It was just a matter of time.

Here is an interesting difference between American hechsherim and Israeli hechsherim.

Hellman's mayonnaise, bearing the kashrut symbol of the Orthodox Union (OU), bears on its label a recipe for "Parmesan Crusted Chicken".

Being imported into Israel, someone noticed the recipe and was shocked to see it with the OU hechsher right next to the recipe on the label. Upon being contacted about this, the OU responded that they give the hechsher on the product, the mayonnaise, and not on the recipe printed on the label.
source: Kikar

In Israel that would never fly. The hechshers here, at least the various Badatzim, take all sorts of other things into account when giving a hechsher. They make companies print separate packaging and labeling for lines of the same product with their hechsher. Eida refuses to certify foods with athletes and actors and actresses on the packaging of the food, for example. They would never certify a product packaged with a non-kosher recipe recommendation.

Is it good or bad? I don't know, but it is different. Should they get involved in other issues when giving a hechsher? is there really room to worry that someone might mistake the hechsher for including the recipe for Parmesan Chicken? Are the Israeli Badatzim doing a better job by including all these other issues in their hechsher?

The OU is going to be holding a Q&A session regarding kashrus for Pesach at the OU Center in Jerusalem  this Sunday at 8 PM. Different rabbis from the OU, Rabbi Kuber, Rabbi Krakowski and Rabbi Bienenfeld, will be answering questions about how to kasher for Pesach, various halachachos of Pesach and whatnot.

If I was going to attend this session, which I think is very valuable to the community at large, I would ask why the OU was dropped from the recommended mehadrin list of hechshers of Pesach by the Rabbanut. I would ask for reassurances that despite the Rabbanut's move the OU standards have not changed or have improved. I would ask what the ramifications of the Rabbanut's decision are. I would ask what it even means, considering there is no legal definition or standard for mehadrin lashrus in Israel (let alone anywhere else where such a qualification is not even used except by a few small heimishe organizations).

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the session. If any of you do attend, I would appreciate if you asked, or if somebody asked, and if you could let me know what the OU has to say about this situation.

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A Time To Focus On Harmony

This webcast was held by Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb of the OU yesterday on the 10th of Teves, and is something well worth listening to..

The OU printed a booklet of articles related to Pesach for distribution in Israel.

One of the articles was about the various issues related to hand matza and machine matza, and why some prefer one over the other.

The article concluded quoting the Belzer Rebbe explaining why machine matza is no good and one should only use hand baked matza. The Rebbe's reasoning is that no matter how good they made the machine matza, no matter how well they cleaned out the machinery, and no matter how strict they were regarding the process, at the end of the process an angel comes and drops a little bit of chametz into the machine matza. So machine matza cannot be good for Pesach, and one should only eat hand matza.

I have no complaints against the Belzer rebbe. chas v'shalom. if he wants to believe something so ridiculous like that, it is his prerogative. No hard feelings. However, I think the OU should have used more discretion and not included such a ridiculous claim in their article. They should have stuck to how hard it is to clean the machine properly, the issues of whether a machine can be considered lsheim mitzva, whether than hand matza can be done properly or fast enough, etc. and they should have left the heeby jeeby claims alone. How many people will now be afraid to buy machine matza because of the fear of some angel dropping chametz?

Haven't you always wanted a Tootsie Roll?

Now you can have them! They have gone through the process of getting kashrut certification with the OU, and are now kosher.

Too bad they don't sell them in Israel...

Is there anything left in America that is not yet kosher? I mean, besides pork and lobster, of course.

If you going to be in Los Angeles between August 5 and August 7, now is your chance.

According to Arutz 7 news, the Orthodox Union (a.k.a the OU) is going to be holding a special conference in Los Angeles August 5-7. It will be on the topic of “The Mesorah [tradition] of Kosher Birds and Animals," including other aspects of kashrus in the food industry.

The two men behind the Mesorah Conference phenomenon are American olim (immigrants to Israel) Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky and Dr. Ari Greenspan. The men have devoted years to investigating exotic or rare species that are kosher, but no longer consumed, or consumed only by small communities. They do this to maintain the tradition of which species are permitted be eaten and which are not.

The men have examined the kosher status of the giraffe, swan, peacock, grasshopper, buffalo and other exotic creatures - as well as the manner in which each are slughtered and prepared for consumption.

The conference will take place at the OU’s West Coast Headquarters, 9831 West Pico Blvd, from 9:30 AM - 3 PM.

The session will be followed by “an extraordinary Torah and gastronomic event,” promises the OU’s Director of Kashrut Education, Rabbi Yosef Grossman. It will feature quail, red deer, fleishig (meat) eggs, bison, udder, shibuta and tambaqui (fish that according to the Talmud taste like pork).

“The reception of the two Mesorah Conferences in New York was phenomenal, and so we made the decision to bring the program to Los Angeles,” Rabbi Grossman explained.

For more information, email westcoast@ou.org

I did not see any information on the OU website, nor on the OU West Coast site, but if it interests you, be in touch with the OU about reserving a spot.