Harry H. Beren ASK OU Community Kashrut Program Provides Hands-On Knowledge to RIETS

02 Jul 2014
RIETS students gather around OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack, seated at center, together with Rabbi Yaakov Luban, standing to his near right, and Rabbi Dov Schreier, far right.

The Orthodox Union’s Kosher Division recently held its annual seminar for advanced semicha (ordination) students at RIETS, the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University. The Harry H. Beren ASK OU Kashrut Program at RIETS included presentations from senior experts from OU Kosher on the practical applications of the ancient laws of kashrut to modern technology.

Rabbi Yosef Grossman, Senior Educational Rabbinic Coordinator of OU Kosher, who organized the program, declared, “Due to the great success of the Harry H. Beren ASK Outreach Kashrut in the Community Programs held at RIETS for the past six years, Yeshiva University reached out once again to the OU to conduct this program at YU for the benefit of their semicha students. We were very pleased to offer the OU’s expertise to these students so that they are properly able to link their rabbinic studies with practical communal kashrut applications.”

The delegation of presenters was led by Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher and Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS.  Presenters included Rabbi Yaakov Luban, Executive Rabbinic Coordinator; Rabbi Isser Mordechai Fuchs, Rabbinic Field Representative for New York City; Rabbi Dov Schreier, Rabbinic Coordinator; Rabbi Chaim Loike, Rabbinic Coordinator; Rabbi Leonard Steinberg, Rabbinic Coordinator; Rabbi Moshe Perlmutter, Rabbinic Field Representative for New Jersey and Connecticut; Rabbi Eliezer Stolzenberg, Rabbinic Field Representative, Food Service; Rabbi Eli Eleff, Rabbinic Coordinator; Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, Rabbinic Coordinator; Rabbi Chaim Goldberg, Rabbinic Coordinator; and Rabbi Seth Mandel, Rabbinic Coordinator.

The following is a sampling of what the RIETS participants had to say about the program:

“I thought it was a well-organized program that sincerely sought to give an overview of the kashrut world for up and coming Jewish leaders.”

“An excellent course with a good mix of informative lectures and hands-on experience.”

“I really liked it. I got an overview of kashrut from a number of different vantage points and it helped me understand more about kashrut.”

“I was very happy I decided to attend the program. I learned a lot from most of the sessions , not only about hashgachah (kosher certification) and the OU specifically, but about kashrut in general.”

“Very impressed with the vast amount of information given over and the professionalism involved.”