew he’s Jewish. I managed to do that.

So your discovery of Judaism came about through kosher wine? For me, that’s the most important part of the story. Wine has special significance for Jews, even though we come in contact with it regularly. To us it’s holy, but we don’t usually think of it as something that would inspire a person to embrace the Jewish lifestyle. Usually, if you’re making Kiddush, you’ve already embraced it. For me it was the opposite. I was drinking a lot of wine, writing about wine, but it was this seemingly serendipitous journalistic assignment that introduced me to kosher wine, and by extension, to the Jewish people.

You used the word “holy” to describe the significance of wine for Jews. It played a big role in the Beis Hamikdash and still does in our brachos. But how do you, as a winemaker, understand why wine is different from all other foods and beverages? Because it’s an intoxicant? The answer is probably more complicated than I’m capable of giving. To begin with, I don’t think it’s because wine makes us drunk when we drink too much of it. That has nothing to do with its role as a sanctified beverage. You can also become intoxicated on Scotch, but we don’t make Kiddush on it. You could get high on other drugs and we wouldn’t make Kiddush on them either. Wine, though, has a special connection to our heritage and to spirituality. That’s why it is worthy of sanctifying special moments like Shabbat.

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You didn’t know you had Jewish roots? Well, I knew I was Jewish. But my mom’s family, the Solomons, came to Canada from London in 1830. They had plenty of time to assimilate and they did. My dad’s side was from Ukraine, and after two generations they completely assimilated. I had no Jewish education whatsoever.

You can also make Kiddush on grape juice, which has no alcoholic content.

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I’ve always found it fascinating how words are used to describe taste or aroma or texture, which you did as a journalist. It’s so subtle that it’s almost spiritual. That’s the challenge that any writer faces: how to convey thoughts and feelings and sensory information to the reader. But there’s another aspect to it. Chances are that if a reader is really interested in wine he’s what we call a “supertaster,” meaning that he already has a heightened capacity for taste and smell. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be interested. Just as some people are more talented in art or music, it’s the same with taste. We all have different numbers of taste receptors on our palates and smell receptors in our nose. Not everyone can do it, but a lot of people are very sensitive to the aromatic compounds that are in all fruits and are enhanced by fermentation. That makes these things a lot easier to describe. You learn which fruit components to look for in a glass of wine, whether red or white. All I have to do is find them and describe them to my readers.

There you go. I think our ancestors discovered that of all the fruits growing in Eretz Yisrael thousands of years ago, it was the grapes that created the most exquisite, harmonious and complex blend of flavors and aromatics. From a purely aesthetic perspective, it was the ultimate expression of what fermented fruit can do, and any fruit can ferment and produce alcohol. Some people I know think beer is exciting enough to write about. Quite frankly, I like beer, but beer wouldn’t have inspired me to change my life. Wine is something special that inspires all of us in some way. It elevates us and takes us to another level of consciousness through taste. And aroma. Yes. I don’t even have to taste it. Just putting my head near a cup of great wine causes me to pause and think and reflect. It starts with the aroma, but that just opens the door. 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6 / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / A M I M A G A Z I N E

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You’re interested in food in general. Yes. I wrote nine cookbooks. But wine is the standout? It is. Listen, I love to eat, but it doesn’t inspire me the way wine does. A great steak won’t make someone think about his Jewish heritage or connect him to a Jewish lifestyle. But wine can. Many children make a face when you give them wine, as if it’s the worst thing they ever tasted. Is wine an acquired taste? Most children are born with a very sensitive palate. Babies wander around on the floor and put everything in their mouths, so maybe they have a built-in protective reflex to spit things out if they don’t like them. As we get older, our palates become less sensitive. A lot of elderly people don’t have a very sharp sense of taste. I think that kids are just hypersensitive to the acidity and alcohol and other unfamiliar flavors in wine and they find it off-putting. But kids probably shouldn’t be drinking wine anyway, so it’s a good thing they don’t like it. Sweets, by contrast, are seductive. A sweet taste usually implies that something is good, although it’s not always true. So in that sense wine is an acquired taste only because our tastes evolve as we get older. What’s the ideal age to appreciate a good glass of wine? Let’s back up for a second. Wine isn’t only about taste; it also has to do with lifestyle. Wine is the beverage that enhances whatever is on your plate. Everyone should be drinking wine on a daily basis, at least with dinner, because not only does it make food taste better but it’s good for you in moderation. It’s my personal outreach mission to help Jews understand that not only is wine perfect for Kiddush, it’s perfect in the general sense. As a daily beverage it can get expensive. There are great wines in all price ranges. People should purchase wines they can afford that are appropriate for the occasion. If it’s only lunch, maybe a glass of Chenin Blanc is the perfect thing. You open the bottle, it costs you ten 70 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

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or 12 bucks in the store, and it’ll last you the whole week. Are you, as a wine expert, experiencing something different than regular folks are when you taste those very expensive wines? Yes. Wine is art. Appreciating a fine bottle of wine is like appreciating a fine painting. One person might value a painting at millions of dollars, while another person could say, “I wouldn’t hang that in my house if you paid me!” The best wines I’ve had usually come from places that are known for producing particularly good wines, where the vineyards are meticulously cared for. These places are also valuable from a real estate perspective. Rarely do you have a great wine that doesn’t cost a lot to make. What’s “a lot”? The price of making the wine is typically reflected in the price of the bottle. Forty to $100 range is a lot. Once you get into the crazy range of $300, $500 or even $1,000 a bottle, that’s usually more of a supply and demand type of thing. What price range would satisfy a true wine lover? That’s a great question. For me, whatever wine I’m drinking should pair well with what I’m eating. I’d say that 90% of the time I drink wine with food; I don’t just sit around drinking it. Covenant Winery currently makes some 15 varieties, ranging in price from $20 to $150 a

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“Winemakers are shepherds of nature, taking the fruit of the vineyard and helping it turn into art in a bottle.” 72 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

Most winemakers are artistic types. Is producing wine comparable to painting a picture? I wasn’t a painter but I was a jazz musician, which means I had a blank canvas every time I picked up a saxophone because it’s an improvisatory art form. You have an instrument, you push the little buttons, and you can be really good or really bad. It’s a blank waiting to be filled, which is really scary, let me tell you. It’s pure creativity. Lots of times I would wonder, “Why did I just play that?” I never had any idea. I couldn’t call winemaking an art. A winemaker is more artisan than artist. We’re shepherds of nature, taking the fruit of the vineyard and helping it turn into art in a bottle through certain artisanal techniques.

So you differentiate between winemakers according to their skills or artistic talent? No. It’s not about being artistic. It’s a very reactive process. The most important thing is to be able to identify where the best grapes grow, or to grow the best grapes on the land you already have. Then you need to be able to determine when to pick the grapes, and the only way to do that is to actually go there and taste them. It’s something that involves all your senses. Once the grapes are in the winery we have to monitor them throughout the winemaking process. Sometimes we see things in the laboratory that can help us. But if you’re only working with numbers and formulas you’re not really being artisanal, so we also taste it every day so we know how it’s evolving during fermentation and while it’s aging in the barrels. By the way, we spit it out because we don’t want to get drunk. So it’s a whole process that involves taste and aesthetics and all that kind of stuff.

Do you also make wine in Israel? Yes. We’re currently making wine in the Jezreel Valley, using grapes from three vineyards, one in the Golan and two in the Galil. We recently released our first Covenant Israel 2013 vintage, which is two-thirds Syrah and onethird Cabernet Blanc. It sold out immediately. Right now we’re using someone else’s winery, but my goal is to build our own. How are things going there? I’m very excited. Northern Israel is very similar to Northern California in terms of climate and suitability for growing grapes. I’m so happy that Israel is reviving its ancient wine culture. I predict we’re going to see some of the world’s best wines coming from Israel. Have winemaking techniques changed over the years? Were our ancestors drinking the same kinds of wine that we are? The short answer is yes, although winemaking evolved quite a bit over the last century and became a very scientific production. Then there was a backlash, because it became like something you do by the numbers. At this particular chemical stage of the fermentation you do X, it has to be in this kind of tank, add this kind of yeast—the process was almost antiseptic. Then in the last 20 years the thinking began to change. People began to realize that the best way to make wine is to do as little as possible so we don’t add yeast, as some winemakers are still doing. We don’t add anything. It just starts fermenting by itself after about a week. I call it “the yeast from Hashem.” Yeasts are single-celled organisms that exist all over the world. They can be on the grapes or floating around in the air. What we’re doing in Covenant Winery is not so different from what they were doing up in the hills of Judea 2,500 years ago.

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So it’s more like classical music than jazz? Somewhat, although I’d be hard pressed to convince a classical musician that he wasn’t a creative artist. First you learn the techniques, then you bring the best out of your raw materials. Your success depends on how creative and sensitive you are with what the vineyard gives you to work with.

How do California wines compare to wine produced in France, Spain or Israel ? I lived in France for almost ten years, where they’ve been making wine for a very long time. There’s a lot of land for growing grapes. Some of the wine is good and some of it is bad, just like anywhere else. In my opinion, France is special because of its culture. Wine is simply part of everyday life. But France is no better for producing wine than California or Israel.

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bottle. There’s something to complement any meal. The really expensive ones are our best wines so they’re more appropriate for special occasions, while the cheaper ones are fine for daily consumption.

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Does conforming to halachah to make the wine kosher affect its taste or aroma in any way? Well, sometimes it makes it a little more challenging. You see, those yeasts that are fermenting don’t stop what they’re doing on Shabbat or Yom Tov. So since we can’t monitor what’s happening on those days, we’re kind of flying blind for a while. There actually are other ways to figure out what’s going on, but you can’t do anything about it on Shabbat anyway. As soon as Shabbat is over we run to the winery to make sure we didn’t miss anything. Sometimes we work until two in the morning. So it’s always hands-on? Things can happen very fast during fermentation and you have to react quickly, within hours. If you miss certain windows of opportunity it can alter the flavor. You really have to stay on top of things because every moment is critical. So aside from Shabbat or Yom Tov, I’m basically checking things hourly to see what’s going on. And whereas other people might relax after Shabbat and put their feet up, we’re getting right to work. I think all the best kosher wineries do that. They don’t have mashgichim who say after Yom Kippur, “I’m completely wasted—I’ll come in tomorrow.” The whole point is to make the greatest wine you can. Is a kosher wine drinker missing something? Well, he’s missing the same breadth of selection. Kosher food can be as good and diverse as non-kosher food. Obviously, you can’t mix dairy and meat, but the flavors are all there. With wine it’s a little different. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t a lot of great wines to choose from. There are, so it’s not really a problem. But if you’re a winemaker and you can’t try other wines that aren’t kosher, you might not be able to get a qualitative view of what’s out there. Are you a strictly kosher eater today? I started becoming observant in 2003, but I’ve become increasingly observant as the years go by. Right now, my own personal evolution is happening rather rapidly. I left the Napa Valley about a year and a half ago and moved to Berkeley, which is right next to San Francisco. I’d reached a point where I was more comfortable in an observant community, and Berkeley is the closest one to California’s wine country. I’m only an hour away from our vineyards. We happened to buy a house that’s within walking distance of the only Orthodox shul. In Napa Valley I didn’t even go to shul, because there was no shul for me to go to. 74 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

We even live right across the street from the rabbi, so I think all of this is bashert. We now have a kosher kitchen at home. So I’m pretty observant, and moving more and more in that direction. Does your background as a wine taster make you a better winemaker? Absolutely. My job at Wine Spectator was to taste every wine on the planet. I’ve tasted more wine than most people could dream about in several lifetimes. So when I taste our wines, my point of reference is obviously more broad-based. For 15 years I told people what was good and what wasn’t. Was I always right? No, but at least I had a pretty good idea. I’m actually our own worst critic because I’m comparing our products to the greatest wines I’ve ever had. But it’s helpful, because I want to make kosher wine that’s on par with the best. Was it solely a business decision to make kosher wine rather than non-kosher? It wasn’t a business decision; it was more of a bashert moment. I hate to admit it, but I’m not even a very good businessman. In Napa, there was a Jewish winemakers’ group I was invited to join. None of those guys kept kosher, and there were no kosher wines being tasted. In 2002 we invited an Israeli winemaker, Eli Ben Zaken from Domaine Du Castel, to come to a tasting at one of our wineries because he happened to be in San Francisco on a promotional tour. I don’t remember if the wines he brought were kosher but we assumed they were. We tasted them and we were like, wow! These are great! Were you surprised? I knew there were great kosher wines out there because I’d been writing about kosher wine for almost a decade, but a lot of my colleagues didn’t. One of them was the guy who became my partner, Leslie Rudd, a nice Jewish boy from Wichita, who owns some of the greatest Caber-

Is smaller better? Yes, as long as you’re not too small to make a profit, because all that equipment costs money! It also makes it simpler to monitor fewer barrels. It’s easier to make good wine in smaller batches. But I know some bigger wineries like Herzog that make phenomenal wines even though they’re a lot bigger than we are. How can you help someone start appreciating wine on a higher level? I would tell anyone who’s remotely interested in what he’s eating to make sure he has a glass of wine with it, to integrate it into his lifestyle. It’s not something we need to put on a pedestal and reserve for special moments like Kiddush. Wine can also be brought down to the dinner table to enhance our meals. That said, don’t buy wine you

“Jewish wine” has come a long way in the past few years. When I was growing up, all we had was that terribly sweet stuff. That kind of wine is made with Concord grapes, a variety that’s native to America. They never grew in the Holy Land, although they do now, because we exported them. When our ancestors came to America, they saw these grapes growing in profusion and thought, “Aha! We’ll finally have enough grapes for Kiddush!” and started using them. They’re not so easy to turn into fine wine, so they kept them sweet. That’s where that came from. Nowadays, though, everyone’s pretty much working with European varietals, which I think actually came from Israel. Have you ever seen the ancient winemaking machinery that’s been unearthed in Israel? Funny you should ask that. About a year ago I was up near Nahariya. The truth is that if you go almost anywhere up North there are old “gats,” winepresses carved out of the limestone. They’re the equivalent of what we would call tanks. They would put the grapes in there and crush them, and then the juice would flow into another tank, where they’d let it ferment. I’ve also been to the ruins in Kibbutz Kabri, which is an extraordinary cellar that was discovered two years ago. When you see things like that you think, “Okay, the French may have been making wine a long time, but we’ve got them beat by several millennia.” And we did it very well. You’ve helped me understand the statement of our Sages: “Ein simchah ela b’basar v’yayin—There is no true happiness without meat and wine.” Is there something about that combination that brings one to a certain level of relaxation? It’s not about relaxation; it’s about aliyah, an elevation. You sit down and look across the table at your dinner plate. You see a beautiful glass of wine and you raise it and drink this beautiful beverage and it takes you to a higher level. For me, there’s no true happiness without a glass of wine with my meal. 

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How big is your winery, small, medium or large? We’re relatively small; definitely what I’d called a boutique winery, and in Israel we’re even smaller. We make about 6,000 cases of wine a year, around 70,000 bottles. Some of the bigger wineries make up to 30 times more than that. Our winery occupies 7,000 square feet. We’ve got about 500 barrels in there and seven wine tanks.

can’t afford, and don’t worry about finishing the bottle. A bottle of wine will last for three or four days after it’s opened and still taste very good.

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net vineyards in the world. Leslie looked at me and said, “This is great, Jeff, better than the kosher wines I had growing up in Kansas.” To which I replied, “Leslie, maybe we can make the best kosher wine in 5,000 years from your fantastic grapes.” “I don’t think so,” he said, “because what if you mess it up? It could turn out to be the worst kosher wine in 5,000 years.” I was a little deflated. Then he said, “Actually, it’s a great idea. Let’s find a vineyard in Napa Valley and try to do this.” When we started making the kosher wines I still needed shomer Shabbat hands, but there weren’t any in Napa Valley. So I called my old friends the Herzogs and said, “Guys, could I make the wine in your winery? You already have a shomer Shabbat crew. “Absolutely,” they said. They were very generous. So we started making Covenant at the Herzog Wine Cellars in Southern California. We did it for five years. That’s where Covenant got its start. [Note: Covenant Winery is under rabbinical supervision and is sold by Kedem.]

25 years

33 Harvests

14 Years

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PHYLLIS KOEGEL KEEPS CORPORATE AMERICA KOSHER

BY RACHELI SOFER

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ou might be surprised to learn that one of the most influential people in the world of kashrus today isn’t a rav or mashgiach, but the mother of three married children and proud bubbie of 15. Thanks to none other than Phyllis Koegel, thousands of our favorite ingredients and products from all over the world are kosher. Think of her as the quintessential “food shadchante,” networking to make a match between the OU, where she works as marketing director, and countless food manufacturers out there. Phyllis flies all over the globe, working tirelessly to bring new products to the kosher market for us to enjoy.

How It Began

She insists she isn’t the first woman to be involved in kashrus. “It was actually the women living in America at the end of the 1800s who should be credited for spearheading the modern world of hashgachah.” Apparently, the OU didn’t start out as a kashrus agency. Phyllis begins our interview with a bit of history: “The OU was established in 1898 as an organization to serve the needs of the huge influx of European refugees to America. These women didn’t speak the language. They didn’t know what they could eat. They needed jobs, and they were being forced to work on Shabbos. A group of shuls banded together and created the Union of Orthodox Congregations. They spent the next 20 years helping these new immigrants. The OU was instrumental in getting a law passed so that Jews didn’t have to work on Shabbos, and was also active during the First World War.

“Because of the revolution in how food was being processed in modern facilities, by 1924 a lot of Jews didn't know what was kosher anymore. It was the women at the time who were worried about serving kosher food to their families, and wanted the OU to tell the masses which processed products were permissible. The H.J. Heinz company approached the OU and asked for help marketing their baked beans to kosher consumers. Supposedly, it was Heinz who helped create the OU symbol, but we mustn’t forget that the women were the driving force behind the organization’s entry into the world of kashrus. And as more and more foods were processed, the OU grew organically to where it is today.” Those women could certainly not have envisioned the worldwide organization that currently exists; its headquarters in New York City, a hive of activity, takes up three floors.

Creating Kosherfest

I ask Phyllis how she got her start. “My background is in marketing. I

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have an M.B.A. from Pace University,” she says. “Then somehow I fell into the Jewish marketing world. My first real job after graduation was with Menachem Lubinsky, the owner of Lubicom, a marketing and advertising agency. In the late ’80s he had a client named Irving Silverman, who sold rags and had a vision for creating a Jewish festival. He came up with an amazing show called the International Jewish and Kosher Festival, and asked Menachem Lubinsky to market it. Mr. Lubinsky took care of the advertising and promotions. It was such a huge success that they had to shut down the Javits Center, which had a capacity of 5,000 people: 50,000 people showed up!” “What drew all those crowds?” “There had never been anything like it. There was Judaica, books, food, entertainment, singers... Irving realized he was on to something, and when he was looking for someone to run the show the following year they brought me in. Working on that event was a fulltime, year-round job. After the next two

shows the food vendors expressed an interest in meeting buyers—and that’s how Kosherfest was born. “The following year we invited supermarkets and stores to a ‘trade day’ with approximately 40 food manufacturers. It was a tremendous success. Menachem dubbed it Kosherfest, and I became its director. I spent the next 15 years in that position. We ended up moving the show to Secaucus, New Jersey.”

samples. Customers would approach me and I’d ask, ‘Would you like to try some hummus?’ “‘What’s that?’ they’d ask. ‘Is it like cream cheese?’ ‘No. It’s made from garbanzo beans. Just taste it.’ I was stationed near the refrigerator cases, so after they tasted it I’d encourage them to ‘take some home and try it.’ After three days Costco would evaluate whether or not we’d moved enough of the product to warrant space on its shelves. That’s how we broke into Costco. I did this all

over the country, introducing America to hummus. A few years later, the Strauss company in Israel became a partner.” After another short-lived stint elsewhere, Phyllis called Menachem Lubinsky. “He had just had a meeting the week before with the OU, with then-president Stephen Savitsky. He wanted to bring in a marketing person to sell kosher certification. Up until then companies came to the OU; there was no full-time sales department,” she explains.

On to the OU

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When Kosherfest was sold in 2002, Phyllis went to work for the Sabra company, but it wasn’t the multi-million company we know today. In fact, its exponential success can be directly attributed to her. “I worked at Sabra in the marketing division. I helped build the brand from a little Israeli hummus company to what it was when Pepsi bought it. It was an unbelievable experience. We rebranded the packaging, the labeling—everything! We started doing road shows. I traveled around the country and stood in Costco stores for 12 hours a day hawking hummus. In Arizona, we stood outside in 115º heat giving out

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Have Some Hummus?

With her experience at Kosherfest and Sabra, Phyllis was the perfect fit for the OU. Today, she spends her time meeting with food companies at trade shows and company headquarters internationally. Phyllis is no longer hawking hummus; nowadays she sells the concept of kashrus, convincing companies why they should want a hechsher and walking them through the process of becoming certified. “Phyllis was born for this job,” a colleague of hers tells me, and I can see how right he is. “It was really mazel, and it was all in the timing,” Phyllis says. “I started in July 2006 and they threw me into a trade show that very week, the Summer Fancy Food Show. I had to learn all the nuances of kashrus on the job, by osmosis. Till today I’m still learning. I’m lucky to be in the center of the most skilled kosher industry experts in the world.” She is super-passionate about what she does. She tells me a little about her exciting work environment, where there’s always something happening in the office next door, whether a live chicken being examined by a rav, or a fish being analyzed under a microscope. “There are 60 rabbis in our office, and they’re all experts in different categories: candy, snacks, bakery goods, oil, alcohol and so on. They are all brilliant talmidei chachamim. Over the years I’ve worked with all of them. Every day

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I’m working on new projects, talking to oil companies, candy companies, meat companies. There are always kashrus questions that come up.” “Is that because some ingredients have to be changed in order for a product to be certified kosher?” I ask. “Not always. Sometimes we find that the ingredients a company is using are all kosher and they didn’t know it. Other times, not so. “For example, a few years ago I was working with Jelly Belly. They’d been getting calls for years from consumers requesting reliable certification. They came to the OU and we discovered that the product had gelatin and some flavorings that weren’t kosher. Jelly Belly made the commitment and a huge financial investment to become certified up to our standards. Within the first six months their sales increased by $1 million in certain regions of the country.”

Kosher Consumers Have Clout

Phyllis explains to the companies she reaches out to that the kosher consumer prepares for two Thanksgiving-like meals every week for Shabbos, and there are always lots of guests. And let’s not forget about the Yomim Tovim! For that reason alone we are obviously valuable customers. She cites a study done by ShopRite which found that kosher consumers spend 42 to 47 percent more than the average consumer. She also explains to companies that the OU symbol on a product is meaningful to many people who are lactose intolerant as well as

a kashrus symbol on its product?” I ask. “I never encountered that.” What about the BDS? “Nope. We even go to Arab countries like Egypt. They export abroad, and their clients want kosher.” Phyllis relates an interesting anecdote about a mashgiach who always visits the factory in a certain Arab country dressed in their garb, even though all the workers know he’s a rabbi. What’s her biggest challenge in convincing someone to go kosher? “Finding the right person to talk to in a big company. It could be the CEO, the marketing director or someone else who’s making the decisions.” I ask Phyllis to tell me what she’s working on now, but unfortunately she’s been sworn to secrecy. “But I’ll tell you about another project in the works. It’s a unique product from Japan that I’d

those who eat only halal. There are also many consumers who simply equate a kosher symbol with cleanliness, natural ingredients and health. Whom does Phyllis target? What products does she try to get certified? “Everything! When I’m at a show, everything on display is my venue. I also have my own private wish list of products I want to see kosher, of course. After all, I’m a kosher consumer just like you.” Are most companies receptive? “It’s really a business decision,” she says. “Food manufacturers want to appeal to as many segments of the population as possible. Nowadays, many consumers have a checklist: Is it natural? Organic? Kosher? Gluten-free? Halal? All these trends are important. The more certifications a product has, the easier it is to get space on a supermarket shelf.” “Is a company ever afraid to display

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given to a rabbinic coordinator, who reviews all the information and the product’s ingredients. We have six or seven people who spend their days processing new companies.” “What happens if an ingredient isn’t kosher?” “If they’re using an ingredient that’s pure treif, there’s nothing we can do. But if there is a kosher option, we offer a substitute. For example, there are kosher gelatins on the market. Other times we have to institute new ways of doing things. For example, if there’s kosher and non-kosher in the same factory, we need to set things up so there’s absolutely no possibility of cross-contamination. Our army of 400 mashgichim around the world are our eyes and ears.” Our conversation next turns to CocaCola, and I ask her to confirm a popular urban myth. “Is it true that no one knows the formula except for someone at the OU?” As it turns out, that tidbit is totally true! “The formula is kept under lock and key, and only one rabbi knows what it contains. There are safeguards in place; we sign confidentiality agreements every day. Some companies have proprietary formulas.”

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into my bag and stolen my wallet with my passport and credit cards inside! I jumped up and ran to the information counter, frantic. I filed a report with the police, and they told me to go to the US Embassy. When I called them I was told to come get a temporary passport—but they were already closed for the day, at 11 a.m.! Apparently they’re open only from 8:30-10:30 a.m. I was almost in tears. Then I remembered the OU mashgichim who work in Europe. I called Rabbi Hollander, who lives in Belgium. He made some phone calls and discovered that Rabbi Sterling, from London, was in Hamburg—a four-anda-half-hour drive away. He brought me money and kosher food and set me up

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never heard of before. It’s an herb that will be sold as an ingredient and will also be turned into a beverage.” That brings me to my next question. Phyllis’ unique job takes her around the world, to Spain, Portugal, Israel, France, Germany and Mexico…and to her favorite destination, China, where the OU has an office in Beijing. “I know you travel to interesting places. Have you ever been to Japan?” “Not yet, although so far I’ve been to China three times. I travel to Europe once a year, and every two years I attend the huge international trade show in Germany, where we have 300 customers from around the world. “It’s fascinating to learn a country’s

More Calling than Kashrus

history and be exposed to their culture. So many random people wanted to take pictures of me in China because I look so different from them. The Chinese are so hospitable and proper.” She laughs and shares an anecdote from a recent travel adventure: “On my way home from a show a few weeks ago, I was sitting in Starbucks at the Berlin airport, working on my laptop, when my pocket was picked. Someone had apparently stuck his hand

in a hotel. I’d never met Rabbi Sterling before. I was so grateful to be part of such an amazing organization. I got a passport the next day and was able to fly home.”

Getting Certified

I ask this marketing dynamo to walk me through the process of getting a product certified—once she’s gotten the company on board. “After an application comes in, it’s

I learn something else today: The OU is a non-profit organization whose mission is kiruv and facilitating Jewish observance around the world. Every dollar that comes in funds the OU’s programs: NCSY; Yachad-the National Jewish Council for Disabilities; its Synagogue Services Department; Birthright; NextGen, and more. Phyllis’ work at the OU is thus part of a higher calling, as the money she brings in supports these programs—and that’s not something she takes lightly. “Corporations are very impressed with this idea. People think I work for a business, but no one owns the OU. “The Yachad kids come to our offices all the time. Half a year ago, the people

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from Pepperidge Farm happened to be there. We were giving them a tour of OU when they walked in and met some of the Yachad kids. One woman started crying.” Is Phyllis also tasked with marketing a product once it gets certified? “Yes. I offer full marketing support, and that includes press releases and social media. Plus I get a lot of calls from companies asking for assistance. And if someone is looking for a distributor or wants to break into the kosher market, I help with that, too.” Phyllis is also busy maintaining relationships with major clients. “Walmart, Costco, Target… These companies all have their own brands, and many of their products bear the OU symbol. I meet with them on a regular basis. I just met with BJ’s and Trader Joe’s. We also certify tankers that move liquids across the country and guarantee that they were washed at a kosher washing station. We have a map to let them know where they can stop to have a tanker kashered properly—railroad cars too!” “What was your biggest coup?” I ask. “Tootsie Roll is my biggest claim to fame! I cold-called them every couple of months for three years. I go after the companies I want to be kosher because I love to nosh. I grew up in the 1960s, when kosher wasn’t so sophisticated and there weren’t many options. “I have two mottos: You never know, and, don’t give up! I’ve been warned multiple times not to bother with a certain company but I always do, because they often call me back at a later date. “Tootsie Roll was very resistant at first. The main ingredient of the candy is whey, which obviously has to come from a kosher source. They were buying whey on the open market to save money. Two and a half years after I started calling, they noticed that most of the whey they were buying was kosher anyway. One day I happened to call while I was on my way to the candy show in Chicago. That’s where Tootsie Roll is based, and they said I

could come in. The rest is history.”

Consumer-Driven Kashrus

Phyllis also targets food companies based on consumer demand. “I get emails and calls from consumers all the time, asking for certain products to become kosher. “For many years I was getting phone calls from a company called Arbonne. Their representatives kept asking me what it would take to make their products kosher. In addition to makeup and skin care products they sell shakes, energy drinks, supplements and other food items. Each time I would tell them that I needed to speak to the corporate office. Then I got a call from a frum representative who lives in the Five Towns, who was personally interested in seeing it happen. So she connected me to the CEO, and I flew to California to meet with them at their headquarters and explain the kosher process. “It took a whole year, but half of their edible products are now kosher and we’re working on phase two. Arbonne is committed to working with us, even

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though the process is complicated for some of their offerings.” She belives that the best way to convince a company to make something kosher is by simply calling them up and telling them you want to buy the product. “Get all your friends to call; it makes my job so much easier. When a company hears that people want to buy their product but can’t because it isn’t kosher, they’re ready to go by the time I get to them. Then all I have to do is explain the process. People don’t realize how much power the kosher consumer wields. Take Stella D’oro Swiss fudge cookies. They were always pareve. At one point the company decided to make them dairy, but they got so many phone calls from irate consumers that they called me for advice. I explained why being pareve was so important and they switched back. The same thing happened with Duncan Hines cake mixes. They switched back to pareve because of pressure.”

Coming Up…

I question Phyllis about my own

don’t want to go kosher? Phyllis repeats my question—with an important correction. “The key word is ‘yet.’ Some products just take a long time.” When she finally convinced Hostess to make kosher Twinkies, “They did a special kosher run, but unfortunately they weren’t satisfied with the outcome.” Companies often do that, she explains, experimenting with their formulations. Does she every worry about her safety while traveling? “I’m an adventurous person. I’m also an only child. My parents were Holocaust survivors. My mother survived Auschwitz, and she was scared of everything. My father, who survived Dachau, was afraid of nothing. I wanted to be like my father.

kosher wish list. “Why are Doritos only kosher in Israel? Why can’t they have an OU? Every time we go to Israel we bring back a suitcase full for everyone’s kids!” Don’t think that she hasn’t tried. Doritos uses a certain cheese seasoning, she explains, which doesn’t meet the OU’s standards. The Doritos in Israel are made in a different plant with kosher seasoning. “But don’t think that it can never happen here,” she consoles me. “When the company is good and ready, it will.” Have there been companies that just

He raised me to be self-sufficient, insisting that I get an education. Growing up, he would tell me every day, ‘You have to learn how to take care of yourself because no one is going to help you if you get into trouble.’ I still have that spirit.” Though we aren’t privy to the details of what’s coming down the pipeline, it’s clear that Phyllis Koegel’s wish list is extensive. This is a woman on a mission to bring us even more kosher options. “The best,” she says with a twinkle, “is yet to come.”

THE KOSHER ISSUE

D S O D O N F E R R E T H & S O S K NEW COBS

THE MASHGIACHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WORLD

JA JUDY

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THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WORLD 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6 / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / A M I M A G A Z I N E

THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

WHAT YOU SEE ISN’T WHAT YOU GET?

Did your bubbie and zeidie scan the ingredient list of packaged food to check if it was kosher back in the day? While today even the uneducated kosher consumer knows that reading the ingredients list is not an acceptable method of ascertaining its kashrus contents, most have no clue just how unreliable that list is. A new start-up, called Clear Foods, aims to analyze exactly what’s in the food on that supermarket shelf. Does that veggie hot dog really not have any protein? Is that cookie really pork-fat free? The results of their probing were unsettling, to say the least. “We really saw the food industry as sort of being a black box, and that consumers were having to go with sort of blind trust in order to make their food purchase decisions,” says Clear Labs co-founder Mahni Ghorashi. “As we started testing more and more of the US food supply, we’re seeing between a 10% to 15% discrepancy rate between what food items are actually claiming to be, versus their labels and packaging, versus the reality of their molecular

content.” Laws are like sausages—better not to see them being made—said Otto von Bismarck back in the late 1800s. Not much has changed since then. You may want to skip the rest of this paragraph. Clear Labs’ first report tackled hot dogs and sausages, analyzing 345 samples from 75 different brands. The results? A whopping 14 percent had ingredient lists that seemed to be more fiction than fact. There was pork in supposedly porkfree (“kosher”) hot dogs; there were vegetarian products that contained meat; and there were even traces of human DNA in some of these processed food products—a sign that they’d been prepared in an unhygienic manner. The good news is that Clear Labs predicts that in ten years’ time smart phones will come equipped with technology that analyzes food right on that grocery shelf. You’ll be able to zap those franks on the spot to see just what’s in them—though frankly, you may not want to know (not for kashrus reasons, of course).

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THE BIG CHEESE Have you tasted Parmigiano Reggiano cheese? Of course you haven’t. That’s because the very first wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese certified as “kosher” was just presented at Milan’s Expo world’s fair. “An entrepreneur who has vision must spot what’s missing,” Nicola Bertinelli told Bloomberg Business at an interview at his cheese factory. He just spent 1.5 million euro to transform his facility to a kosher one in an attempt to cash in on the $12.5 billion US kosher business industry. A 39-kilo (86-pound) wheel that’s aged for 24 months can retail for more than 700 euros—and that’s a nonkosher wheel! Kosher Parmigiano Reggiano costs 30 percent more to produce. (Weird fact: Some local banks will accept wheels of the cheese as collateral for loans!) Bertinelli is confident in his investment: “Today about 58 percent of products on grocery shelves in the US are kosher,” Bertinelli said. “Let’s imagine what will happen in Europe in a few years from now. I think in the near future many producers in the agricultural business will invest in the kosher market.”

THE KOSHER ISSUE

PACKAGING

music. Also, cookies seem harder and crunchier when served from a surface that has been sandpapered to a rough finish and Colombian and British shoppers are twice as willing to choose a juice whose label features a concave, smile-like line rather than a convex, frown-like one.” In order to sell their product, food producers can no longer just rely on graphic artists to create a pretty design—not if they want to compete with more savvy food producers. In the past, the taste of the food and its packaging were two different phenomena—but as Spence proved, if you want the food to impart its optimum flavor, you need to focus on both. One example of something producers should keep in mind is how they use the color red. Since red is perceived as sweet, foods served in red containers will be perceived as sweeter. As Spence says, when Coke temporarily changed their packaging to white, sales fell and consumers complained that the soda recipe had been changed! Even salty popcorn served in a red bowl was judged as sweeter! And curved shapes are perceived as sweeter too. When certain

milk chocolates made by the Cadbury company had their shapes change to curved, reaction was swift. Customers insisted they were “sickly sweet” even though the recipe hadn’t changed! Even the sound packaging makes when being opened is important. Spence is in the midst of experimentation involving the whoosh sound when cans of soda are opened. Sounds overdone? It isn’t. Axe brand deodorant bottles, targeted to men, spray at a larger pitch than the Dove deodorant targeted to women! It was all based on a study that showed how a person perceives the pleasantness or effectiveness of a deodorant. Another study showed that people eating bacon-and-egg-flavored ice cream claimed it tasted more “eggy” when they listened to the clucking of chickens—and claimed it tasted more “bacony” when they heard bacon sizzling in a pan. So how does all this affect the kosher consumer? Look out for redesigned food packaging of your favorite foods even when their recipes remain the same.

THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

Crunch. About a dozen years ago a group of people crunching potato chips changed the food industry forever. In an experiment devised by experimental psychologist Charles Spence at the University of Oxford, volunteers crunched Pringles into a mike while wearing headphones. As they taste-tested the Pringles, they rated how fresh it tasted. It turned out that the ones that crunched loudest were rated as tasting fresher. But they were all actually exactly the same— Spence had simply amplified some of the sounds! Scientists have long known that much of what we perceive as the “flavor” of food is actually thanks to our sense of smell, not taste. But Spence’s research in the decade since his ground-breaking Pringle-crunching experiment reveals that at least half of our experience of food is determined by vision, sound and touch. According to The New Yorker, Spence has proven that “a strawberry-flavored mousse tastes ten per cent sweeter when served from a white container rather than a black one; that coffee tastes nearly twice as intense but only two-thirds as sweet when it is drunk from a white mug rather than a clear glass one; that adding two and a half ounces to the weight of a plastic yogurt container makes the yogurt seem about twenty-five percent more filling; and that bittersweet toffee tastes ten per cent more bitter if it is eaten while you’re listening to low-pitched

KOSHER EVERYWHERE WITH KOSHWHERE Find yourself in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, and you need Shabbos meals delivered to your hotel room door, meals that do not feature the Vietnamese favorite: dog meat? You can have kosher meals delivered there—you can have kosher meals delivered almost anywhere, in fact, with Koshwhere. The idea behind this ingenious start-up is simple: They connect travelers looking for food with caterers and food suppliers. So even if you find yourself in some far-flung place like Nariobi, Kenya, you won’t have to do without your Friday night potato kugel. The process is super-easy—you go to the Koshwhere website and choose from a menu in your location—and then it’s delivered to your door! It isn’t only the lone businessman who finds himself in some sad hotel room in an unpronounceable city who can benefit. Travel agents will now be able to arrange meals for large groups with the click of a button.

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on foods that can transform your health on fast forward. The two educational institutions recently announced the formation of The New JerseyIsrael Healthy, Functional and Medical Foods Alliance. Its goal: to formulate foods that not only feed, but heal. They hope to create edibles that can end obesity, manage diabetes, tackle food allergies and solve other nutrition-related problems that have grown to epidemic proportions. The hope is that eventually doctors will be able to prescribe specific foods, rather than drugs, to cure ailments. Of course, an avocado can’t cure diabetes—yet. Maybe manipulating certain elements in the avocado, increasing some of its nutrients for instance,

would make it not just feed, but heal. Tel-Hai’s 4,500-member student body might seem tiny compared to Rutgers’ 67,000, but it’s got impressive food chops. It boasts huge achievements in analyzing and evaluating food. One of them is an electronic tongue. The human tongue is fickle; feed three kids broccoli: One wolfs it down, the other throws it up, the third won’t touch it. The electronic tongue can rate all foods systematically without bias. Tel-Hai has more tools at its disposal, including a large variety of instruments that measure the texture and color of food and analyze its chemical composition. But human tongues aren’t totally out of a job—professional food tasters are also on hand.

THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

Imagine this: Instead of dragging the kids, kicking and screaming, to get their vaccinations, you simply feed them a potato. No, this isn’t some anti-vaxxer here babbling that anything, including eating potatoes, is a better idea than jabbing your kid with something that could save his or her life. Researchers are actually working on creating vaccines in the form of potatoes! Potato vaccines?! That’s small potatoes compared to the other potentially amazing benefits the humble potato has to offer. Perhaps one day potatoes will be on a list of medicinal foods—foods that actually heal illnesses. Research on medicinal food is in its infancy. It’s a collaboration between Rutgers University in New Jersey and Tel-Hai College in Israel’s Galilee region, which may put world research

THE KOSHER ISSUE

MEDICINAL FOOD

KOSHER FOOD COURT Forget baseball. The all-American pastime is shopping. As college professor Jim Farrell, author of a book on shopping malls put it, we’re “One Nation Under Goods.” Another favorite American activity: eating. That’s why every mall boasts the ubiquitous “food court” where shoppers can quickly ensure they won’t fit into their newly-purchased clothes. But while Jews easily fulfill the dictate that thou shalt not pay full price at malls, fulfilling Jewish dietary laws has proven more challenging. We’ve always been shortchanged in mall food offerings— until now. At a 21-acre site near MetLife Stadium, construction is going fullspeed on a megamall expected to open in the summer of 2017. The list of amenities it will offer is staggering: The half-mile building will host 500 stores; North America’s largest indoor

amusement park and largest indoor water park; a Legoland Discovery Center; the first indoor ski hill in the Western Hemisphere; a 300foot Ferris wheel offering views of Manhattan; and the world’s steepest roller coaster. But that’s not what has me salivating—it’s the fact that it’s supposed to host the first kosher food court in the US! Given the number of observant Jews in the area, deciding

to have a kosher food court was a no-brainer for the developers who are prepared to go to tremendous lengths to attract large crowds. They’re even offering delivery service of all the shmattes you buy at its stores to service the many who are anticipated to arrive via public transportation. Sounds like a dream? That’s it’s name. Called American Dream Meadowlands, the project is being built by the Triple Five group, which says there will be a whopping five-billion dollars invested in the project by opening day. That makes it the most expensive retail project on earth! But the group is no stranger to mammoth projects— they already own two of the largest retail and entertainment complexes in the world: the 4.2-million-squarefoot Mall of America near Minneapolis and the 5.2-million-square-foot West Edmonton Mall in Canada.

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IN WORD & IN IMAGE

KOSHER WORLD

THE KOSHER ISSUE

Keeping Kosher

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THE KOSHER ISSUE KOSHER WORLD

The First Test By Yedida Wolfe

t 22, I had returned home for winter break and told my parents I could no longer eat in their kitchen. I was committed to keeping kosher, even at home, even when no one was looking. “Shopping opportunity,” my mom said with grace, and came home from the mall with two new sets of dishes, pots, pans and utensils. She let me kasher the stove, eating the kosher food I prepared when she returned from work each day with a smile. “It’s delicious,” she complimented, nurturing my budding culinary skills. Though my mom was accepting of my religious choices, I was nervous for our annual visit with Merion, a distant relative by marriage, who had taken care of me when I was two years old. I’d stayed

with Merion when my mother traveled for business. She fed me Twinkies and “kids’ coffee” which was mostly milk. She let me sleep next to her if I feared the wind or a shadow of the tree outside my window. The oldest of ten kids, Merion had married late and never had children herself, so I received the bounty of her endless care and attention. Merion prepared a festive meal whenever we’d make the trek to her small desert home on my school breaks. She served mashed potatoes, stuffing, and steamed broccoli with a heaping spoon of plain mayonnaise on the side. She used all sorts of ingredients that came in boxes—food my mother would never buy—like Uncle Ben’s rice and Shake ’n Bake. As a kid, I devoured her fare, served at 6 p.m. sharp. The regularity

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was comforting, the slowness of our time together a haven in a life filled with school deadlines and sports competitions and recitals. Achievement felt like redemption in my everyday life at college. To Merion (if not myself), I was already good enough. My mom reassured me that she had explained that I wouldn’t (couldn’t) eat anything Merion had prepared. “I’m worried she’ll be offended that I brought along my own food,” I confessed to my mom on the long drive through the desert. “She understood,” my mom said. “Merion loves you and wants you to be happy.” Despite my mom’s reassurance, I felt my neck tense as we got closer. I tried to plan out how I’d ask for a small place

Merion asked. “That was always your favorite.” My mom put broccoli on my plate to placate Merion, who asked what could be wrong with broccoli. The meal dragged on, as I dodged questions about my newfound faith, and tried to steer the conversation to safer territory like what jobs I wanted to pursue after graduation. Everyone finished their apple pie while my stomach grumbled. I poured myself another cup of Coke, and offered to do the dishes, still hungry. Attempting to smooth over the kosher issue, I spent a long time with Merion, asking about her nieces and nephews that I’d met briefly growing up. One

an exception would ruin my credibility with them, but also, most importantly, Hashem would know. I had to stay strong, even if Merion was insulted. “But I’m serious about keeping kosher now, I’m so sorry.” Merion shook her head. “I can’t believe you’d do this to me.” “I felt that way, too, at first,” my mom jumped in, smoothing things over. “But she’s still the same girl we know and love.” I found a place at the table. I picked at the undressed cucumbers during the salad course, and sat with a foodless setting as the rest of my family ate Merion’s traditional American cuisine. “You sure you don’t want stuffing?”

was married, one was working in the big city (Los Angeles). All of them loved her cooking, she rubbed in. My parents were tired after the drive and meal, and retired for the night. Merion watched the late news with her poodle on her lap, and then retreated to her room. With the kitchen to myself, I snuck some rugelach I’d brought along, saving enough for breakfast. As I lay on the sofabed Merion had set up for me, I thought about all the ways Merion had influenced me as a child. Her lessons included the admonition to be patient, never brag, have good manners, and to follow rules. Ironic how I’d been attracted to those qualities in the frum

KOSHER WORLD

clearly back right away. There was a long pause, too long, until the poodle scampered past, breaking the silence. “I love you so much, Merion,” I told her, my voice unsteady as I searched for the right words. I felt so utterly alone, and guilty for putting people I loved in an awkward position. “I knew you’d make an exception for me,” Merion said, interrupting me. “I wish I could eat what you made— it’s all my childhood favorites—stuffing, broccoli, Shake ’n Bake chicken. My memories of your delicious food are so strong,” I said, trying to sound firmer than I felt. No one would know if I cheated this once and took a bite of her food. No one but my family. Making

THE KOSHER ISSUE

in her treif kitchen to set up the panini maker I’d schlepped along. I shivered as we stood outside Merion’s blue door. I was surprised to feel cold in Southern California, having left snowy New York. A lizard ran across the rose-colored pavement. And then the door opened, revealing Merion just as I remembered her. “It’s so wonderful to see you,” Merion said, as she reached for a hug. “You’re all grown up!” “It’s so nice to be here.” The smell of Merion’s peppery stuffing filled the entryway. She ushered us into her small blue living room. Her white poodle wagged his tail to welcome us. The TV blared the local news, which we watched while Merion finished up in the kitchen. I admired Merion’s new needlepoint hanging above the couch, as she told me about her rose garden and her pet’s recent health problems. The conversation floated to the old guard, relatives I’d never met, and then it was time to sit down to the meal. I hadn’t had a chance to ask Merion where I could prepare my kosher food. Whenever there was a pause in the conversation I’d felt tongue-tied. I glanced at my mother in a silent call for help in navigating the delicate situation. “Where should Amy set up her kosher equipment?” my mom asked, saving me. “She won’t need that here,” Merion answered calmly. “You went kosher?” My mom sounded surprised, adding with a forced smile. “Amy only eats kosher now.” “Not in my house,” Merion said with confidence. “She can make an exception for me.” No one spoke, not even my direct, no-nonsense mother. For a moment, I wavered, overwhelmed by the familiar scents and the warmth emanating from my childhood caretaker. I wasn’t sure how to convey my commitment to kosher without degrading all Merion had done for me growing up. “You’ll eat my food, right, Amy?” Merion commanded. Her complete denial of my religious choices shocked me. I couldn’t find my voice to answer

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THE KOSHER ISSUE KOSHER WORLD people I knew, how their humility, honesty and commitment had drawn my curiosity. How could so many people be so focused on doing good, I had wondered in college, surrounded by many other peers who were wasting their parents’ hard-earned tuition by missing classes and attending parties. The next morning I woke up with a crick in my neck, and devoured the rest of my cookie stash and some oranges. The weird combination made my stomach hurt. Merion invited me to walk the poodle with her around the homogenous neighborhood filled with seniors in golf carts. We spoke about my classes and projects, grades and career plans as if nothing had changed—as if the food snafu had never occurred. Merion deftly avoided any discussion of my religious views until the very end of the walk. “Promise me you’ll stay in touch with me,” she said. The poodle tugged on

the leash to go faster. “And you won’t change too much.” Merion put her arm around my shoulder as we finished our walk in silence. After packing up, my parents and I climbed back into the car, back to the ocean, back to a kosher kitchen and the promise of hot food. I sat in the back seat, like a child, waving to Merion as we zoomed away. My mind raced on the ride home, my stomach rumbled. I was emotionally exhausted. I couldn’t complain to my parents. They had trekked to the kosher grocery store and brought extra food and suffered the embarrassment of me sitting and eating nothing. I felt utterly alone. “I’m sorry, guys,” I said, wondering what exactly I was sorry for, except upsetting the status quo. “I know that was hard with the food.” “I’m sorry for you,” my mom answered.

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“I guess Merion really didn’t understand kosher, though we spoke about it for an hour on the phone. You must be starving.” “Yeah, it was pretty hard to refuse the stuffing.” I joked, feeling relieved my mother saw my side. “I’m just sorry it was so awkward,” I continued, aware I hadn’t done anything wrong. “You could always change your mind,” my mom said lightly. I smiled weakly, unable to respond. Staring at the barren landscapes, the familiar trek across Southern California, it hit me that my parents might hope this kosher food thing was just a phase, like when I was really into saving the environment and admonished them for not recycling. They couldn’t sense my new religious practice was different from my teenage craziness. My Jewish soul was hoping to make a difference in the world.

Merion danced at my wedding, alongside my mom and me. She wore a white hat and dressed in a tznius suit that made her blue eyes shine. Merion raved about the delicious (kosher) catered wedding food, and shared her surprise that the menu didn’t include gefilte fish. My husband’s beard and kapote convinced my family I was really serious about Judaism. The kosher issue died down as grandchildren appeared, softening our spiritual differences, for a time. The reprieve lasted nearly three years. That’s when, while I was expecting, I craved both pancakes and eggs. My mom, some cousins, and my husband, my 2-year-old, and I wandered into a local dairy restaurant (no longer in existence), and tried to order pancakes and eggs together. Our request confounded the hapless waiter who said he’d have to charge double for bringing pancakes and eggs—emphasizing the combination wasn’t listed on the menu. My cousin shook her head, chalking the waiter’s inept response to the fact that we were in a kosher restaurant. I lacked the courage to point out that non-kosher establishments also have service lapses. The moment passed without words. Inside, I felt detached, defensive that things weren’t going smoothly, though of course there was nothing I could do. This cousin is hotheaded, I reminded myself, as I smiled politely at both the waiter and my family. I wanted everyone to be happy; I wanted everyone to feel good about my choices. I didn’t know then what a ridiculous goal that was. Sometimes my choices would not make other people happy. And I spent too many guilty hours trying to reconcile that flexible, easygoing, people-pleasing part of me with my commitment to Torah. Dinner at Merion’s was the first of many tests I’ve faced in keeping kosher. I have traveled around the world on business trips surviving on fruit and chalav Yisrael yogurt from the local Chabad House. I have rebuffed many boundary-crossing coworkers and old friends, who have urged me to relax my standards just once. Each time I have faced a challenge to my kashrus level, that whisper of insecurity returns. It is so difficult to make a decision to separate from the herd, from the group, from family. In my sheltered Brooklyn reality, I am walking around like anybody else, worrying about what to make for supper, hoping my kids will eat it, running to work, running to the store—not thinking about foods I enjoyed decades ago. In fact, I have almost forgotten what those forbidden delights taste like. In my current no-dairy, less-wheat, little-sugar diet, even kosher treats are basically off limits. “Kosher food is the best,” my mom told my kids on our last visit to California. My parents still let us kasher their kitchen; my aunt hired her local Chabad to cater a family reunion so we could join. I finally feel acceptance and appreciation.

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THE KOSHER ISSUE KOSHER WORLD

My Parents and I By Jeanie Silver

began keeping kosher in an Arab restaurant in Jerusalem in the middle of a meal. It is well known from many sources that eating kosher food can make a person sensitive to a more refined spirituality. I had been eating a kosher diet by default at Neve Yerushalayim College for Women where they were teaching me Torah and feeding me. Somewhere around the main course, that sensitivity kicked in. Suddenly I felt as if I was drinking murky water from a grimy glass. Since that moment, I have never knowingly eaten anything that was not kosher During my time at Neve, my father retired and my parents moved to Reno, Nevada. I left Israel after two years of study to visit them, realizing with trepidation that my new kosher lifestyle was going to cause some commotion. Besides me, there were only four Orthodox Jews in or near Reno. A bare minimum of

kosher food from the supermarket was available: tuna, eggs, produce, condiments. There was no kosher restaurant. I come from a family of foodies. Food and eating were integral to the way we interacted. My mother was a self-taught gourmet cook, famous for her creations. If I spoke while she was seasoning, she said “Shhhh.” Every night we ate a very healthful meal starting with salad and ending with fresh fruit. My father and I spent no small amount of time together breaking my mother’s food rules. When I returned from Israel, he began to reminisce about the pickles and sauerkraut in barrels, chicken schmaltz and gribenes he loved growing up in New York. In Reno, he took me on a tour of the supermarkets, with offset lighting in the produce section and saddles for sale. There was much mirth over food-related family lore. My mother once sent me a comic of a little girl propped up in bed

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with a menu, her exhausted father in robe, slippers and large bags under his eyes saying, “Some kids just want a glass of water.” My paternal grandparents met in a Romanian delicatessen when my grandfather approached my grandmother and asked if he could share her table. “Vy not?” she told him. “It’s a free country.” So you can imagine what awaited me in Reno. I had abandoned ship. Unthinkable. The tension at dinner was so palpable you could cut it with a knife (pun intended), my parents eating their meal while I sat eating my little tuna salad as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the elephant in the room. My parents did try to accommodate me as they were adjusting to the new normal, but sometimes it was just too much. Periodically, often without warning, my father would call out, “Who made these rules! I wanna be on the committee!”

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But Hashem brings the cure before the makkah. My cure began with Chana Feinhandler, a former Neve student who remarkably lived near Reno and who, throughout the years, did many kindnesses for my parents, including bringing them kosher food and Yom Tov gifts. She connected me with her brother Ed, a caring individual who would from time to time travel the four hours to San Francisco to buy kosher wine, meat, chicken and other foodstuffs to sell at cost to Jews passing through who kept kosher. Because of Ed’s tremendous chesed, I was now able to cook dinner for my parents. My father took me to buy cookware, two sets of dishes and a new barbecue grill. The culinary friction abated and things improved, with the exception of their irritation about the enormous amount of aluminum foil I was using. With the new kitchenware came the need to tovel, which I did in the Truckee River, usually in a public area for safety reasons. I would saunter past the people, as casually as possible, and dip my utensils in the river. The Truckee ran outside the house but I avoided it. I wasn’t sure my parents would understand and besides, there were neighbors. One rainy night, however, while preparing dinner, I realized that I hadn’t toveled the pan and spatula that I needed. Turning down the flames, I quietly snuck out and raced through the downpour to the river. Muddy from the riverbank with hair and clothing soaking wet, I quickly

made the brachah and dunked my cookware. As I turned to leave, I noticed two fishermen nearby in yellow rain slickers gaping in astonishment, stumped by what they had just witnessed. I laughed so hard, I could barely walk. Then one day before my birthday, I ran out of Ed’s food. We always ate out on birthdays but there was no kosher restaurant and now no festive food. My mother despised fish. But she agreed to it if it was cooked outside on the barbecue. I found a whole fish and some kosher-certified ice cream and began to prepare dinner. Today I am an expert at making a kosher meal in a non-kosher environment but then I was only beginning, and it took me a long time. Dinner was at least an hour late. Suddenly I realized that I wasn’t clear about the halachah and that I might not be permitted to cook the fish on the grill that had been used for meat. There was no one to ask. I had explained to my parents about not mixing meat and milk but I wasn’t sure how not mixing meat and fish would go over. I was sure, however, that we were on the verge of a new war. But what could I do? I steeled myself, walked into the den and sat down next to my hungry father. “Uh. Dad. I’m sorry, uh, but I can’t cook the fish on the meat grill.” Then I held my breath and maybe closed my eyes. “Honey,” he answered me, “would you like me to go out and buy you another grill? My parents never ceased to surprise me. They would argue and give me a

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hard time, but I knew they respected what I was doing. “You bucked the system,” my father would say. It was a compliment. Two years before my parents passed away, my father was suddenly hospitalized right before Pesach. I booked the first flight out and then raced through the grocery buying Pesach food. Not knowing if I would be spending Pesach in Reno or if my parents would eat the food, I bought for three, which filled four large boxes. That year my parents had their first kosher Pesach. They allowed me to kasher the condo and sell the chametz, and they ate only what I gave them. The next year, they again allowed me to make Pesach. By now, Chabad had come to town, and I planned to attend their Seder. My father usually woke at 6 a.m. and ate something. This was not an hour I intended on rising after a Seder, so I showed him where the Pesach breakfast food was. I took my time in the morning, davening and learning. When I walked in around 10 a.m., I was stunned to find him furious. And hungry. Because he hadn’t eaten. He hadn’t understood my directions and although famished, hadn’t touched one morsel. He was waiting for me to come and tell him about rules the “committee” had made. It seemed that the same sensitivity I experienced in the middle of a meal in an Arab restaurant in Jerusalem kicked in for my father on the first day of Pesach sometime around dawn in Reno, Nevada.

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The Kosherizer Helping people all over the country change their lives by keeping kosher B Y YEDIDA WO L FE

Rabbi Shaltiel Lebovic, 46, is the director and founder of GoKosher.org, an organization that kashers kitchens for families and businesses around the country. Rabbi Lebovic grew up on shlichus in Massachusetts and New Jersey, and now lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, with his wife and five children. The GoKosher team kashers 1,500 homes a year in the Greater New York area.

Who utilizes your services?

We serve all kinds of Jews—chasidish, Litvish, Orthodox, Modern Orthodox, the whole gamut. Since all Jews can keep kosher, people from every sect contact us when they need help with kashering. Frum people call us to kosherize their kitchens when they move. People who are newly observant and ready to commit to keeping kosher at home regularly call us in to kasher their kitchen appliances and utensils, as well as to help them set up their kitchens so it’s easier to navigate according to halachah. There are some people who are facing a personal challenge and have decided to take on kashrus. We don’t turn anyone away for lack of funds. We’ve helped rich and poor, celebrities, politicians—you name it.

Is the process difficult?

Without toiveling, we can usually kasher an average kitchen in about three hours. Also, we provide a phone consultation before we come out so people know what to expect. Is this lifestyle change emotional for people?

Often. Part of our job is to put people at ease. Sometimes one spouse is more committed to kosher than the other; sometimes a family is going kosher because their child became a baal teshuvah. It’s a matter of gently introducing halachic guidelines into their situation. Many clients who are koshering their homes for the first time do get emotional. They ask me to say a prayer for their new kitchen. I tell them that they should pray for themselves, but they want the rabbi to do it. I do this 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6 / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / A M I M A G A Z I N E

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day after day, so I’ve gotten desensitized. I have to remind myself what a big thing it is for these people. It means identity; it means feeling attached to Judaism. I have to remember that.

KOSHER WORLD

Are some people surprised by what it takes to make their kitchen kosher?

Yes! Some people have misconceptions about what keeping kosher entails. The cost and effort can seem overwhelming at first. People imagine how difficult it will be if they mix up meat and milk utensils. Part of our service is education. We show them how keeping kosher can be workable, and we tell them whom to call if they have questions. I explain how to keep meat and milk items in separate cabinets, and I tell them to add stickers to everything from the cutting board to the tablecloth. Our goal is to put people at ease. What does a typical workday look like?

Yesterday was a pretty typical day. The first stop was an amusement park in Farmingdale, Long Island, where we kashered a grill so that children of Chabad shluchim could enjoy a barbecue. At the next stop we helped a family re-kasher their kitchen; their struggling child had brought nonkosher food into the house. Then we helped a woman who moved to Far Rockaway kasher her kitchen in her new apartment, and we assisted her with mezuzos as well. I also try to take tefillin along on my journeys, and I help clients who express interest in this mitzvah to put them on. At the last appointment, I learned the heartwarming story of a young man whose parents came to America from Russia in the 1970s. He had always wanted to be religious and decided to take on mitzvos in college. Sensing his commitment, his parents finally agreed to go kosher. His mother, who was more receptive to the idea than his father, said, “I want my grandchildren to be able to eat in my house.” In sticking to his commitment to Torah, the young man inspired his parents to grow in their Yiddishkeit as well. Do you travel?

We’ve helped people all over the US with koshering. We koshered a hotel for a bar mitzvah in a remote part of North Carolina, working with the local nonkosher caterer to purchase ingredients and kasher the hotel kitchen and 108 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

equipment. We rented brand new china for the event, which everyone enjoyed. I have colleagues in Florida who can help kasher vacation rentals, snowbird apartments, and homes down south. What’s the most unusual place you’ve kashered?

A shaliach in Alaska flew me out to kasher the hotel where he was holding his first fundraising dinner. We had to make more things from scratch since it was very far away from any large Jewish community, which made it challenging to get certain kosher ingredients, but we made it happen. The chefs worked with us by purchasing new frying pans, knives and other equipment we required. Closer to home but worlds away, we once guided famous Manhattan chef Daniel Boulud in making his restaurant kosher dairy for an afternoon. A family had rented out the entire restaurant for a wedding and wanted to accommodate their kosher relatives and guests in this acclaimed five-star venue. We even kashered the pastry oven and then baked kosher versions of the baked goods Boulud was known for. It was a situation where it meant a lot to the family to be able to include everyone in their wedding, and we helped them do it. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

It brings me as much joy today to help people observe kashrus as it did when I started 25 years ago. People make the decision to go kosher for many different reasons, but the commitment to kosher can really be transformative. Once people see how manageable it is, I’ve found they tend to raise their standards over time. Once they are eating kosher at home, they begin to choose kosher restaurants when they go out. What’s the message you leave them with?

The kitchen is a central part of your home. It sets the tone of your home, which has ripple effects on every area of life, discipline, kabbalas ol, and every aspect of Yiddishkeit. I often tell people that by making the decision to go kosher, they have brought the Shechinah into their home, making it a place where Hashem can feel comfortable. I wish them all the best and tell them that I hope they will see blessings from their decision to keep kosher. Also, Moshiach is coming, and all the Jews in the world are going to keep kosher. So why not get a head start? 

THE KOSHER ISSUE

They are the army behind the kosher revolution. Mashgichim make the modern kosher marketplace possible, while they often remain unacknowledged, behind the scenes. Here’s a peek into their world.

THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

When mashgichim head overseas, sometimes into dangerous countries, how do they maintain their personal security?

One of the hardest hashgachah jobs is certifying tuna fish. Here’s a halachic analysis and a look inside a plant.

Hashgachah sometimes comes along with spiritual side benefits, as revealed in these true stories from mashgichim. 109 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / O C T O B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4 / / 2 8 T I S H R E I 5 7 7 5

THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

RABBI DR. AVROM POLLAK Star K One issue that comes to mind is more true in the New York area than it is out-of-town. When people go to a kiddush on Shabbos, to a meal, to a bar mitzvah seudah, a sheva brachos, and there’s no hashgachah, the likelihood that there is chillul Shabbos is very high. If there’s no hashgachah and no one in the kitchen who knows hilchos Shabbos, what you’re allowed and what you’re not allowed to do, that is a major problem people need to be aware of. Even if you trust the balebos and know the food is kosher, when it comes to hilchos Shabbos most people don’t know, and if there’s no trained mashgiach there, you can have big michsholim.

RABBI USHER ECKSTEIN Vaad Hakashrus of Belz

RABBI SHOLOM FISHBANE CRC (Chicago) One thing I want people to know is that to be a mashgiach today you definitely have to know Yoreh Dei’ah well, but that’s only a very small part. You need to understand food science; you need to understand chemistry; you need to be somewhat of an engineer. That’s the only way to be a good mashgiach and to run a good hashgachah. Therefore, when we say that a hashgachah is not good it usually has nothing to do with any lack of yiras shamayim on the rav hamchshir’s part or his knowledge of Yoreh Dei’ah. It’s probably because he may not be able to pronounce the ingredients he’s trying to certify or doesn’t understand how steam systems work and all of that. Unfortunately we have to reject it because of the lack of that type of knowledge. Therefore, out of the 1,500 hashgachos in the world we only accept about 200, which is a low rate. It’s not politics. It’s not personal. It’s simply because they haven’t brought themselves to the 2015 level of understanding what it means to run a hashgachah.

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When educated consumers call me about products that I give a hechsher on, I’m very happy to provide information. But when people call me about other mashgichim, sometimes I don’t really know, and this is something I cannot answer. People get upset. They think I’m hiding something from them. They don’t understand that when someone is in kashrus he’s not an encyclopedia of everything about kashrus hechsherim. When people ask if a certain product needs a hechsher or not, this is something I can answer. When people ask is this rabbi good or not, I sometimes don’t know. It’s not being evasive; I really don’t know. If you’re an educated consumer, don’t hesitate to call the person directly. Don’t ask Rabbi A. about Rabbi B. if he doesn’t know him.

THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

RABBI SCHARF Kedassia - London.

RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT OU Nobody should assume that a product that seems to be simple doesn’t need hashgachah. The kosher consumer has to be an educated consumer. He has to be an individual who doesn’t just rely on the fact that there’s a symbol on the product. He has to recognize the difference between the hashgachos. He has to recognize what kashrus is all about. Every consumer has an obligation to educate himself about kashrus—what the difference is between the different hashgachos; which hashgachos he relies on and why; which he doesn’t rely on and why. When he or she walks into a store and sees a sign or a letter that isn’t good enough, he has to recognize if the store really has a good kosher program in place. When he goes to a kiddush on Shabbos does he know what is really happening there in terms of the kashrus? In terms of the shmiras Shabbos? In terms of basar shenisalem min ha’ayin? He should educate himself. He should speak to his rav. And he should really learn about kashrus before he just buys anything he sees on the shelf in the store.

How to read packaging. For example, the difference between pareve and milchig labels can be very discreet. Similarly, in other countries it is accepted that, unless a hechsher states that a product is yoshon, then it is chodosh. In England, people are not aware of that and may assume otherwise. Another issue is with Pesach labelling. A Pesach product may have two hechsherim on it, with one saying “kosher-for-Pesach” and the other with either no mention of Pesach or a note “not-for-Pesach use.” One should not assume that the Pesach hashgachah is from both hechsherim. Furthermore, a product for Pesach with a secondary hechsher does not make the product more acceptable for all year round— it remains only as good as that hechsher.

RABBI YITZCHAK HANOKA OK I would say the most important thing for consumers to be aware of is to that just like when you go shopping b’gashmius you don’t buy just anything in the store that you see, and you make sure the product meets your specifications of quality, you should do the same b’ruchnius. Not every product that has a hechsher on it is suitable for a person to buy. There are many standards out there. There are over 1,000 hechsherim. I feel it’s crucially important for a consumer to have a basic understanding of hashgachah quality. People know they wouldn’t buy a meat product without a hechsher or a cheese product without a hechsher because it’s treif. But, for example, there’s a hard cheese out there with a hechsher that’s not acceptable by any of the national hechsherim that’s being somech on a da’as yachid that we don’t rely on l’halachah—so it basically is not kosher. But people see that cheese and they buy it. I’d like to press upon the consumer to understand that there’s a great variety of standards and through their rav, through information, and through learning they should become more educated.

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Mashgiach

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Danger and the

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Travels and travails to provide kosher food BY YOSSI KRAUSZ

Choosing Where to Go The first question about security is where the hashgachah is willing to go. There are different policies in place at the different hashgachah organizations. Rabbi Moshe Elefant, the chief operating officer of the OU’s kashrus division, explained how his organization chooses which companies to certify. He said that the OU works in 80 countries and every state in the US. But there are some places they won’t go. “There are two levels of dangerous. There are places in the world the State Department identifies as places you want to avoid. So we will not give supervision in those countries—for example, in Pakistan—because that’s identified as

THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

“F

ood just magically appears on the plate,” one mashgiach from a major kashrus organization recently told me. He was sarcastically characterizing the attitude that some kosher consumers may have toward the food they find in their local grocery or at their local restaurant or catering hall. The act of picking up a box or bag and purchasing it may be easy, and asking a waiter for a specific selection on the menu may be simple, but each kosher product represents toil—often incredible toil—on the part of mashgichim. But it doesn’t necessarily just represent toil. Sometimes there is significant danger that mashgichim must be careful to avoid whil doing their work. One particular issue is the question of physical security for the mashgiach when working in a foreign country. Nowadays, the production chain for the countless kosher items that appear on store shelves and kitchen tables stretches around the world, and not all of the countries where ingredients originate or are refined are the safest, especially for Jews. To get an idea of how the safety of those doing hashgachah overseas is ensured, we spoke to several hashgachos that do international work.

a dangerous area. Believe it or not, we do get applications for products from those countries, but we automatically decline. “Then there are countries that are not necessarily on the State Department watch list, but it’s dangerous for Jews to go to those places. That includes many of the Arab countries. We won’t give hashgachah in those countries either. Baruch Hashem, no one can tell us they don’t have what to eat and that we should therefore put a mashgiach in those countries. So we automatically decline those applications.” Other hashgachos do travel to Arab countries. Rabbi Yitzchok Rosenfeld, the head of the Israeli department of the OK, explained how they decide where to give a hashgachah. “Some countries we don’t visit at all because it’s too dangerous, like Pakistan and Iran. These countries are too dangerous even to visit. The second level is where it’s not dangerous to visit, but you have to watch out. That includes countries like Egypt and Dubai.” The OK did, in fact, have a mashgiach in Pakistan at one point, when they felt that it was safe. “We had hashgachah on a food company in Pakistan before it was dangerous to go there. Our mashgiach was a Belzer chasid, Rabbi Teichman. He would travel there wearing a kasket [cap]. “One time he was there for a few days, which included a Shabbos. He was going to spend all Shabbos in his room. He didn’t have a guard, and the rabbis never went out in the market, in the streets; they just stayed in the room. In the middle of Shabbos, someone knocked on the door.” Rabbi Teichman decided that he shouldn’t open the door, but it didn’t matter. Pakistani security services (possibly the ISI) opened his door and began searching his room. “They opened his computer, his tefillin, everything, asking him, ‘What’s this? What’s this?’ Before they left, they told him they had been watching him for a few days, and they saw that every day he traveled to the same company from a different direction. It was very suspicious, they said; was he a spy? He explained his job to them and why he was coming from a different direction each time. “On Motzaei Shabbos, he told Rabbi Haskel [of the OK’s Israel office] the story. Rabbi Haskel said to him, ‘You’re 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6 / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / A M I M A G A Z I N E

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Rabbi Elefant

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Mumbai, India

taking the next flight to Dubai, then Dubai to Istanbul, then Istanbul back to Israel right away, because perhaps one of these investigators will tell his brother, who is a criminal, about you.’ And that day we stopped going to Pakistan. “Afterward, the place they killed Bin Laden was about four kilometers from that spot where he was staying.” Sometimes a mashgiach gets a clear picture of whether he should be going to a country before he ever sets foot there. Rabbi Yosef Mendelson, a longtime mashgiach for the Star-K, described a humorParis, France ous case. “The Star-K got a call from a raisin company in Kabul, Afghanistan, that wanted hashgachah. I spoke to them for a while. I checked the security situation, because in different parts of the country there were different degrees of security alerts. “This company, they told me, was a 20-minute drive from the airport in Kabul. I found a set of flights so that I could fly in at 7 a.m. and fly out at noon, and it looked pretty good to me. I emailed the company saying I would be there at seven and that their driver could meet me, take me to the company for inspection, and get me back to the airport at ten so I could catch my flight. “They emailed me back: ‘We can’t send a driver for you because the drive from our company to the airport is too dangerous.’ The interesting thing was that they thought it was too dangerous for them but not too dangerous for me!” On the Ground How do mashgichim keep themselves safe in potentially dangerous countries? 114 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

Rabbi Hershel Krinsky, a rabbinic field coordinator for the OK who oversees hashgachah for companies in a number of countries including Malaysia and Indonesia, which are majority Muslim, said that he has a somewhat easier time maintaining his security than the mashgichim because they are supposed to arrive unannounced for spot checks, while he tells the companies when he is coming. “First of all, I don’t go walking the streets of Jakarta unless I’m with the company escort, and only when I have a reason. I don’t usually take taxis and I don’t walk the streets. I have a company pickup or a hotel pickup from the airport, and I have a company car or hotel car. I stay only at good hotels with good security.” Rabbi Krinsky pointed out that he is more visibly Jewish than the mashgichim may be. For example, there is one who lives in Singapore and travels on his own, driving a car himself, in Malaysia and Indonesia. “He’s a fine Yid but he doesn’t have a beard and he wears a baseball cap, so nobody will know he’s Jewish. Anywhere I go they see I’m Jewish.” For the mashgichim traveling from Eretz Yisrael to hostile Arab countries, special precautions are necessary. Rabbi Rosenfeld of the OK explained: “The only mashgiach you’re sending there has a short jacket, a cap, and tzitzis inside, and you can’t tell if he’s Jewish. And he also has another passport, European or American, not Israeli, so he can avoid identifying as an Israeli. “Usually the mashgiach goes through another country on the way to these countries—from Turkey to Egypt or from Jordan to Egypt. Even in Turkey, the mashgiach changes passports so they can’t trace him. It’s legal to do this. You go with an Israeli passport, and to rent a car or go to a hotel you show the other passport.

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Krakow, Poland

WELCOME TO NEW YORK •

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“In Turkey one of the rabbis went into a hotel and by mistake he gave his Israeli passport to the front desk to put in the safe for protection. And when he went to his room, he decided it was not a good place for him because he didn’t know what hotel reception would do with this information. He went out and found a different hotel. These are the kinds of things the mashgichim are watching out for. “In Jordan, the mashgiach goes dressed like an Arab. Jordan is safe. We go by car. Of course, they ask us to hide the peyos and the tzitzis for our security, but we know this; they don’t have to tell us. “Sometimes we ask the foreign ministry if we can go to such-and-such place. At times they say, ‘You have an American passport; no problem.’ Sometimes they say, ‘No, watch out.’ So we don’t go.” A mashgiach needs to be aware of the political climate on the ground. Rabbi Mendelson of the Star-K said that political upheavals in Tunisia changed how he traveled. “Until a year or two ago, every place I went I had my tzitzis out. In some places I wear a yarmulke in the street; in some

places I wear a baseball cap. I never take a black hat with me, not only for security reasons—I’d stand out—but more because it’s difficult to maintain a black hat in good condition on the road. It’s inconvenient; where are you going to put it in a car, on a train, on a bus? And I do use public transportation when I’m in these countries. “The only country that’s really an exception now is Tunisia. I go around with my tzitzis tucked in, except in Djerba. In Djerba, there’s an old tradition of tolerance, and in fact the man on the street respects Jews. The only risk is that there may be a worker from outside Djerba who happens to be there, or other non-Djerbans who are there temporarily, and they don’t have that same respect for Jews. I hang out pretty close to the Jewish ghetto in Djerba, and I’ve never had any problems over there. “I have had two incidents of anti-Semitism. One was in Fez, Morocco, where some young guys noticed my tzitzis and called me an Israeli and started yelling and screaming, so I turned the other way and started walking; they didn’t come after me, and that was that. The other time I was taking a walk in Tunisia, in a biggest industrial city, and the same thing happened there with the tzitzis. They started throwing stones, and I started walking fast—I didn’t want to run— and I got away from them. That’s why I’m cautious now in Tunisia. “In previous years I have davened Shacharis in tallis and tefillin on the train in Tunisia, and nobody said anything.

THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

“The companies that order us know who we are, and they give us full respect and watch over us. Sometimes it’s in dangerous places like Izmir; then they send someone to sit 24 hours a day with the rabbi— he’s in the car, he’s his driver, he’s in the room.” These were trains without American-style compartments, very wide open, and a lot of people could see me davening. No problem. People see me davening in the airport in Casablanca—no problem. The only place I ever had a problem davening in an airport was, believe it or not, in Salt Lake City ten years ago.” Rabbi Rosenfeld says that the clients themselves are not an issue. “The companies that order us know who we are, and they give us full respect and watch over us. Sometimes it’s in dangerous places like Izmir; then they send someone to sit 24 hours a day with the rabbi—he’s in the car, he’s his driver, he’s in the room. If he sees someone suspicious, he asks what they want. The company orders this guy to be melaveh the rabbi wherever he goes. “We have the full respect of the Muslims we work with. They never throw stones at us because they know they will have income from having kosher supervision on their company.” Rabbi Rosenfeld said that in some cases, being visibly Jewish isn’t dangerous because the locals don’t know what a Jew looks like. “We had a mashgiach who’s a rebbishe einikel who went to Egypt. I don’t know why, but he left his long peyos out. The company took him one day on a trip to all these places—the pyramids, the market in the old city. He went out of the car right into the market. The people in the market didn’t even know he was a Jew. They thought he was a priest or something. They bowed to him and gave him dates. “But you don’t try to be out front.” Watching the Watchers Because of the problems that mashgichim may face in foreign countries, hashgachos have to put protocols in place to protect them. Rabbi Elefant of the OU described recent upgrades to the organization’s in-house protocols. “Even in places that are ostensibly safe, we know that nowhere are you really safe. We always need shmirah from Hashem. Having said that, we certainly know that when you’re obviously Jewish, you’re much more targeted around 116 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

Montreal, Canada

the world. And we take that concern very seriously. “Once a year we have a conference of all the OU rabbanim who work in our headquarters here in New York, which is over 50 rabbanim and many of our field representatives— about 125 people altogether. It’s every year during sefirah. “Last year in May when we had the conference, we brought in a security specialist. He gave quite an extensive presentation, teaching us what we should be doing to try to be more careful as we travel around the world. Many of the suggestions he gave were very important. I know that they’ve been implemented. Many still need to be implemented, and we’re working on that. “We’re started doing two things immediately. One is that we’re keeping a copy of everybody’s passport on file, so that if they should lose theirs or it’s stolen, we will have a copy handy to help them get a replacement from the US. The other thing is that we’re setting up a buddy system, so that when somebody is traveling around the world, they should have someone here at the office or someone from the OU staff that they communicate with on a daily basis.” Political upheaval has caused issues in the past. “We all recall that after 9/11 the country was shut down. It was around the Yomim Nora’im. I still recall that one of our most senior mashgichim, Reb Chaim Goldzweig, was stuck in

Colombia, and he barely made it home for Rosh Hashanah. That was a difficult time, when people were stranded around the world and some of the places were ones you certainly didn’t want to be in for the Yomim Nora’im. “And we’ve lost mashgichim. We had a mashgiach who got killed in a plane crash in Ecuador—Rabbi Thumim from Lakewood. “The daily achrayus we carry for our mashgichim and their families is a very heavy burden. And it’s not typically appreciated in the street. At any given time we have a number of people in China. China’s a huge country, and they’re traveling by train and by plane in a country where they obviously don’t understand the language or read the language, where they stick out as very different from everybody else, and they’re traveling all over for klal Yisrael. “We tell our mashgichim that their safety comes first. And if somebody’s uncomfortable going someplace because they don’t feel it’s safe, we tell them, ‘Don’t go.’ And if somebody feels they’d rather take a more expensive mode of travel because it’s safer, we’ll tell them to do so. Their safety is our first concern. The world is a very scary place; it’s a very scary place for Jews. There are stories we hear about all the time even in Europe where people who are noticeably Jewish are attacked. We have to be very concerned. “On one hand, the way the food market has evolved makes it much more complicated because it’s impossible to say, ‘Well, we’re only going to give hashgachah in the US and Eretz Yisrael.’ We can’t take that position because so much is coming from all over the world. There are ingredients, basic food ingredients, for which the only source is China. So we can’t just take an isolationist position. On the other hand, we need to be very concerned about the safety of our people.”

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THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

Hazards of the Job

The dangers mashgichim face inside kitchens and factories BY RABBI MORDECHAI ROSS

number of years ago, I had the merit to work with Rabbi Arnie Steinberg, a”h, a phenomenal mashgiach who conducted inspections in China. At that time, the idea of kosher was very foreign to the Chinese food manufacturing companies. When he explained kosher requirements to the staff, he would provide them a context that they could relate to, teaching them a mnemonic to remember the importance of kosher rules. The acronym he used was KOSHER, which stood for “Keep Our Souls Healthy, Eat Right.” Mashgichim, in addition to helping all of us eat right in order to keep our souls healthy, must also consider their own health, well-being and safety as part of their work. This imperative can easily be overlooked or underappreciated. During a routine kashrus inspection,

Rabbi Trachtman noticed an unusuallooking pallet of drums on a rack in the raw materials warehouse. What he did not notice was that one of the drums was leaking just before he slipped, fell and dislocated his shoulder. Rabbi Feuerman learned the hard way what can happen in an overcrowded, bustling hotel kitchen. A single moment of inattention was all it took. One of the chefs was hurriedly trying to move a large pot of boiling soup that was on the stove. Unfortunately for Rabbi Feuerman, who was standing nearby, the chef set the pot down on a narrow steam table as he prepared to dump its contents. The enormous pot slipped and the scorching liquid splattered, scalding the rabbi. Even though he managed to jump clear, avoiding a much worse outcome, he suffered second- and third-degree burns

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on his leg. “Look out below!” were the last words that Rabbi Mazal remembered hearing before losing consciousness. A maintenance worker standing on a ladder had been tightening a bolt on the packing equipment. Unfortunately, the wrench slipped out of his hand and fell on Rabbi Mazal’s head. These anecdotes portray just a few of the hazards faced by mashgichim, who may be exposed to many other risks as part of their daily supervision activities in plants or food service venues. For example, there is a very high level of noise in most food and drink manufacturing facilities. There may be pneumatic noises or the din of glass bottling lines, product impact on hoppers, blast freezers, or packaging machinery, to name just a few sources. Regular exposure to such noise

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Rabbi Aryeh and Rabbi Loeb were part of a team of mashgichim assigned to supervise chutz la’aretz produce to be imported into Eretz Yisrael during the shemittah year. Due to the potential danger they faced when traveling to these areas, additional security measures were implemented. The men tried to blend into the environment, wearing jalabiyas over their clothing and draping keffiyehs over their heads when they went to work. Even when the locals don’t pose a threat, getting to venues where inspections are needed can present its own set of challenges. Some plants are only accessible via winding back roads. Others may need late-night or early-morning inspections. Inclement weather can have a deleterious effect on driving and flying conditions. Kashrus agencies address safety by training their mashgichim to take the following measures: • Wear protective equipment based on the hazards present, such as protective

gloves, non-skid and/or steel-toed shoes, hearing protection, safety glasses, hard hats and face shields. • Avoid mental distractions, inattention and going beyond their limits. • Recognize, be aware of and control exposure to hazards. • Learn how to operate kashering equipment properly. • Develop interpersonal skills to avoid or defuse potentially explosive situations. • Become familiar with the company’s safety system. • Study the country, culture and environment. The smiling mashgiach you may encounter at a simchah was probably exposed to numerous hazards during preparations for the event. When you meet him, please give him a yasher koach. He deserves it!

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Note: With the exception of Rabbi Steinberg, a”h, the names of the people have been changed for the security reasons.

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can cause irreversible hearing damage, which may be difficult to detect as the effects build up gradually over time. Kashering done by food service mashgichim may involve close encounters with blow torches, boiling water, burning hot equipment and exposure to caustic cleaning chemicals that can inflict external and internal injuries. The personal safety of a mashgiach may be endangered for other reasons as well. Francois Rouge, the pâtissier of a posh kosher French restaurant, was promoting his dessert menu to increase business. He had just finished tweaking his recipe for baba au rhum when Rabbi Sharp walked by and picked up the bottle of rum that Francois had used. “Sorry, Francois, this rum is dark-colored and not on our recommended list.” Francois’s face turned red. “I bought this at the kosher liquor store. This is the third time this week that you’ve ruined my desserts!” He grabbed a kitchen tool and took a menacing stance…

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Not Just Hashgachah

Mashgichim discuss their unusual experiences while on the job

THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

Overseeing The Spice and Spirit of India A S TO L D TO CHA NIE ASH E R B Y R AB B I J O E L WEI N B E R G E R

Working for the Star-K in Kochi, India, entails much more than just being a mashgiach. From finding a chazan on Rosh Hashanah to arranging monthly Shabbatons, the work is challenging and fulfilling.

accepted my Star-K Kosher Certification mashgiach assignment in Kochi (formerly called Cochin), in the southwestern Indian state of Kerala, almost three years ago. Little did I realize I would wind up playing an integral role in sustaining a Jewish community—that is, if you call six Jews a community! At the time ago, when Star-K first opened its office in Kochi—one of the smaller cities in India, with a population of close to 625,000—there were 12 Jew of Sephardic or Baghdadi heritage. Today, only six remain in the once-vibrant Jewish neighborhood known as Jew Town. I go to Kochi once a month and stay for an average of a week to ten days, which includes one Shabbos. My visits to India are interwoven with my other hashgachah duties in the Western United States, Singapore, Central America, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and more. Many of these places don’t have much of a Jewish presence. Sri Lanka, for example, where we certify a lot of coconut products, spices and tea, has only a small Chabad presence. In comparison, there are some 130 Jewish families in Manila, which boasts an Orthodox shul and a recently opened kindergarten. Unlike the Cochin Jews, the Manila Jews shecht their own chickens and beef; they even have a 122 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

kosher market. However, when it comes to procuring perishable and specialty goods that cannot be found in either of these places, the Star-K’s California office takes on the role of a buying and shipping office, offering our help to such communities. WELCOME TO INDIA

My first experience in India was shocking. It was very loud, very dirty and very colorful, with all kinds of people— hordes and hordes of them. I saw cows on the road and in the back country; camels and donkeys carrying loads on their backs; and, in Calcutta, human rickshaws—barefooted men who pull a sort of carriage, hauling people and goods. I went to Mumbai before Kochi and spent my first Shabbos with Chabad to get my bearings. Soon after, I started going around to the various areas where we had accounts. One of those areas was Kochi. We set up our office in the business district, Ernakulam, rather than in Mumbai, for two reasons: The quality of life is a lot higher in Ernakulam, and it’s within a two-hour radius of many of our other accounts. Our International Kashrus Coordinator in India, Levie S. Jacob, lives there with his family. He’s based in Mumbai but is usually on the road, overseeing Star-K certification

Now hiring salespeople nationally. Great beneﬁts of dried spices, oleoresins and herbal extracts throughout the country. Levie is a leader of his local shul in Mumbai, and his wife also works with the Jews there. Although there is a large Muslim and Christian presence in the predominantly Hindu city of Kochi, there is no hint of anti-Semitism, baruch Hashem. They are very “frum avodah-zarahniks,” and there is a lot of avodah zarah everywhere, which is a big challenge for me. I can walk into a factory and find a statue in the meeting room. It is very much part of their lives. Once, I visited a factory during g some kind of religious celebration that involved a procession around a Hindu statue. There are many different sects in India, with many different holidays. The only daily Shacharis minyan that is a surety in India is in Mumbai, sponsored by the Sassoon Foundation, which pays people a stipend to come daven at the Magen David Synagogue. It is adjacent to a large school that used to be the Jewish school, but now has fewer than a dozen Jewish students in a student body that once numbered over 500.

We arranged to donate tefillin to that minyan, as we observed them sharing tefillin during davening. Even if you live in Mumbai, you can’t find a Minchah/ Maariv minyan every day. Living in Mumbai definitely has its challenges for an Orthodox Jew. KOCHI’S JEW TOWN

Jew Town used to have three shuls and 2,250 Jews, who traced their 2,000-yearold Kerala roots to Shlomo Hamelech’s sailors. Their strong Zionist sentiment caused a large majority to make aliyah in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, there are several flourishing Cochini settlements in Northern and Southern Israel, and near Yerushalayim. When I first came to Kochi there was no Chabad House. Then a Chabad rabbi came to set one up in Fort Kochi. He wan’t able to stay, but while he was there he built a mikvah on land the shul granted them. Shortly afterward, they moved to Israel. During his stay in Kochi, we were very supportive and helped him out. But after he left the community needed help,

Rabbi Weinberger with Prince Charles

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The kever of Nehemiah ben Abraham Mota

so for the past two years we’ve been providing it. We are still in contact with this rabbi in Israel. Whenever I know we’re going to be in Kochi we tell him in advance, and he refers people who would like to visit India to come to us for Shabbos so they can help us with the minyan and join us for meals. Our office staff spends one Shabbos a month with the local Jews. We invite the women of the community to come cook their traditional dishes in our kosher kitchen because of kashrus standards; they can’t really kasher their kitchens. The last time they had a kitchen update was probably 300 years ago! They bake challahs and make all kind of foods that are well-known in the area. Rice is a staple, eaten in all kinds recipes; coconut rice is probably the most popular. The women prepare it by adding thinly shredded coconut and spices to the already cooked rice. They also make all kinds of stews and pastels, a traditional Jewish Cochini Indian stuffed pastry. Once the food is cooked we pack it up and take it to Jew Town, where the other members of the Jewish community live. There we enjoy both Shabbos meals together. Because we want to support the community, we supply all the food for this monthly Shabbaton. We import all the chicken and meat, and we buy all the vegetables, rice and fish that the women cook in the local marketplace. It’s the largest commercial produce market in the whole region, and it looks like an Israeli open-air shuk. One of the owners there told me that the market was once dominated by Jewish merchants, and the vendors still use Hebrew numbers to bargain among themselves so the local customers won’t understand what they are saying. 124 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

Kerala cuisine differs from what is usually thought of as Indian cuisine because of the Indian Jews’ maritime history. For many hundreds of years they dominated the Malabar spice trade. Jewish Indian dishes incorporate pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, asafetida (a local pungent herb), red and green chilies, coriander, fenugreek, nutmeg and mace in their recipes. The women are very particular about their rice. As I mentioned, coconut rice is very popular. They cut the coconut in half and rub the inner side against a knife, like a grater. It’s a big help that rice, flour, sugar and other products considered “Category One” by kashrus organizations products don’t require a hechsher. I also usually bring some food along to India not only for ourselves but for the Jacobs in Mumbai. The Star-K kitchen has a chest freezer, and we stock up. We have a supply of grape juice, tuna and other staples that were sent by lift when we first set up the office. But I bring other things in my luggage: pita bread, chicken, beef, lamb, cake mixes, cheese and yeast. On my most recent visit I brought around 75 pounds of chicken. I also bring paper goods for Shabbos, since they don’t have quality paper goods in India. There’s a large supermarket, Lulu Market, in Kochi, but there are very few kosher certified products so we have to make sure we have whatever we need. Sometimes you can find American or European pasta or mustard or salad dressings with a hechsher, but in general they aren’t easy to find. I also bring office supplies from abroad. The Star-K also helps out with Yomim Tovim. For the last few years we’ve arranged for a chazan to come from

Eretz Yisrael for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We make sure that the community has what it needs for Pesach and Sukkos too. Whatever they need, we are glad to provide it.

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Legend has it that the Cochini Jews who originally settled on the southwest coast of India close to Kochi, in Anjuvannam, fled the Roman destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash. Inside Koder House, a hotel that houses Menorah Restaurant, the only place in Cochin to serve Kosher food

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THE PARADESI SHUL

The Paradesi synagogue is a very important landmark. India even issued a stamp in commemoration of its 400th anniversary! When Prince Charles visited Kochi, on November 14, 2013, the synagogue was one of his stops. There was much to be done in the way of preparations. The head of the Jew Town community, Mrs. Queenie Hallegua, took charge. There’s a certain protocol that must be followed, as was done when Queen Elizabeth came to Kochi. Then, the event was run by Mrs. Hallegua’s husband, who is since deceased. When Prince Charles’ visit was announced, Mrs. Hallegua was nervous about taking care of all the details herself so I helped her, making sure that everything was taken care of. When the Prince toured the shul, we showed him its Sephardic sefer Torah, as well as the two engraved copper plates that mention the land rights and other honors that were given to the Jews in perpetuity, “as long as the earth and the moon remain.” The synagogue is one of Southern India’s most visited attractions. The Chabad rabbi told me that when he was there, up to 1,000 people were coming to see it daily. Legend has it that the Cochini Jews, who originally settled on the southwest coast of India in Anjuvannam, fled after the Romans destroyed the Second Beis Hamikdash. In 1524, after the Moors attacked the Jews of Kerala and burned their houses and shuls, they relocated to

Kochi. Thanks to the Rajah of Cochin, they were granted land to establish a town right next to his palace (now a museum) in 1567. The ornate and colorful Paradesi Synagogue, decorated with ancient Belgian chandeliers, silks and carpets, was built in Jew Town in 1568. The Jewish community was later granted other rights and privileges by the king of Malabar, as evidenced by the two engraved copper plates. When Kochi hosted the World Spice Congress in February 2014, we included the local Jews in our activities when we hosted an open house at the Paradesi shul for about 75 people from the spice show. We gave the visitors from around the world a tour of the shul and explained its heritage. Afterwards, we took the participants to Mrs. Queenie Hallegua’s house for drinks, and then hosted a dinner. The head of Star-K’s Far East office, Rabbi Amos Benjamin,

was in town for the event, and he barbecued Australian lamb and American steaks for us in a restaurant we kashered. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a cruise. The whole event was especially nice for the members of the community because they got to show off their amazing heritage. These people really enjoy hosting guests, but it’s difficult for them because they’re a small community and most of them are elderly. THE JEWS OF JEW TOWN

When I first came to Jew Town there were only 12 people; now it’s down to six. This doesn’t include the Jewish population of Ernakulam. The Jews here are quite old. The youngest is Yael, 45, who lives with her mother Juliet, who is Mrs. Hallegua’s sister-in-law. The oldest Jew Town resident is 93-year-old Sarah Cohen, whose father was a leader of the community. She still spends her

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If it wasn’t for the Jewish presence in Cochin, the area would be a backwater. days embroidering, and her store, Sarah’s Embroidery Shoppe, is located in her house on the main thoroughfare, Synagogue Lane. Its iron-gated windows are decorated with Magen Davids and its bars are painted blue and white, in honor of the Israeli flag. It’s the only Jewish Judaica store among the various shops selling Hindu statues and shawls that try to attract customers with signs saying “Shalom!” I find Mrs. Cohen very inspiring. On Shabbos, she sits in her rocking chair next to the front window and davens for hours. When she sees me on my way to shul, she always asks if there will be a minyan. The lives of the Cochini Jews have always revolved around the shul; when she asks if there will be a minyan, it’s because this is important to her. Having a chazan on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is also very important to the community. In contrast to its heyday back in the early 1950s, only the Paradesi Synagogue is in use today. It is the oldest functioning shul in the Commonwealth, but it relies heavily on foreign tourists. During the tourist season there are minyanim on Friday night and sometimes Shabbos day. Many Cochini Jews who now live in Israel come to visit. We try to make sure there’s a minyan whenever we’re in Kochi for Shabbos, but it doesn’t always happen, even though we offer people lodging as an incentive. If there is no minyan, we daven in the shul, and then we meet for dinner at Mrs. Queenie Hallegua’s house. A docent at a local museum told me that if it wasn’t for the Jewish presence in Cochin the area would be a backwater, like many other Indian towns. The Jews, she explained, helped to elevate it into a world-class port and commercial center.

Presently, there is no eiruv in Jew Town, but we are in the process of trying to put one up on Synagogue Lane to enable us to carry things between the houses. It’s basically one long street lined by shops, at the end of which stand the shul and clock tower. At one time it was filled with Jews; those who remain live next to and above the shops. In addition to the Paradesi Jews, there are so-called “black Jews” who live near the Star-K office. They have a little bit of a yichus problem, since they claim to be descendants of Shlomo Hamelech’s

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sailors. Today, their synagogues are not in active use; they’re just buildings. There are also a few other synagogues out in the villages where Jews used to live. Two of them were in use up until the large migration in the 1950s. One is the Parur Synagogue, located in the village of North Paravur, approximately 11 miles north of Kochi. It dates back to the early 17th century and is believed to have been built on the ruins of a previous shul from the 12th century. The other is the Chendamangalam Synagogue, located a couple of miles away in a quiet village in Paravur Taluk. Both have been truend into museums by the government. GRAVESITE OF A FAMOUS KABBALIST

Even though my workload is often demanding, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to learn, firsthand, about the ancient roots of Kochi’s Jewish community. I once made the ten-minute walk from Jew Town with Mrs. Queenie Hallegua, whose ancestors came to India from Iraq four or five generations back, to visit the lone kever that stands in the middle of a neighborhood that used to be the Malabari Cemetery. It is the gravesite of India’s greatest Jewish mystic, the Kabbalist Nehemiah ben Abraham Mota (Namia Mootha), who was said to be a miracle worker and was niftar in 1615. People light candles there and take care of the site. The modern Jewish cemetery is walled-in and is in great condition, thanks to a member of the local Jewish community. After the Land Reform Act was passed in 1957, the old cemetery was razed by Kerala’s communist government and converted into a colony, called Chakkamadom. Some of the tombstones that were salvaged are now on display in the

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The Missing Mashgiach BY SHIRA SCHMIDT

CREATING A COMMUNITY

Did I ever imagine, when I was given

my first hashgachah assignment for Gem Caterers in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, when I was still a mechinah student at Ner Yisroel, that I would end up in such far-flung places? Of course not, but it’s very fulfilling. I enjoy doing whatever I can to help out a Jewish community in decline, and they are very appreciative of our efforts. Together, we have created a real community, not only for the locals but for expats like me. We are truly very close, like family. I am very grateful for the generosity and understanding of my employer, the Star-K, for allowing me to help Jews around the world keep kosher and perform other mitzvos.

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Rabbi Weinberger became affiliated with Star-K in 1988, and has headed its California office since 1991. His educational background in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management, in addition to Jewish food law, has prepared him well for this position. Rabbi Weinberger’s work takes him to the Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Central America, and the western United States.

THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

Paradesi Synagogue courtyard. (It is said that when the villagers tried to demolish Nehemiah Mota’s grave, a great fire broke out and the earth shook.) Till today, local Christians, Muslims and Hindus are respectful of his tomb. Lehavdil, the Cochini Jews honor his yahrtzeit on the first day of Chanukah with a special seudah, followed by singing the Sephardic memorial prayer (hashkavah). In Kerala there is also a cemetery that contains the remains of a Jewish woman from the 12th century. Other Jewish graves are scattered along the nearby riverbanks; to reach them, you have to go past a mosque.

Rav Eliezer Greenbaum of Kiryat Sanz, Netanya, is part of a large team of mashgichim and shochtim who go regularly to Argentina and Uruguay. One time, the team finished their day’s work and were walking out of the gate of the slaughterhouse. The guard stopped them, and asked why one of them was missing. They looked around and, sure enough, one of them had gone missing. Everyone returned to the slaughterhouse and searched frantically for the missing mashgiach. Luckily, they found him in time; he had put some beef in the refrigerator room and the door had accidentally closed behind him. He couldn’t open it. They extricated the mashgiach, who had been cooling his heels in the refrigerator room, and the team proceeded to leave the premises. As they went through the gate, they thanked the guard profusely and asked, “You don’t have us sign in and sign out. You don’t have a list that you check. How did you know one of us was missing?” Replied the guard, “Your friend is the only one who greets me in such a friendly way each time he passes by, and I missed his greeting.” It doesn’t take much Spanish. It’s enough to smile and say “Hola!”

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Fishing for Jews in the Arctic A S TO L D TO C. S . TE ITE L B AUM B Y R AB B I Y O SE F L AN DAU, L O N DO N

Rabbi Yosef Landau

He hesitated to make the trip at that auspicious time…but, everything has a reason. There is nothing new under the midnight sun.

s the European representative of my esteemed father Rav Moshe Landau, I am often assigned to supervise kosher food in Europe. As a Lubavitcher, I try to help out shluchim living in these remote places and, before leaving London, I would contact the local Chabad shaliach to ask what may be needed in kosher food or otherwise. Once it was a day before a Lag Ba’Omer event in Oslo, Norway, so I stocked up on suitcases of freshly baked rolls from my local bakery. I left a most fragrant trail throughout the airport until security stopped me to check the source of the intriguing aroma! Some ten years ago, my father sent me to northern Norway to supervise production of a huge batch of halibut being hauled in for Pesach. I was hesitant to travel that week, when the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe, zt”l, would fall, since it would mean missing being at the tzion or being away from a “Gimmel Tamuz” farbrengen with a chasidishe kehillah, which I have

never missed. But the timing was crucial. Although it was as early as Tamuz, and Pesach was some eight months away, halibut is a seasonal fish and only available in June and July. As planned, I met up in the Oslo airport with Yoram,* the Israeli importer—a secular Jew—and Ollie,* the owner of the Norwegian fish factory. The three of us continued on the next leg of our journey, to our final destination, Sortland, a hardto-access island above the Arctic Circle. While on the tedious journey, I offered Yoram to put on tefillin, but he declined. I figured I could always bring it up later; because of Sortland’s unique geographical location, the days are very long and sunset can be well after midnight, so there was no rush to lay tefillin just yet. Our non-Jewish friend Ollie started regaling us about the beautiful natural phenomena of “White Nights” on the island and that we were visiting in its most breathtaking season. There could be as few as four minutes between sunset and sunrise, so the nights never get dark.

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I had to ask an experienced Chabad shaliach in Alaska how to tackle the complex zmanei tefillos; he advised me based on the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, zt”l’s, custom in St. Petersburg, which also experiences White Nights. Ollie said he would take us to visit their greatest attraction, Sortland Bridge, from where tourists are able to watch the sun setting on one side of the water and then, moments later, rising on the other. As promised, Ollie drove us to this bridge, which happened to be near our hotel. A passing car, with a father and two kids in the back, rolled down its windows and they all called out excitedly “Shalom.” The driver was visibly excited to meet a Jew and came out to introduce himself. Sadly, he was an Israeli who had intermarried, and those in his car were his young family. Ofer* would not let me go, so emotional was he to see a frum Yid after so many years; he begged me to join him at a nearby restaurant that he owned; he owned several in the area. Proud of the bit of heritage he remembered, he

assured me he’d serve me only water in a plastic cup. Lubavitcher chasid that I am, before taking him up on his offer, I ran back to my hotel room to fetch my tefillin. It was now 11:30 p.m. and the sun was still shining. I would not be the restaurateur’s guest for naught. During our conversation, I asked him if he’d like to put on tefillin. He admitted that he hadn’t done so for years and was elated at the opportunity. As I wound the straps around his arm, he cried like a baby. When I finished, I turned to Yoram, “Surely if Ofer agreed, you would too.” Still, he brushed it off. After a little prodding, he offered, “I have an idea. When we’re watching the sunset on that bridge I’ll put on tefillin and we’ll get an amazing picture!” It was well after midnight. Shkiah was at 12:58 a.m. The bridge was full of tourists equipped with video recorders, cameras and tripods. The winds were wild and the water below us raged. As I rolled up Yoram’s sleeve, I literally had to grab onto his arm for support, it was so gusty. I helped him lay tefillin and then we posed for a photo as promised. Then we relaxed and turned to face the other side of the bridge to take in the spectacle of a new day dawning in as little as four minutes. To our right was 2 Tamuz and we would imminently be greeting 3 Tamuz. Watching nature take it course over the Earth was an awesome display of niflaos haBorei that no still picture could capture, no words could describe. It was a deeply humbling experience. After the excitement died down and the throngs of tourists left us on an empty bridge, I turned to Yoram again. “Hey,” I ventured. “We have a deal. You said we’d put on tefillin.” He looked at me as if I’d lost my sanity. “Rabbi, didn’t we just do that?!” “Right, but that was yesterday!” And so, Yoram put on tefillin twice in 20 minutes, two days in a row. The next day, after a full day’s work, I stopped by the restaurant to visit Ofer. As soon as he saw me he rolled up his sleeve, laid tefillin and said Shema Yisrael with tears in his eyes. “I told you that I hadn’t put on tefillin for a long time, and it’s true. But you said you’re from London, which reminded me that last year, a few days before Pesach, I was in Golders Green, when two bachurim came over to me asking me if I could lay tefillin in honor of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s birthday and I agreed.” Did I have reservations about being in an isolated place on Gimmel Tamuz? Just seeing how the Rebbe’s spirit touched an intermarried Jew so lovingly on both his birthday, 11 Nissan, and his yahrtzeit, Gimmel Tamuz, in such a special way, was overwhelming. Of course, I shared my thoughts with Ofer, who was equally touched. And then I understood just how much hashgachah pratis was involved in the inconvenient but providential timing of the halibut haul. A great catch indeed!

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Rabbi Yosef Landau has been in the kashrus field for over 20 years, working as the rabbinic field representative for both his esteemed father Rav Moshe Landau, av beis din of Bnei Brak, and the Federation of Synagogues, London. He travels regularly, mostly to Europe, to inspect factories and supervise food production.

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“Shalom Aleichem” A S TO L D TO C. S . TE ITE L B AUM B Y R AB B I M I C H O EL SC H AR F, L O N DO N

Traveling as an obviously identifiable Jew has led to a number of unusual encounters in my travels around the world.

wo years ago, I was flying to Vietnam. As the hours were passing, I was unsure if I’d have time to daven after landing, so I decided to daven in the air. Reluctant about the impromptu circumstance, but with no alternative, I found myself a quiet corner and davened Minchah. When I later disembarked from the flight, a fellow passenger came over wishing me a hearty shalom aleichem. Now, I’ve travelled long enough to know that those words are not necessarily a form of “bageling.” I’ve been greeted that way in the wildest of places and in the weirdest of accents by non-Jewish foreigners merely eager to impress with the only two Hebrew words they know. So here too, I acknowledged the young man’s salutation with a friendly one in return and lugged my hand luggage on its way. When he then continued alongside me schmoozing in Yiddish, I was startled and grabbed the opportunity for a conversation.

To my shock, he revealed that he was once a frum bachur from Boro Park. Sadly, he left the fold and had travelled the world in search of the unknown, eventually landing in Vietnam where he had been living for five years now. “I haven’t seen a frum Yid in years,” he said, “And then I noticed you on the flight. I watched with awe, envy even, how you got up to daven, to talk to Hashem, and something inside me clicked. I thought to myself it must be a direct message from Hashem, as if He was saying ‘Look how this Yid is calling out to me from mid-air; you too can reach out from anywhere.’ “Reb Yid,” he continued. “It’s time for me to come back. Where do I turn?” Totally shaken by the Divine arrangement that forced me to daven on board—let alone being in the right place at the right time —I put him in touch with the Chabad shaliach in Vietnam who actually told me that this person had been to him in the past and he had tried to be mekarev him but to

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no avail; the lost neshamah had consistently refused to budge from his secular lifestyle. It took a single impromptu tefillah, some years down the line, to awaken the pintele Yid and effect change. And what a change: The fellow became a regular at the Chabad House and is today a frum man. We are still in touch. Nonetheless, I remain wary of friendliness in foreign countries, especially in dangerous locales; one can’t know what a shrewd foreigner has up his sleeve. I am therefore often accompanied by a bodyguard, even inside actual factories that I supervise. Funnily enough, in the following example my wariness was for nought. I had to catch a flight in Turkey— not an ideal place for an identifiable Yid to find himself. As a precaution, I was accompanied by two bodyguards up until airport security but then I took leave of them, assuring them that in the vicinity of the airport I would be safe. Whilst sitting in a quiet corner at the

the victim, was supposed to be courteous? Or was it part of a nasty game. Inside, my stomach turned, but I responded. “Do you know the Sassover Rabbi (z’’l) of Golders Green?” she suddenly asked, almost throwing me off balance. When I answered hesitantly in the affirmative, she then name-dropped a slew of other familiar heimishe Londoners, mispallelim of Sassov, with whom she said she had dealt for many years. She revealed that she was Jewish and those businessmen had even arranged for her to meet the Rebbe on several occasions. Then she excused herself for her strange behavior. “I live in Turkey. The other person with me here is my bodyguard. When I saw you, unguarded, I realized I had to protect you and therefore went to buy this ball from the airport gift shop, as a means of deterring anyone from sitting near you.”

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boarding gate waiting edgily to board my flight, two people, a man and a woman, came to my spot, unpacked a football, inflated it and started kicking it about at my feet. Embarrassed to openly change seats, I got up and went to the restroom, of course settling in a different seat on my return. Soon enough, the two were suddenly at my side again, frolicking about and aimlessly frisking the ball around me as though I were a piece of furniture. Understandably, noticing the scene, all other passengers gave my corner a wide berth, totally isolating me amongst the two weirdos. It was unnerving. When we soon queued for security at the gate, I noticed that one of those annoying seatmates—the woman— was peering over at my passport and must have noticed it was British. She turned to me and said “Hello.” Oh. So I,

Rabbi Michoel Scharf has been the kashrus executive director for Kedassia, Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations (UOHC), since 1999. He travels every month, often weekly, around the world, mostly to the Far East and Europe, where he pre-visits factories that manufacture products for Kedassia to ensure the highest kashrus standards. Kedassia does not use freelance mashgichim, since they employ rigorous standards for which their staff is thoroughly trained.

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THE KOSHER ISSUE

Big Fish A

Story BY RABBI ZUSHE YOSEF BLECH

THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

oday’s kosher consumer expects to find exactly what he or she is looking for—with a reliable hashgachah and minimal effort. We no longer purchase live chickens, take them to the shochet and then eviscerate and kasher them, nor do we buy live fish, keep them in the bathtub, and gut and fillet them. We find these products—and virtually all other foods— ready to cook or eat; someone else has done all the work, and we don’t really understand the kashrus issues involved. Taking a look at the production of a can of tuna provides us with an opportunity to delve into many of the fascinating halachic issues involved in modern food production. Many methods of preserving fish have been devised over the years, and they often serve to create delicacies in the process. Smoked fish, lox and salted herring are of ancient vintage, excellent examples of invention through preservation. About 100 years ago, however, canned fish became available, making canned sardines, salmon, mackerel, pilchard, anchovies and tuna staples around the world. In North America, canned tuna has become the most popular fish product, and many of the most popular brands carry kosher certification. In analyzing the status of any fish product, we must first establish that the fish is a kosher species. By definition, it must have both fins and halachically defined scales. The Talmud (Chullin 66b) teaches us that all scaled fish have fins, and the Shulchan Aruch therefore rules that one need only check the scales to determine if a fish is kosher. In addressing issues related to canned tuna, we must therefore establish two 134 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

things: that tuna is a kosher species, and that the fish in the can is actually tuna. Both involve interesting halachic issues. Ichthyologists—those who study fish—would point out that no species of tuna (or “tunny,” as it is sometimes known) exists. The term actually derives from the Latin Thunnus, a genus of large fish in the mackerel family that includes albacore, skipjack and yellowfin, which make up the bulk of the canned tuna supply. The word “tuna” is actually found in Rashi, who translates the word “tris” as “tunina” (Megillah 6a; see Metargem, who translates this word as “der gezaltzene thun fish,” salted tuna fish). Indeed, thun fish is a term used by many meforshim to refer to a commonly eaten fish. (See Aruch on the word “tris”; he states that its Roman name is atunis, which has survived in modern Spanish as atún, the name for this group of fish.) Whatever the derivation of the modern word “tuna,” it is the kosher status of the specific species that is of concern. Based on extensive review of all species of tuna that are of commercial value, it can be safely stated that all of them have halachically valid scales. There has been some confusion about this, as some species of tuna typically have very few scales. However, the Shulchan Aruch states explicitly that even one scale is sufficient (Y.D. 83:1), and it has been verified that all commercially processed species of tuna have a significant number of scales, obviating kashrus concerns. As such, we can consider all varieties of commonly sold tuna kosher. The question then becomes how we know that the fish in the can is indeed tuna—and that concern starts from the moment the fishing boat leaves the pier. The first order of business is knowing where to find the fish. Modern fishing fleets use sonar and other technologies to locate their catch, but tuna fisherman long ago came up with

THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

for a long period, after which it is defrosted and canned. The most efficient method of freezing large quantiRabbi Zushe ties of fish is by soaking it in a bath Yosef Blech of freezing, but not frozen, saltwater brine. The brine can be cooled to just below 0oF without turning into ice, but tuna placed in it will become solidly frozen at that temperature. Tuna boats therefore have large vats of super-cooled brine, into which the catch is dumped directly from the nets. Most tuna plants store the brine-frozen tuna in blast freezers until it is ready for processing. While the fishermen attempt to limit their catch to tuna, a certain amount of nonkosher “by-catch” invariably winds up in the nets, and it may not be completely sorted out of the catch before being frozen in the brine. It has therefore been argued that by soaking the nonkosher fish along with the kosher tuna, the rule of kavush (soaking) comes into play, and it would be considered as if all of the fish were cooked together. Fortunately, the amount of nonkosher by-catch in the brine is much less than 1/60th, and any bliyos (absorbed flavor) from it would be batel. (The argument that the nonkosher fish is a beryah, a whole unit, and therefore not batel is a misplaced concern, since the issur in this case would be the bliyos, which is not subject to the rules of beryah [Y.D. 100:2].) After the fish arrive at the processing facility, the next major kashrus concern is the verification of the scales before the fish are canned, a complicated halachic issue. Since canned tuna has been carefully trimmed and processed to remove all vestiges of scales and skin, an inspection of the simanim by the consumer is not possible. The only way the consumer can be assured that the fish in the can is kosher is by virtue of regulatory requirements stipulating that cans marked “tuna” contain nothing but the indicated species, as well as by the hashgachah symbol.

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a low-tech solution to this problem, taking advantage of the fact that certain species of tuna, notably skipjack, tend to swim with dolphins. While tuna stay underwater and rely on their gills to obtain oxygen, dolphins are mammals and must surface at regular intervals to breathe. Fisherman therefore scan the horizon for dolphins popping up out of the water to know where to set their nets. Although tuna fisherman aren’t interested in catching dolphins, old-style nets did not discriminate between species and ensnared and killed many dolphins along with the tuna. This infuriated animal-rights groups, which began a campaign to restrict fishing for tuna in areas where dolphins would be killed. After a series of boycotts and other actions, the US government finally required “dolphin-friendly” nets designed to avoid trapping them. When the dolphin issue came to light, however, some in the kashrus world raised the concern that dolphins, which are nonkosher marine mammals, might also be processed and wind up in a can of tuna if there weren’t special safeguards! Fortunately, this concern is baseless. Dolphins bear no resemblance to tuna and would compromise tuna products. “Dolphin Safe” therefore refers to the protection of the dolphin, not the consumer. While the nets are designed to minimize risk to dolphins and aren’t foolproof, there’ is no risk that a dolphin will be processed as tuna. After the tuna are caught, the next step is to process it. While some companies can tuna on huge ships, kashrus organization do not certify such tuna because it is almost impossible for a mashgiach to inspect these facilities. Other companies transport frozen tuna to mainland processing facilities that produce kosher-certified tuna. In the olden days, fish was salted on the boat. Today, however, tuna is quick-frozen and may therefore be stored

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The Shulchan Aruch (ibid., 4) rules that one may not purchase pieces of fish that do not still bear any scales from a nonJew, since it would be impossible to verify their kosher status. Although most opinions rule that it would be sufficient to recognize the type of fish as one that typically has scales (see the introduction of the Darchei Teshuvah to Y.D. 83), canned tuna fish does not have scales and is not readily recognizable as tuna to the average consumer. It would therefore seem logical that the halachic basis for granting hashgachah to canned tuna fish would be the supervision of a mashgiach. However, virtually all nonJewish brands of kosher tuna are processed in factories that do not have a full-time mashgiach, seemingly giving rise to a significant kashrus issue. To complicate matters further, tuna factories are typically located in remote areas of the world— Pago Pago (American Samoa), Thailand, Taiwan and Puerto Rico—and it would be very difficult to find a reliable full-time mashgiach willing to serve in such locations. Indeed, the kosher status of canned tuna produced without a mashgiach temidi has been the subject of much halachic discussion. Many Rishonim (S’mag and Chinuch, among others)

are of the opinion that there is a specific mitzvah to inspect the simanim of a fish before eating it, an obvious impossibility once tuna has been canned. Indeed, about 40 years ago, Rav Eliyahu Henkin, zt”l, wrote that such canned tuna fish is prohibited, since no mashgiach is present to inspect the simanim to verify its status. Many subsequent authorities have concurred with this opinion, including Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l (Igros Moshe Y.D. III:8 and IV:1. See also Rav J. David Bleich in his work B’Nesivos Hahalachah, Vol. 1.) In order to understand their position, however, it is important to note that the requirement to inspect each fish is not absolute. Halachah stipulates several instances in which fish may be eaten despite the impossibility of checking the scales. For example, species of fish that tend to grow scales as adults are permitted in their immature state without scales (Y.D., 83:1). Similarly, a fish that has scales while in the sea but tends to lose them when it is removed from the water is also considered kosher, even though it is impossible to check for the scales (ibid.). Clearly, it is not absolutely necessary to see the scales to know that a fish is kosher, a point noted by the Rambam (Maachalos Asuros 1:8) regarding animals’ simanim.

tification to permit the ongoing production of kosher tuna fish without the supervision of a full-time mashgiach. Indeed, the Tosafos Rid (Avodah Zarah 40a) permits the use of barrels of tunina that arrive without scales or other indications of the source of the fish, since it was known that the factories where these fish were processed handled kosher species of fish exclusively. In halachic terms, this is called a chazakah, an established fact, and this opinion is quoted in the Beis Yosef and the Darchei Moshe (ibid.) in the name of the Shibolei Haleket. In the case of modern tuna plants, it is clear that they only process (kosher) tuna, and they are fastidious in their efforts to ensure that all by-catch is eliminated before processing. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that tuna factories today have no less of a chazakah than those discussed by the Shibolei Haleket. Indeed, to the best of anyone’s knowledge, no mashgiach has ever found a nonkosher fish in the processing area of a tuna factory. While a mashgiach may visit a tuna factory only a few times a year, this is deemed sufficient to establish and maintain the chazakah that the factory handles only kosher fish. Clearly, however, disagreement about the need for a mashgiach temidi in tuna facilities is longstanding and unresolved. Issues relating to the kashrus of canned tuna are not

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Authorities who prohibit unsupervised canned tuna argue that it is impossible to have absolute knowledge in the case of canned tuna, since nonkosher species are routinely caught along with the tuna and are only subsequently removed. (Indeed, Rav Moshe dismisses the concept of regulatory oversight with regard to fish, in contradistinction to his position on milk and chalav Yisrael.) They argue that the default requirement to inspect fish for scales remains in effect and is not satisfied by routine canned tuna fish productions. While the exact circumstances that were the basis of these opinions may not reflect the situation in tuna processing facilities today, it is generally assumed that the hashgachah provided for most non-Jewish brands of tuna would not be acceptable according to these opinions (see below for other potential kashrus concerns). For this reason, special productions of tuna are arranged for certain hashgachos, and the product is clearly labeled “mashgiach temidi.” (Indeed, concerns about the kosher status of tuna are so significant that the minhag of the Jews in Hamburg was to forgo this type of fish altogether, even when it could be purchased with the skin on it.) On the other hand, many authorities, including Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik, zt”l, and, yb”l, Rabbi Herschel Schachter (see Mesorah Vol. 1), cite numerous precedents and halachic jus-

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restricted to the inherent kosher status of the species. Halachah stipulates that certain types of cooked food are only kosher when cooked by a Jew. This rule, known as bishul akum, applies to foods considered important and inedible without cooking. Most fish, presumably including tuna, are considered important foods that require cooking, and are thus subject to the rules of bishul akum (see Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 113:12). When produced with a mashgiach temidi, the mashgiach is involved in the cooking to address this concern. It is interesting to note, however, that the exact method by which concerns of bishul akum may be obviated depends on a disagreement between the Shulchan Aruch and the Rama. The Shulchan Aruch (ibid. 7) rules that, in contradistinction to the rules of pas Yisrael (bread baked by a Jew), where it is sufficient for the Jew to light the oven, bishul akum requires that the Jew take part in the cooking process. The Rama, however, rules that no such distinction must be made, and concerns of bishul akum may be addressed by having the Jew turn on the fire (or add fuel to an existing fire). This dispute carries over to the customs of Sephardim, who follow the opinion of the Shulchan Aruch, and Ashkenazim, who follow the approach of the Rama. For this reason, to meet the halachic requirements of Sephardim, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel arranges for the mashgiach to push the cans of tuna into the cooker and turn on the steam for each production! Regular kosher productions of tuna do not benefit from this kind of involvement by a mashgiach, however, and the concern of bishul akum must be addressed in other ways. Although many halachic authorities disagree with this approach, one of the most cogent arguments to resolve the problem of bishul akum stems from a cost-saving measure taken by the tuna processors themselves. The processing of tuna involves stripping the flesh from the skeleton without allowing any of the bones to remain in the flesh, and as anyone who has eaten fish knows, such a process is tedious and time-consuming. Tuna processors realized that if the fish were cooked first, it would be easier to strip the flesh from the bones and would result in less waste. Thus the routine processing of tuna involves steaming the whole tuna until it is fully cooked, after which it is easier to remove the bones and pack the tuna in a can. Although such steaming is done to simplify the boning process, the process also resolves our concern of bishul akum. The Shulchan Aruch (ibid. 13) rules that foods that are smoked and not cooked are not subject to a concern of bishul akum. Many 138 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

Acharonim (see Darchei Teshuvah 116:13, Yabia Omer V:9, Sridei Eish II:138) are of the opinion that cooking with live steam falls into the same category as smoking (me’ushan) and is thus not subject to the rules of bishul akum at all. (The Minchas Yitzchak Vol. III 26.6 is less sanguine about this approach, but accepts it with the consideration that it is questionable whether bishul akum applies in a factory setting.) On the other hand, many authorities disagree that steam is me’ushan. They posit that the leniency of me’ushan applies to situations where cold smoke preserves the food without cooking it, as in the case of lox, which would eliminate this in the case of canned tuna fish. But not all tuna is steamed before canning. Large companies maintain that in addition to facilitating the boning process, pre-cooking removes fat that may have been subjected to oxidative rancidity during the freezing process. Some smaller companies, though, maintain that it degrades the quality of the product. For this reason, some small tuna canneries do not pre-steam the tuna. (Note that other considerations may obviate bishul akum. For example, some hold that even the steaming of a sealed can may be considered steaming for purposes of bishul akum [see Minchas Yitzchak Vol. X:67]). In addition, some argue that canned tuna (as opposed to the freshly cooked product) is not considered an important food. It has also been argued that with the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine, perhaps tuna is no longer subject to a concern of bishul akum at all. The Japanese typically eat sushi and sashimi made with raw tuna, and one of the criteria for a food to be subject to bishul akum is that it requires cooking. On the other hand, most tuna eaten in the United States is cooked. Therefore, it would seem that until such time as most people develop a taste for raw fish, tuna would follow the precedent of eggs, which, while eaten raw by some, require cooking by most people (ibid. 14).]

While steaming tuna may resolve one concern, it paves the way for another, based on the diet of tuna. Tuna are a predatory species whose diet includes a host of nonkosher marine species (e.g., squid, crab larvae, treif fish). While halachah is clear that a kosher animal remains kosher even if it has eaten nonkosher food (see Rama Y.D. 60:1 and Shach s.k. 5), it also states that a nonkosher fish found inside a kosher fish remains nonkosher (see Bechoros 7b and Y.D. 83:9). In most cases, finding a nonkosher fish inside a kosher fish would not pose much of a concern since one routinely eviscerates the fish, thus removes any offending nonkosher material before cooking. As we have seen, however, tuna is steamed prior to processing. While this steaming generally takes place after the fish has been eviscerated, it may also be done beforehand. In such a situation, we may be faced with a situation where the nonkosher species in the tuna’s gut was cooked together with the tuna, rendering the entire tuna nonkosher by dint of the nonkosher bliyos (flavors) it absorbed. This situation would seem similar to the case in which a sprouted grain was found in a cooked chicken on Pesach, where the Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 467:10 and 17) rules that the bliyos of chametz would compromise the chicken’s status. For this reason, many hashgachos supervising tuna insist that the tuna be eviscerated before steaming. (Please note that objections to this process are not limited to kosher concerns. One reason some companies prefer this process is because some of the stomach contents are infused into the tuna and therefore increase its weight.) Those hashgachos with no such requirement base their position on the following considerations. The Mishnah (Ohalos 11:7) states that human flesh consumed by an animal may lose its status—and therefore may no longer be considered tamei—if it was already digested. It further states that the period of digestion differs among species, with a three-day requirement for animals (e.g., a dog) that consume the flesh, and a shorter period for birds and fish (either a 24-hour period or

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THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

the period required for a fire to consume the flesh). The Rosh notes the seeming contradiction between the Mishnah in Bechoros regarding the ingested nonkosher fish and the Mishnah in Ohalos concerning the ingested human flesh, making a distinction between the laws of tumah, where digestion is effective, and prohibited foods, where it is not. However, Rav Moshe Mi’Pontoise (quoted in the above Rosh) makes a distinction between macerated food, such as the flesh chewed and consumed by the dog in Ohalos, and the whole fish discussed in Bechoros. Rav Moshe postulates that chewed food is considered digested even before it reaches the stomach, and therefore loses its status as prohibited. The Pri Chadash (83) rules that where the food is completely decomposed in the gut, it is considered digested and loses its prohibited status. Based upon a review of the contents of many tuna stomachs, certain hashgachos have concluded that such material is generally decomposed, and they allow tuna to be cooked prior to evisceration. Some have suggested that even if such fish are not considered halachically “digested,” they would certainly be nosen taam lifgam (have a putrid taste), and thus would not be able to compromise the tuna. Others, however, quote Rabbeinu Tam, who holds that one should follow the opinion that food ingested by fish requires 24 hours for digestion, which may preclude processing of tuna in this fashion. The pre-cooking of tuna is not the only method by which tuna processors attempt to maximize their yields. Modern food regulations stipulate how the amount of food in a package is indicated. In the case of canned tuna, the number of ounces or grams must be drained weight—the weight of the tuna in the can after the liquid has been drained using an official method. However, a small amount of hydrolyzed protein added to the broth in the can will bind some of the moisture so that more water remains in the can after draining. Tuna companies indicated the presence of this additive on the label but claimed it was used as a flavor enhancer as opposed to inexpensive filler. Truth in labeling aside, some of the proteins created a major kashrus concern. Virtually any protein can be broken down (hydrolyzed) using acids, bases or enzymes, but in most cases the protein used for tuna was soy. However, some companies used hydrolyzed casein (milk protein), creating a line 140 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

of “dairy” tuna fish. While the hashgachos indicated that the product was indeed dairy, it nonetheless raised issues about the processing equipment, as well as chalav Yisrael and other kashrus concerns (such as cooking fish with milk according to certain opinions; see Shach 87 s.k. 5). Fortunately, most tuna canneries have decided to vastly reduce or eliminate the use of hydrolyzed proteins, and virtually no kosher tuna today contains any dairy hydrolysates. Indeed, the vegetable broth added today is generally nonhydrolyzed and is added for flavor. Another example of the tuna industry’s thrift—and potential kashrus concerns—are the other products typically produced at a tuna cannery. The canning process used for tuna and many other foods involves hermetically sealing the product in a can and then subjecting it to heat sufficient to kill the bacteria that would otherwise cause it to spoil. Typically, this heating process takes place in a large, steam-pressurized vessel called a retort. Since a retort is essentially a large kettle, one is not allowed to use the same retort for both kosher and nonkosher products (unless it is kashered). Consumers prefer light-colored tuna, but many parts of the tuna are too dark for humans. Cats have no such qualms, and the traditional destination for these parts of the tuna are cans of cat food, which must also be retorted. If cat food were to contain only (kosher) rejected parts of the tuna, there would be no kashrus concerns. However, cats are notorious for their finicky taste. Some tuna factories therefore import various types of nonkosher meat by-products (e.g., liver, kidney) to be mixed with the tuna. The processing of such products would compromise the kosher status of the retort, so factories that produce both kosher tuna and nonkosher pet food must develop systems to ensure that the retorts, as well as all related equipment, cannot be used for the wrong product. Many plants keep the two operations completely separate, but again, hashgachah temidis tends to resolve this concern, since the mashgiach supervises the production to ensure that only kosher equipment is used. As we have seen, maintaining the kashrus of one of the staples of the kosher household is a significant undertaking. The saga of the tuna testifies superbly to the kashrus issues that must be addressed before we can safely sit down to dinner.

•

THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

Putting Kosher in a Can A mashgiach describes his work in a tuna fish processing plant

t’s one of the most difficult jobs in hashgachah, and it comes to you in a little can. That job is the work of certifying bishul Yisrael tuna fish. While some poskim don’t require canned tuna fish to be specifically bishul Yisrael, others do. (See the accompanying article by Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech.) So mashgichim fly out to exotic locales to make sure that those who need bishul Yisrael tuna fish get it. For an overview of the work this job requires, I spoke to a mashgiach with an extensive history in the field, who currently works at plants in the Philippines and Thailand. Because of sensitivities in the industry, he asked that I not use his name.

BY YOSSI KRAUSZ

A typical run of bishul Yisrael tuna fish takes about a week. “The mashgiach usually goes before Shabbos,” he said. Depending on the upcoming workload, the mashgiach may stay in a city with a Jewish community—for example, Bangkok or Manila—and only then make the trip to the processing plant, which is usually remote, or else he might stay at the plant for Shabbos. These plants do not run on Sunday, although there may be some preparation by workers. Still, it allows the mashgichim to get ready for the run. “The first thing we do is look at the boiler system,” the mashgiach explained. The water that is used to cook the tuna circulates through a giant system of

pipes and plumbing, and the mashgiach must ensure that there aren’t going to be kashrus issues due to the water itself. Most tuna canning plants process treif pet food in a different part of the plant, so the mashgiach must be certain that the two boiler systems are entirely separate. The mashgichim also have to empty the old water out of the system and cooling towers so that no water from previous non-bishul Yisrael and unsupervised runs will be present. It takes a couple of hours to change all the water. They also have to ensure that any water involved in the production is “new” water, including any that’s used not just in the pre-cooking of the tuna before it goes into the cans, but also any that finishes the cooking process

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THE KOSHER ISSUE THE MASHGIACH’S WORLD

after it is already in the cans. The 24-hour Sunday downtime allows the equipment to become a non-ben yomo (item cooked that day). The mashgichim can then kasher the entire line, first checking all the racks the fish is placed on as it is sent into the pre-cooker to make sure they are clean. This is no small task. As this mashgiach told me, in a plant he recently worked in there were 340 such racks. They must then be kashered putting all the racks in the pre-cooker and heating it. The next day, the run gets under way. First the whole fish, sometimes referred to as “round fish,” are butchered by hundreds—and in large plants, thousands— of workers who remove the skin, bones and guts. Then they begin sending the large pieces of flesh down the line into the pre-cooker. (The reason mashgichim for bishul Yisrael tuna runs must go overseas is that no domestic tuna canning setup starts from the butchering process; they all receive fish that was butchered and processed elsewhere.) A particularly tedious part of the mashgiach’s job involves ensuring that every fish is a kosher one—inexperienced mashgichim are generally told to touch each fish to make sure it has scales, while older ones can tell by sight—and then, after butchering, watching to make sure that the evisceration is complete. Since tunas eat smaller fish, the guts have to have been completely removed, or else a nonkosher fish left in the tuna’s digestive tract may cause a halachic problem. Handling thousands of pieces of fish is

difficult in and of itself. But the mashgiach pointed out to me that it’s not just that that’s hard. “We’re in tropical climates, and the humidity is unbearable.” And there is little time to rest. Hashgachah on these tuna plants requires at least two mashgichim because production runs 24 hours. Each mashgiach takes a 12-hour shift. “There’s one plant where I take four mashgichim,” he told me, as the production there is set up in a more difficult arrangement. There are additional aspects to the hashgachah. For example, the labeling must be checked to ensure that only kosher products get the kosher labels. And the Pesach status of the tuna has to be taken into consideration. The plant usually runs a production of tuna packed in water, which is kasher l’Pesach, first. Then, tuna in oil and other additives— which are not acceptable for Pesach—is run through the system. The mashgichim, who have flown great distances and are still suffering some jet lag, may be exhausted by the end of the week. Some will leave on Thursday,

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heading home for Shabbos. Others may need to stay until the following Monday to finish certain aspects of the production. The amount of tuna produced in these runs is staggering. In smaller runs, there will be 13 to 14 shipping containers of tuna. In larger runs, there may be 20 to 21 containers. Each container holds 1,900 cases of the smaller tuna cans, with each case holding 48 cans. (The larger, tall cans of tuna come in cases of six, with 1,500 cases in a container.) That means that a mashgiach may have overseen the cooking and packaging of close to two million cans of tuna in the span of a week! The mashgiach I spoke to told me that there are some very fine mashgichim who will work in numerous other aspects of industrial food prepration—but balk at working in tuna production. Facing a difficult work schedule in a demanding tropical environment is not for everyone. So next time you open your a can of tuna fish, remember that toil and dedication are what brought it to your plate.

•

From popcorn to pizza, from candy to cheese, we look at some facts you didn't know about your favorite kosher products.

THE KOSHER ISSUE

THE KOSHER MARKETPLACE

Beef Jerky Candy Cheese Chocolate Chocolate Bites Chocolate Chunks Coffee Cookies

Popcorn

Dairy Frozen Meals

Pretzel Nuggets

Dessert

Probiotic Yogurt

Dressings

Protein Shakes

Eclair

Puff Pastry

Flour

Quinoa

Frozen Veggies

Taffy

Grape Juice

Tuna

Greek Yogurt

Waffles

Health Drinks

Yogurt Ice Cream Juices Leben Milk Nuts Omega Bread Packaged Cakes Pizza

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IN THE KNOW

the beef about aufschnitt

beef jerky BY ALISA ROBERTS

19 years

While jerky has become a popular snack in recent years, it’s not a new one. Jerky goes back at least to 1550, when early American explorers were introduced to it by the Native American inventors.

Where does the name Aufschnitt come from? From a family tradition of high-quality meat, and the Swiss word for “deli.”

The word jerky actually comes from the Native American word ch’arki, which means “dried, salted meat.” Some products sold as jerky are actually low-quality processed meat soaked in chemicals to keep them from spoiling. Not interested in eating that? Check the label for USDA certified products.

That’s how long NASA astronauts have been taking jerky—a lightweight, nutrition-packed snack—into space!

39%

of American households enjoy meat snacks, including beef jerky. And those numbers seem to only be going up: The meat jerky production industry has been growing by about

4.5% each year since 2009.

Shloimy Benjamin of Aufschnitt says:

Survey says: Jerky is a favorite road-trip snack of U.S. travelers. Favorite flavors?

Original and Teriyaki Along with beef jerky, Aufschnitt Meats produces beef sticks in

5 flavors. It takes

90 grams of 99% lean meat

to make one 30 gram serving of jerky.

As the 1.5 billion dollar beef jerky industry marches on, Aufschnitt Meats has taken it by storm by offering a kosher option. We have taken all-natural ingredients, together with the highest in kosher quality to create the perfect bag of jerky that you simply cannot resist!

thinkNATURAL eatKOSHER

HEALTHY

8 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PER SERVING LE

GLATT

AB ST

DISTRIBUTED BY: Quality Frozen Foods, A&L Foods, Shalom & Sons, Royal Foods, Davidson Specialty Foods and KeHe

UT GL

IN THE KNOW

candy the best of dee best

BY REA BOCHNER

Did you know? The Mazel Tov taffies were first produced by Dee Best.

Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.

Dee Best Go Fish snack is coming soon in a family pack.

The FDA set up a hotline for parents who were worried about their children exploding from mixing Pop Rocks and soda.

Americans spent

$33.6 Billion on candy in 2014.

June is national candy month. One ounce of milk chocolate has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of decaf coffee.

For bigger bubbles, chew gum until the sugar is gone. Sugar doesn’t stretch and can cause bubbles to collapse.

The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec, “xocolatl,” which means, “bitter water.”

Butterscotch is butter and brown sugar combined.

David Nadler of Dee Best says:

Candy corn was originally called “chicken feed.” Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water.

Hot water

makes hard candy,

lukewarm water

makes soft candy, and

cool water

makes chewy candy. April 22nd is National Jelly Bean Day.

The average American eats

pounds of candy a year.

We never settle for anything less than Deebest

In Medieval Europe, sugar was so expensive that only the wealthy could afford to eat candy.

IN THE KNOW

cheese info about natural and kosher

BY NISSI UNGER

Say Cheese!

Cheese is good for your teeth as it helps fight cavities by protecting tooth enamel. In fact, both the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recognize cheese’s positive role in dental health.

Cheese sets the mood. Certain cheese contain tyrosine which can trigger mood boosting neurotransmitters like dopamine.

In any given 12 week period

one third

of Americans populations will eat macaroni and cheese at least once.

Even if you are lactose intolerant you can still enjoy a slice of cheese, as hard cheese and goat cheese are very low in lactose.

Ten pounds of cow’s milk

produce one pound of cheese.

Eat some cheese please for a good night’s sleep.

America is the number one producer of cheese followed behind by Germany and France.

The earliest archaeological evidence of cheese is found in Egypt on tomb murals. The pictures depict Egyptians producing cheese from cow’s milk.

Cheese contains an amino acid, tryptophan that helps reduce stress for a good night’s sleep.

Moshe Vogel, Natural & Kosher says:

CMY

In the US the number one selling cheese is

mozzarella

followed closely behind by

cheddar.

Natural and Kosher is one of the biggest producers of kosher cheese. They can even be found in Costco, the largest chain store in America.

After 28 years in business, Natural & Kosher Cheese still adheres to the same two principles: quality and flavor. We strive for excellence in providing the everyday kosher consumer with the highest quality cheese. With our extensive line of artisanal cheeses, we are proud to meet your kashrus needs while exceeding your taste expectations.

IN THE KNOW

shufra - raising the bar on

chocolate BY ALISA ROBERTS

For most of its 2,000-year history, chocolate was a drink. Even into the nineteenth century it was sold loose, to be used as an ingredient in drinks or desserts, rather than eaten on its own.

All that yumminess adds up—Americans will munch through over

$14 billion in chocolate in 2015.

Joseph Fry invented the chocolate bar in 1847. Fry’s chocolate factory went on to make over 220 chocolate products.

Americans eat around

18%

of the world’s chocolate. That means Americans eat about

90 bars in a year—each.

Dark chocolate actually has more calories from fat (up to 85%) than milk chocolate (around 50%). (But Milk chocolate has more calories from sugar.)

300 and counting The number of chocolate bar brands, with new ones starting every day!

October 28 is National Chocolate Day. Not to be confused with National Milk Chocolate Day (July 28), National Chocolates Day (November 29) or National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day (November 7). There’s even an international World Chocolate Day —it’s on July 7.

The world’s largest chocolate bar by area measured 1,102.54 square feet (102.43 square meters). The world’s largest chocolate bar by weight weighed in at 12,770 pounds and 4.48 ounces (5,792.50 kg).

Chaim Eidlisz, shufra Executive says:

Shufra was created to provide the home chef, the chocolate connoisseur, or the restaurant chef with high-quality premium baking products and chocolates. Shufra’s consumers are thrilled with our products, because we source only premium ingredients for premium results. Whether you bake with Shufra or indulge with Shufra, you can be sure it will be a premium experience.

Raising the Bar

IN THE KNOW

little secrets about jaxx

chocolate bites BY ALISA ROBERTS

The Yellow

Jaxx is a family owned business. Bonbon is another name for a sweet, particularly a little bite wrapped in chocolate. It’s from the French word bon—meaning good.

Wiener Bonbons

Think you eat a lot of chocolate? The average American eats about

10 lbs

(4.5 kg) of chocolate per year. But don’t assume that makes us the chocolate champions— we’re 20th on that list! The average citizen of Switzerland eats about

21 lbs (9.1 kg) each year.

Do you find chocolate inspirational? Johann Strauss II did. It inspired him to compose a waltz titled

(Vienna Sweets) in 1866.

German chocolate cake isn’t German. It’s actually as American as apple pie (which is really English). It was named after Samuel German, the inventor of a certain dark baking chocolate used in the original recipe.

400 It takes about

dried chocolate beans to make one pound of chocolate.

pack is dark chocolate and hazelnut cream—it’s pareve.

Finally! A scientific study I can really sink my teeth into. According to a report published in the British Medical Journal, chocolate-lovers often have a

37% reduced risk of heart disease and a 29% reduced risk of stroke. Chocolate was consumed as a drink, not a candy treat, all the way until the mid 1800’s.

Yehudi Lipman, jaxx Executive says:

I created the brand Jaxx when I realized that most chocolates in the market are either very childish or very high quality. What was missing was a good quality chocolate for the young adult! B”H my vision has been realized and many young adults love Jaxx Chocolate! Jaxx is distributed by Kenover Marketing in the USA

IN THE KNOW

coffee wake up and smell The Chosen Bean

BY MALKY BERGER

Roasting coffee beans is a fire hazard and requires careful preparation before roasting

Coffee is the 2nd most expensive commodity after gold.

Dark roast coffees have less caffeine than lighter roasts. Even though the flavor is often stronger, roasting actually burns off some of the caffeine. There are two different species of coffee trees grown commercially for producing coffee:

of the American population drinks coffee.

Arabica and Robusta. 70% of coffee beans are Arabica. Although less popular, Robusta is slightly more bitter and has twice as much caffeine.

40%

85% 55%

of coffee drinkers drink specialty coffee.

of the world’s coffee is produced in Brazil. That’s twice as much as second and third place, Colombia and Vietnam.

Coffee cannot be grown in the continental USA. Mendy Dalfin of The Chosen Bean says:

The world consumes close to

2.25 billion cups of coffee every day.

Our roasting techniques and the quality of the beans we use is what give our coffees such a smooth aftertaste.

The average new york worker spends $20 a week on coffee. That totals nearly $1,100 annually.

Everyone’s taste is different and I usually ask people if they like a dark or lighter coffee before offering them a cup. French roast is for someone who likes extremely dark coffee, while a Colombian or Costa Rican may be enjoyed by someone who enjoys a lighter taste. All our coffees can be enjoyed black with its smooth aftertaste and flavorful body. We want to introduce the kosher world to a coffee that is on par with the highest-end coffee shops in the world.

IN THE KNOW

The crunch about ostreicher’s

cookies BY REA BOCHNER

Americans consume about

2 billion cookies annually.

Mrs. Ostreicher was very specific about what she wanted in her cookies. No preservatives. Only wholesome pure ingredients that she would confidently serve her own children could make its way into the batch.

No chemicals. No coloring.

She already knew back then how detrimental coloring is to a developing child. And that’s the way Ostreicher’s cookies are made to this very day. Real estate agents often make a house more “homey” by baking a batch of cookies just before a showing.

Whole wheat flour is higher in fiber and vitamins than white flour, and can help lower cholesterol.

50% 13.5% of cookies baked in American homes are chocolate chip.

Early American tinsmiths began making cookie cutters by hand back in the 1700s. In 2003, the Immaculate Baking Company made the world’s largest cookie, weighing in at

40,000 pounds, with 6,000 pounds of chocolate chips.

The average American eats around 300 cookies a year, and upwards of

25,000 cookies in their lifetime.

of American adults admit to having eaten 20 or more chocolate chip cookies at a time.

Did you know? Ostreicher’s cookies is the #1 sold cookie in the kosher market!

R’ Yisroel Dovid Ostreicher CEO of Ostreicher’s says:

The word “cookie” comes from “koekje”, which is Dutch for “little cakes”.

When my wife and I first started this company, it was a small homey business. Our goal was to bring fresh cookies at a reasonable price to the heimishe market. Today, more than 40 years later, that is still our goal! We stayed true to our principles, to assure that our customers continue to enjoy our products.

Dart Design | 845.782.6558

How was your day?

Ostreicher’s full line of healthy cookies is perfect for any time of day. Treat your children with a clear conscience, and enjoy our large selection of delicious flavors without guilt!

Whole Wheat Honey

Whole Wheat Sugar Free Original

Whole Wheat Marble

Whole Wheat Sugar Free Marble

The brand that has been savored for three generations! Ostreicher’s - everyone’s favorite cookies, baked with love in our homey kitchen, and served with pride in all kosher households since ‘69.

Available in your local supermarkets

IN THE KNOW

milchigs for dinner: easy as chopsie’s

dairy frozen meals BY REA BOCHNER

Mozzarella Sticks are older than you think. The first recipe for breading cheese and frying it in oil came from a Medieval French guidebook called “Le Ménagier de Paris,” which offered tips for maintaining a Parisian household. More than

350 million tons of frozen pizzas are sold every year.

Cheese contains nutrients like calcium, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12. Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in the American diet. The average American family eats pizza at home

30 times a year.

Garlic knots were born in 1973 by Amir Zamani of Ozone Oark, Queens, who got creative with leftover scraps of dough.

pizza bagel

3 billion 350 slices per second!

Eating at home saves a family $6 per person, per meal!

that Chopsie’s was the first kosher pizza store to open back in the ‘60s, in Crown Heights! The creation of the

Americans eat about

pizzas each year, which equals about

Did you know...

Did you know? The typical frozen kosher pizza sells for between

$8.50 and $12.00

is often attributed to the demographic composition of the New York area. In the early 20th century, Jewish and Italian immigrants often settled together in areas such as Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

a pie, while a pizza made fresh can cost as much as $28.00.

Matis Soffer, Executive at quality Frozen Foods says:

Forty years ago my father Eli Soffer, a”h, and the brothers Dave, a”h, and, yblt”a, Moish Semel of Semel’s Grocery in Boro Park had a vision to revolutionize the kosher frozen food industry. They started by selling the first frozen gefilte fish and followed that by being the first in many other things including the first kosher frozen pizza, Chopsie’s. Today 40 years later, Quality Frozen Foods has grown to be the one stop shop for all your kosher food needs, with frozen being just a part of its operations. Despite this, we haven’t stopped being the leader of the kosher frozen market and we’re constantly developing new and innovative products with a focus on all-natural, no preservatives and trans-fat-free.

IN THE KNOW

dessert cold facts about confetti

BY NISSI UNGER

Confetti handles your dessert with care. Every cup of Confetti desserts is filled and embellished carefully by hand! Most people enjoy eating their desserts. Still, there are those who prefer throwing it. Hence, the verb “to pie” which means “to throw a custard pie.” The first known pie thrown was recorded in 1909.

New York City’s signature dessert is cheesecake! New York Style Cheesecake made with cream cheese, eggs, cream, sugar and graham cracker crust tops the list of America’s favorite desserts. Some like fruit toppings on it - most people like it just plain.

25%

The likelihood of women to order dessert over men.

99% 70%

of American consumers eat dessert, and

do so at least once a week

Long known to be the most expensive sundae in the world, this sweet treat from Serendipity3 in New York, will set you back $1,000. Serendipity serves up candied fruits, goldcovered almonds, chocolate truffles, Grande Passion caviar, a gilded sugar flower and syrup made from one of the chocolates. You also get to keep the Baccarat crystal goblet ice cream is served in.

Confetti dessert is part of a growing trend of single-serve desserts and mini bakery items. These desserts are trending and in high demand thanks to millenials of course. Unlike baby boomers who grew up on homemade desserts, millennials are raised on food shows and food bloggers. They value quality, not quantity, in desserts and are willing to pay for that sweet treat that encompasses “hand-made authenticity.”

Did you know?

Confetti has an “Ice Cream Laboratory” where researchers and tasters work round the clock to get that perfect taste…

October is National Dessert Month.

Avrumi Farkas, confetti executive says: Confetti is all about turning anytime into a good time. It’s an instant party in a cup! So what if it takes our treat team many long months to develop and perfect the ultimate in frozen dairy delicacies? All you need is a spoon and a smile.

IN CASE OF CRAVING BREAK GLASS

‫חלב ישראל‬

IN THE KNOW

dressing all the spice on saladmate

BY REA BOCHNER

Salad dressings provide the fat your body needs for brain development and healthy hair and nails. According to choosemyplate.gov, the average American adult should be eating The word “salad” comes from the the Latin herba salta or “salted herbs,” because greens were seasoned with extra-salty dressings. SaladMate also has a full commercial line providing restaurants and commercial caterers with their yummy dressings!

The first salad dressings were sold in

1919

when Joe Marzetti, a restaurant owner from Columbus, OH, began packaging his dressings to sell to customers.

2.5

cups of vegetables per day. Salads are a great way to get your veggies in!

The Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressing greens nearly 2,000 years ago. Egyptians favored a salad dressed with oil, vinegar and Asian spices.

Most salad dressings have one of two bases: oil or mayonnaise. Caesar salad is not named after the Roman Emperor, but for restaurateur Caesar Cardini, who invented it in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924.

Did you know that salad dressings can also be used for marinades on

chicken, fish and meat?

dressing smarts To keep your salad fresh, place the salad dressing at the bottom of the bowl, add the hard vegetables, then the greens. Cover with a paper towel and store for up to 12 hours. Toss and serve when you’re ready to eat!

Salads are full of fiber and antioxidants, and can lower the risk of diseases such as cancer.

SHLOME Trebitsh, saladmate Executive says:

Our main goal is to have a product that tastes like the one you make at home, not a commercial one. We carefully hand select our ingredients to find that unique flavor, even if it means using an ingredient that is not produced in bulk.

IN THE KNOW

eclair Cool Stuff about Mehadrin

BY ALISA ROBERTS

Legend has it that the first ice cream lover was

Emporer Nero of Rome.

He would send his slaves to get ice snow and nectar and have them whip it into a delicious frozen treat. Today Mehadrin has done the hard work for you, and ice cream can be found practically anywhere you might wish for one.

Ice cream on a stick was original invented in 1934 by a pharmacy owner Chris Nelson. He was inspired by a little boy who couldn’t decide between a candy stick and ice cream.

According to NASA one of the missed items in outer space is ice cream.

87% of Americans have ice cream in their freezer at all times.

the Ice cream sandwich bar was originally called the I-SCREAM-BAR.

1 in 10 9,000 gallons adults An average cow produces enough milk to make over

of ice cream.

That’s a lot of eclairs for one cow!

admit they lick their plates clean after finishing their ice cream. It’s that good!

Harry Goldberger of Mehadrin Ice Cream Says:

Eclair combines the two top selling flavors,

vanilla and chocolate.

Chocolate and vanilla rank from the top ten favorite flavors of ice cream. Besides milk and cream and sugar of course, a major ingredient of ice cream is air. Without air, ice cream would be as hard as a rock.

Eclairs aren’t just good for the taste buds, it’s good for your body too. Ice cream contains some important nutrients such as

calcium, phosphorous, potassium, Vitamin B, and protein.

Mehadrin’s premium ice cream is unlike anything you have ever tasted before. Its rich and creamy, - the ultimate premium ice cream in a variety of exquisite flavors. Its the kind of thing that once you taste it you can’t undo that deliciousness and go back to any other ice cream. Its the ice cream you just need to taste to love but be forewarned!

IN THE KNOW

flour it all depends on the

BY REA BOCHNER

Jewish women take pride in their challah! Dependable’s high-gluten flour can make all the difference between “delicious” and “unforgettable.” Wheat as we know it originated in The Fertile Crescent, an area in southwest Asia where Avraham Avinu was born. The earliest wheat crops were grown in Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Armenia, and Iraq.

Did you know that wheat is a member of the grass family? It’s fruit, which has only one seed, is known as a kernel. Bread flour can last

6 months

on the shelf or up to a year in the freezer, as long as it’s sealed correctly or wrapped in an air tight container.

The average American consumes

pounds of bread per year.

Wheat is grown in 42 of the 50 United States. Kansas alone produces enough wheat to feed everyone in the world (6 billion people) for two weeks. Whole-wheat flour is a rich source of

magnesium, which helps the body regulate insulin.

If you want to keep bread fresh, don’t store it in the fridge, as it goes stale up to 6 times faster. Leave these products at room temperature or freeze them.

Flour is not only the main ingredient in bread, pasta, crackers, cakes, and lots of other foods. It’s also the base for papier-mâché.

The difference between flours is mostly the gluten content (a protein contained in wheat). High-gluten flour is ideal for challah-baking.

Did you know that flour dust in the air is explosive? More than a few flour mills have learned this one the hard way, including the Washburn “A” Mill in Minneapolis. An explosion there in 1878 killed 22 people.

yomi greenstein, dependable food director of sales says:

You put in the work; you deserve to see positive results. Take pride in your challah with a proven flour brand that you can depend on every single Shabbos.

Dependable Flour Everytime Available at your local supermarket

IN THE KNOW

all the goods about tovah

frozen veggies BY REA BOCHNER

Frozen vegetables are quickfrozen after picking, which means they maintain more vitamins than fresh vegetables which lose nutrients en route from the farm to the store.

Frozen veggies are pre-cooked, saving you time in the kitchen. It is estimated that over

To retain all the nutrients, cook the frozen vegetables in rapidly boiling water for the shortest time possible. The biggest carrot recorded is more than

19 pounds 19 feet!

One serving of peas contains as much Vitamin C as two large apples and more fiber than a slice of whole-wheat bread.

and the longest is over In French, potatoes are called

“pommes de terre”

One carrot provides more than

9,000 200%

peas are eaten per person, per year in Britain.

The Latin name for the pea is pisum sativum.

of your daily requirement of vitamin A.

Yehuda Gross of tovah family farms says:

In October 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space, aboard the space shuttle Columbia.

which means “apples of the earth.”

Tovah Family Farms is a small operation. This allows us to care for and treat each customer as part of our extended and forever-growing family. Our goal is to delight our customers by delivering only the finest/best Mehadrin Min Hamehadrin vegetables to your table. Our motto is: It’s good to be the best.

Mommy, no more potato peeling!

Introducing

Fresh Frozen Potatoes PARVE- GREAT FOR KUGELS, CHOLENT, LATKES, AND MASHED POTATOES!

It’s good to be the best, because you deserve the best. ‫בהשגחת‬ ‫בד״ץ‬

‫״חניכי הישיבות״‬

‫בראשות הגאב״ד‬ ‫הגאון רבי מרדכי גרוס‬ ‫שליט״א‬

COMING SOON: STRAWBERRIES, BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, SPINACH, AND OTHER EXCITING ITEMS. DISTRIBUTION PHONE NUMBER: (973) 440-8429 | WWW.TOVAHFAMILYFARMS.COM

PARVE

IN THE KNOW

grape juice all the juice about kedem

BY REA BOCHNER

Spanish explorers introduced grapes to America about 300 years ago.

Did you know that grapes are a kind of berry? Kedem stores the grape juice in

refrigerator tanks and bottles them as needed to ensure the highest quality juice for your kiddush and pleasure.

Concord grapes get their name from Concord, MA, where they were first grown.

The ancestral vine to all kosher grape juice and wine still grows in Concord, MA, at Grapevine Cottage, 491 Lexington Rd.

MICHI Herzog of Kedem Wines says:

One cup of grapes is roughly 100 calories and has more than

25%

Kedem Grape Juice is rich in

flavonoids,

which may help prevent heart disease.

of your daily servings of vitamins K and C.

did you know?

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five pounds of grapes in every 64 ounce bottle of Kedem Grape Juice.

Did you know that Kedem produces

15 varieties of Grape Juice, including sparkling, blush and white?

One cluster can contain up to

300 Kedem has been making grape juice since 1956.

grapes.

According to researchers,

30,000 square miles are dedicated to grape production worldwide.

The grape juice harvest is only six weeks of the year, and falls during the busiest part of the Jewish calendar: from as early as Rosh Chodesh Elul to four weeks after Sukkos. The work is strenuous and demanding, with 24/6 shifts. But to us, all the work is greatly rewarding knowing that we have the zchus of gracing thousands of Shabbos tables worldwide.

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALL ABOUT THE GRAPE

IN THE KNOW

a guide to gevina’s

greek yogurt BY MALKY BERGER

Talk about “the breakfast of champions”: Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire, is said to have eaten yogurt—and it was served to his armies. He wasn’t the only one to know that yogurt is healthy. When France’s King François I suffered from a stomachache in 1542, Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and French ally, sent over one of his own doctors with a miracle potion: yogurt. Yogurt actually works well as a natural cleaning product! Wipe a few tablespoons of plain yogurt on brass and rub until it’s shiny!

You need Vitamin B12 for energy and healthy brain function. Thankfully Gevina’s Greek yogurt if full of it.

Yogurt can sometimes be found in the medicine cabinet instead of the fridge! In fact, yogurt was the key ingredient in facial moisturizers way back in ancient India—and is still used to relieve dry skin in that country today!

Ari Rosner of Gevina says:

It takes a lot of milk to make Greek yogurt:

Who says yogurt is only yummy as breakfast or a snack? In Ecuador, yogurt smoothies are flavored with a native fruit and served with a type of cheese bread as a fast-food meal. In India, yogurt is mixed with mint or cumin and served on the side of spicy dishes. And in the Middle East, yogurt makes for a popular soup ingredient. According to the Wall Street Journal

1/3

of yogurts in grocery aisles today are Greek.

4 ounces of regular yogurt can make a single ounce of Greek yogurt

I’d take this over a shot any day! Scientists are working on developing edible vaccines made from the bacteria used to make yogurt that will carry the vaccine all the way to the intestines, where the immune system meets and fights pathogens.

Greek yogurt has

40% less sugar & 38% less sodium than traditional yogurt.

Gevina is built on the belief that the freshest ideas in dairy actually start with the simplest ingredients. Everyone loves our ridiculously delicious yogurts. But what few realize is that they contain no secrets whatsoever – simply the purest and tastiest in fresh dairy.

Gotta Getta

IN THE KNOW

Things the “NUGEN”eration should know about

HEALTH DRINKS BY NISSI UNGER

99%

Calcium is found in many rocks such as limestone, chalk and marble as well as many dairy products and vegetables. In fact, the name calcium comes from the Latin word calx which means lime.

of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones and teeth, helping to strengthen them.

1% The other

Protein bars, shakes and drinks are most popular with millenials. 10% of 20 to 24-year-olds surveyed in 2013 said they look for foods that have labels that say “protein added,” while only 1% of people over 65 want that.

Calcium makes up

helps with muscle movement allowing nerves to carry messages between the brain and our body parts. It helps blood vessels move blood around and aids with the release of hormones and enzymes.

of the earth’s crust.

Sam Nutovics of Nugen says:

Ranasmurfin is a “Smurf-blue” protein named after the Smurfs.

Amazingly, bones are strong enough to carry your weight, yet light enough not to slow you down. How? Bones get their awesome strength from calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals. Your skeleton doesn’t feel heavy because all of the long bones are hollow.

Protein helps make a meal more satiating which, in turn, helps people maintain a healthy weight. Just increasing protein from

15%-30% of total calories and reducing fat from

35%-20% of calories can result in sustained weight loss.

No other brand combines the loyalty that’s derived from being a household name with the excitement that’s generated with fresh, innovative food items. Tuv Taam/Nugen is not only the brand you love, it’s the brand you can never let go.

DELICIOUS NUTRITION

PACKED WITH PROTEIN

Powerful pick-me-up at any time

HIGH IN CALCIUM

Boost for women and men of all ages

ENRICHED WITH VITAMINS Delicious meal replacement drink

IN THE KNOW

The scoop about Klein’s platinum

Ice Cream BY NISSI UNGER

They may be 60 but they are not retiring anytime soon. To celebrate the

60th anniversary of Klein’s ice cream, the “Platinum” line was created.

1/3

According to the UK Telegraph,

of all the ice cream in the world is consumed by China who became the leading ice cream market in 2014.

About

The term platinum comes from the Spanish word platina, meaning silver.

1955:

Klein’s ice cream was born in R’ Ephraim Klein’s modest Crown Heights apartment with a truck that barely ran, two large freezers in the backyard and Bobby Klein serving as the “office’s” devoted secretary.

10.3% of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream. The average American consumes almost

U.S. ice cream companies made more than

872,000

gallons of ice cream in 2014.

In 1984, President Reagan declared the 3rd Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. The whole month of July was declared National Ice Cream Month.

pounds of ice cream per year.

Mr. Ari Klein, klein’s Manager of Research & Development says:

Popsicle sticks are made from birch wood.

60 years ago my grandfather started with a mission to deliver premium chalav Yisrael ice cream. 60 years later Klein’s still has the best line of kosher ice cream in the world. Some things just never change.

roducing Int

ICE CREAM BARS

It's not just Klein's, It's Platinum. Decadently divine milk chocolate coating on the outside. A whole new class of creamy rich ice cream on the inside.

IN THE KNOW

All the Juice About golden flow blended

juices BY NISSI UNGER

In 2005 The Washington Post reported that mall shoppers were more likely to perceive a mall as “livelier, more pleasant and more stimulating” if the aroma of citrus was infused in the air.

Citrus peels technical name: pericarp. It is divided into 3 parts: the exocarp, or zest; the mesocarp, which is the white, spongy pith; and the endocarp, which is the pithy left over that clings to the fruit after you remove the peel.

golden flow blended juices has NO HIGH FRUCTOSE SYRUP and is made of 100% JUICE

Juice and income level have a direct correlation. The higher the country’s national income level, the higher the country’s fruit juice consumption. Gitanjali Singh, assistant professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and lead author on this research paper found, New Zealand topped the list for juice consumption, and Eritrea pulled up the rear with the least.

mordechai guttman of Golden Flow says:

90%

of Americans don’t eat enough fruits or veggies. Juicing can help a person meet the daily recommendation in one drink.

Orange juice is the official beverage of the

Sunshine State.

There are as many as 5 different countries in our cups of juice! Golden Flow uses the fruit of five different countries to ensure that you have the freshest juice in every season.

Did you know? Golden Flow juice blends was created to supply both adults and kids with a non-artificial drinks outside of orange juice or apple juice.

85%

of all oranges produced are used for juice.

Golden Flow continuously seeks out opportunities to further fulfill our consumers needs. It took a while for us to come up with the perfect formulas and fruit combinations to get the perfect blend, since we don’t use any additives or high fructose syrup. The final result? The Golden Flow juice blends that are as good for your body as your tastebuds!

IN THE KNOW

leben milchik Minutiae about mehadrin

BY NISSI UNGER

The Mehadrin Corporation was founded in 1950, and has grown to be the largest and foremost distributor of Cholov Yisroel dairy and frozen foods in the USA.

Did you know?

Mehadrin begins setting up their production process for the Pesach run a day after Sukkos.

There are only 2 people in the world who know the leben formula! According to the British Cheese Board, Britain has approximately 700 distinct local cheeses. It is believed France and Italy have about 400 each. Cottage cheese was one of the staple foods for President Richard Nixon; in fact Nixon’s famous last meal as president was a bowl of cottage cheese with slices of pineapple on it.

300

Mehadrin now sells over

different food products to over 30 U.S. states!

Cows produce 90% of the world’s milk.

Each cow provides an average of

90 glasses of milk a day,

Approximately 10 pounds of milk is required to make one pound of cheese.

Mr Zalmen Leib Kopple, CEO of Mehadrin says:

or over 200,000 glasses over the course of its lifetime. Working by hand, a farmer can milk around 6 cows an hour.

What makes one cheese different from the other? The varying flavors, colors, and textures of cheese come from many factors, including the type of milk, bacteria or acids used to separate the milk, the length of aging, and the addition of other flavorings or mold spores.

96.2% of the heimish kid population enjoy Mehadrin leben regularly, and 80% of those continue enjoying Mehadrin leben throughout their adult life!

Mehadrin Dairy will never compromise on 2 things - kashrus and taste! 65 years ago when Mehadrin first opened we couldn’t have possibly envisioned that the kosher market would be bursting with so many kosher premium dairy products. We want to thank our consumers for pushing us to give you only the very best.

IN THE KNOW

a golden flow of information about

milk BY ALISA ROBERTS

One of the important commitments to freshness that Golden Flow has involves truth in labeling. Today, New York law allows milk producers to put whatever freshness date they would like on their bottles. Some producers make the milk’s sell-by-date as late as possible, with some putting a 25-day interval from bottling on their packages. Being that milk is an extremely perishable item, Golden Flow has stuck to a

15-16 day

interval for their packaging.

It takes

3 to 3½ cups of broccoli

to equal the calcium in one cup of milk.

Milk stored above 40 degrees will spoil faster than usual, depending on how warm the temperature that it was exposed to.

Milk is the most perishable food item in a grocery! Therefore, to ensure our customers have the freshest milk, Golden Flow trucks can be found heading out to stores everywhere six days a week.

mordechai guttman of Golden Flow says:

The milk bottle was invented in 1884. Plastic milk containers were introduced in 1964. Dairy cows give more than 7 gallons of milk each day. That’s

112 glasses of milk!

The record milk production for a single cow in a year is

55,660 lbs of milk!

Research has shown that children who drink chocolate milk or other flavored milks consume fewer soft drinks and fruit drinks than children who don’t.

U.S. chocolate manufacturers use about

3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.

Golden Flow uses

advanced bacterial clarification technology to filter out dead cells and more bacteria than normal milk processing resulting in a cleaner fresher tasting milk that last longer

Golden Flow has one company mission; to provide the Jewish population with the freshest, highest quality, cholov yisroel milk. To that end, Golden Flow uses the most advanced bacterial clarification technology to filter out more bacteria than the standard milk processing does, thus resulting in cleaner, fresher tasting milk that lasts longer. Golden Flow doesn’t use milk from DA cows, cows that had any surgical procedures done, and ensures our consumers with the strictest kashrut available. Its the consumers enduring trust in Golden Flow that keeps pushing us to continuously provide the quality products Golden Flow is so well known for.

IN THE KNOW

nuts nuts about klein’s naturals

and dried fruit BY MALKY BERGER

It takes about

540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.

Pistachio production in the U.S. was

Peanuts account for

2/3

of all snack nuts consumed in the USA.

346 million

The almond tree has an average life span of 20 to 25 years. However, it does not bear fruit during the first 3 to 4 years after planting. Additionally, almond trees are alternate bearing so that a large crop one year is often followed by a lighter crop the following year.

If weight loss is your goal, try a handful of almonds. WebMD reports that several studies on almonds showed that, even when calorie counts are the same, diets that included almonds seemed to help people shed more pounds.

Dried fruits generally contains more fiber than the same-sized serving of their fresh counterparts.

pounds in 2004. The U.S. is the world’s 2nd largest producer of pistachios. Iran is the largest.

If you strung all the cranberries produced in North America in 2007, they would stretch from Boston to Los Angeles more than 565 times.

Almonds for weight loss!

Warning: Don’t go too nuts. Nuts, in general, are calorie dense at

1/4 cup of dried fruit equals 1 cup of fresh fruit.

160-200 calories

Munching on nuts on all or most days of the week cuts the risk of heart attack by an incredible

10% of California’s water goes to almond farming!

35%

Shlomy Herzog, klein’s naturals executive says:

per ounce!

Therefore, with the ongoing drought in California, the price of almonds have gone up.

Did you know? The night before cranberries are to be harvested, they are flooded with up to 18 inches of water. Growers then use water reels, nicknamed “eggbeaters,” to churn the water and loosen the cranberries from the vine. Each berry has a tiny pocket of air that allows it to float to the surface of the water.

As an internationally recognized snack food industry entrepreneur, we take great pride in continuously bringing you nuts, dried fruit and confections to please the most discriminating taste buds. This is exactly what we intend to do iy”h.

Fresh from farm....just for you

KLEINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NATURALS LTD. Brooklyn, NY 11232 www.kleinsnaturals.com

IN THE KNOW

start your morning with healthy joy

omega bread BY ALISA ROBERTS

You can eat flaxseed sprouts as well as seeds. They’re described as having a slightly spicy flavor.

Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as

3000 bce 100 grams of ground flaxseed contains 28 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein. That’s

40% 100%

of your recommended daily value of protein and

of your recommended fiber, not to mention several important vitamins and minerals.

Omega-3 has been linked to better heart health. It also reduces inflammation, and can improve the health and look of your skin.

Many global health organizations think we should be eating fatty acids daily, with some recommending

500mg or more per day.

Flaxseed contains a bunch of healthy oils, including a whopping

54%

of omega-3 fatty acids.

100 grams of ground flaxseed contains

28 grams of fiber & 20 grams of protein. The Emperor Charlemagne was a big proponent of the health benefits of flaxseed. He even passed laws that required his subjects to eat it!

Flaxseed is used in traditional Austrian medicine. It’s been used to treat everything from cold, flu and fever to breathing problems. Even gout!

Omega Power Bread contains only one net carb per slice. That’s up to 15 times less than your average whole wheat bread.

Isaac Sander of healthy joy:

Healthy Joy Bake is the number one bread recommended by doctors and nutritionist alike. Even the new Atkins book recognizes the wonderful Healthy Joy Bake bread.

IN THE KNOW

packaged cakes reisman’s reign on

BY ALISA ROBERTS

Reisman’s Bakery was the first

kosher bakery in the world

to sell packaged cakes to groceries and supermarkets, beginning with Waldbaum’s in 1966.

A brownie

is a cross between a cake and a soft cookie, and can be fudgy or cakey, plain or filled with other ingredients. The only thing it really ought to be is brown—after all, that color is where it got its name from. Brownies were born in Chicago in 1893, where the owner of the Palmer House Hotel asked a pastry chef for a dessert smaller than cake and easily served in boxed lunches that she could give the ladies attending the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. The originalrecipe brownies are still served at the hotel.

According to Reisman’s research, their best-selling flavor in Jewish neighborhoods is

chocolate. Best-selling flavors in non-Jewish neighborhoods are

fruit flavors.

58%

Number of professional chefs surveyed by the National Restaurant Association who voted that hybrid desserts including the townie (part tart and part brownie) would be a 2015 hot trend.

December 8 is National Brownie Day. Mr. Shia Friedman, Director of Sales says:

In the early 1970s, Reisman’s Bakery was the first to introduce

raspberry and apricot filling

for their famous hamantashen. Just because we know the original story of brownies doesn’t stop people from making up new ones.

There are 3 popular myths: #1: A cook baking a cake ran out of flour #2: A cook accidentally added melted chocolate to biscuit dough #3: A housewife forgot to add baking powder and served her flat cake anyway.

My grandfather, Mr. Berel Reisman, founded Reisman’s with his brother Avrum in 1962. He always liked to say, “Build a good relationship with your customers and treat them like family.” That’s still our motto: “We’re not just a name, we’re family.”

Irresistible! The best Brownie for over half a century

Conveniently cut into squares and ready to serve.

www.reismansbakery.com

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not just a name, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re family

IN THE KNOW

slices of info about tuscanini

pizza BY ALISA ROBERTS

Before pizzerias, pizza was sold by street vendors. They made pizza the traditional way:

in wood-fired ovens.

Then they took their treat to the street—balanced on their heads in small tin stoves! You have Italian immigrants to thank for bringing pizza to your hometown; they were the ones who brought pizza over to the U.S. back in the 1800s. Gennaro Lombardi opened the very first pizzeria in America, Lombardi’s, in 1905.

4:00 AM am

that’s when our rabbis head to the dairy farms to start the milking process. We make our rounds to three separate dairy farms as we are insistent on small quality farms where we achieve a high quality milk for a premium cheese.

Did you know? We import the mushrooms from a company in Holland to ensure the utmost in quality and kashrus.

Did you know? Tuscanini pizza won the award for best pizza and frozen meal category.

Naples, Italy, is the home of the first pizzeria:

Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, was established in 1738.

charles herzog of tuscanini says:

The tomato paste we use is produced with a special kosher certification at a separate Italian kosher plant and brought in for the pizza.

93% of Americans

eat pizza at least once a month; about 1 in 8 Americans eats pizza any given day.

We put another layer of our

fresh cheese after baking, making our pizza cheesy and mouthwateringthat’s the uniqueness of Tuscanini pizza.

Tuscanini Italian Pizza redefines “pizza.” We developed this Tuscanini with the teen and adult consumer in mind. Our fourteen months of hard work in sourcing Italian dairy farms and artisanal pizza manufacturers, who would conform to a chalav and pas Yisrael production B”’H paid off, with a delicious café style pizza. The amazing thin crust, topped with mouthwatering fresh mozzarella cheese is a sensation to the palate.

IN THE KNOW

popcorn surprising snippets about sunrise

BY NISSI UNGER

Did you know?

Americans eat around

17 billion

quarts of popcorn every year. That’s 68 quarts each! This amount would fill the Empire State Building 18 times.

Popcorn kernels can pop up to 3 feet in the air.

Unpopped popcorn kernels are called “spinsters” or “old maids.” How do you know if you’ve got quality seeds? Quality popcorn should produce 98% popped kernels with under 2% being spinsters. At Sunrise Snacks we add an additional sifting process that deletes the un-popped kernels and small pieces to make sure you get only the nice fluffy popcorn... No old maids for you!

The ideal popping temperature for popcorn is

400-460° F

A kernel will pop, on average, when it reaches 347° Fahrenheit.

There are about

Sunrise’s Popella is a 2015 Kosherfest New Product Winner.

popcorn kernels in 1 cup.

While other businesses failed during the Great Depression, the popcorn business thrived. Popcorn sold at around 5 to 10 cents a bag, making it an affordable treat for all families.

1600 Popella is a special hybrid popcorn. Its intense flavor and crispy texture sets it apart in a class of its own. Additionally, this tiny seed has a softer hull that disintegrates from the heat so that there is little left to get stuck in your teeth, making it a prime snack for adults and kids alike.

Popcorn contains almost 4 grams of fiber - almost the same as the 4.5 grams of a medium apple.

moshe singer of sunrise popcorn says:

Our mission statement is to provide the tastiest, freshest popcorn in every single bag on every single grocery shelf, anywhere, anytime - all the time.

IN THE KNOW

The Twist on Shufra’s

pretzel nuggets BY NISSI UNGER

The pretzel made headlines when President George W. Bush briefly lost consciousness after he choked on a pretzel at the White House. He fainted, tumbled to the floor, lightly bruised his lower lip and cheek. later said: “When you’re eating pretzels, chew

before you swallow. Listen to your mother.”

More than

$550 million worth of pretzels are sold in the United States annually.

250 years old.

That’s how old a pretzel archaeologists have unearthed in Germany’s southern state of Bavaria is thought to be. During excavations in the city of Regensburg in 2014, several rolls, croissant-shaped dough and other pretzel fragments were found. Carbon dating showed the pastries were made between 1700 and 1800. The baked goods were very well preserved because they were originally burnt in the baking process.

Pretzels made their way across the Atlantic with German immigrants later known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. Many pretzel bakeries popped up in Pennsylvania and till today

80%

of pretzels made in America are made there.

April 26 is National Pretzel Day.

Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell established the day in 2003 to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state’s history and economy. If you live in Philly you get a free pretzel on that day.

Chaim Eidlisz, shufra Executive says:

The word “pretzel’” originates from the German He“brezel” further derived from the Latin word “bracellus,” which is a medieval term for “bracelet,” or “bracchiola’” meaning “little arms”.

Until the 1930s,

pretzels were still manufactured by hand. But in 1935, the Reading Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the first automated pretzel maker, which enabled bakers to put out some

245 pretzels per minute,

compared with the 40 per minute an individual worker could make by hand.

To give pretzels the shiny “crust,” pretzel dough is boiled for 3060 seconds before it’s baked, and an egg wash is typically used.

The average U.S. citizen consumes up to 2 pounds of pretzels per year, but Philadelphians snack on about 12 pounds of pretzels per person every year.

Our initial debut of the peanut butter flavored pretzel was accepted with such astonishing success that we now have added two more delicious flavors. People have come to trust Shufra as a brand that delivers and we will continue delivering, one amazing product after the other iy”H.

CMY

pretzels for every

Mood & Flavor Available in BBQ, Onion Garlic and Peanut Butter flavors

IN THE KNOW

Facts and Figures about Norman’s

probiotic yogurt BY NISSI UNGER

Norman’s Greek Pro+ contains

1 billion probiotic cultures, in addition to existing naturally produced cultures.

GanedenBC30 survives

10 times longer than yogurt cultures.

Probiotics in our body outweigh our brain. The typically human brain weights about 3 pounds, and a healthy human body will have over 3.5 pounds of probiotic bacteria and organisms. That’s about the weight of a brick!

Naturally accruing yogurt culture quantities can be reduced to about 1/2 of their original amount due to processing and temperature changes. The recommended number of live cultures is

billion per adult per day.

Two GanedenBC30 patented probiotic strands,

Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium, were added to Norman's Greek Pro+'s naturally accruing cultures.

GanedenBC30's probiotic cells form a protective spore (like a seed that starts germinating in your body) which guarantees that

100% of the probiotic cultures remain active and alive at the time of eating.

A healthy human body harbors over

10 trillion

probiotic bacteria and yeast. That’s ten times more than the one trillion cells in your body!

70%

Shulem Ostreicher, CEO of Norman’s Dairy says:

of consumers would rather get their probiotics from food or beverages.

At Norman’s we recognized that many of our customers were buying yogurt for its probiotic nature, not even realizing that by the time they take a bite there is very little probiotic left in the yogurt. So we added GanedenBC30 ultra-resilient probiotic strain to our Greek Pro+, making it the only real probiotic yogurt on the Cholov Yisroel market. It’s truly a world-first!

OVER 1 BILLION CFU’S* PER SERVING FACT: Most live probiotic cultures diminish and die out over-time, by the time you open the package there is only a fraction of the active cultures left. Norman’s® Greek Pro+ is the first Greek yogurt ever to contain GanedenBC30 cultures. In a scientific breakthrough, GanedenBC30 probiotic cells are able to form a protective spore, starting to grow and germinate only once they’ve reached the digestive tract. This protective shell enables them to survive harsh manufacturing processes, shelf life, and finally, the journey through the digestive system, providing you with 100% of the probiotic benefits.

BENEFITS DIGESTION WITH BC 30®

ONLY 80 CALORIES

NO SUGAR ADDED

NATURALLY SWEETENED WITH STEVIA

NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR OR COLOR

4 fabulous flavors:

INCREASES PROTEIN ABSORPTION

in stores now. cool key lime

vanilla bean

strawberry redcurrant

superfruit

*CFU = COLONY FORMING UNIT

IN THE KNOW

Nutrition Nuggets about Maxi Health’s

protein shakes BY NISSI UNGER

Maxi Health’s protein shake has way more amino acids and vitamins than any comparable brand.

out of

9 10

The body needs protein to grow, heal, and carry about nearly every chemical reaction in the body. That’s why there are

100,000 types of protein in the human body.

Unfortunately the Standard American Diet, also known as “SAD,” is, well, pretty sad. Over the last 100 years, the majority of Americans have gone from eating “normal” portions and homecooked whole foods (after all, the processed foods we see lining store shelves today didn’t’ exist), to consuming high levels of over-processed simple carbohydrates and refined sugars. With this shift in eating habits, there’s been a huge increase in diet-related chronic diseases, which represent the largest cause of obesity. Luckily there are high quality kosher protein shakes that contain high protein very low carbs loaded with vitamins and amino acids.

Americans are potassium deficient

do you know the signs of low protein intake? Muscle sourness weakness and cramping reduced muscle strength. Edema, Not getting enough dietary protein can affect your body’s fluid and electrolyte balance, causing swelling and edema. Hair loss, Protein deficiency results in thinning hair or hair loss. Skin and nail cracking drying , delayed wound healing

did you know? The protein requirements for men is 56 grams a day and women 45 of grams.

moshe weinberger, maxi-health Executive says:

Hot water can affect the nutritional potency of protein shakes.

The protein requirements is 56 grams a day for men and 45 grams a day for women.

250

Maxi Health has developed

different dietary supplements since its beginnings in 1974. They come in tablet, capsule, liquid, powder and chewable forms to satisfy the needs of the entire family.

did you know? A chicken bottom will give you about 14 grams of protein and 8.5 grams of fat. A serving of Naturmax Whey protein will give you 25 grams of protein and ONLY 2 grams of fat!

Maxi Health prides itself in telling and selling the truth, offering clarity rather than industry jargon. We do our due diligence and beyond, developing our own unique formulas based on research and repeated testing. We do what we do best, so that you can do everything you do – best! Placing our expertise in support of your needs enables us to offer a nutrition system with the bioavailability and absorption rates, helping you get the most wellness out of every bit of goodness. Because where Maxi Health is concerned, health and goodness comes first!

IN THE KNOW

plain talk about gefen

puff pastry BY NISSI UNGER

When producing puff pastry it must be kept at a temperature of approximately

The word pastry comes from a Middle English word meaning made of paste.

to keep shortening or butter from becoming runny.

In restaurants and wedding halls, pastry chefs spend an estimated

16°C (60°F) Gefen croissant dough and puff pastry are

“laminated” A laminated dough is created by pressing together alternating layers of dough and butter. Laminated dough is a pastry staple, most recognizable in the sharp crunch of puff pastry or the chewiness of a croissant.

The French name for Napoleon cake is millefeuilles which translates into “a thousand leaves” and refers to the puff pastry used to create the dessert.

What makes puff pastry puff if there is no yeast in it? Steam and dozens of paper thin layers. In the oven, the water in the layers of dough (and some water in the butter) turns into steam. This steam has just enough force to puff up each thin sheet of dough before evaporating into the oven. Result? A delicate shell of airy pastry.

Puff pastry expands

6-8 times

its pre-baked height.

The cool thing about Gefen’s pastry dough is that once you cut off the amount you need, you can refreeze the rest of the dough for later use.

Moishie Israel, Gefen Executive says:

70% 30%

in prep,

and the other

in service

roughly the opposite of the savory side. While many people believe croissants are made of puff pastry that is a big mistake; They are actually two very different items. Unlike puff pastry—which is made with flour, water, salt and butter— the special croissant dough requires the addition of sugar, milk, fresh yeast and eggs.

At Gefen, our mission is to offer premium quality and the highest standard in kashrus to the kosher consumer. Our secret is the amount of products that we do NOT develop. Occasionally we can invest months of hard work, tremendous resources and R&D to a new product but nix the idea as not being the perfect product that befits the Gefen brand. For us, the ultimate decision maker is you, our customer.

Say Good-Bye to your

Rolling Pin

pre-rolled pastry dough now available in the freezer section in your local supermarket

BAKING

IN THE KNOW

quinoa Quintessential facts about labonné

BY NISSI UNGER

More than 200,000 pounds of quinoa are grown each year in the US Rocky Mountains. Many think it’s a whole grain but it isn’t grain at all. Grains like wheat and maize are derived from grasses; quinoa is part of a protein-rich plant family that includes spinach and beets.

100

The most commercialized types are white, red, and black quinoa.

There are more than

White quinoa

is the most widely available in

Red quinoa

stores. is more often used in salads and other cooked dishes since it tends to hold its shape better after cooking.

types of quinoa.

Black quinoa

Quinoa is hardy and can grow in diverse climates and terrains, including areas with as little as

three to four inches of annual rainfall.

Two decades ago, NASA researchers declared quinoa the perfect in-flight astronaut snack because it is mineralrich, gluten-free and contains all essential amino acids.

Quinoa was a major crop of the Incas and almost became extinct. The Spanish conquistadors almost wiped out quinoa by making it illegal for Native Americans to grow. In the 1980s, two Americans rediscovered quinoa and started growing it in Colorado.

Rachel Moskowitz, CEO of labonné says:

quinoa has an “earthier and sweeter” taste.

2013 was named The International Year of Quinoa, by the U.N. in honor of its endurance and durability as a crop and the fact that it contributes to world food security.

Quinoa flakes & flour are also commercially available.

Quinoa tastes sweetest when grown above 12,500 feet.

Unprocessed quinoa is coated with saponin. It is therefore important to rinse quinoa thoroughly. Many companies like Labonné sell quinoa processed and already rinsed these days. One good thing about it: the sticky, bitter film of saponins keeps birds from eating the quinoa seeds off of the bushes. Scientists decided to create quinoa that didn’t have saponins, and guess what? It all “went to the birds.”

Our mission is to constantly bring you the best in kashrus and taste. Look out for our ever-expanding line of quality products at your local supermarket.

QUINOA IN ALL SHADES OF GOOD, HEALTHY & TASTY

IN THE KNOW

taffy sticky talk about gedilla tazzy

BY NISSI UNGER

Taffy is available in three shapes:

bars-the size of chocolate bars, individually-wrapped oblongs, and rounds. Most

salt water taffy has no salt water in it. The National Confectioner’s Association claims saltwater taffy originated in Atlantic City, N.J., in the 1800’s. During a storm, owner David Bradley’s stock of taffy was flooded with salt water. When a girl walked by to purchase taffy, Bradley jokingly said all he had was “salt water taffy” and the name stuck.

In the United Kingdom taffy candies are called chews.

May 23 is National Taffy Day.

The top five non-chocolate candies Americans prefer are: Americans over 18 years of age consume

65%

Fruity candy Sour candy Gummies Bites/Minis Taffy

of the candy that’s produced each year. It’s the little kids who still need to ask permission. The average American eats about

22 pounds of candy a year!

Why are taffies pulled? Pulling taffy aerates it, or incorporates many tiny air bubbles throughout the candy. This makes it lighter and chewier.

Yiddy Paplanos, gedilla executive says:

Gedilla candies fill the grocery aisles and candy stashes, but America’s candy obsession wasn’t always as strong. In 1850, the value of manufactured candy in the U.S. was about

$3 million.

By 1900, that figure leapt to

$60 million. By 1948, it was over

$1 billion.

Gedilla prides itself with providing kosher snacks and goodies to the stringent kosher consumer. We search the globe to bring the best to our consumers so we can continuously deliver the BIG Gedilla taste our customers have come to expect.

IN THE KNOW

tuna tidbits about wallaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

BY NISSI GLICK

The US FDA recommends eating up to twelve ounces of fish a week, that are low in mercury, including tuna.

The European Union, the United States and Japan are the largest consumers of canned tuna. Tuna has high levels of

omega-3

which is great for the heart. Omega-3 can also prevent cognitive decline, dementia, depression, neuropsychiatric disorders, asthma and inflammatory disorders. Approximately

1.6 million tons of tuna are caught each year.

Households with children under the age of eighteen are twice as likely to have tuna sandwiches available than households without children.

1 in 4

Americans serve tuna once or twice a week.

83% 45%

of tuna eaters eat tuna for lunch and

for supper.

Tuna is the only regularly consumed seafood at lunch.

Tuna has

23 grams of protein in a serving size of three and a half ounces. Protein is important for muscle strength, blood, skin, hair and nails.

Americans eat

one billion pounds of tuna a year.

Coffee and sugar are the only items that exceed canned tuna in sales per foot of shelf space in the grocery store.

Walla Culinary Adviser, Celebrity Chef Ouri Nidam from Ouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Caterers:

Walla Salads is currently revamping its entire line of products and packaging and will introduce soon new and unique items as well. Look out for them!

Walla Tuna

Check Out Our Full Line of Salads and Dips

Now in stores near you.

IN THE KNOW

what, where and when about dagim

waffles BY REA BOCHNER

Frozen waffles first appeared in supermarkets in 1953. The World Record for the largest waffle weighed in at

110 lb, 3.68 oz. Maurice Vermersch sold Brussels Waffles at the 1964 World’s Fair, but called them “Belgian Waffles” because he thought no one knew where Brussels was.

The waffle eating champion of the world is Patrick Bertoletti, who ate

Waffles date back to the middle ages, where they were cooked over a fire using two metal plates with wooden handles.

In the late 1800s, Thomas Jefferson returned from France with a waffle iron.

29 waffles in 10 minutes

The word “waffle” is Dutch for “wafer.”

in 2007.

National Waffle Day

Waffles are the Official State Breakfast Food of Wyoming, Arkansas, and Illinois.

is August 24, which is when the first waffle iron was patented by Cornelius Swartwout in 1869.

Steve Stefansky, Dagim Executive says:

Waffles became a staple of American cuisine when the Pilgrims brought the recipe from the Old World.

Mitch Hedberg called waffles “pancakes with a syrup trap.”

There are several types of waffles, including:

American, Belgian, Scandinavian, Liège, Hong Kong, and Dutch Stroopwafels.

Dagim is a family owned business for three generations. If you’ve tasted a Dagim product (and who hasn’t?) you can tell the difference immediately. Fresh. Tasty. Exciting. Food this great can only come from a company that really cares. And that’s Dagim.

IN THE KNOW

the joy of j&j’s

yogurt BY NISSI UNGER

4,672 cows 2,833,390 lbs get milked for each JJ production!

of milk gets produced every week!

Justice Elena Kagan claims she will be remembered as the “frozen-yogurt justice” since she is responsible for the installation of the first frozenyogurt machine in the Supreme Court cafeteria. J&J yogurt is the only yogurt that uses

whole milk with no additives.

As a result, our consumers enjoy a creamier product.

Strawberry and Vanilla are our most popular flavors.

68% 43% of women eat yogurt, compared to only

of men, so there’s a fortune waiting for anyone who can convince more men to eat more yogurt.

The Oxford English Dictionary recognizes at least a dozen spellings of the word “yogurt,” including but not limited to yoghurt, yogurd, yahourt, yahourth, and joghourt.

Avigdor Weinberger says:

The word yogurt is derived from the Turkish yoğurt, and is related to the verb yoğurmak: “to be curdled or coagulated; to thicken” which is pretty much what happens to milk when you let it curdle into yogurt.

Yogurt can help decrease the risk of osteoporosis and contains 20% more protein than milk per serving. Americans consume more than

300,000 tons of yogurt each year! Americans dispose of

9 million

unopened yogurt and yogurt drink containers every week!

A single cup of yogurt can be packed with protein—on average, about 10 grams per 8-ounce serving. That’s about 20% of the recommended daily protein intake for the average adult. Soy yogurt is even an approved meat alternative in the USDA-regulated school lunch program.

JJ Deluxe Yogurt has seen a recent surge in sales lately, due to the latest health studies encouraging the consumption of good fat. Our yogurt is a full-fat yogurt, and the good kind of fat of course!

There are 7 Sheva Brachos... MAKE YOURS BLEU.

4905 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219 l 718-437-1962 bleumodernkitchen@gmail.com l www.bleumodernkitchen.com follow us We Specialize in Corporate Catering

The business of kosher food is a serious one. We look at the numbers and trends that drive this special economy.

MARKETING AND NUMBERS

THE KOSHER ISSUE

KOSHER STATS GENDER 31%

READER SURVEY

69%

Kosher food has gone beyond the kitchen of your bubbe. Now it's an industry. But what is that industry all about, and how do kosher companies market their products in an increasingly crowded field? Menachem Lubinsky Kosher food has gone beyond the kitchen of your bubbe. Now it's an industry. But what is that industry all about, and how do kosher companies market their products in an increasingly crowded field? Menachem Lubinsky Kosher food has gone beyond the kitchen of your bubbe. Now it's an industry. But what is that industry all about, and how do kosher companies market their products in an increasingly crowded field? Menachem Lubinsky (aka Mr. Kosher) gives insight on Kosherfest and the industry, while Isaac Eidlisz pulls apart the world of kosher marketing.

S U R V E Y

The dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it. The dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it. The dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it. The dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it.

FEMALE

MALE

AGE

1.35% 14.1%

35.9%

6.58%

Up-to-date 25.3% 45-64 18-24 65-74 statistics 16.6% about the25-34 35-44 75 kosher industry show a vibrant business. MARITAL STATU and over

The dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it. dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it. The dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it. The dollar value of the kosher product market? It's got a lot of zeros in it.

9.7% 90.3%

Mr. Kosherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Kosher Food Marketâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Brandstorming

MARRIED

The Kosher Food Market SINGLE

2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

Our survey looks at consumers in the kosher market. Who are they and what do they want? Health and safety

38%

etarians

235 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / O C T O B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4 / / 2 8 T I S H R E I 5 7 7 5

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Major States For Kosher New York New Jersey California Florida Illinois

Maryland

Massachusetts Ohio

Georgia Texas

THE KOSHER ISSUE KOSHER STATS

READER SURVEY

Who is the kosher consumer? That’s a question that the kosher industry wants answered, but it’s also one that drives each person’s experience. Ami’s survey of thousands of kosher consumers shows who buys kosher food, where and why. On the following pages we show the demographic breakdown of those who answered our online poll and how they described their kosher food shopping experience.

Ami thanks all participants who responded to our survey. Following are the respondents who won our raffle. Winner #1 $250 Supermarket Certificate Fleischer Family Winner #2 $250 Certificate at Glatt A La Carte Anita Hajioff

S U R V E Y

THE KOSHER ISSUE

The breakdown of our respondents by gender, age, and marital status 31% 69%

GENDER FEMALE MALE

14.1%

35.9%

6.58% 25.3% 16.6%

9.7% 90.3%

AGE

KOSHER STATS

1.35%

18-24

45-64

25-34

65-74

35-44

75 and over

MARITAL STATUS MARRIED SINGLE 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

WHISK

237

THE KOSHER ISSUE

How many family members are in your household? 24.4% 8.6% 46%

KOSHER STATS

20.9%

1-3

7-9

4-6

10 and more

How much does your family spend on food on a weekly basis? $100 and less

5% 24.9%

$100-$200 $200-$300

29.8% 19.3%

$300-$400 $400-$500 $500-$600 $600 and more

238

WHISK

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

11.9% 4% 4.7%

2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

THE KOSHER ISSUE

Who is the more frugal shopper?

Which member of your household usually does the shopping? 2.1% 63.7%

44%

8.9% 56%

25.1%

ALL as group

WIFE

HUSBAND

CHILD

HUSBAND

Do you prefer shopping in large supermarkets or smaller local grocery stores?

Do you use coupons when you shop?

28.3%

Do you have your orders delivered to your home?

63% Do you buy ready-made food/ takeout in your supermarket?

35.1%

45.7% 54.3%

71.7%

YES

37%

KOSHER STATS

WIFE

64.9%

2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

WHISK

239

THE KOSHER ISSUE

15%

10 Minutes

27%

58%

20 Minutes

30 Minutes

KOSHER STATS

When choosing a brand, do you decide based on:

How far would you drive to get to a store with good prices?

BRAND PRICE

45 60 Minutes

CONVENIENCE

Minutes

How do you shop? In person

91.7%

Phone

2.5% 5.1%

.67%

Website

Do you use a list when you shop?

What is the most important factor in deciding where you shop for food?

34.7%

25.8% 16.6% 17.8%

74.2% 7.7%

YES

Service

17.8%

5.1% Convenience Freshness

Variety

Price

Location

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THE KOSHER ISSUE

Major States For Kosher New York New Jersey California Florida NY

Illinois

KOSHER STATS

Maryland

OH MD

Massachusetts Ohio

Georgia FL

Texas

Products 205,000 3,400 18,000 19,000 11,400 325,000 600

Kosher cer ts Products cer 15 Of nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 30,000 supermarkets have a Kosher section Average number of Kosher products in US Supermarkets Number of Kosher producing companies & plants Ingredient Items New Products for Passover

Specialty Facts 40% - Of annual Kosher food sales sold on Passover 78% - American Jews observe Passover $86 Million - U.S. Matzoh sales

Industry

1,300 - Approx. kosher symbols & cer Food Service - is more than a third of industryy 10,650 - Kosher Producing Companies & Plants ts $12.5 Billion - Dollar Value of Market $305 Billion - of Produced Goods (USA) $370 Billion - of Ingredient Items (USA) $550 Million - of Kosher Meat 12% - Average Annual Growth (2010-2015)

242 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M E B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 2 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

Kosher consumers eat kosher occasionally AL N Health & safety O Vegetarians T r Because it is kosher (regularly or occasionally) Halal Met kosher guidelines Keep kosher all the Time Good products Looking for vegetarian products (religious or dietary reasons)

SURVE Y

A NA TI

58% 55% 38% 35% 21% 16% 16% 8% 8% 8%

THE KOSHER ISSUE

Why Americans Buy Kosher

78% 57% 35% 20% 4%

Buy in supermarket kosher food section Buy in other sections of supermarket Buy in specialty kosher food stores Buy in all kosher supermarkets Internet

Sources: Mintel Report

(March 2003, May 2005, January 2009)

Jewish Population Study United Jewish Communities (September 2003) LUBICOM Kosher Analysis (October 2013)

KOSHER STATS

Where Consumers Purchase Kosher food

Source: Lubicom Marketing

12,350,000 Kosher consumers in the United % States 92

sremusnoc rehsoK 000,053, 29% setatS detinU eht ni

Kosher is better - 7.3M

M3.7 - retteb si rehsoK

11%

%1Muslim 1 or other

rehto ro milsuM M5.3 - nosaer suoigiler

religious reason - 3.5M

Year-round kosher consumer - 7.3M

60%

%06

rehsok dnuor-raeY M3.7 - remusnoc

2 2 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6 / / N O V E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5 / / A M I M A G A Z I N E

243

PAYBACK Two mothers. Two soldiers. One purpose.

B Y Y I T TA H A L B E R S TA M M A N D E L B A U M

IN THE DARK OF NIGHT, a squad of Israeli soldiers were on a mission on the desolate streets of Chevron. They proceeded with great caution, knowing that human land mines lurked everywhere, under cover of the inky blackness that enveloped the town. Murky corners, hidden alleyways, secret portals to tunnels concealed from the naked eye—there were so many places where the enemy could be cloaked and poised for attack, while the soldiers traversed the town, vulnerable and exposed. Although they had been repeatedly instructed to band together and close ranks—the threat to them obviously lessened by the specter of a group presence than that of a lone soldier who’d be more susceptible to an assault—somehow one soldier named Gad* lagged behind the group and suddenly found himself detached from his comrades. Panic welled up in Gad as he realized the risk he had inadvertently placed himself, a weak and defenseless figure to any shrouded zealot with a dangerous gleam in his eye. Spurred by his dread, Gad hastened his footsteps, desperately trying to catch up with his unit, which had somehow failed to note his absence. Gad’s almost-paralyzing fear sprang not from paranoia but from 244 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

the awareness that he had now become an easy target, an apprehension that was almost immediately fulfilled when a camouflaged shape sprang out from a shadowy doorway, knife in hand. Gad’s heart lurched while his hand instinctively prepared to aim his Uzi at his nearly invisible target, but the assailant was quicker. He stabbed Gad multiple times, until the soldier collapsed on the ground, blood oozing from his wounds. The attacker fled, leaving his victim for dead. But contrary to his assailant’s assumptions, Gad was still alive, although barely. He gathered his remaining strength to shout “Help!” (the scream, however, emerged from his throat merely as a faint cry), wondering if any of his fellow soldiers could possibly hear him, or if they had even realized his disappearance from their ranks. As Gad’s blood gushed to the ground, his life force slowly draining away, a miracle suddenly appeared in the guise of a soldier bending over him, whispering words of comfort, slinging him over his shoulders, and carrying him to safety. In critical condition but still conscious, Gad was disoriented, his thoughts were jumbled and incoherent. Still, through the haze that engulfed him, he foggily tried to identify the soldier who had rescued him. He wasn’t a member of his troop, and he had never seen him before. Where had he suddenly come from? Why had he, too, been alone? What was his name? But as desperately as he tried, he could not vocalize these questions. He was too faint. When the heroic soldier safely reached the Israeli post, Gad was immediately loaded into an ambulance, which raced away. Right before he was placed on the gurney, Gad weakly tried to raise his

arm to signal his gratitude to the soldier with no name. The soldier, however, had already disappeared. Who are you? Gad desperately wanted to know. The soldier bore no distinguishing marks that could provide him with a clue. Well, maybe the story will be reported in the press and I’ll find out that way. But disappointingly, this

“THERE IS NOW AN ETERNAL BOND THAT HAS BEEN CREATED BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU,” HIS MOTHER DECLARED PASSIONATELY.

hope was not to be realized, because it appeared that, despite the few stories that were published about their operation that night no one could name Gad’s savior, a humble man who obviously didn’t want to be hailed a hero, and therefore never came forward. The soldier told no one about the role he played in the story, save his family. His parents and siblings fussed over him and

246 A M I M A G A Z I N E / / N O V E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 5 / / 2 9 C H E S H VA N 5 7 7 6

implored him to identify himself, even perhaps reunite with the man he had saved. “There is now an eternal bond that has been created between the two of you,” his mother declared passionately, through a veil of tears—caused by both the relief that her son was safe and her pride that he had saved a Jewish life. But Rafi—the name of the hero—who had always shied away from the limelight despite other heroic acts of the past, was stubborn, and refused to succumb to his family’s pleas. He made them promise they wouldn’t share his story with anyone. Reluctantly, they agreed. Meanwhile, Gad thankfully recovered from his wounds, and already from his hospital bed was determined to establish the identity of his saviour. He was almost obsessed with the miraculous scene that had unfolded that night—its once-blurred edges turning sharper now and coming into greater focus as his consciousness returned. He contacted anyone he thought would have information on the soldiers in Chevron that night, but no one could help him track down the person he was looking for. Gad, a religious man, sometimes wondered if it had been Eliyahu Hanavi and no mere mortal who had saved his life. Gad’s family, wishing to show their tremendous hakaras hatov and also give the unknown hero an expensive gift as a token of their enormous appreciation, placed ads in various newspapers asking for any information regarding the incident that occurred in Chevron on such and such a date. But their efforts, too, proved unfruitful. Gad’s parents were extremely frustrated. How would they ever track down and thank the man who had saved their son’s life. With newspaper ads yielding no clues, as a last resort, Gad’s mother decided to print flyers, which she dis-

tributed among several neighborhoods in Yerushalayim, including her own. One of these was pinned to the door of her makolet, which she had owned for 30 years. Only chareidi customers patronized her store. When Gad’s mother, Sarah, had first opened it, the community had been mixed: both chiloni and Mizrachi Jews lived together. Eventually, the Mizrachi Jews moved away, chareidim took their places, and the chiloniim left. So one morning, many months after the incident, Sarah was surprised to see a non-religious woman tentatively open the door and approach the counter where she stood. She smiled broadly at Sarah, expecting instant recognition. But Sarah only blinked in confusion, wondering who the woman was. “Sarah!” the woman shouted exuberantly. “Don’t you recognize me? I know it’s been years since we moved out, but I was one of your best customers! It’s me, Nurit, remember?” Sarah took in a deep breath as she journeyed back to yesteryear, a flood of memories from 22 years ago overwhelming her with nostalgia. Sarah was a warm and effusive woman with a golden heart, and she had formed close ties with myriad customers over the decades. Many attended her simchos, and in turn invited Sarah to theirs. Of course, by now the community had greatly expanded and other stores—including mega supermarkets—had risen to give her competition, so she no longer had the customer base of the past. But once hers had been the only makolet in the neighborhood, and in the early years before the populace grew, her store had served as its hub. And because she was so motherly and compassionate, Sarah inevitably became the confidante of many, including Nurit, who now stood

before her, a woman transformed. Sarah remembered the young, diffident, introverted Nurit, ten years her junior, unburdening herself in the makolet time and time again, repeatedly secondguessing herself, seeking Sarah’s advice. Whenever the makolet was empty, Sarah would make them both a pot of tea, and they would sit on chairs outside the store’s entrance, talking about life in general, and Nurit’s life in particular. Nurit was beset by many doubts: Should she go back to work with three children at home? Should she get a babysitter who was expensive or send the children to a babysitting service, which might give them less attention? Nurit’s parents lived in a different city, so Sarah became her surrogate mother. Immersed in the tsunami of memories that Nurit’s sudden appearance summoned up, flashbacks to various conversations they had previously engaged in crowding her mind, Sarah stood silent for a long moment, catching her breath as she traveled back in time. Then finally, she shook herself out of her reverie, ran from behind the counter, and lifted Nurit up in a bearhug. “Nurit!” Sarah exclaimed joyously. “I cannot believe it! I have thought about you so many times; I lost the paper on which you scribbled your new address when you were about to leave, and I was so upset. You look great! How are you? Where do you live?” She plied Nurit with an endless round of questions. “What are you doing here, Nurit?” Sarah asked. “After all this time?” “As I told you before,” Nurit answered, “I now live in Haifa. But I had to travel to Jerusalem today for my cousin’s son’s bar mitzvah, and I decided to come a little earlier so that I could stop by and see you. You were so good to me; you helped me so much when I was a young wife and

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mother, I never forgot your kindness. I felt so embarrassed that all these years I had never reached out to you before, but I decided I would make my amends and see if your makolet was still here. I was so thrilled to find it, and to see your beloved figure standing behind the counter, as if the passage of time was erased and it was 22 years ago all over again. “I know it’s very belated, but I wanted to thank you for everything that you gave to me. You guided me, instructed me, consoled me, made me grow. You gave me extremely helpful advice that had a real and everlasting impact on my life. So let me kiss you now and hug you and tell you what a crucial role you played in my life and how much you have meant to me all these years. After they had spoken for close to an hour (with several interruptions from impatient customers), Nurit bade Sarah a tearful farewell and advanced towards the exit. As she started to push open the door, she noticed the flyer that Sarah had pinned to the entryway. The headline read: “Seeking information about incident in Chevron” with further details delineated below. Nurit stood transfixed, reading and rereading every word on the flyer. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and her feet became leaden, glued to the floor. She could not move; she was paralyzed. Sweat began to pour from her face and her heart pounded as she took a second, third and fourth look at the flyer, the letters on them seeming to detach themselves from the paper and fly into the air as sparks of fire. Was she hallucinating? Sarah looked up from the counter where she had busied herself sifting

through receipts, and observed Nurit’s immobilized state. She seemed utterly frozen. “Nurit, mamala,” she beckoned her. “What’s wrong?” Sarah’s voice pierced Nurit’s shock and, restored to some semblance of normality, she wheeled around

SWEAT BEGAN TO POUR FROM HER FACE AND HER HEART POUNDED AS SHE TOOK A SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH LOOK AT THE FLYER.

sobbing, and returned to the counter where Sarah stood. “Sarah,” she said softly, reaching for her hand. “I know I burdened you with a lot of problems, and constantly asked you for advice, but might you possibly remember that one time I came into your store crying? I told you that I was determined not to have this child I was carrying. I already had three children and was plan-

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ning to return to work. “You shooed all the customers out of the store and closed the door. You sat down with me and spoke passionately about the preciousness of each Jewish neshamah, and the tremendous cheit such an act was deemed by halachah. “You told me that it was a great blessing that G-d had bestowed upon me, and how many women are childless today and yearning for the baby that I did not want. You spoke so much from the heart, that my own was greatly moved. Because of you and you alone, I decided to keep the baby. And was I happy that I did! He turned out to be my favorite child, truly extraordinary in every way, a great character with a terrific personality. He’s smart, kind, modest and unusually brave. And he exists because of you! “When I read your flyer just now, I had goose bumps prickling my arms. I had to read it several times to comprehend. I felt dumbstruck by the mysteries of the universe and the mystery of G-d. Sarah, it was my son—the child you convinced me to keep—who saved yours. “Sarah, I will be honored to introduce you and your family to the man who rescued your son. His name is Rafi. My son. Born into the universe because of your interventions, commissioned with the duty to save the life of the man whose mother saved his. I am not a religious woman like you, Sarah, but now I so clearly see: All of our deeds are recorded in the heavenly spheres and even when we mortals forget, G-d always remembers.  To submit your story for this column or to have your story featured here, please contact us at submissions@amimagazine.org.

my word! A S H E R V. F I N N

Each week, “My Word!”—penned by the esteemed president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to English—highlights often-misused or misspelled phrases or words, common grammatical challenges, unusual expressions or neologisms. Or it just calls attention to curious or interesting locutions. So if you want to learn some new things about English—or are already expert in the language and want to prove it to yourself—you’ve come to the right place.

This Column Is Not Solemn

o most people, autumn conjures images of trees blazing with color, ripe, sweet apples, dry leaves underfoot, pumpkin pie. To the famed 19th-century poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, it inspired an ode to “the tumult of thy mighty harmonies.” To Asher V. Finn, it raises the question, “Are there any other words that end in “-mn”? Of course there are! Can you name a few? Take your time. I can wait. Actually, while you’re thinking, let’s have a closer look at “autumn.” Here in the US, we tend to call the season between summer and winter “fall”—short for “fall of the leaf,” which was how it was referred to in the 16th century. “Autumn” comes from the Latin autumnus. The “n” is ignored when pronouncing the word. Which is true about the other -mn words, too (several of which, surely, you have already identified). “Autumn” is used figuratively, too, to refer to a time of full maturity, as in “As he approached the autumn of his life, Larry decided the time had come to start wearing big-boy clothes.” Nu, so, the other words? Well, one is (ahem) something you’re reading. That is to say, a column. The original sense of the word, of course, is a decorative pillar, usually with a base and fancy top, or “capital.” The Latin columna means “pillar.” But since newspaper or magazine columns—dedicated offerings by a writer— were originally presented as a single graphic column on a page, the word has come to mean any such offering, even if two-columned, like this one, or multi-columned. “My Word!” is hardly solemn, which is yet another -mn word, meaning “sober or mirthless,” from the Latin sollem-

nis, “an annual religious ceremony” (which obviously did not take place in a chasidishe shtiebel). Someone solemn, offended by this column, might even go so far as to condemn it, another -mn word, one that comes to us from the Latin condemnare, “to sentence or doom” (the com intensifying damnare, which means “to harm”), and which means strongly disapproving. Or, in the case of a court that found someone guilty of a criminal offense, to sentence to punishment. You might not be familiar with a similar English word, “contemn,” but it exists. Rooted in the Latin contemnere, “to despise or scorn,” it means just that. Yes, it’s related to “contempt.” (First cousin, once removed.) Then there’s “limn,” meaning “to portray in drawing, painting, or words.” It’s rooted in the Latin luminare, “to illuminate.” Any others? Sure! Well, at least one that I can think of: “hymn.” It means “a song of praise,” and actually has a Jewish connection of sorts. The Greek translation of the Torah, known as the Septuagint (because of the 70 elders who were forced to create it—in Latin, septuaginta is 70, from septem, “seven” and ginta, “ ten times”) uses hymnos as the translation of tehillah and shir. Ah, but what about a word beginning with mn? Why, that would, of course, be “mnemonic,” meaning an aid to memory, from the Greek mnēmōn, or “mindful.” Like “SCHLAC,” a handy mnemonic for the -mn words above. Sukkos ushers in autumn; and a nice sukkah has a schlac—which can stand for “solemn column hymn limn autumn condemn.” 

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JOURNEY B Y R A B B I S H OL OM F R I E D M A N N

A W E E K LY L O O K A T T H E K L E I N M A N H O L O C A U S T E D U C A T I O N C E N T E R

Food for Thought KEEPING KOSHER TODAY

frum traveler couldn’t help she made up her mind, that was that. Momma. Right then and there, I decided but notice the other man in “On the ship, other passengers gave us that although I don’t do much else, I will the hotel lobby. The guest dirty looks as the pots and pans rattled always keep kosher. And that was that.” was not visibly Jewish, as the ship pitched and rolled. Momma In this issue of Ami Magazine, you will yet he was clearly eating didn’t care. When she moved into a small see how lucky we are to have such a cora kosher meal complete with the vis- apartment in New York, she had her nucopia of kosher foods to enjoy. And I ible hechsher on his pre-packaged believe it is fair to say that even outsandwich. His curiosity piqued, the side of large Jewish-populated cities traveler approached the man and such as New York, keeping kosher is not the nisayon it used to be. As had the courage to ask, “Excuse me, I once heard a rav in a Midwestern sir, are you Jewish?” community state in jest, even in The man looked up, surprised, his community you will be hardand then smiled. “Yes, I am,” he answered, then paused. “You look pressed to find a non-kosher pickle in the grocery store. like you have questions. If you have a few minutes, I’ll tell you my story.” So go ahead and dig into Ami’s And so the two very differentkosher food issue, but just rememlooking Yidden settled down in the ber that, if not for the unswervKosher utensils from the Hallein Displaced Persons Camp lobby for a schmooze. ing commitment of the Mommas Austria, brought to the United States by Mr. and Mrs. of yesteryear, we would not have “Just a few years after the war,” in Shmuel Glattstein (Glattstein Collection, KHEC) the vibrant Jewish communities of began the bare-headed gentleman, “my mother and I boarded a ship in kosher pots, and started cooking. today. Europe bound for the US. I was a small “When Momma passed away many child and I don’t remember much, but years ago, I went to her apartment to pack Rabbi Sholom Friedmann is the director of the there’s one thing that I will never forget. up. I walked into the kitchen, opened Kleinman Holocaust Education Center, locatWe couldn’t take very much aboard, but a cabinet, and crash! Those pots came ed in Brooklyn, NY. To learn more or to donate my mother insisted on bringing her pots! clattering out! Like a wave, the memo- artifacts, visit kfhec.org. You can also contact ‘Who knows if we’ll get kosher pots in the ries of the ship came back to me, and the center at info@kfhec.org or at (718) 759treifene medina,’ Momma said, and when how keeping kosher meant everything to 6200.

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When Life Is “Too Good” Dear Rabbi Taub, Thank you for your wonderful column. I am a teenage girl who is fortunate, baruch Hashem, to have a good life. I have wonderful, supportive parents whose financial situation is good, and I have what I need. I get along well with my siblings and I have a close circle of friends. I don’t have any particular worries. However, when I look around at people I know, I see all sorts of problems, whether medical, financial, related to shidduchim or some other issue. I often feel as though it’s strange that everything is going well for me and that I am the only one who isn’t going through a big crisis. I know this may sound strange, but I am told very often that life isn’t meant to be smooth sailing and that one should appreciate it when everything is okay. To me, this means that it is unusual not to have problems. I sometimes wonder if something negative is waiting to happen to me, chas v’shalom. Any clarification would be much appreciated as I would like to fully appreciate everything I have! Blessed

ear Blessed,

Although you do not phrase it this way, it seems to me that you are making one observation and asking two questions. Your observation is that so many people around you are facing serious challenges that it seems to be the norm. Your questions are as follows: 1) Does the fact that you do not have any serious problems mean there is something wrong with you? 2) Are you “due” for your fair share of problems sooner or later? First, let me address the issue of whether there is anything wrong with having a

problem-free life. It is true that the very purpose of the soul’s descent into this world is to be tested. But in that regard, embodiment itself is a test. One does not necessarily have to experience additional challenges, such as a lack of revealed blessings in banei, chayei, and mezonei—family, health, and livelihood. In other words, the very fact that a soul that was experiencing the pleasure of closeness to Hashem in heaven is plunged into this physical world and forced to inhabit a physical body (as our Sages say, “Against your will you live”) is enough of a challenge without any exacerbating factors.

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Furthermore, sometimes a lack of problems can be a test in itself, for just as there is a test of poverty, there can also be a test of riches. The ability to remain humble when revealed blessings are showered upon a person and to use them for good is a challenge in its own right. In other words, we aren’t sent into this world to be tortured; we’re sent to be tested, and it’s entirely possible that a person may be tested by a preponderance of open blessings. In addition, it is possible that you simply have a very good attitude and that you do not even notice your challenges. There is a famous story about a chasid who was sent by the Maggid to Reb Zushya in order to learn how to deal with the test of poverty. The chasid found that Reb Zushya was beset with even greater poverty than his own. However, when he asked Reb Zushya how he dealt with this test, the latter responded, “I’m not sure why the Maggid sent you to me. Baruch Hashem, I have never had to deal with this problem.” I don’t know if this is the case with you, but it is certainly possible that, at least to some extent, things that would bother others don’t bother you. Obviously, the ability to be samei’ach b’chelko is a very positive quality, and if this is your nature, you should maintain and enlarge upon it. As for your concern that you are bound to experience a reversal of fortune at some point, I think I understand the basis for this question. Most of us have heard the expression “Gam zeh yaavor.” Although to my knowledge this expression, and the story about Shlomo Hamelech connected to it, do not appear anywhere in Chazal, the sentiment nonetheless rings true—it is

the way of the world that things eventually pass, including good things. The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 31) says, “The world is like a wheel,” where everything eventually comes around. There’s also the humorous old folk story about a father who had finally paid off the wedding expenses for his seventh and youngest daughter and was able to relax and enjoy some hard-earned nachas. He ran outside and started hammering a spike into the ground, and when asked the reason for this, he responded, “I’m finally on top! I’m nailing down the world before it turns again!” I assume that your worry is based on ideas like this. First of all, these ideas reflect the general way of the world, but they do not amount to a “psak din” that things must always be that way. Such knowledge allows us to recognize certain patterns after the fact, but to suggest that it binds us to a future or enables us in any way to predict the future would be preposterous. We have complete faith that Hashem runs every detail of reality by meticulous design, but it is important to remember that we do not have to be privy to that design. This is true even in hindsight, and all the more so when looking ahead to the future. There are many factors at play in the challenges a person will have, especially in view of the fact that most souls have been to this world before. Obviously, we cannot expect life to conform to a pattern that is detectable by our limited minds. On a related note, it is never a good idea to be preoccupied with the future. As responsible people, of course, we make

plans and set goals, but to become fixated on outcomes, especially when it causes anxiety, is not the Jewish way. In Parshas Shoftim, the Torah enumerates various forms of fortune-telling used by idolaters and concludes with the command “Be wholehearted (tamim) with Hashem.” Rashi explains that the meaning of “wholeheartedness” contrasts sharply with the desire to know the future, which leads to fortune-telling. “Do not investigate the future,” says Rashi. “Rather, accept wholeheartedly whatever Hashem sends you.”

Finally, I would like to mention how impressed I am that you are so sensitive to others’ problems even at such a young age, and also that you feel so grateful to Hashem for your life. I’m sure you know that the important thing is not to discuss ideas but to take action; in the words of our Sages, “Lo hamedrash ikar ela hamaaseh.” I trust that you have found ways to use your

Sometimes a lack of problems can be a test in itself, for just as there is a test of poverty, there can also be a test of riches. Surely you believe that whatever Hashem does is for the best. Being anxious about the future is not only a good way to miss out on the present, it is symptomatic of a lack of trust. My intention here is not to rebuke you but to point out how ironic it would be if you were to allow your recognition of Hashem’s blessings to cause you to lose trust in Him. Indeed, such “logic” could only come from the yetzer hara, and the best way to handle arguments like this is not to counter them but to dismiss them completely from your mind.

sensitivity to be helpful to others, for in addition to all your other blessings, the ability to help other people is the greatest blessing of all. May you continue to experience only open and revealed good.

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With blessing, RST Questions to Rabbi Shais Taub should be sent to ask@amimagazine.org.

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The Ethics of War KILLING THE ENEMY

ecently The Jerusalem Post covered issues of halachah and war, in particular the treatment of captured killers and terrorists. What follows is a discussion of Talmudic law and not of practice. From the Post article: “Rabbi David Stav: ‘In these days in which the blood is boiling...it is important to preserve our moral superiority: [We must] not harm those who are not involved in murderous acts, and we must not harm those who have already been neutralized and do not represent a threat,’ the rabbi ruled. “Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, municipal chief rabbi of Tzfat, reacted to Stav’s comments and said a terrorist who had committed murder should himself be killed. ‘It is forbidden to leave a murderer alive,’ Eliyahu told the Galei Yisrael radio station on Wednesday. He accused Tzohar rabbis of ‘forgetting Jewish law’ and said, ‘They are only interested in looking good to nonJews.’” This is a serious issue, one best left

to our greatest poskim and those who live in Eretz Yisrael. Following is a brief review—shortened from a longer treatment—of just some of the factors that go into making such a decision. In a famous teshuvah to the governor of New York, Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, outlined how halachah views the death penalty. He explained that one of the reasons the Torah prescribes it is to impress upon us the egregiousness of certain acts and that the halachic bar is set too high to allow regular use of such punishment. Nevertheless, he concluded with the following: “The above is true regarding crimes of passion…but if people are killing because of cruelty and because the lives of others are meaningless to them… or if there appear to be many murderers,” a country must do whatever is in its best interest. It would seem that a country that is under constant attack and is therefore in a perpetual state of war has every right to consider whether such terrorists deserve to be put to death.

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The Ramban and Rambam famously discuss the general concept of war as it pertains to innocent civilians. Their debate, which is based on Shimon and Levi’s battle over their sister Dina’s abduction, is germane to the question of captured terrorists. The Ramban believed that Shimon and Levi’s decision to kill all the males of Shechem was an error, for which Yaakov reprimanded them. After all, why should the city’s ordinary citizens have been held accountable for the action of their leaders? How could they have stopped it? The Rambam, however, believed that the citizens were not powerless; in fact, they had failed to fulfill the universal obligation to establish systems of justice. Because establishing courts of law is one of the seven Noahide laws, those who fail to do so are equally deserving of death. In Gur Aryeh, the Maharal seeks to combine these two views. He suggests that while on the one hand the civilians of Shechem could not be held responsible, the rules in a time of war are different. A

BY RABBI MOSHE TAUB

nation must respond to threats with force in order to end all present and future dangers, and this means that civilians may be affected. While this position is not an argument for the capricious killing of civilians, the Maharal does seem to support strategic strikes even if noncombatants will be harmed. A quick look at modern warfare would seem to be in line with the Maharal’s view. From the United States’ recent bombing of a hospital (ostensibly an accident) to the more than 100,000 victims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which brought World War II to an end, it seems that world powers are resigned to such carnage when it is absolutely necessary. In the case of a captured terrorist, therefore, it seems there may be support for a country under attack to carry out summary executions of captured killers as a means of deterring the enemy. Although according to halachah, a terrorist is clearly a rodef, a pursuer whom we are permitted to kill in self-defense, we can only do so if there is no other way to stop him. As Chazal point out, if one can stop a pursuer by shooting him in a limb, for example, that is the extent of what would be permissible. Someone in captivity is already immobilized, so what allowance would there be to kill him based on the principle of rodef? One might argue that a subdued terrorist should be seen as a passive pursuer. This would mean there are times when the mere presence of an innocent person is dangerous—for example, when the enemy orders a community to hand over an innocent person under the threat that they will all be killed otherwise. In such a case, halachah may view the innocent person as a rodef. Based on this idea of a “passive rodef,” perhaps one can argue that the fact that we choose to keep enemy prisoners alive and in relatively good health during a time of war only emboldens the enemy to continue killing us.

However, all of this is academic as many poskim contend that the halachah of dina d’malchusa dina (adhering to modern secular law) outweighs the halachos of redifah, even if a cogent halachic argument could be made for putting a captured killer to death. The issue of prisoner exchanges is a related—and volatile—issue (see Issue 43, “Gilad Shalit: Sundry Matters”). According to those poskim who favor such exchanges, killing the terrorist may mean eliminating a real negotiating tool. This is not to support such an argument, of course, but

In his halachic work Bnei Banim, he focuses on questions similar to the ones we have raised here. Regardless of what the halachah permits, he says, we must also be concerned about chillul Hashem. He points to Sefer Yehoshua (Chapter 9), where the Givonim fool Bnei Yisrael into entering into an alliance and permitting them to remain alive. The Gemara wonders why this treaty was not voided as soon as the ruse was discovered. It answers, “In order to sanctify Hashem’s Name.” Rashi explains that Yehoshua was concerned

Someone in captivity is already immobilized, so what allowance would there be to kill him. simply to raise awareness of it. Indeed, disapproval of such exchanges based on the argument that they might result in Jewish deaths may actually be an argument in favor of execution, as it prevents dangerous terrorists from being returned to the street. Yet at most, such an argument would only make the captured terrorist a safek rodef (possible rodef). Aside from the fact that the principle of dina d’malchusa dina eclipses such arguments, Rav Chaim Ozer and others argue that a possible rodef is not the same as a rodef. Above all, we must be mindful of chillul Hashem, especially in light of the Geneva Convention (a topic beyond this short review). Let us conclude with the words of Rav Yehudah Henkin, the grandson of Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, one of the great poskim of the last generation and the father of Eitam Henkin, who was murdered along with his wife, Naama, this past Sukkos in what is now viewed as the beginning of the current wave of attacks.

about the Jewish army’s reputation among the nations if it did not honor its treaties. I believe it is of interest that while the Gemara uses a positive expression (“due to a kiddush Hashem”), the Rambam, in codifying as law the story of the Givonim, uses the negative (“due to a chillul Hashem”). The implication is that even in times of war, when defending ourselves is a top priority, we must find ways to prevent a chillul Hashem—as well as going out of our way (if it doesn’t put lives at risk) to actively create a kiddush Hashem. May we achieve both of these ideals— and may the attacks end quickly, leaving all such questions academic in nature as we herald Moshiach Tzidkeinu.  Rabbi Moshe Taub served as the rabbi of the Young Israel of Greater Buffalo from September 2003 to August 2015. In Elul he began serving as the rav of the Young Israel of Holliswood/Holliswood Jewish Center in Queens. He is also the rav hamachshir of Boutique Kosher Certifiers.

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Hats Off A TRIBUTE TO STAN GOLDSTEIN

remember it as though it were yesterday. There are seminal events in one’s life that he or she remembers forever, and this one stands out. It’s not because anything spectacular happened that afternoon. Nothing did. But I remember everything about the day, down to the feather. The memories were dormant in my mind, but when I heard about the recent passing of Stan Goldstein (on 9 Cheshvan), they suddenly flooded my head. The

memories of the first time I bought a hat came back to me, as clear as they were back in early April 1970. It was the day that my father brought me to Williamsburg to buy my first hat. Today, such excitement is almost nonexistent to a young bar mitzvah boy; hats abound. Everywhere you go there they are. Up hats, down hats, homburgs, felt hats, beaver hats, samet hats. The varieties could surely fill the pages of this article with rhyme and rhythm that would make

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Dr. Seuss proud. But back in the late 1960s, hats were almost extinct. When President Kennedy doffed his fedora as Eisenhower and Truman looked on in horror, everyone else took off their hats as well. In the Five Towns, it was impossible to get a hat. The only place where a statesman or old-timer who wanted a fedora could go was a Stetson store in Manhattan, or a place called Moe Penn, which had a storefront in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

BY RABBI MORDECHAI KAMENETZKY

But those stores were not for us. Buying a bar mitzvah hat from Moe Penn or Stetson was like buying Manischewitz wine for your Seder. It might have been kosher, but it just was not what we drank. No, we did not go to Moe Penn and we did not go to Stetson. Even if we lived in Woodmere, we still bought our hats in the same place that sold hats to the small number of yeshivah bachurim who wanted authentic yeshivah bachur hats. We went to Bencraft. My father’s very mention of Bencraft was an affirmation of my status. I was not just a bar mitzvah boy like all the other Five Towns kids. No, I was now in the same league as my brother-in-law, some 15 years older than me, who had learned by Rav Aharon Kotler in Lakewood. I was getting a hat just like his. True, the weekday hat that I wore with tefillin was a no-name cheap felt hat that my father bought off a street vendor on the Lower East Side. That was not the hat of validation. A Shabbos hat from Bencraft… well, now you’re talking! I dreamed about it. I would wear it to my distinguished zeide’s house. I would wear it when reciting my pshetel in Yiddish. Pretty soon, Shapsi Bulman, the other yeshivish boy in my class, whose father, Rav Nachman, was a rosh yeshivah and rav in Far Rockaway, would not be the only kid with a real hat. The trip to Williamsburg was always exciting. My father never took the highways, but meandered through the streets of East New York and Bedford-Stuyvesant to save a few minutes and reminisce about the world he’d left behind when he moved from Pennsylvania Avenue and left the Bnei Avraham shul, which had by then been converted to a church. We finally got to Broadway, beneath the screeching ele-

vated trains. I did not know what to expect when my father parked our jalopy, but I didn’t notice a store that I thought would befit our major purchase. We crossed the street, and there it was. It was a tiny, narrow corridor stacked with boxes. The front had a showcase window with nothing in it but hats—all types of hats. There were cowboy hats,

father and understood immediately that this was my first hat. He called out to a worker to take care of me. Curiosity drew me to the back of the store, where I took in the scenario in innocent wonder. I peered into the tiny doorway that led to a workroom, with ancient machines and wooden molds. I had no idea how any of them were used, but I was

It was an affirmation of my status. I was not just a bar mitzvah boy like all the other Five Towns kids. fedoras and homburgs of all varieties, and caps that Hungarian fathers would wear on visiting day, each perched on an unpainted white mannequin head. Inside, there were hats in a glass showcase running all the way down the right side of the store. The left side was stacked with boxes piled so high it was almost impossible to see the tops. It was not long before Pesach, and there must have been an overflow of inventory. I could not get over the number of hats— there must have been thousands. For the life of me, I couldn’t imagine how the store owner would ever sell them all, but it made no difference to me. When I left the store that day, there would be one less hat in Bencraft. Two men ran the store: one elderly and one middle-aged. The younger one was about 40 years old. Stan’s unlit cigar dangled from the corner of his mouth, and he sat nestled in the front corner of the store near the glass showcase. Stan knew my

fascinated. One of the workers called me to get out of there, and I headed back toward the front. The fellow sized me up in a moment and began to show me their wares. My father was up front, schmoozing with Stan and making sure he’d get a good price. I knew that my father could not afford the top of the line, but I’d be happy with whatever I walked out with. After all, this was Bencraft! Suddenly, the elderly man came over and began to get involved. I saw that he was shaking slightly, but I was too young to understand Parkinson’s. He spoke in Yiddish and told me to take off the hat I was wearing because it was too big on me. I did not want to argue, but I had liked it, and left it on. My protests fell on deaf ears. The man was a bit agitated by the look of disapproval on my face. He handed me another hat and began telling me that he knew what was best. But when he finished his

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I could not get over the number of hats—there must have been thousands. For the life of me, I couldn’t imagine how they would ever sell them all. soliloquy with the words, “Ich bin a hitteler fahr draitzik yahr!” I got really nervous. I did not understand that he was telling me that he had been making hats for 30 years; to me, it sounded like something far worse. Stan got out of his seat and said softly, “Pa, let the kid buy what he likes.” His father backed down. It was a business clash of generations that I would begin to see the rest of my life. Suddenly, the little bell on the door chimed. In a few weeks it would be Pesach, and yeshivah boys were coming in. I knew that soon enough, I, too, would become irrelevant. I looked at my father and grabbed the first hat. “I really want this one.” Suddenly the old man took the hat. “You vant peenches?” he asked. Realizing that I had won the first battle—the selection of the hat—I wanted to appease him. His shaking hands worked their magic. He slid his index finger down the center crease while squeezing the sides, ever so gently. Then he passed the hat to Stan, who picked up a massive paintbrush with soft white bristles and brushed the hat gently while steaming it, sealing in place his father’s craftsmanship. The ritual continued. Stan asked for my initials, then set the machine that would punch my initials into the leather sweatband of the hat. It was not a removable label. The letters he punched in the inner sweatband were an irrevocable affirmation of ownership. Stan looked up from the machine again. “You want a feather?” I nodded excitedly. This was the 70s! Who didn’t want a feather? I was happy he didn’t glue it in place, so I could keep it in

for a Five Towns affair and pluck it out on the way to my chasidishe cousins’ bar mitzvahs. I took a small, bright red one with a black streak that ran up the middle. My father paid, and the deal was done. But the experience wasn’t over yet. Before he closed the heavy box in which he placed the hat gently, ensconced in a thin plastic sheet and nestled in foam, where it would lie until the great day, Stan looked at me. “So? You’re becoming bar mitzvah?” I smiled sheepishly. “Mazal tov!” he said. “Here’s a wallet!” He bent down behind a small showcase near the register and opened a sliding door. He pulled out a real leather wallet and handed it to me with no fanfare at all. I was in heaven. I knew from that moment that I would be a loyal Bencraft customer forever. The trip ended with a meal at Gottlieb’s, the iconic Williamsburg deli, but I never forgot why we had come. Over 45 years of hat-wearing and hat-buying, I almost always went back to Bencraft. There was no question where the first hat for each son’s bar mitzvah would come from—it was a rite and a ritual. Bencraft and Gottlieb’s. Each boy walked out with a new hat and a bar mitzvah gift, either a wallet or a tie clip. And each time, Stan Goldstein was sitting in the corner under a new addition to the store since my first visit: the famous picture of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, one of his more famous customers. Over the years, various celebrities and personalities entered the store while I was there. I’ll never forget when, sometime in the late 1980s, a large limousine pulled up to the door and its capped driver walked

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in. Stan called to Yossi, who had joined not long after my first visit, “You have the hats for Abe and Paul?” I quickly understood who those names were and that the limousine would soon head back to the headquarters of Olympia and York with two homburgs. Some time in the early 1980s, Stan had told me that my father’s brother, Reb Avraham, of blessed memory, supplied him with the special square, corrugated black boxes in which he would pack the customers’ hats. He never missed an opportunity to praise him, and say what a pleasant and honest man he was, and how it was a pleasure to order boxes from him. And though later in life, when buying a hat became a five-minute affair for me, I still loved going to the store and watching the bachurim come in, and size up each hat. They would inspect it as if it were an esrog; the slightest imperfection in the crown or shape or brim size rendering it invalid. I would marvel as they placed it on their heads so gently, stared in the mirror spinning around to catch every angle. I would stop chuckling, realizing that I was once that yeshivah boy. It was fascinating to meet men and boys from every corner of the globe, all coming in for the sartorial badge of honor of a yeshivah mahn. So when I heard that Stan Goldstein passed away a couple of weeks ago, it may have been just in my head, but I felt that a part of me was gone. I went with my father to Merrick, Long Island, where his son was sitting shivah to be menachem aveil. I came not only to thank him for the hats, wallets and tie clips. I came to thank him for the memories.

•

This column was written before the shivah for Rabbi Kamenetzky’s mother. Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky is the rosh yeshivah of Yeshiva Toras Chaim at South Shore, a weekly columnist in Yated Ne’eman and the author of the Parsha Parable series. He can share your story through “Streets of Life” and can be reached at editorial@ amimagazine.org.

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