Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread

[Darth1]

I have a recording. I will try to upload and post it later. It was filmed and I think they are posting the video online.

Here is my recording. I have not listened through it. You may here other people talking at points as my phone was not upfront by the panel.

[yshad]

Thank you so much!

[moko]

Here is my recording. I have not listened through it. You may here other people talking at points as my phone was not upfront by the panel.

https://torahanytime.com/lectures/281604

[ExGingi]

https://torahanytime.com/lectures/281604

@Dan this one might be up your alley. Here's a description I got for this:

A very informative panel spearheaded by AKO & ZNT kosher, including Rabbis from the OU, Kof K, Star K and cRc, gave a presentation on the topic of American Kashrus vs Israeli Kashrus and how to bridge the gap.
Some Qs covered:

• Why is the Kashrus system is EY so much more confusing than the USA?
• Is there more room to be lenient for Milchigs than fleishig or no?
• What’s the deal a Rabbanut Mehadrin?
• What Hashgacha’s restaurants are up to the same standards we are used to in the USA?

(I get a little confirmation to my time-long contention that "Badatz" and "Mehadrin" are meaningless terms at 1:31:35!)

[EliJelly]

As some complained upthread about the discontinuation of gum with a heimish hechsher since Elite had their problems. I saw today Zazers started a line of sugar free gum made in Morocco, I bought and it seems to be great quality. Not under the Eida though, has Hisachdus and the OU.

[Chaimel6]

Please excuse me if what I am asking about is in this thread somewhere, but there are hundreds of pages already.

I have been traveling quite a bit and have run into a number of related Kashrus questions.

Some sample questions that came up:

1. Cans of soda. Coke, Sprite, Pepsi...does the country of bottling matter?

2. Bottled water. Is there ever a question of pasteurization on non-kosher equipment? Does mineral water ever have non-kosher additives?

3. Can we assume that what a stewardess pours out of a (opened) bottle is what is on the label?

4. Can you drink the plain hot water on an airplane? How about black tea/coffee?

5. On one flight, they brought to the Jewish passengers a sealed box with Hashgocho, asking them to open it, and then took it back to the kitchen to reheat(!). What did they hope to gain? If the

6. The Chossid sitting next to me was about to ask the stewardress to pour for him orange juice and/or apple juice without a hechsher that was bottled in an Arab country, until I politely pointed out to him that it may be a Kashrus issue.

Is there any comprehensive Kashrus guide for travelers?

[Moshe Green]

Please excuse me if what I am asking about is in this thread somewhere, but there are hundreds of pages already.

I have been traveling quite a bit and have run into a number of related Kashrus questions.

Some sample questions that came up:

1. Cans of soda. Coke, Sprite, Pepsi...does the country of bottling matter?

2. Bottled water. Is there ever a question of pasteurization on non-kosher equipment? Does mineral water ever have non-kosher additives?

3. Can we assume that what a stewardess pours out of a (opened) bottle is what is on the label?

4. Can you drink the plain hot water on an airplane? How about black tea/coffee?

5. On one flight, they brought to the Jewish passengers a sealed box with Hashgocho, asking them to open it, and then took it back to the kitchen to reheat(!). What did they hope to gain? If the

6. The Chossid sitting next to me was about to ask the stewardress to pour for him orange juice and/or apple juice without a hechsher that was bottled in an Arab country, until I politely pointed out to him that it may be a Kashrus issue.

Is there any comprehensive Kashrus guide for travelers?

Check these websites out:
https://www.star-k.org/articles/kosher-lists/3502/no-hechsher-required/
https://cor.ca/2022/07/food-that-doesnt-require-kosher-certification/
https://kosherquest.org/is-it-kosher/products-that-dont-require-kashrus-certification/

Check out this one as well for more Sha'alos: https://dinonline.org/?s=plane

I do not endores any one of the above sites. Always ask your LOR or DDF

[Alexsei]

Frozen pineapple at Costco, anyone knows what agency this is? (Guatemala Kosher?)

[Chaimel6]

Check these websites out:
https://www.star-k.org/articles/kosher-lists/3502/no-hechsher-required/
https://cor.ca/2022/07/food-that-doesnt-require-kosher-certification/
https://kosherquest.org/is-it-kosher/products-that-dont-require-kashrus-certification/

Check out this one as well for more Sha'alos: https://dinonline.org/?s=plane

I do not endores any one of the above sites. Always ask your LOR or DDF

These lists are of little help on an airplane. Okay, so I can use baking soda without a hechsher. What can I drink?

[Moshe Green]

These lists are of little help on an airplane. Okay, so I can use baking soda without a hechsher. What can I drink?

Exactly.

[TheAsh]

Check these websites out:
https://www.star-k.org/articles/kosher-lists/3502/no-hechsher-required/
https://cor.ca/2022/07/food-that-doesnt-require-kosher-certification/
https://kosherquest.org/is-it-kosher/products-that-dont-require-kashrus-certification/

Check out this one as well for more Sha'alos: https://dinonline.org/?s=plane

I do not endores any one of the above sites. Always ask your LOR or DDF

I'll add this. It's more meikel for juice.
https://scrollk.org/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/does-it-need-a-hechsher-nov.-2018.pdf

[TheAsh]

Most updated version of R Weiners list. CSPT is lowered, Rabbanut Mehadrin is higher and OU was removed presumably due to R Weiner working hand in hand with them on various initiatives

[avrumy1]

Not A question I relish asking but I know his psakim in even haezer are not universally accepted.
Has there been the same issues with his kashrus policies?
I don't know that much about kashrus but I'm interested in being educated.
I relied in ZNT last time I stayed at the Citadel but I found out that some of the food is Chug chasam sofer ingredients, cherries for example.
Also the hotel mashgiach was telling me about a kullah that they use regarding the dishes and utensils, they are makne them to a goy and somehow that allows them not to be concerned about the fact that guests can take them into their rooms and eat anything with them.
Is that widely accepted?
Makes me wonder about all the questions I don't know to ask about.

[yfr bachur]

Not A question I relish asking but I know his psakim in even haezer are not universally accepted.
Has there been the same issues with his kashrus policies?
I don't know that much about kashrus but I'm interested in being educated.
I relied in ZNT last time I stayed at the Citadel but I found out that some of the food is Chug chasam sofer ingredients, cherries for example.
Also the hotel mashgiach was telling me about a kullah that they use regarding the dishes and utensils, they are makne them to a goy and somehow that allows them not to be concerned about the fact that guests can take them into their rooms and eat anything with them.
Is that widely accepted?
Makes me wonder about all the questions I don't know to ask about.

AFAIK Def a meikel, though if you ask him and tell him what your standards are he;ll guide you.
Thouugh makes you wonder how very bad the places he cant reccomend (like the WA) must be.

[avrumy1]

AFAIK Def a meikel, though if you ask him and tell him what your standards are he;ll guide you.
Though makes you wonder how very bad the places he cant recommend (like the WA) must be.

My question is how radicaly meikil.

My understanding was that he can't recommend because it's a potential client.
When I asked about the waldorf and the fleishig restaurant in the Citadel the answer was identical.
Along the lines of "We can't say anything about it".
Rabbi Kuber btw said that the bishul akum in the waldorf was an issue.
It seems they don't have tight safeguards for arab workers turning stuff on etc.

[Darth1]

My question is how radicaly meikil.

FWIU He is a meikel in psak. However the issue in Israeli kashrus is not psak, it is in the implementation and oversight. (Most Israeli hashgachos besides plain rabanut have high levels of "psak")

My understanding was that he can't recommend because it's a potential client.

I find it hard to believe he can't recommend because it's a potential client, he wasn't recommending these places before he had his own kashrus org. The whole reason he started ZNT Kosher was because he found restaurant kashrus to be so bad and couldn't recommend anything to his kehila.

[TheAsh]

Not A question I relish asking but I know his psakim in even haezer are not universally accepted.
Has there been the same issues with his kashrus policies?
I don't know that much about kashrus but I'm interested in being educated.
I relied in ZNT last time I stayed at the Citadel but I found out that some of the food is Chug chasam sofer ingredients, cherries for example.
Also the hotel mashgiach was telling me about a kullah that they use regarding the dishes and utensils, they are makne them to a goy and somehow that allows them not to be concerned about the fact that guests can take them into their rooms and eat anything with them.
Is that widely accepted?
Makes me wonder about all the questions I don't know to ask about.

There's CSPT or CSBB? He considers CSBB to be largely acceptable. He will allow most things from the top two tiers with some exceptions for some products in the second tier (which is why they are tier two). He will not allow anything with tier three or four unless there's another hechsher (many CSPT foreign products have an acceptable foreing hechsher such as OU or EU-K.)

There's also a very strong difference between places he recommends and places he certifies. Certification is extremely strict.

(He did not allow CSPT orange juice in a certified place at all despite being ok with it for personal use if terimos and maaser are taken lechumra)

[avrumy1]

There's CSPT or CSBB? He considers CSBB to be largely acceptable. He will allow most things from the top two tiers with some exceptions for some products in the second tier (which is why they are tier two). He will not allow anything with tier three or four unless there's another hechsher (many CSPT foreign products have an acceptable foreing hechsher such as OU or EU-K.)

There's also a very strong difference between places he recommends and places he certifies. Certification is extremely strict.

(He did not allow CSPT orange juice in a certified place at all despite being ok with it for personal use if terimos and maaser are taken lechumra)

CSBB

As I said before, I don't know that much, but I did once hear a speech by Rabbi Yechezkel Aurbach where he said that CSBB is not to be relied on.

[TheAsh]

CSBB

As I said before, I don't know that much, but I did once hear a speech by Rabbi Yechezkel Aurbach where he said that CSBB is not to be relied on.

Thought so. Rabbi Weiner relies on CSBB for most things (except chicken and certain foreign countries.  Ask him for more detail.)

[TheAsh]

Since when is the Waldorf Badatz Efrati?