KOSHER TIDBITS: INFORMALLY EXPLORING THE COMPLEXITIES OF HALACHA THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Kosher Tidbits, an initiative of OU Kosher which presents audio and visual learning sessions regarding contemporary kashrut issues, is nearing the 150 mark with the announcement of its 143rd production last week, “Onions and Radishes: Proceed with Caution,” with Rabbi Hershel Schachter, OU Kosher Senior Halachic Consultant. Available on www.ouradio.org and geared toward the general Kosher-observant community across the globe, Kosher Tidbits are an informal and enjoyable means of developing substantial kashrut knowledge. New Tidbits are added to provide insights into aspects of kashrut in today’s world and to show how centuries old halacha is applied to modern technology processes.
In a series which began in the fall of 2006, spearheaded by Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran, Vice President for Communications and Marketing of OU Kosher, Orthodox Union halachic consultants, rabbinic coordinators and rabbinic field representatives provide detailed yet understandable explanations on a plethora of subjects in their specialized fields. The topics are enticingly clever and presented with witty titles to capture all audiences – from those with minimal knowledge of the law who are seeking to learn more; to long-time observers brushing up on the latest kashrut innovations; as well as rabbinic teachers and authorities seeking to learn from specialists in the various areas of kashrut.
New segments will be added regularly, Rabbi Safran promises. “We will never run out of topics because as long as people eat, there will be issues to discuss and explain,” he said. “All the experience our OU rabbis gain in the field and from their learning will continue to be available to an ever-increasing audience around the globe. Kosher Tidbits is more than just a series; it is thorough explanation of how a basic human need, eating, is raised to the level of the sacred with each bite we take.”
Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher declared, “The extraordinary range of knowledge and experience of OU Kosher rabbis is available worldwide, and not only to the companies they serve, through Kosher Tidbits. I congratulate the staff and Rabbis Safran and Eliyahu Ferrell on this extraordinary series, a source of great pride to all of us with any connection to OU Kosher.”
Some of the most recent Kosher Tidbits include; “A Peek at the Peacock,” with Rabbi Chaim Loike; “Oil’s Well that Ends Well,” with Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld; “A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Th’OU,” with Rabbi Eliyahu Ferrell; “Kosher Cheese: Overcoming the Hurdles for the Milk that Curdles,” with Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer; “Let’s Ex ‘Salmon’ Kosher Fish,” with Rabbi Chaim Goldberg; “Trix Of The Trade: The Production Of Kosher Cereals,” with Rabbi David Gorelik; “ Yours, Mine, and Hours: Waiting Between Milk and Meat,” with Rabbi Eliyahu Ferrell; and “As the World Churns: Aspects of Kosher Butter Production,” with Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer.
Only a click away, these bite-size educational blurbs will have audiences learning and appreciating the complexity and sanctity of the halachic kashrut system.