A NIGHT TO REMEMBER IN ELIZABETH AS ASK OU KOSHER COMES TO TOWN
Rabbi Yosef Eisen giving a hands-on presentation to properly check fruits and vegetables
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Rabbi Chaim Loike never fails to bring his feathered assistants.
In its continuing tour of Orthodox communities in the New York metropolitan area and beyond, OU Kosher came to Elizabeth, New Jersey and presented ASK OU: A Night of Kashrus, in conjunction with the Vaad HaRabbonim of Greater Elizabeth, JEC Beit HaKnesset Adat Yisrael, JEC Elmora Avenue Shul and the Elmora Hills Minyan. The program was part of the Harry H. Beren Ask OU OUTREACH initiative, which is sponsored by the Harry H. Beren Foundation of Lakewood, NJ.
Featured presentations were given by Rabbi Chaim Loike, OU Rabbinic Coordinator and an expert on birds and eggs, who discussed, “Can I Eat That?” with the assistance of his feathered friends.
Rabbi Yosef Eisen, Rabbinic Administrator of the Vaad HaKashrus of the Five Towns and Rockaways, who is a former OU Rabbinic Coordinator for Food Service and expert in Bedikas Tolaim, presented a live demonstration on “How to Check Fruits and Vegetables.”
According to Rabbi Yosef Grossman, OU Senior Educational Rabbinic Coordinator, who arranged the program, “It was a distinct pleasure to bring the Harry H. Beren ASK OU OUTREACH program to the world renowned Greater Kehilah of Elizabeth, under the leadership of its distinguished Rav Ha’Ir Rav Elazar M. Teitz Shlita. The attendees, from the various synagogues represented, were all united in their praise of the stimulating presentations that were delivered by Rabbi Loike and Rabbi Eisen.”
Following the presentation, Rabbi Jonathan Schwartz wrote to Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher: “On behalf of the Vaad HaRabbonim of Greater Elizabeth, I want to extend our sincerest thanks for the wonderful ASK OU program that visited our community this evening. HaRav Loike Shlita and his bird friends were both educational and entertaining as he raptly contained the audience with both insight from our mesorah as well as examples of the application (and sometimes misapplication) of mesorah terms throughout world history creating some of the halachic conundrums we deal with today.”
“HaRav Eisen Shlita followed with a hands-on, practical presentation on Bedikas Tolaim which, according to one participant, “made my vegetable checking doable.” Like Rabbi Loike before him, Rabbi Eisen was relatable and made a difficult section of halacha easier to understand and apply. I also want to openly thank Harav Grossman Shlita without whom this effort would never have happened. The success of the evening is truly his — and the OU’s.”
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