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JSOR Holiday Guide KOSHER

‫בס״ד‬

JERSEY SHORE ORTHODOX RABBINATE

5782/2021

The Sephardic Comprehensive Guide to Keeping Kosher

Holiday Edition Sponsored by

HARRY & ALICE ADJMI & FAMILY

Behind the Scenes A CLOSER LOOK AT KOSHER MEAT

A Taste of

SUMMER

KOSHER DINING TAKES ROOT AT THE JERSEY SHORE

Thank you to our sponsor

Joey Harary In Memory of

Ralph J. Harary

Table of Contents 10 Introduction 12 Letter from Rabbi Kassin 14 The Month of Elul & High Holidays 16 Simanim & the Power of Prayer 17 Simanim / Berachot 18 Simanim FAQ 20 Renewal of Shofar 22 Shofar FAQ 26 Sukkot FAQ 30 Kashrut Today 31 Asking a Kosher Question 32 Why Do We Eat Kosher? 36 Can I Just Read the Ingredients? 38 Meat, Behind the Scenes 44 What About Sushi? 46 D or DE? from SY Alerts

Kosher Establishments 50 Maki by Akimori 54 Grandma's Cheese 56 PKS - Prime Kosher Sports 58 Salt Steakhouse 62 The Baked Bear 66 SmokinDeal 70 HomeKosher 72 Recipes 6

JSOR

KOSHER

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

JERSEY SHORE ORTHODOX RABBINATE

Rabbinical Board Rabbi Rachamim Aboud Rabbi Edmond Nahum Rabbi Shaul J. Kassin Kashrut Coordinator Rabbi Isaac Farhi Kashrut Administrator Rabbi Hayim Asher Arking President Steven Solomon Safdieh Executive Committee Elliot Antebi Edmond Cohen David C. Faham, ESQ Mark Massry Sammy Saka Steven S. Safdieh Richard Setton Jeremy Sultan Office Manager Alice Sultan Women's Auxiliary Pauline Assa Joy Betesh Kim Cohen Kelle Shalom Editors Rabbi Shaul J. Kassin Rabbi Hayim Asher Arking Raquele Sasson Graphic Design/Marketing Jackie Gindi - JG Graphic Designs

· Visit us on our website www.jsor.org · Follow us on Instagram @jsor_deal · Join our WhatsApp Chat (via website link) for questions, and up-to-date information Cover Photo: Sarah Husney Art Director: Jackie Gindi

Thank you to

JSOR for all their hard work and dedication to our community.

Edgar Cohen and Family

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

Rabbinical Board Rabbi Rachamim Aboud | Rabbi Edmond Nahum | Rabbi Shaul J. Kassin Rabbi Isaac Farhi Kashrut Coordinator

Rabbi Hayim Asher Arking Kashrut Administrator

Supervising Mashgihim Rabbi Avi Yagen - Produce Supervisor / R&D Rabbi Avraham Kahn - Personnel Management Rabbi Jack Zayat - Catering Supervisor Rabbi Aron Blumenthal - Field Supervisor Rabbi David Condiotti - Field Supervisor Rabbi Sion Salem - Brooklyn Supervisor Rabbi Reuven Cohen - Koshering Division

On Site Mashgihim David Binyamin Eli Botton Shmuel Duetsch Rabbi Yehoshua Domosh Rabbi Uri Deblinger Mark Gemal Gabi Gabrielov Ronnie Habbaz Ralph Hanan Chesky Handler Rabbi Moshe Joselit Sam Kassin

Rabbi Menashe Kuinov Yitzhak Mevorach David Nesser David Noam Yishay Ouzer Rabbi Chanoch Lebovic Yehoshua Litvak Rabbi Moshe Salame Rabbi Eli Kaplin Avraham Shemsien Solomon Torgueman Daniel V. Zeitoune

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Summer 2021

Kashrut Symbols

‫בס״ד‬ Alerts

KAJ

(Scroll K) ‫רות דפ‬ ‫ל טב‬ ‫וש‬

‫חת ועד הכש‬ ‫השג‬

‫ב‬

‫כשר למהדרין‬ .‫י‬.‫ברוקלין נ‬

In Honor of Sarah & Eddie Esses • In Honor of Norma & Nissim Matalon By Sylvi & Joey Esses and Family 9

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

Introduction Dear Community Members, Our community plays an important role in every aspect of our lives, and one of the most beautiful things is that we are a part of something that is greater than ourselves. Our Rabbis taught us that four of the most important things for a Jewish community to be successful are the existence of Yeshivot, Synagogues, Kashrut, and Charity. ● Yeshivot - Our Jewish educational institutions are fundamental in teaching our children the study of Talmud, Torah, and Halacha. ● Synagogues - Our houses of worship provide our men, women, and children with a place for prayer, study, and social gatherings ● Kashrut - Our knowledge of Kashrut or Jewish dietary laws regulating the consumption of food and drink enables us to strictly maintain kosher homes, eat in kosher restaurants, and buy food from glatt kosher butchers or establishments, as prescribed by the Torah. ● Charity - Our community thrives upon the mitzvah of Tzedakah, as it is more than giving money; it is an expression of our empathy and compassion toward those in need and it is the obligation of the community to provide the poor with whatever is lacking in a dignified manner. Each one is a crucial component to keep our heritage going. Therefore, it is the obligation of both leaders and community members to 10

implement and partake in the organizations that perpetuate our Jewish values and lifestyle for generations to come. When I was asked to join the team by Mark Massry and Sammy Saka, I didn’t fully comprehend the reasoning at first. Sammy clarified it to me when he said, “you must always keep two things in mind in order to run a successful organization: 1. whatever you do, it should always be Leshem Shamayim, and 2. understand that we are planting this seed today to build a better tomorrow.”

OUR FOUNDATION At the first meeting with Chief Rabbi Saul Kassin and Rabbi Farhi, I was amazed to learn that Rabbi and Mrs. Farhi have been managing over 60 kosher establishments alone. I then learned about the WhatsApp chats that have hundreds of people asking questions about what’s kosher. Within seconds, Rabbi Farhi and his wife are answering those questions. Currently, Mrs. Farhi has five of these chats going simultaneously. In the months leading up to Passover, they receive thousands of questions a week, to which they promptly provide accurate responses. We are very grateful for Rabbi Farhi and Mrs. Farhi’s initiatives and involvement in helping our community maintain kashrut. They have given our community a strong foundation to grow and build upon. We must give them Hakarat Hatov and gratitude for all they do while being an integral part of the JSOR.

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

WHO WE ARE

TEAMWORK

JSOR is a kosher certifying agency on the Jersey Shore. It is an organization for the community that helps allow community members the opportunity to open restaurants and other kosher establishments. My number one partner in the JSOR, Rabbi Hayim Arking, who became the Administrator over two years ago, has built great relationships with his team of Mashgichim. He also established the relationships with the OU, Chicago Rabbinical Council (or cRc), Star-K, and many more Kosher agencies. With hard work and constant training, we have raised the level of the JSOR, and the JSOR is now recognized by the above-mentioned Kashrut organizations, as well as by many others. With this recognition, JSOR is now a worldwide accepted Kashrut brand and organization.

I would like to thank our unbelievable volunteer committee members who always go above and beyond the call of duty to get the job done: Elliot Antebi, Edmond Cohen, Joe E. Esses, David Faham, Morris Levy, Mark Massry, Steven S. Safdieh, Sammy Saka, Richie Setton, Elliot Simhon, Jeremy Sultan, and our newest member Justin Panetz. We are also grateful to our superstar Office Manager Alice Sultan. In addition, I’d like to thank our dedicated Women’s Auxiliary members, Kim Cohen, Joy Betesh, Kelle Shalom, and Pauline Assa. Of course, I’d like to mention the up-and-coming JSOR youth with Ronnie Tawil, Joseph Torkieh, Ike Betesh, Joe Ades, and others who will carry the organization forward in upcoming years. I would also like to extend a warm thank you to Jackie Gindi for her talented graphic designs and marketing vision for JSOR. Finally, I must acknowledge and thank community leader Harry Adjmi for his encouragement, guidance and support of JSOR in all its endeavors. We have built a remarkably strong and motivated JSOR team, and through teamwork, we will continue to service the kashrut needs of our community.

With the new burst of growth on the Jersey Shore, the JSOR has never been more necessary. Opening new, all-year-round restaurants is a key focus of the JSOR. In addition, we will constantly keep supporting and working with our current establishments to enhance, grow and market them to all segments of our community. We will continue to help them raise the level of service, ambiance, and of course, kashrut. Recently, HomeKosher was established. Backed by JSOR, HomeKosher is geared to helping maintain a secure standard of kashrut and trust to start-ups or home-based food businesses. HomeKosher provides a strict framework for food preparation and processing to enable community members to sell their products.

JSOR has greatly facilitated the process of keeping strictly kosher, both inside and outside the home. Adhering to Kashrut guidelines enables our Jewish community to stay connected to our Jewish laws, heritage, and faith, while simultaneously having access to delicious kosher cuisine. May Hashem bless our community as we continue to grow in awareness and practice of the laws of kashrut. Wishing you all a Shana Tova U'Metuka

Steven Solomon Safdieh

JSOR

KOSHER

GROWTH

JERSEY SHORE ORTHODOX RABBINATE

President 11

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

Dear Community Members, As we go through the month of Elul, into Rosh Hashana and out of Kippur, we strive to do Teshuba. In this process, we must ask ourselves a question: What area of Ben Adam Lamakom (matters between man and Hashem) do we want/need to improve? Although all areas of our life could use an upgrade, it is important to focus deeper attention on one specific area and hone in on it for that particular year. In this way, each year, we lift ourselves up in a different area, and solidify our service of Hashem steadily and consistently. 'Keeping Kosher' is a vast subject with many details that come along with it, which leaves room for improvement. Today we are blessed with so much going on in our kitchens; food coming in, orders being placed, meals being prepared, and utensils and appliances constantly being used. We enjoy going out to eat in a restaurant, socializing with friends over meals, and traveling for vacation. All these situations lend themselves to the possibility that we may miss something along the way. Furthering our education and becoming more knowledgeable consumers will help us in our quest to do better. However, they also present an opportunity for us to prove our allegiance and commitment to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Think for a moment about the idea that our entire existence and

our continued ability to function in health and dexterity is solely because Hashem 'said' and continues to 'say so.’ Think further about the idea that He commands us to take care of that gift that he gave us. Just as it would be an affront to the Almighty if we were to smoke and knowingly do damage to our bodies, so too it would be if we were to ingest anything that Hashem tells us to avoid eating. Today, Baruch Hashem, so much of the work is being done for us. Kashrut agencies have made so many inroads, allowing us to have increased access and a multitude of options in the world of Kosher. There are truly 'no excuses.’ The JSOR has upped the level of Kashrut in our community, creating awareness, expanding its reach, educating people, and demanding higher standards. There is still a ways to go, but the path is being paved for those who strive to follow in the holy Mitzvah of 'Keeping Kosher.’

Wishing our entire community a year of happiness and joy with peace and tranquility.

In honor of

Steven Solomon Safdieh for his dedication and leadership.

Margie and Sammy Saka and Family

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

The Month of Elul and High Holidays Elul, is called, ‫ ימי הרחמים וימי הסליחות‬days of mercy and days of forgiveness. We are now approaching the High Holidays. We live in such times when Hashem is showing the world at large His Judgements in so many ways, both globally and to the Jewish People, through pandemic, disasters, economic instability, moral confusion as never seen before, political and social unrest throughout the world, to all nations and peoples. The entire period of the month of Elul, Rosh Hashana, the 10 days of Repentance, and Yom Kipur is a time for introspection and improving our ways. Rabbenu Yonah says "Hashem will help those who work on improving themselves. He will help them achieve a high level of repentance - namely the level of loving Hashem." Teshuvah entails regretting and resolving to improve our deeds. I would like to focus on a Mitzvah where we can improve ourselves. This is the Mitzvah of Birkat Hamazon, Blessing after Meals. Birkat Hamazon is a mitzvah in the Torah ‫ ואכלת ושבעת וברכת‬you shall eat, be satisfied and bless (Hashem) for all He has given you. Commentary says that the person who recites Birkat Hamazon with concentration, joy and appreciation, thanking Hashem for the abundance He has given, Hashem, in turn, will continue to shower the person with abundance. The MAHARSHA in Nazir 66 says, when you recite Birkat Hamazon properly Hashem will give you ‫פרנסה‬ -livelihood and remove ‫מקטרגים‬-Heavenly Prosecution.

There was once an old man, close to 100 years old, who lived in Jerusalem. He tells a story, that when he was a young boy in Yeshiva, Rabbi Mayer Shapiro (of Daf Yomi fame) came to test the boys in elementary school. He would usually give a prize to a student who excelled. However, that day he didn't have any prizes and he told the boys that instead, he would tell them a Torah Message, which would be a ’Gift for Life’. He asked, how come there is no letter ‘‫‘ף‬ in Birkat Hamazon? Every letter of the Aleph-Bet is found except '‫ 'ף‬. He quoted a B’er Hetev, Shulchan Aruch, Siman 185 #2 “The reason the ‘‫ ‘ף‬is absent is because if one recites Birkat Hamazon with concentration, there will be no ‫ אף‬-heavenly anger and one’s Parnassa will come to him with bounty and honor all the days of his life… and he continues, it's better to recite it reading from the text (siddur or Birkon) and not by heart…. From that day on, this boy took upon himself always to say Birkat Hamazon with concentration, reading from the text, not by heart. May Hashem bring Salvation, Yeshuot and Nehamot and a sweet new year for all Klal Yisrael and help us do a true and complete Teshuva. May we all be written and sealed in the Book Of Life and very soon see the coming of Mashiah.

‫במהרה בימנו אמן‬

Rabbi Rachamim Aboud 14

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

KOSHER

JSOR

JERSEY SHORE ORTHODOX RABBINATE

would like to thank

for availing their resources and guidance in many ways to our organization.

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

Simanim

and the Power of Prayer

One of the most beautiful moments to look forward to on Rosh Hashanah is sitting around the table with our children and grandchildren singing, “Dip the apple in the honey ...... May you have a sweet New Year.” Indeed, we not only eat the apple in honey, but other fruits and vegetables that symbolize blessings and growth for us and the downfall of our enemies. So how does a small amount of food accomplish what we all pray for, a Good Judgment and a Happy New Year? The Rabbis tell us that our simple actions in this world can have a profound influence on the outcome of our future. In the Prophets, we read that when King Shaul's cloak was ripped while the prophet Shemuel was turning to leave him, Shemuel Hanavi told him, " just as this cloak is ripped, so too will your kingdom be torn into pieces,” and indeed it happened. So, on a simple level,we eat foods that have a positive note to them to cause a positive outcome for our New Year.

And indeed, we are told not to eat sour foods, so we don't have a bitter year. Likewise,we don't sleep in the daytime (before midday), so we don’t have a sleepy year. But even more importantly, before we eat these fruits, we say a little prayer ‫ יהי רצון מלפניך‬May it be Your Will that our merits should multiply like the seeds of a pomegranate...etc.. The prayer itself is the key, and that's where we should be concentrating. We beseech Hashem for our success and that our enemies both in this world and in the Heavens (the prosecuting angels) should be removed. The power of prayer on Rosh Hashanah cannot be underestimated, and so we use every opportunity to pray for a good year. May we all enjoy our Rosh Hashanah table and pray that we should all be inscribed in the Book of Life, Health and Happiness and truly have a sweet New Year.

‫תזכו לשנים רבות‬

Rabbi Shmuel Choueka 16

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Simanim 5782 APPLE

‫ראש השנה‬ ‫תפוח‬

‫תּוקה‬ ָ ‫ּומ‬ ְ ‫טֹובה‬ ָ ‫ ֶש ִתּ ְת ַח ֵדׁש עָ לֵ ינּו ָשנָ ה‬,‫בֹותינּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬ ‫אשׁית ַה ָשּׁנָ ה וְ עַ ד ַא ֲח ִרית ַה ָשּׁנָ ה‬ ִ ‫ֵמ ֵר‬ ‫ּבֹורא ְפ ִרי ָהעֵ ץ‬ ֵ ‫ָברּוְך ַא ָתה ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו ֶמלֶ ְך ָהעֹולָ ם‬

May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that there be renewed for us a good and sweet year, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.

‫כרתי‬

LEEK

‫אֹויְבינּו וְ ׂשֹונְ ֵאינּו וְ כָ ל ְמ ַב ְק ֵשי ָרעָ ֵתנּו‬ ֵ ‫בֹותינּו ֶשׁיִ כָ ְרתּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬

May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that our enemies, haters, and those who wish evil upon us shall be cut down.

‫סלקא‬

SWISS CHARD

‫אֹויְבינּו וְ ׂשֹונְ ֵאינּו וְ כָ ל ְמ ַב ְק ֵשי ָרעָ ֵתנּו‬ ֵ ‫בֹותינּו ֶשיִ ְס ַתלְ קּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬ May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that our enemies, haters and those who wish evil upon us shall depart.

‫תמרים‬

DATES

‫אֹויְבינּו וְ ׂשֹונְ ֵאינּו וְ כָ ל ְמ ַב ְק ֵשי ָרעָ ֵתנו‬ ֵ ‫ ֶשיִ ַתּמּו‬,‫בֹותינּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬ May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that there come an end to our enemies, haters and those who wish evil upon us.

‫קרא‬

GOURD

‫ּיֹותינּו‬ ֵ ֻ‫ וְ יִ ָק ְראּו לְ ָפנֶ יָך זָ כ‬,‫ ֶש ִת ְק ַרע רֹועַ גְ זַ ר ִדינֵ נּו‬,‫בֹותינּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬

May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that the evil of our verdicts be ripped, and that our merits be announced before you.

‫רוביא‬

BLACK-EYED PEAS

‫כּרּוביָ א‬ ְ ‫ּיֹותינּו‬ ֵ ֻ‫ ֶשיִ ְרּבּו זָ כ‬,‫בֹותינּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬

May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that our merits shall increase like "rubiya".

‫רימון‬

POMEGRANATE

‫ּיֹותינּו כָ ִרּמֹון‬ ֵ ֻ‫ ֶשיִ ְרּבּו זָ כ‬,‫בֹותינּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬

May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that our merits be plentiful as (the seeds of) a pomegranite.

HEAD OF A LAMB

‫ראש כבש‬

‫ ֶשנִ ְהיֶ ה לְ רֹאׁש וְ ל ֹא לְ זָ נָ ב‬,‫בֹותינּו‬ ֵ ‫יְ ִהי ָרצֹון ִמלְ ָפנֶ יָך ה’ ֱאֹלהינּו וֵ אלֵ ֹהי ֲא‬

May it be Your will, God and the God of our ancestors, that we be (like) a head and not (like) a tail.

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

Simanim FAQ Our meals on the nights of Rosh Hashanah, are enhanced with specific foods that represent their respective good qualities. Because the beginning is so potent and ominous to forbearing, we thereby accompany the specific foods with prayers for the New Year. What is the symbolism of sweetness? It is customary to eat sweet foods and not have foods with a sharp, sour, or bitter taste. This should be a siman - an omen - for the coming year that it shall be a sweet year. Sweetness of a food does not necessarily change its nutritional value or composition; however, the desire to eat something sweet and palatable prevails. So too, although judgement is being passed, and we know that we cannot avoid His judgement, Hashem grants the ability for the judgement to be sweetened in a way that allows us to gain the ‘nutritional value’ and benefit of what He would like us to perform and accomplish in this world, yet in a way that is sweet and palatable. Even more than the symbolism of foods eaten, one should be careful to exhibit a calm demeanor, not get angry, and just be happy, as this also portends the future year.

Why are there different orders of the simanim? One can find two different orders for the simanim, one based upon the preference of order of blessings in general, and the other based on the successive order of vanquishing our enemy. Either way is good, and it is preferable for one to follow their custom. Should each one recite their own beracha on the simanim? It is preferable for everyone to fulfill their obligation with the beracha of the leader of the household. When many people do a mitsvah together, it is a greater Honor for Hashem, as the pasuk says "be'rov aam hadrat melech" – with more people performing a mitsvah together, it is the splendor of the King. If one wishes to recite his own beracha and not with the baal habayit he may do so.

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

Why should we have a shehechianu fruit on the second night? All holidays outside of Erets Yisrael are each two days due to the sanctity imposed by custom of when the new month was determined by witnesses. Within Israel, all knew the determination of which day was Rosh Hodesh through messengers. However, outside of Israel, as it was distant, it may not have been known for a while, so two days of Holiday were kept. This custom created a holiness to this second day, and even after the system of set Rosh Hodesh was instituted following the Bet Hamikdash, the holiness of the second day continues with us. Rosh Hashanah, because it falls out on Rosh Hodesh, even in Erets Yisrael was not known around the country until after the holiday. Therefore, this same custom of two days had been rooted even then. Furthermore, the two days of Rosh Hashanah are of great symbolic nature, inherently considered like one long day. When it comes to reciting shehechianu, we recite it also on the second day of each holiday. However, in consideration of Rosh Hashanah being one day, technically, one should not recite it on the second day. Therefore, the preferred way is to have a new fruit or a new suit or something with which to recite shehechianu in conjunction with the second night of the holiday. If you do not have a new fruit or new suit for the second night, one can still recite the blessing of shehechianu.

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

The Renewal of Shofar

At first glance, the Holiday of Rosh HaShanah has two different components associated with itone connected to the Mitzvah of Shofar, and the other with the creation of the world. These two concepts are elaborated on by our Hachamim. When it comes to the Mitzvah of Shofar, the Rambam says (Hilchot Teshuva 3:4) that the blasts of the Shofar are supposed to serve as a spiritual alarm clock for us, awakening us from our slumber and refocusing us to prioritize Avodat Hashem in our lives. Additionally, when discussing the significance of the first of Tishri, the Gemara (Rosh HaShanah 10b) mentions that the world was created on Rosh HaShanahor more precisely, the world was created on the 25th of Elul, and six days later the goal of creation, which is Adam HaRishon- was born on the first of Tishri. Seemingly, these two themes- the Shofar being an alarm clock and the creation of Adam have no relation to each other. However Rabbi Moshe Wolfson Shlit”a connects these ideas, digging deeper to find a common theme between them. In order to understand this connection, one has to go back to the story of creation itself. How was Adam created? Hashem performed a unique action in order to create the concept of life in Adam. As the Passuk says, ”‫“וַיִּפַ ּח ְבַּאפָ ּיו נִשְ ׁמַ ת חַ יִּים וַי ְהִ י הָ ָאדָ ם ְלנֶפֶ ׁש חַ יָּה׃‬ “Hashem blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and Adam became a living being.” This “blowing” into the nostrils of Adam happened on Rosh HaShanah! Once we take this into account, we can reanalyze the whole idea of blowing into the Shofar. Just like Hashem created Adam HaRishon through breath on Rosh Hashanah 20

years ago, we are also being recreated yearly on Rosh Hashanah, which is symbolized by blowing into the Shofar. It is as if Hashem is blowing air into our nostrils and giving us a fresh start. The Shofar “awakens” us from our slumber with the recognition that our past is behind us, and the ability to restart a relationship with our creator is in our midst. Keeping a high level of Kashrut on the Jersey shore wasn’t always so simple for everyone. The lack of kosher restaurants was a huge obstacle in the pathway of those looking to maintain their standard of Kashrut outside of the home. But now, with the influx of local kosher restaurants, at all different price points, and with a variety of cuisines, keeping kosher is something that is within the reach of all who live or summer at the Jersey shore. Embracing a kosher diet is also the perfect way to “restart” our relationship with Hashem at the start of this new year. It’s a clear indicator that we value the spiritual over the physical. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the JSOR team for their hard work in enabling our community to reach this point. Over the last few years, due to their diligence, many new restaurants have opened on the Jersey Shore. May Hashem bless the JSOR team as they continue their hard work, educating and enabling our community to attain higher levels of Kedusha through commitment to Kashrut. Tizku LeShanim Rabot!

Rabbi Joseph Dana

J S O R H O L I D AY G U I D E

Shofar FAQ 5782-2021 The Rambam writes that the shofar of Rosh Hashanah alludes to a critical message: Awaken from your slumber; those who sleep deeply, rouse yourselves from your stupor. Examine your actions, repent, and remember your Creator. Those who have forgotten the truth…… Look into your souls and better your ways and deeds, abandon one’s evil ways and bad thoughts. Our study of the halachot of shofar, should enable us to perform this cherished mitzvah in a way that we will achieve the aforementioned great level of inspiration and repentance.

Who is obligated? Being that Shofar is a time-bound commandment, women are not obligated to hear the Shofar. However, because of the significance of this mitsvah and its resounding message, many women have developed the custom to hear the shofar. Since their obligation is not absolute, the one who is blowing shofar exclusively for women, should not recite a beracha before blowing.

When do we blow the Shofar? The first set of tekiot are blown before the Torah is returned to the Hechal, while standing next to the Torah. The reason for this custom is to invoke the merit of receiving the Torah,which took place with blasts of the Shofar. As it is written (Shemot 19:16) “And behold the sound of the Shofar went and strengthened.” The remaining blasts are integrated into the Amida of Musaf.

How many blasts is one obligated to hear? When the Torah discusses the blowing of the shofar, the word teruah is written three times. It definitely resembles some sort of cry; perhaps it is a sound of short groans – what we call shevarim; or a sound of a wailing cry – what we call a teruah; or both – shevarim-teruah. The Gemara derives from other pesukim that a tekiah (straight blast) must be blown before and after each teruah. This essentially teaches us that we must hear thirty teruah blasts on Rosh Hashana as follows: Tekia – Shevarim-Teruah – Tekia X3; Tekia – Shevarim – Tekia X3; Tekia – Teruah – Tekia X3; Total = 30. This set of thirty is initially blown with the berachot while seated before the Amidah. The mitsvah of Shofar is then integrated with the tefillah as this is a part of our invoking mercy in prayer. Therefore, another set of

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thirty are then blown during the silent Amidah of Musaf; ten tekiot at each segment. A third set of thirty during the hazarah of the tefillah is blown, ten with each segment. We blow another ten during the kaddish that follows the Amidah to come to a total of one hundred blasts. This degree of crying represents the ultimate expression of heartfelt crying as we see from the story of the mother of Sisera. In the era of the Judges after we entered the Land of Israel, there was a period when we were oppressed by the Canaanim. Sisera, their powerful general, came to attack with nine hundred chariots. It was assumed that he would return victorious, and his mother, as usual, was waiting, looking out the window to greet his return from war. When he did not return, she rationalized, “Perhaps he’s dividing the loot.” However, as time passed, she came to the realization that Sisera must have been killed. The passuk describes the crying for her son by the root word – yevava – again and again, totaling 100 times. This word – yevava – is the translation of the word teruah as Onkelos writes on the aforementioned passuk in the Torah. There is one more before alenu – a teruah gedola – to confuse the Satan.

he does not know if perhaps the day of the final redemption arrived with the heralding blasts of shofar. The one blowing the shofar needs to stand just as we do by all mitsvot. However, the congregation remains seated during the first set of blasts, as noted above. Some have the custom to stand while the berachot are recited and then immediately sit for the shofar blasts. Other communities have the custom to sit during the berachot as well.

Covering the Shofar The shofar should be covered until the berachot are finished. Some reasons for this minhag are: 1. When Abraham was preparing the altar to sacrifice his son Yishak, he kept Yishak covered until the very last moment, because he feared that Yishak would receive a blemish rendering him unfit to be offered. Being that shofar is a remembrance of/for the Akedah we cover the shofar until the very last moment. 2. To prevent the Satan from taking control of the shofar

Do I sit or stand during the blowing? Why do we blow some tekiot while sitting and then many more while standing? The Gemara answers, so it should bring confusion to the Satan as he sees how beloved the mitsvot are to us. Alternatively, it is explained that when the Satan hears the second blowing,

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What do I think about while the Shofar is being blown? First and foremost, one must have in mind that he is fulfilling the commandment of the Torah of hearing the Shofar. Secondly, one should bear in mind confession and renewed commitment to listen to the Word of Hashem. Rav Saadia Gaon writes ten essential ideas regarding the meaning of the shofar: 1. On Rosh Hashana, Hashem completed and reigned as King over the world. It is customary for kings to announce their kingship with trumpets and horns. We, therefore, blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashana to show that we are accepting the kingship of Hashem. 2. Rosh Hashana is the first of the Ten Days of Repentance. We blow the shofar to arouse everyone to do teshuva. 3. We remember Har Sinai which was accompanied by shofar blasts. Essentially, we are recommitting to all of the misvot and accepting upon ourselves as we had originally with na’ase v’nishma – we will perform and we will listen. 4. To remind us of the words of the Prophets that is compared to a shofar. 5. To remind us of the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash and the wailing sound of war cries. When we hear the shofar, we will request from Hashem to bring the Bet Hamikdash. 6. To remember Yishak Avinu who was willing to give his life to be sacrificed; we too will accept upon ourselves to give our lives for the sake of Hashem. 7. The shofar causes us to be afraid, tremble, and break in front of Hashem. 24

8. To remember the great day of judgement, which ill take place with shofar blasts. 9. To remind us of and inspire us to yearn for the ingathering of the exiles, which will take place with shofar blasts. 10. To remind us of the resurrection of the dead which will take place with shofar blasts.

Can I speak during Musaf? One may not speak from the beginning of the shofar blasts until after the hundredth blast. However, one who uses the restroom in between, may recite the blessing of asher yasar.

What if I came late? If one missed the berachot he should recite them when he arrives. He will need to keep count of what tekiot he will hear and what tekiot he will be required to make up if he missed. If he did not remember to recite the berachot until he is in the middle of his lahash Amidah, he may recite the berachot before hearing the tekiot of malchiyot even though he’s in the middle of the Amida.

I am blowing for someone at home, which berachot do I recite? If one is blowing shofar for women only, a beracha is not recited. If one is blowing for a man or boy over the age of bar-misvah, two berachot are recited.

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1) Lishmoa kol shofar – to hear the sound of shofar. 2) Shehehianu – on the first day. (If the person did not hear shofar on the first day, sheheianu will be recited on the second day). These blessings may be recited by either the one blowing or the one listening. As noted earlier, when blowing for women, no berachot are recited. Thirty sounds are blown while they are standing.

Erev Rosh Hashanah is an auspicious day as one prepares to enter the New Year. There is, therefore, no tahanun in Shaharit, for it is joyful like a holiday. One should take a haircut, bathe and dress in his finest for the holiday, thereby demonstrating his trust in Hashem that He will judge him favorably. It is customary to dip in the mikveh as this is a form of renewal for the New Year.

Am I supposed to ask mehilah before Rosh Hashanah? It is interesting to note that the asking of forgiveness from fellow man is taught in Shulhan Aruch in the laws leading up to Yom Kippur. So, it would seem that the lesson is specific to Yom Kippur not so much as to Rosh Hashanah. Rosh Hashanah is a time when we restart our relationship with Hashem; we do not mention sins or flaws of the past. We focus on increased awareness and respect for His Omnipresence. We then go through ten days to reflect on the past sins and while recognizing Him. So too, our first step to reconciliation in human relationships is to reopen an awareness and respect of the other. After, we can then, with proper balance, address past recriminations. Therefore, before Rosh Hashanah one should look to restart any weak relationship with a warm wish for the New Year. Then, prior to Yom Kippur take step number two and ask for forgiveness and discuss past recriminations.

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Sukkot FAQ 5782-2021

Rabbi Hayim Asher Arking Rabbi Ezra Ghodsi

Before entering the sukkah, one should have in mind that Hashem commanded us to sit in the sukkah to remember that he surrounded our ancestors with the Clouds of Glory when they left Mitzrayim. Throughout Sukkot, one should view the sukkah as his house. Therefore, eating, drinking, sleeping, relaxing, etc. should all be done in the sukkah. While one fulfills a mitzvah every time any of these activities are performed in the sukkah, only the activities of eating, drinking, and sleeping are mandatory to take place in the sukkah.

What foods are required to be eaten in the sukkah? If one started eating a bread meal (of at least a k'betsah), he may not eat or drink even the slightest amount of food or drink outside of the sukkah during his meal. Even food that was already put in one's mouth, should be swallowed in the sukkah before exiting.

How much do I have to eat to be able to recite the beracha of Le'shev Ba'sukkah? The beracha is only recited when eating at least a k'beitzah of bread or 3 k'beitzim of mezonot foods, excluding rice.

When should I recite the beracha of le'shev ba'sukkah? On Shabbat and Yom Tov, the leshev basukkah is recited when reciting Kiddush of the bread meal. This is because, although we recite the beracha in conjunction with bread, since the beginning of this bread meal is with the kiddush said in the location of the meal, we recite leshev by kiddush. Other times, when eating a bread meal it would be recited with the beracha of hamotzi.

I forgot to recite the beracha before I started eating;

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Can I recite the beracha in the middle of the meal? As long as one is still eating, even if he is eating dessert or drinking, he may recite the leshev basukkah. However, if he is not eating or drinking anymore or has already recited Birkat Hammazon, he can no longer recite the beracha.

Can I pray early on the first two nights of Sukkot? On the first two nights of Sukkot, there is a requirement to eat bread in the sukkah. This is derived from Pesah; Just like on Pesah night, there is a mitzvah to eat matsah, so too on Sukkot, there is a mitsvah to eat bread in the sukkah. Since this mitsvah is a Biblical one, it cannot be fulfilled until after Tset Hakochavim. Similar to Erev Pesach, one should not eat bread or mezonot foods after the 10th hour of the day (around 4:30 pm).

How much bread do I need to eat on the first two nights of Sukkot? One should eat at least a k'zayit of bread, within a time frame of four to five minutes. Throughout the seven days of Sukkot, a k'zayit is not required to be eaten in the sukkah, nor is the beracha recited when only eating a k'zayit. On the first two nights, however, a k'zayit must be consumed in the sukkah, and the beracha is recited. According to some opinions, in order to fulfill the mitzvah of eating bread on the first two nights, a little bit more than a k'beitzah of bread should be eaten.

I forgot Yaaleh V'yavo in Birkat Hammazon, do I have to repeat?

On the first and second nights of Sukkot, since there is an obligation to eat bread, if one forgot ya’aleh v’yavo, Birkat Hammazon must be repeated. During the daytime and the rest of the holiday, one does not need to repeat. However, if it was raining on the first or second night and one ate inside, Birkat Hammazon is not repeated. In all cases, women do not repeat Birkat Hammazon if they forgot ya’aleh v’yavo.

What should I do if it's raining on the first night of Sukkot? Preferably, one should wait a little bit to see if the rain stops. If not, one may eat inside. However, if the rain stops before he went to sleep, then he would be required to eat at least an ounce (k'zayit), and preferably a k'beitzah in the sukkah. If one did not eat in the sukkah the first night of Sukkot, a Sheheianu is not recited the following day, even though one is eating in the sukkah for the first time.

What if I forgot to recite Sheheianu on the first night? The next morning when he makes a beracha on his lulav and etrog, he should have in mind that the beracha should also go on his sukkah.

What if I feel a light drizzle? One should assess the amount of rain falling in his sukkah. If that amount of rain were falling in his house, would he relocate elsewhere? If he would, then at that point, he is exempt from the sukkah. If one is starting to eat, and there is only a slight amount of rain, although he is required to sit in the sukkah, the beracha is not 27

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recited. However, in regard to sleeping, even a small amount of rain would absolve one of the requirement to sleep in the sukkah.

What if it's currently not raining, but water is still dripping into the sukkah? If the amount of water dripping in would be enough to move elsewhere, one is not required to sit in the sukkah. Conversely, if one has thick schach and the rain is not entering his sukkah, he would still be obligated to eat in the sukkah.

I covered my sukkah with an awning when it started raining, do I have to remove the awning when the rain stops? Even if one is in the middle of eating, he must get up and remove the awning.. In a case where one continued eating in the sukkah under an awning, a new beracha is not recited after it stops raining.

What do I do if I already moved inside and then it stopped raining? If one already sat down to eat inside because of rain, he is not obligated to return to the sukkah. However, if one wishes to return to the sukkah anyway, a new beracha should be recited. Similarly, if one went to sleep indoors due to rain, he is not required to move back into the sukkah in the middle of the night.

Can I travel to a place where I will not have a sukkah? One who must travel to a different city for business on Sukkot, and has no sukkah available to him where he is staying, is exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah. However, one who is traveling for vacation or pleasure is still obligated to eat and sleep in the sukkah.

Are children required to sit in the sukkah? Boys from the age of five or six-years-old, depending on maturity, are required to sit in the sukkah. One may give a child that has reached this age, food that is required to be eaten in the sukkah, even if the child might not eat in the sukkah. However, one may not tell the child that he must eat inside. Furthermore, if the child's father sees his son eating inside, he should tell him to eat in the sukkah.

What if my sukkah is full of mosquitos? One who is experiencing discomfort from the sukkah, i.e., there is an excessive amount of flies or mosquitos, is exempt from sukkah. If it is cold outside, one should wear warm clothes and eat in the sukkah. He can also make a beracha if he is bundled up properly. Regarding sleeping, one should also sleep in the sukkah with warm blankets. If, however, he is afraid of getting sick, he may sleep inside.

In honor of

Rabbi and Mrs. Farhi, Rabbi Arking & the entire JSOR Committee.

Steven and Rivka Safdieh

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Kashrut Today MRS. SHOSHANA FARHI We’ve come a long way, baby! We are not telling you anything new, but reviewing how far things have come and how much we have grown in keeping kosher. It is truly amazing! Our incredible community, no matter what level of observance, has always kept kosher homes. No one would even think of buying non-kosher meat! Back in 1988, when Rabbi Farhi took the reins of the JSOR, we had six establishments and no sitdown places to eat beside Jerusalem II. Many people were eating out, thinking “what could be wrong with plain pasta and tomato sauce or a wedge of lettuce…?” As word got out that the sauce could have been made with meat stock and the lettuce could have insects, many looked to not only keep kosher homes, but desired to eat strictly kosher all the time. Many may remember Casa Davino, one of the first of many new places that began to grace our community. (This was several years after Middlebrook Deli was found sneaking in non-Kosher!) I recently reviewed the contract files and had a trip down memory lane, seeing the names of establishments gone by. The Jersey Shore has been a challenging place for restaurants to stay open; however, in the last few years, with more people staying and people from surrounding areas patronizing, we are blessed with an ever-growing number of quality establishments.

5th kosher chat! (4 have maxed at 257 people each!) This is in addition to the dozens of private messages that we get along with Rabbi Arking and other community Rabbis.

Along with the increased commitment to keeping kosher, we see a growing awareness by so many to become “educated” consumers. We had semiannual Kashrut Kurrents bulletins along with the annual Jersey Shore Orthodox Rabbinate Guide for Passover, which made its way to many if not most of the community, both here in Deal and Brooklyn. Many quickly became familiar with our home phone number as they questioned symbols and asked about mistakes and mix-ups. Fast forward to cell phones and texting, and a whole new era began. The next level began last summer, when a close friend suggested that we open a WhatsApp chat for questions, so that not only the person asking would get the information, but all the others could benefit as well. Well, to say that that was a game-changer would be an understatement! We have now opened our

1. Being able to recognize the common kitchen scenarios that may cause kashrut challenges. 2. Knowing how to handle a potentially problematic kosher situation until you are able to contact a Rabbi or the JSOR. 3. And knowing which vital details are necessary to communicate when asking your question, so that it can be answered properly.

It’s one thing to keep kosher; it’s quite another thing to stay kosher! Kashrut mix-ups are inevitable, even in the most scrupulous of kosher homes. So, when in doubt about a mix-up, don’t feel bad or embarrassed about asking a "shaila" (question in Jewish Law) of your Rabbi or the JSOR. First of all, it is a must to become familiar with the most common kosher symbols. Although one may know the main or national symbols, there are over 1000 kosher symbols out there today. While years back, we printed numerous editions of a ‘kosher card,’ this summer, we partnered with SY Alerts to make an updated and expanded card that is easy to carry and compare while shopping. Rabbi Arking worked together with us to extensively research the most reliable and common symbols. It will be widely available and is also on our website. Secondly, when it comes to keeping and staying kosher, there are three things that are super important:

Note that the JSOR hotline is for questions about products. Specific questions about kosher mixups, koshering etc are best left for a direct call to your Rabbi as variations of exact details may change the answer to those inquiries!

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Asking a Kosher Question RABBI ISAAC FARHI Whether you are a newlywed or a grandmother who has kept a kosher kitchen your entire life, not everyone is aware of when and how to ask a "shaila"- a question in halacha. It is important to keep in mind that every new problem may differ slightly from a previously asked question and that one should not determine the answer based on someone else’s response to similar issues. Your Rabbi will let you know if your food can be saved and eaten, if your cooking utensils, pots, dishes and silverware can be koshered. The following are some examples of common scenarios that would warrant asking a question: In error, a dairy spoon was used to stir a pot of meat sauce. A grilled cheese sandwich was cut in half with a meat knife, a pot long left unused, is not recognized as meat or dairy. A sharp item, such as onion or garlic was cut with a meat knife and put into a dairy pot. It is important to ask your question as soon as possible, so that details are not forgotten. Set the utensils in question aside. Here is a list of essential details that will expedite the ability of the Rabbi to give you a clear and quick answer:

1. What is the temperature of the food when the mix-up happened- hot, cold or room temperature? 2. Was the utensil in question used within 24 hours prior to the mix-up? 3. The amount of questionable food that was mixed in (to determine the 1/60th ratio) 4. What types of dishes were involved? Metal pots and spoons? Glass? China? Stoneware? Plastic? 5. Did the mix-up happen during cooking, frying, broiling, etc? 6. Was the food in question already eaten or discarded? If your question is only regarding the utensils, tell that to the Rabbi when asking your question. Your answer depends on the details! Different variables will determine the Halachic ruling. When you know how to ask, you get the correct answer to your questions. In the merit of your care to do the misva properly, may you and your family have eternal blessings for good health, happiness, and good fortune. Amen

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Why Do We Eat Kosher?

BY: RABBI DAVID TAWIL The laws of keeping kosher are some of the most famous and cherished laws in the Torah. As if Jews were not obsessed with food enough, our dietary requirements force us to be even more careful and observant about what we eat. The laws of keeping Kosher are some of our most identifiable laws, even by gentiles, as Seinfeld once depicted, “It’s all about how they kill the pig!” Why does the Torah require such numerous dietary restrictions? Although many commentaries place Kashrut in the category of “Hukim,” meaning laws which we do not know the reason for, commentaries have been offering rationales for this all-important Misvah for millennia. Here are some of the explanations and what we can learn from them: A) Sefer HaHinuch: R’ Aharon HaLevi takes the approach that the laws of Kashrut are to preserve the health of our body; since God created our bodies, He knows what will allow us to keep our bodies going in order to preserve our holy souls to serve Hashem. He writes: ‫ מה שכתבנו באזהרת טרפה בסדר‬.‫משרשי המצוה‬ ‫ כי יודע אלקים כי כל המאכלות שהרחיק‬,‫משפטים‬ ‫ יש בהם נזקים מצויים לגופים שהם‬,‫מעמו אשר בחר‬ ‫כלים לנפשות לפעל בהם ולהתעלות על ידי מעשיהם‬

‫ ועל כן הרחיקנו מהם למען יפעלו הנפשות‬.‫הטובים‬ ‫פעלתן ולא ינעלו [דלת] בפניהם רע מזג הגופות‬ ‫ וכמו שכתבתי שם‬,‫וטמטום הלבבות‬. The roots of this Misvah are what we wrote in the warning of the 'torn' animal in the Order of Mishpatim (Sefer HaChinukh 73) - as God knows that all of the foods that He distanced from His people that He chose, have [properties] in them [that] injure bodies, [and] that stop the souls from activating them and elevating them with good deeds. Therefore, He distanced us from them, in order that the souls will make their impact; and that a bad constitution and a blockage of the heart not seal the door in front of them, as I wrote there. The Ramban echoes this idea as well when speaking about the forbidden birds, stating that their cruelty should not seep into the person as a result of eating them. Ramban adds that medical testimonies of his day revealed that one who drank pig’s milk would be subject to leprosy. Today, we know that eating large quantities of raw pork can lead to trichinosis. Thus the phrase “you are what you eat,” is significant in the eyes of Ramban both from a physical and metaphysical standpoint. B) Abarbanel: R’ Yishak Don Abarbanel vehemently opposes the Hinuch and Ramban’s approach of having health and

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wellness benefits play a role in God’s holy laws. He sternly lays out his approach to Kashrut laws: ‫איסור המאכלים שאסרה התורה כבר חשבו רבים‬ ‫מהמפרשים שהוא מפני בריאות הגוף ורפואתו‬ ‫להיות המאכלים הרעים ההם מולידים ליחות רעות‬ ‫זהו דעת הרמב"ן בפסוק ואלה תשקצו מן העוף‬ ‫וחלילה לי מלהאמין כן לפי שאם כן היה ספר תורת‬ ‫האלהים במדרגת ספר קטן מספרי הרפואה הקצרים‬ ‫להים‬-‫בדבריהם וטעמיהם ואין זה דרך תורת הא‬ ‫ וגם שעינינו הרואות האומות האוכלים‬.‫ועומק כונותיה‬ ‫בשר החזיר השקץ והעכבר ושאר העופות והבהמות‬ ‫והדגים הטמאים חיים כלם היום חזקים כראי מוצק‬ ‫ואין עיף ואין כושל בהם…לא באה התורה האלהית‬ ‫לרפאות את הגופות ולבקש בריאותם אלא לבקש‬ ‫בריאות הנפש ולרפאות תחלואיה ולכן אסרה‬ ‫המאכלים לפי שהיו מתעבים ומשקצים את הנפש‬ ‫הטהורה המשכלת ומולידות במזג האנושי אטימות‬ ‫וקלקול התאוות בעשותם באדם רוע מזג אשר ממנו‬ ‫תתהוה רוח הטומא' המטמאה הדעות והמעשים‬ ‫ומגרש רוח הטהרה והקדושה‬ Regarding the Torah's prohibition of foods, many of the commentators have thought that it is because of the body's health and medical care, those foods being bad, and generating a harmful moistness. This is the view of the Ramban, on the verse, "these you shall abhor among the birds" (Lev. 11:13). But God forbid that I should believe this, because if that were the case, the divine Sefer Torah would be on the level of a minor book among the books of medicine -- short in both words and reasoning. And this is not the way of the divine Torah, or the depth of its purpose. Further, we can see with our own eyes that the nations that eat the flesh of the pig, the creepers, the mouse, and the other impure birds, beasts, and fish are all alive to this day, "firm as a mirror of cast metal" (Job 37:18), and there is none tired or

weak among them… The divine Torah does not come to heal the bodies, or to seek their health, but rather to promote the health of the soul and to heal its ailments, and therefore, it forbade foods that sully and abominate the pure and sublime soul, and that engender in the human temperamental mixture an impenetrability and a distortion of desires, by creating a bad mixture that gives rise to a spirit of pollution that defiles the mind and the deeds, and that expels the spirit of purity and holiness… According to Abarbanel, the point of God’s dietary laws is to preserve the holiness of the Jewish soul which is unique from the rest of the nations of the world. The various foods which God has distanced us from have a way of blemishing the soul and spiritual closeness we seek in our relationship with God. Thus, we adhere to God’s dietary laws in order to open the door to a deeper, more meaningful spiritual relationship with the Almighty. C) Rambam (Guide to the Perplexed Part 3 Chapter 35): In the third section of Rambam’s great philosophical work, he organizes the various commands of the Torah into fourteen different categories, offering general rationales for each category before delving into the particular commands in each category and the logic behind them. Regarding forbidden foods he writes: ‫הכלל השלושה עשר כולל ה'מצוות' התלויות באיסור‬ ‫מאכלים ומה שנתלה בהם והם ה'מצוות' אשר‬ '‫זכרנום ב"הלכות מאכלות אסורות" ו'נדרים ונזירות‬ ‫ לפסוק רוב התאוות‬- ‫ והכונה בכל זה‬.‫מזה הכלל‬ ‫והשילוח בבקשת הערב ולשום תאות המאכל‬ "‫ כמו שבארנו בפתיחת "אבות‬- ‫והמשתה תכלית‬ ‫"מפרוש ה"משנה‬

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The thirteenth class includes the precepts concerning forbidden foods and the like; we have given them in Hilchot Maachalot Asurot; the laws about vows and temperance belong also to this class. The object of all these laws is to restrain the growth of desire, the indulgence in seeking that which is pleasant, and the disposition to consider the appetite for eating and drinking as the end [of man's existence]. We have explained this in our Commentary on the Mishnah, in the Introduction (chap. iv.) to The Sayings of the Fathers. According to Rambam, certain laws in the Torah are meant to teach man the idea of abstinence. While we are physical beings, God expects us to be able to resist our physical urges and temptation in order to sanctify ourselves in the spiritual realm, which can only be done to its fullest when once is not chasing physical pleasures in this world. Separating from certain foods which may be appealing and satisfying, instills this idea in us and helps to raise man’s ability to abstain from physicality. This approach does not explain why these specific foods inherently must be avoided, but rather in general God saw fit to eliminate certain foods for the reason of tempering man’s animal urges. D) Separation from Gentiles: Anyone who has traveled for business or had to take a client out to dinner certainly understands the separation that Jewish dietary laws create between Jews and the rest of the world. When going on vacation we must pack food, cutlery, cookware, etc. and can’t simply eat amongst the gentiles in whatever restaurants or bars we choose. Gentiles are well aware of our dietary restrictions as well, and thus a boundary is created that separates us. While we are still able and commanded to engage the world, Jewish dietary law reminds us that Am Yisrael has a mission unlike any other nation, and as God’s chosen people are required to 34

answer to a higher authority and standard of living. Aside from assuring that we do not inappropriately mingle with gentiles (which is the reasoning behind various Rabbinic additions to dietary laws), the laws of Kashrut make us holy and distinct, thus keeping us grounded and focused on maintaining our unique relationship as God’s chosen people. This is why the laws of Kashrut are placed in the book of Vayikra, whose main idea is “Kedusha;” this is often interpreted to mean “holiness” but more appropriately means “separateness.” The verses at the end of this week’s Perasha illustrate this ideal: ‫ִיתם קְ ד ֹׁשִ֔ ים‬ ֙ ֶ‫הו ָה֮ אֱ ֹלֽהֵ יכ ֶ֒ם ו ְהִ תְ קַ ּדִ ׁשְ ּת‬-ְ ‫ִ ּ֣כי אֲ נִ ֣י י‬ ֣ ֶ ‫ם ו ִהְ י‬ ‫ִ ּ֥כי קָ ֖דֹוׁש ָ ֑אנִי ו ְֹ֤לא תְ טַ ּמְ אּו֙ אֶ ת־נַפְ ׁ֣ש ֹתֵ י ֶ֔כם ְּבכָל־הַ ֶ ּׁ֖ש ֶרץ‬ ‫ם‬ ֙ ‫ה ָ֗וה ַהּֽמַ עֲ ֶ ֤לה אֶ תְ ֶכ‬-ְ ‫הָ ר ֵ ֹ֥מׂש עַ ל־הָ ָא ֶֽרץ׃ ִ ּ֣כי ׀ אֲ נִ ֣י י‬ ‫ִיתם קְ ד ֹׁשִ֔ ים ִ ּ֥כי‬ ‫מֵ ֶ ֣א ֶרץ מִ צ ַ ְ֔רי ִם לִהְ ֥י ֹת ל ֶ ָ֖כם ל‬ ֣ ֶ ‫ֹלהים ו ִהְ י‬-‫ֵא‬ ִ֑ ‫אנִי׃‬ ֽ ָ ‫קָ ֖דֹוׁש‬ For I the LORD am your God: you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean through any swarming thing that moves upon the earth. For I the LORD am He who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God: you shall be holy, for I am holy.

In honor of our

Dedicated Rabbis and

Community Leaders. Their love of our community is unmatched.

The Safdieh Family

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Rabbi, Can I

ust Read the Ingredients?

BY: RABBI HAYIM ASHER ARKING When our ancestors lived in Halab and bought simple items such as spices, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish or baked goods from the suk, it was pretty straightforward to know what ingredients were being used. In today’s global market, international products can be sought after to be procured at the most cost-efficient prices. Reading ingredients is an art unto itself. The current science and modern technology enable various elements and ingredients to be derived chemically, from plants, parts of animals, insects, and anything in between. Let me ask you, what is xylitol, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, glycerin...? From where can various colorings be derived? Colorings can be derived from chemicals and be benign or from plants and have no kosher issue. For example, Annatto seeds to produce bright yellow color or turmeric root or paprika to create yellow or red colors do not pose a kashrut issue. However, let us ask how do winemakers make some wines red and others white? Wine, as we know, is of utmost kosher concern if it is produced without kosher supervision. Now, it is a common belief that the wine’s color is depends on whether they use white grapes or red grapes. However, that is not the case as all grapes, including concord grape pulp, are white. Instead, the color is from the grape peels, and when processed, it is called enocianina. This deep 36

red color is used not just in wine but also in many red-colored items. The issue is that these peels pose a kashrut problem of nonkosher wine. What do artificial and natural flavors mean? There is a new Tums on the market that does not have the regular KA certification because it contains carmine, which is extracted from some scale insects such as the cochineal scale and certain Porphyrophora species. Someone once offered me a ‘chip’ candy, and after reading the ingredients I see glycerin which normally comes from the fats of animals, which are non-kosher. The person was surprised because this candy was listed without glycerin in the ingredients! He resolved that he would find out by emailing the company. He emailed the company the following, let’s call him Joey: Joey: Do licorice chips candy contain glycerin? Company: The licorice chips do not contain glycerin. Here is the nutritional information. (With attached image.) Joey: The reason I question the ingredients is because the 54.5 ounce bag I bought from Amazon lists ingredients including glycerin.

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Company: My apologies, the chips do contain glycerin, however, it is vegetable glycerin. Now, if you look carefully, it is extremely interesting to note the original question of whether the product contained glycerin or not, and the final answer was it does however, vegetable glycerin! So who asked about what type of glycerin? Perhaps they first understood the question to be about the nutritional value and then realized the question was of kosher elements, so they pivoted the answer accordingly. Secondly, the pricing and availability of vegetable glycerin vis-a-vis beef are not the same. To trust a foreign company that is committed to profits that on its own will be verified as vegetable glycerin is just not reliable.

So, to sum up, and have a practical takeaway, ingredients are not as obvious as they may seem, and companies are not bound to follow exactly as listed or list minor ingredients or substitutes. However, we have listed here many common items, which are what we call “Group 1” ingredients. These are items that after all current research in the world-wide industry are inherently kosher even without a kosher certification. One can purchase these items without a hechsher; however, when anything goes beyond this, the risk factor grows, and responsibility becomes impossible without certification or specific verified research.

A STANDARD LIST THAT ONE CAN PURCHASE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIVES:

As an aside, glycerin is not in any way like gelatin. There is an extensive discussion about gelatin which is procured from denatured animal hides and fats. However, even if one were to side with the opinions that may allow it under proper circumstances, like any kosher-sensitive product, it will require appropriate supervision to verify that it is complying with that reality of standard to be kosher.

1. Flour (from wheat, barley, spelt, chickpea, cassava, garbanzo, oats, corn, beans, coconut, rice, soy)

No matter what condition, certain items will require certification such as meat, cheese, and fish without skin/scales as these are inherently not kosher unless supervised as kosher. For example, an out-of-town supermarket was recently repackaging chicken and writing on the label “Empire Chicken.” That is absolutely not kosher as once meat, fish or cheese are outside the purview of supervision, it is inherently not kosher.

5. Salt, Himalayan salt

2. Granulated sugar, coconut sugar, brown sugar 3. Rice (raw only – white, brown or sushi) 4. Water, seltzer

6. Whole or ground spices 7. Raw nuts 8. Cocoa 9. Baking powder, baking soda 10. Extra virgin olive oil

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Meat

Behind t he Scenes BY: RABBI HAYIM ASHER ARKING Over the past year, on behalf of JSOR, to get a better first- hand understanding of the current Kashrut level of what comes in from the meat and poultry market, we visited Agri Star, Solomon's, Empire, and other plants. It is really amazing to appreciate how much work goes in to ensure that kosher standards are met, along with relative efficiency for the amount of work it entails. Meeting the shochatim and staff first hand, seeing their character, dedication and commitment to the highest level is a testament to the living Torah transmitted throughout the millennia. Imagine back in Haleb, Morocco, Europe, or wherever for centuries and millennia, when one wanted meat, he would A) purchase an animal of a kosher species, B) assure it is healthy and wholesome, C) hire a shochet who requires certification through a reputable source, D) then after slaughter check the lungs from lesions, E) be capable or hire someone to clean out the forbidden fats, remove the appropriate blood vessels and veins F) thereafter salt the meat, and G) from beyond the twelfth rib and back, either painstakingly remove the forbidden sciatic nerve and fats or just sell it off to a non-Jew. In today’s industrial settings, all of this can happen in one place, though not often local, however in massive quantities and efficiency. 38

Places like Empire, KJ, Agri, etc., for example, can process and salt around 50,000 chickens per day. Beef plants can handle upwards of 400 cattle per day of production while nikkur (removal of blood vessels and forbidden fats) and salting take another day. All beef rendered non-kosher skips the nikkur and salting process, eliminating time, work, and thereby money. So let us talk about the knife. The knife used in shechita must be impeccably sharp and checked in between each and every shechita. Dirt and rocks on the neck are first cleaned off to avoid the issue of ruining the knife. The thickness of the neck hide, and possibility of hitting bone are also obviated though checking in between each shechita. The knife is tested against the fingernail of an experienced and certified shochet to verify that the previous shechita did not nick or blunt the knife blade. The usual practice is to have two shochatim present, one to slaughter and one to check the knife. Where this is not practical, responsible Kashrut agencies ensure the bodek (lung inspector) checks the shochet’s knife. The next phase requires an experienced and certified bodek to feel the lungs while in the animal to ensure that there are no lesions. Then, a second external inspection is conducted to ensure there are no potential

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

punctures in the lungs. The lungs are then categorized and designated as either basic kosher; or smooth - Glatt or considered halak Bet Yosef, which will be addressed at length in the second part of the article. Many arteries and veins are cut out as salting will not be able to extrude such blood without removing those veins. In addition, it is very important that certified experts remove and check the forbidden fats, as within the kosher animal lie many fats that are called helev which carries a very severe prohibition. After this is done, the salting process can then begin. The salting process starts with soaking the meat for at least half an hour, and then every single piece is covered in salt. Finally, the meat is rinsed three times to guarantee no residual blood. Processing meat this way translates to another day of work.

Throughout every stage of the production, the meat is under the auspices of Rabbanim, shochatim, and mashgichim, who are specially trained in their specific field. Many of these are flown in from the tri-state area, as such production takes place as far away as in the Midwest or even in Mexico, Canada or South America. After seeking the most cost-efficient butcher, the cost of each and every mitzvah is counted in every dollar you spend: 1) The species 2) the shochet 3) one checking the knives 4) checking the lungs 5) deveining 6) removal of forbidden fats 7) not accepting hindquarters 8) salting and rinsing 9) seal, transport, and opening with only Shomer Shabbat. All of the above highlights the great investment we all place with the many mitzvot we fulfill with our money paying for each and every mitsvah.

Thereafter, until the meat is in your home, restaurant, or wherever you will eat it, it is either under double seal or the purview of a Shomer Shabbat.

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The following article written by Rabbi Moshe Arking will provide a better understanding of the term Glatt and Bet Yosef.

BET YOSEF MEAT TEREIFA Generally, non-kosher food is commonly referred to as ta’reif. But really, the word tereifa means meat from an animal that has a fatal defect. The Torah commands us (Shemot 22:30) “and meat torn in the field you shall not eat.” This verse forbids the consumption of an animal that was attacked by a wild beast or a bird of prey and was fatally wounded and cannot survive for a year. Even if this animal is subsequently slaughtered properly prior to dying from the wound, the meat may not be eaten. Whether the fatal wound was inflicted by another animal, a man, congenital, or the result of a disease, the meat is forbidden and called a tereifa. The Gemara in the third chapter of Hullin tells us that eight categories of injuries that constitute treifot were orally transmitted to Moshe Rabbenu at Har Sinai. The Mishna then lists eighteen treifot, which are subdivisions of the original eight. Many other treifot are discussed in Halacha, but they all can be subsumed under the categories listed above.

CHECKING FOR TEREIFOT We generally do not check animals that are slaughtered for treifot. We rely on the fact that the majority of animals in the world are not fatally wounded. We, therefore, assume that this animal in front of us is like the majority of animals in the world and not a treifa. There are a few exceptions that we do check: the lungs, the knee joint, and the intestines. As finding problems in the lungs is common, we are required to check the lungs. Rashi explains that since there exists a significant 40

minority of animals who have defects in their lungs, one is required to determine if the lungs are from the significant minority. In practice, the number of animals that are determined to be a treifa is due to damage in the lungs and varies from country to country and species to species. Rashba suggests that the Rabbis require us to check the lungs since it is readily apparent when opening the animal if it is treifa. If one were not to look, it would be like closing one’s eyes and ignoring the prohibition. Alternatively, since it is readily apparent if the lungs were punctured, we are concerned that if we were to allow the animal based on a majority one may slaughter an animal and later upon eating the meat notice that the lungs are punctured.

THE LUNGS A punctured lung renders the animal unfit. The lung is the organ that absorbs oxygen from the air, enables it to enter the bloodstream, and relieves the body of its carbon dioxide. The lung is composed of masses of spongy tissue containing millions of tiny air sacs or alveoli, each with its own network of capillaries. However, the lungs are not one spongy mass, but rather consist of seven lobes: four on the right and three to the left. The two closest to the rear of the body are the largest lobes and are known as the right and left umot (etymologically derived from em mother meaning the primary or main lobes). Above the right uma are three smaller lobes known as unot (in Aramaic the word una means ear, meaning ear-like or small lobes). Above the left uma are two unot leaving space for the heart, which is situated on the left side of the lung. The lungs hang freely in the chest cavity, protected by the ribcage. It is held in place by the trachea and the pulmonary ligaments. As the lung inhales air, it expands in size,

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

similar to blowing up a balloon. The chest cavity contains a large hollow space which allows the lung to expand and contract freely as it inhales and exhales air.

SIRCHA When examining the lungs, especially in older domesticated animals such as cows and bulls, one often finds strong fibrous mucus-like adhesions connecting the various lobes of the lung to each other or to the wall of the chest cavity. These adhesions are known as sirchot (singular as a sircha) and are indicative of a fatal problem with the lung. Rashi explains that a sircha is a scab that results from viscous fluids leaking out of a preexisting puncture. This scab develops and serves as a plug to seal the puncture. In truth, if the plug were to remain permanently in position affixed to the puncture, it would be considered an effective seal. However, the constant expansion and contraction of the lung will ultimately cause the seal to loosen. Therefore, when checking an animal with a sircha it does not help to inflate the lung and immerse it in water, to determine that the seal is airtight. Even if it is air-tight, it is a treifa because the Rabbis determined that this puncture will eventually reopen. Tosafot understands that a sircha is not the result of a puncture but rather this adhesion will eventually cause a puncture. The expanding and contracting of the lungs will cause the sircha to tear off, taking a piece of the lung with it.

GLATT KOSHER In practice, however, not every fibrous mucus-like adhesion is considered a sircha. The Rosh quotes Mar Yaakob Gaon that if shaking the lungs results in the sircha falling off this adhesion is not a sircha, rather it is merely a spit-like discharge, and it does not render the animal a tereifa. Various other methods of testing the adhesion to evaluate

if it is a true sircha are mentioned by the poskim and quoted by Shulhan Aruch. One method is to squeeze and palpate the sircha with the assumption that should it fall apart, it is merely mucous. Maran Shulhan Aruch strongly objects to this test, stating that anyone who relies on it is feeding treifot to the Jewish nation. The Rema, while personally agreeing that one should be stringent and not rely on this test, notes that the common practice amongst Ashkenazim is to be lenient. Therefore, there arose two standards of meat - kosher and Glatt kosher. When the animal requires removal of a sircha by means of pulling or squeezing and palpation, the meat was labeled as merely “kosher.” If the lungs were found to be clean without resorting to the above tests, the meat was sold as “Glatt kosher” (Glatt means smooth in Yiddish or in Hebrew halak/Bet Yosef). There are national brands that sell non-glatt meat. However, it is important to note that meat sold today as “non-Glatt” is generally inferior in many other areas of its kashrut supervision. These include how the meat is soaked and salted to remove the blood, the method of deveining, and the assurance that a proper knife was used during the slaughter. Therefore, such meat is not accepted, and especially for Sefaradim seeking to follow Maran Bet Yosef, such is not accepted. 41

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determine if there are any lesions. The lung is then placed in water and observed to see if air bubbles appear which would indicate a puncture, similar to how a tire is checked to locate the hole when they want to plug it.

TODAY In practice, the lungs of every animal slaughtered in a kosher slaughterhouse are inspected for sirchot. The animal is hung by its hind legs, flayed and slit open down its abdomen. The intestines and stomachs are removed, exposing the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a wall of muscle that separates the abdominal and the chest cavity. Two slits are made in the diaphragm, one on the right side and one on the left side. Through these the internal inspector known as the bodek pnim reaches in and carefully runs his hands over the entire surface of the lung. Any sirchot, whether between the lung and the thoracic walls or between the lobes of the lungs themselves, are noted to the external inspector known as the bodek chutz. After the lungs are removed the Bodek visually inspects them for any abnormality and examines the sirchot reported by the internal inspector. After the lung is removed from the animal, another test is done to determine whether the lung is punctured. First the lung is inflated by blowing air through a hose into the severed windpipe, which opens to the lung, inflating it like a balloon. This procedure allows the bodek to clearly see all parts of the lung and 42

Today the procedure is not to test the sircha with squeezing and palpation but instead with kiluf i.e. peeling. The external examiner of the lungs carefully peels small sirchot off the lung. If the sircha successfully comes off and the lung inflates without letting out air, then the adhesion is considered a rir and does not render the animal treifa. The rationale of this method is that a true sircha clings to the membrane of the lungs and does not easily come off (see Bet David 39:6 Yesod Habayit 6).

BET YOSEF Even Glatt-kosher meat, however, is not entirely Glatt, smooth in the literal sense. It is uncommon to find a totally clean and smooth lung in an adult bovine. Therefore, the vast majority of meat sold today as Glatt kosher actually relies on some process of peeling, albeit only for light sirchot that comes off easily. Bet David rules that such meat may still be referred to as glatt. However, Bet Yosef does not permit the removal of any sirchot through squeezing palpation or any other process. Meat certified as Bet Yosef must be free of sirchot entirely without resorting to any peeling. The incidence of sirchot is related to the animals’ environment and varies greatly from locale to locale. For example, one expert reports that in Western US one may expect to find only 8% of adult bovine without any sirchot at all. However, in South America, up to approximately 40%, while in the cold brisk environs of Tierra del Fuego located at the southernmost tip of South America near Cape Horn it is a rarity to find a single sircha (Credits: Chullin Illuminated).

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What About Sushi? BY: RABBI HAYIM ASHER ARKING

Many people travel to different places, and they often ask, “What about eating sushi in a non-kosher restaurant?” There are four components to “sushi,” which actually translated from Japanese means “vinegared rice.” They are: 1. rice, 2. vinegar, 3. nori / seaweed, and 4. the actual fish.

RICE Let’s begin with the rice. A person can go into any supermarket and buy any type of plain rice and it is kosher. After all the research around the world, rice is considered a Group 1 ingredient i.e. an ingredient that is, at this point, inherently kosher. However, like all inherently kosher food, if that rice is cooked by a non-Jew, then it becomes “Bishul akum.” In consonance with other safeguards from assimilation, one cannot have a non-Jew cook their food and have also turned on the

fires that cook that food. This not only makes the actual rice forbidden, but also the pot in which it was cooked will have absorption of issur.

VINEGAR Secondly, sushi vinegar is most often from rice vinegar, however, it is subject to other vinegar mixed in. A prime source of quality vinegar is often from wine; therefore, it is a ‘kosher sensitive’ ingredient as this touches upon yayin nesech - wine of a goy. In addition, rice vinegar may pose a problem because of the utensils used in its production. More specifically, many vinegar companies cook non-kosher wine vinegar in the same plant, easily spreading its non-kosher status to the other vinegars. Therefore, all varieties of vinegar require a reliable kosher certification.

TISHRE' 5782 | SEPTEMBER 2021

SEAWEED Thirdly, the seaweed comes from the sea, and many types of sea creatures can be embedded in it, such as shrimp, sea horses, crustaceans and so on. One can actually spot these when looking at the nori against a light or the sun. Advanced laser technology can weed out the different foreign entities or creatures lurking within the seaweed. Additionally, the nori is baked, therefore, the equipment and other sub-ingredients must be known. In conclusion, the nori sheets which are made of seaweed must have proper kosher certification.

FISH The next component is the actual fish. If a person goes to a supermarket and buys a slab of fish with fins and scales on it, that is a 100% certification that it is a kosher fish. However, if a person is simply going to eat a piece of fish here or there, it’s not going to be known as a kosher fish. Even if you think you

can identify it, it is inherently missing a siman. When we send out packages from a JSOR or any other certified kosher restaurant with meat or fish, they are required to be doublesealed. Why? We must verify 100% that this is authentically kosher fish. Over 30% of fish in restaurants and eateries are actually found to be subject to seafood fraud, in which there is mislabeling or species substitution, where one fish is swapped out for another The lesson from this is that all of these four components comprising a delicious sushi really need to be certified kosher. When you are eating it in a kosher environment or restaurant, you have that certification. If you are not, many things could be wrong and taking that risk is just not worth it. If we go beyond just the nature of the sushi ingredients, technically, the kitchen where the sushi is made must also be specifically certified as “kosher,” undergoing a vigorous process to ensure that specific standards are met.

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D or DE

Dairy would have far reaching implications such as eating with or after meat, or if Halav Yisrael or not. Whereas DE i.e. dairy equipment, which means that it was made or processed on equipment such as pots, vats, pipes etc that were used for dairy but not koshered to become parve or sometimes may contain residue of dairy such as chocolaty places. For Sefaradim this has not as much of an impact, and knowing this information is aside from being our most frequently asked question is very helpful to know. To stay updated with the lastest data stay tuned to these and other upcoming alerts. The following Snyders of Hanover products, are labeled OUD, but in fact, its true status, at the present time, is DE (Dairy Equipment): · Gluten Free Pretzels · Mini Pretzels Fat Free · Any Unflavored Pretzel · Braided Twists Pumpernickel & Onion · Broken Olde Tyme Pretzels · Cinamon Sugar Pretzel Poppers · Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Pretzel Pieces · Corn Tortilla Chips · Firecracker Bbq Pretzel Pieces · Gluten Free Mini Pretzels · Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks, Honey Mustard And Onion · Honey Wheat Braided Twists · Honey Wheat Sticks · Jalapeno Flavored Sourdough Hard Pretzel Pieces · Korn Krunch Bbq · Korn Krunch Hot Chili Lime · Mini Pretzels · Mini Pretzels Fat Free Unsalted · Natural Garden Veggie Sticks · No Salt Round Pretzel Snaps · Old Fashioned Dipping Stick Pretzels · Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwiches · Plain Pretzels · Pretzel Pieces, Hot Buffalo Wing · Pretzel Pieces, Sweet Chili · Salted Olde Tyme Pretzels · Sourdough Hard Pretzels · Sourdough Nibblers · Pretzel Poppers · Pretzel Rods · Pretzel Snaps · Pretzel Spoonz · Restauant Style Tortilla Chip 46

Some kashrut agencies use a DE symbol, but the OU has chosen not to use a DE designation because it is felt it may be confusing to the kosher consumer. Also, to be a true DE product, the equipment must be properly cleaned of residue after dairy production, and that level of cleanliness is sometimes difficult to maintain and guarantee. Please note that it is possible that the manufacturer will reformulate this product and add a true dairy ingredient. You will not be able to know this, since the OUD kosher symbol will remain the same. We recommend that you call our office every 3 months to reconfirm the DE status of this product.

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At the present time the following Oreo Sandwich Cookies do not contain dairy ingredients, although they are manufactured on dairy equipment: · Chocolate Oreo Sandwich Cookies · Dark Chocolate Oreo Sandwich Cookies · Gluten Free Double Stuff Oreo · Gluten Free Oreo · Golden Oreo Double Stuf Sandwich Cookie · Golden Oreo Mega Stuf Sandwich Cookie · Golden Oreo Sandwich Cookies · Mini Original Oreo Sandwich Cookies · Oreo – Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie · Oreo Basecake Cookie Crumbs · Oreo Brookie-O Cookies · Oreo Caramel Coconut Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Chocolate Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Cinnamon Bun Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Double Stuf Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Hazelnut Creme Cookies · Oreo Java Chip Cookies · Oreo Lemon Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Little Monster/Lady Gaga Cookies · Oreo Mint Creme Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Original Mega Stuf Sandwich Cookie · Oreo Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Red, White & Blue Oreo (Team Usa) · Oreo S’more Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Thins Latte Crème Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Thins Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Tiramisu Sandwich Cookies · Oreo Winter Edition Sandwich Cookies · Oreo – Maple Cream · Original Oreo Sandwich Cookies · Triple Double Oreo Sandwich Cookies

The equipment is not necessarily cleaned before the production of these cookies, and there may be a small amount of dairy residue present. Nonetheless, the dairy component would be minimal, and from a Halachic perspective, the dairy residue is nullified (botel bishishim) and of no consequence. The bottom line of all this is that these cookies may be consumed after meat and poultry, but not simultaneously. Please bear in mind that the manufacturer may choose in the future to reformulate these products and add dairy ingredients. Since these products already bear OUD symbols, formulation changes would not be reflected in the OUD logo. As such, we recommend that consumers check regularly with our office to confirm the status of these items.

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The following cereals are dairy equipment: General Mills · Cinnamon Toast Crunch · Golden Grahams · Oatmeal Crisp · Total · Total Raisin Bran · Wheaties Kashi · Heart to Heart Organic Honey Toasted Oat Cereal

The Premium Saltines is labeled OU, but in fact, its true status at the present time, is DE (Dairy Equipment).

The Aunt Jemima Original, Original Lite, and Whole wheat blend are labeled OUD, but in fact, their true status, at the present time are DE (Dairy Equipment).

Kellogg’s · Cracklin’ Oat Bran Quaker · Cap ‘N Crunch-(original-rest are dairy) · Oatmeal Squares

The Aunt Jemima Butter Rich and Butter Lite Syrup are actually dairy, NOT DE.

The following Outshine Ices are dairy equipment: · Pineapple · Strawberry · Mango · Watermelon · Grape · Raspberry · Lime · Cherry · Tangerine · Citrus Medley · Lemon · Peach · Pomegranate · Mango with Tajin No Sugar Added · Strawberry · Tangerine · Raspberry · Black Cherry · Strawberry Kiwi · Mixed Berry

All flavors of Charms Blow Pops are actually Dairy as they contain Dairy and NOT DE.

Ritz Crackers are actually dairy, NOT DE.

If uncertain about a certification status please call the OU Kosher office at 212-613-8241 or email kosherq@ou.org.

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Welcome to t he World of

Aut hentic Japanese Kosher Sushi

INTERVIEW WITH TEDDY KHAFIF BY: RAQUELE SASSON

Sushi has quickly become one of the most popular international dishes over the last century, with sushi restaurants easily found almost anywhere in the world, especially in the United States. This centuries-old Japanese staple has become a modern classic and is literally a national phenomenon! However, Kosher sushi, is a whole other story. Teddy Khafif, founder and owner of Akimori, recognized a massive void in the Jewish/Kosher hospitality department for high-quality sushi and an upscale dining experience.

How did you get into the restaurant industry? I always had the passion to get into a fastpaced industry that was also customer-friendly. I always loved the “magic” behind the kitchen and was intrigued by the culinary arts. I got into the industry at 17 years old, and started working in non-kosher restaurants and made my way up along the lines as a line cook, dish washer, all the way to chef, manager, and floor manager. It was a very big learning curve, especially within the non-kosher world.

Why did you specifically choose kosher sushi? I love good sushi and New York at the time happened to be the epi-center of a big sushi outburst; Everyone in New York was enjoying authentic Edomae-style Japanese cuisine, besides the Jewish community. The Jewish 50

communities had every style of cuisine down pat, including Italian, Steakhouses, French, Israeli, Tel-Avivian. The only thing they didn’t have was authentic Japanese sushi, which is a very difficult thing to learn, because you must put your time and effort into understanding how to perfect Japanese cuisine. Most people were going out to eat non-kosher sushi, so basically, there was an obvious void in the market. So that’s what I decided to pursue. I would never consider opening a non-kosher restaurant as I have seen first-hand that non-kosher sushi and their kitchens are real “taref,” including the vinegar, the vegetables, the knives, the cutting board etc. The fact that we are here now offering good kosher sushi is a big deal and that drives me further.

Tell us how Akimori started. Before COVID-19, Akimori was supposed to be a restaurant, as the restaurant industry was booming. I had this idea, I put in the time and

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effort, I learned the cuisine and after speaking to investors to raise money, I found one person who was interested to the point where we were negotiating a lease and we were about to sign it. Then, we backed out of it because of COVID and within the interim of months between March to June, I asked myself, “What am I doing with my life right now?” My dreams were shattered and I didnt know what to do. Then I came across this creative idea that I had and said, “let’s just bring the supplies, the fish, and the chefs to someone’s home and do a really nice dinner in someone’s dining room. G-d bless my mother (who is also my director of operations). She helped me turn my basement kitchen into a commissary kitchen with refrigerators and a sink, and we made it work. At the time, there were no restaurants and people just wanted some form of entertainment. So after we did our first event, which was a bachelor party for one of my friends, and since everything was closed they chose to do an Omakasse dinner in one of their offices. We did very well and word traveled very fast and after that we did several more events. I created this niche, and it’s something that even though restaurants are now open, we will continue to do intimate dinners in people’s homes and private events because people really enjoy it.

Do you have any formal education in the food industry? I did go to the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) for a brief period but most of my education and experience is all from working in a restaurant. So, I learned from the best of the best and got jobs at LPQ (Le Pain Quotidien), which is a French Bistro

chain, then I went to a restaurant called Tesui and learned everything there is about Japanese cuisine in the three years I was there. From there, I made my way to Masa, the ultimate best and most expensive sushi restaurant in the country. I worked for all of the owner’s restaurants in NYC. So my education was on the job experience. Once I got the kitchen or “back of house” down pat, then I learned the floor or “front house” of the restaurant, as server, floor manager, and then service manager. My whole mindset was that I’m going to open my own restaurant one day and I need to know all of these things.

What is the secret to making good quality sushi? That’s a big secret! I’ll give you the basics- it's very simple. First, you have to know your suppliers. We have our connections within Japan where we get our fish from. You must be able to trust who you're sourcing the fish from to look at the fish and decide that this fish will last to get from Japan to America and is good enough quality for us to serve. It took years of working with Masa and Tesui as a purchasing manager to learn how to order the fish. So I made my connection through them. While it's primarily the fish, the other main component of good sushi is the rice. Any chef I worked for, said sushi is 90% rice and 10% fish. You must have a good rice recipe for the sushi to taste awesome. Also, for authentic Japanese style, just keep sushi simple and don’t overload it with sauces. The most important thing is to taste the rice and the fish. One thing that sets us apart is that everything is made to order, and we don’t have refrigerators with ready-made

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sushi because that can compromise the quality. Everything is made fresh. We ask everyone that orders to enjoy the fish as soon as they get it.

What does “Omakase” mean? Omakase literally translates to “I trust you chef,” so what you are doing is leaving yourself in the hands of the chef through a traditional 18-course sushi dinner to feed you what he thinks is best in terms of seasonality and availability, and what he thinks is best in terms of ingredients as well. So, when you sit down in the restaurant there is no menu, no ordering, it is all up to the chef. Our Omakase pre-fixed menu, for example, will have three appetizers, twelve different types of fish, and then a hot dish and so on.

What are some of the most important characteristics that you must have as a restaurant owner? Being very patient. Things aren’t going to go your way, and you go through unexpected challenges, and nothing goes as planned. So, whether it's during the building process or when you open, you just have to be patient. For example, it can be the refrigerator going down, or the A/C breaking, or the fish delivery arriving late. In the restaurant industry there are always delays, but you have to go with the flow, remain calm, and just be patient.

Tell me about your staff. Our staff is absolutely awesome. MenSa is my first hire, and I’ve worked with him before when he was actually my manager. He taught me a lot of things I know and is one of the most ambitious, hard-working people I’ve ever worked with. He runs the front house side of things- operations, logistics, and is the General Manager in our Deal location. Chef Peter is our Executive Sushi Chef and really earns his title as he runs the entire backof-house operation. He is involved in anything to do with the quality of fish, to rice, and to the food getting onto a customer’s plate. He’s also worked for Masa, and three Michelin Star restaurants. All together, we have around ten chefs that we use for the different events, the restaurant, and as we are expanding, we are continuously hiring very selectively.

Define hospitality and what it means to you, whether it is an in-home experience or in the restaurant. Danny Meyers is the King of Hospitality. He opened a restaurant group and everyone in the hospitality industry knows who he is. He has a saying which always stuck with me, “Hospitality is how you make the customer feel.” It’s not just opening a restaurant and running an operation, it's how a customer feels when they walk into the restaurant and when they walk out. Even if you're doing a catering event, it’s how the customer feels. Even if it's just a phone call ordering sushi, it's how the customer feels. What we have in mind and what the entire goal is- is hospitality. Was the customer appreciated when they walked in or on a phone call? Our company standards are very simple: be friendly, speak kindly to guests, and maintain a positive human interaction. Hospitality is when you walk in and you feel good and you say, “that was an amazing experience.” Based on that concept of hospitality and the consistency of the sushi is how we get customers to come back.

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What was your vision for the ambiance of the restaurant? We worked with Pamela Jemal, who is an awesome interior designer. I gave her everything that I wanted a customer to feel, and she took that and ran with it. My idea was because we’re on the Jersey Shore, it’s hot out, it’s summer- lets build a restaurant that makes you feel like you’re in a cabana or on the beach, and it's bright inside. So, we incorporated some Japanese elements like bamboo, the greens, the wood and mixed it with a western cabana feel.There’s a beautiful terrazzo countertop and a nice grey stone floor with a clean look. We plan on being open all year round, so stop in, enjoy the sushi, listen to some music and just enjoy the ambiance.

How has COVID affected the way you do things in your restaurant? Everything is always being sanitized, and we follow the FDA and CDC guidelines which are constantly being updated on how restaurants should conduct themselves. We follow all the guidelines on products and surfaces, and especially how we handle food. Everything is what we would normally do, but more strict- when we get fish and other deliveries we check the temperatures of the refrigerators, all the surfaces are cleaned. Our standards are always up to par.

What are the benefits of JSOR specifically backing you and what role do they specifically play? One of the main reasons we are open here today, and a lot of the feedback and marketing, is because of the entire JSOR committee. Rabbi Hayim Asher Arking, Richard Setton, Mark Massry, Sammy Saka, and the whole team provide a high level of intimate support that you don’t get anywhere else. They’ve come into the restaurant often saying that they are here to help with anything I need, and they pick up the phone at any time of the day or night, and you don’t get that with other Hashgachot. That is what a kosher organization should be. JSOR goes above and

beyond just making sure you are kosher; there is a high level of personal involvement and they want to make sure you are succeeding. Maintaining kashrut for sushi is very simple. The Rabbi needs to make sure that when the fish comes through the door, it comes with fins and scales. Knives and metal utensils need to be dipped and koshered. We get certified kosher vinegar, and all the vegetables that we receive in bulk, are thoroughly checked twice a week with a lightbox. It is a very seamless process. It is very heartwarming to know that we can tell customers we are 100% kosher.

How do you think it impacts our community to have a variety of kosher restaurants available to them? It impacts the community very much, and the impact is more than people may think. You cannot grow spiritually if you are continuously going out to non-kosher restaurants. Even if you are sitting in a non-kosher restaurant and you think it’s ok to have the pasta, you can’t grow spiritually and religiously if that is the food you are bringing into your neshama. So, to have good options to go out, especially in Deal, NJ, whether it’s sushi, steakhouses, pizza, or Italian, will enable one person or a whole family to start working on themselves religiously in other areas. The impact just keeps growing.

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Grandma’s Cheese Cafe A Solution to the Problem

In 2013, when just a senior in Flatbush High School, Florence Cohen attended a cooking class taught by her grandmother (a notably modest cook in the community), Moselle Tobias. Among many food delicacies, Tobias’s forte is a Middle Eastern, Armenian string cheese.This delicacy resembles a thick, twisted braid. And when executed correctly, strands of cheese can be separated from the whole, giving it its name. However, what makes this cheese unique are the associations and memories attached to it by our community and culture. Collectively we hold our recipes dear, maybe as a way of honoring and celebrating our past. Or perhaps because the recipes are simply delicious. After successfully selling to over a dozen stores in New York, New Jersey and Miami, Florence and her husband Max, who partnered in the business shortly after they wed, felt capped. Outside of our Syrian community, many do not know or appreciate the beauty of string cheese. The lack of product awareness became clear to them once they attended an Ashkenazi marketplace in the Upper East Side. They immediately had to reassess and decide whether Grandma’s Cheese was worth their time and energy. It was a nice small business, but can it be more? In the meantime, Max kept his primary business, an Auntie Anne’s franchise in the Bronx. Then, while expecting their first child, Max came home with a brilliant idea. He told Florence he found a location on Brighton Avenue in Long Branch to become the business’s commercial kitchen and small retail space for brand awareness. Florence

lit up at the possibility and gave the green light. But where to begin? Luckily, they attend the same synagogue as Rabbi Arking, a prominent figure in JSOR. From the beginning, he offered insight and enthusiasm- both critical elements to creating Grandma’s Cheese Café. Summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Grandma’s Cheese Café opened in a temporary space on Wall Street in West Long Branch. They shared the commercial kitchen with Michelle Jemal of Coconuts, who was also under the umbrella and guidance of JSOR. Thankfully Grandma’s Cheese Cafe saw amazing success, mostly because people from the neighboring Jewish communities came, and more importantly, they learned about the product. Somehow, Grandma’s Cheese Café became the brand's solution. Grandma’s Cheese Café is at its third location one year later, working hand in hand with JSOR. One can purchase authentic, preservative-free Grandma’s string cheese in various delectable flavors, including original (and seedless), olive, spicy olive, pesto, truffle, and zaatar at many of the local stores. The Cafe may have started as merely a solution to the initial lack of product awareness; however, it now is a popular destination and a reason for the greater Jewish community to vacation by the beaches in Long Branch. So stop into Grandma’s Cheese Cafe today and build your delicious panini, omelet, tartlet, sandwich, croissant, or toast, all enhanced with your choice of Grandma’s Cheese and fresh toppings!

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A Peek at PKS By the Shore The concept of kosher food in stadiums has been around for a long time. However, the need for more variety and better quality food is what we envisioned. PKS or Prime Kosher Sports started in Coney Island with the minor league baseball team Cyclones in Brooklyn, NY. Two years later, we were drafted to the majors, NY Mets at Citifield in Queens. Our love for sports and good kosher food led us to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, for the NJ Devils. Our long-term business plan is for PKS to be in as many stadiums and arenas that need kosher options. Last year we had the opportunity to open the food truck by DSN beach club under JSOR supervision and which was very well-received. Keeping with our tradition for the love of sports and great food, we then made a home at DSN Community center on Norwood Ave in Deal, New Jersey. Our success is all credited to our loyal customers. We take pride in the quality of our food and good customer service.

In the stadiums, we sell Stadium Hot Dogs, Sausages, Burgers and Pulled Brisket. Inside DSN, we sell “The Johnny,” “Hobbs burger,” and our famous “PKS Knish Sandwich.” We also offer healthy options such as wraps and salads. We are happy to say that both kids and adults enjoy our delicious food, and we are honored to serve our community. PKS is very proud to serve kosher food in the stadiums, and provide people with the option of eating kosher. JSOR makes sure that we are following all Halachic laws to the fullest. The importance of keeping kashrut, especially in public venues, became a necessity. More and more Jewish people eat kosher today and want to have a good experience. We look forward to servicing our community and our sports fans throughout the year! Visit us at www.pksbytheshore.com or call us 732-813-5757

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Enhanced Kosher Dining by t he Shore at

Sal t Steakhouse INTERVIEW WITH DAVID MIZRAHI BY: RAQUELE SASSON This summer, the Glatt kosher Salt Steakhouse opened its doors at Pier Village in Long Branch, New Jersey. The restaurant is under strict supervision by the JSOR and provides an upscale fine dining experience for all to enjoy. Restaurateur David Mizrahi, who has made an impact on the kosher hospitality industry at large, provides an inspiring look at his latest restaurant on the Jersey Shore.

1. Tell me about yourself, your background and experiences, and how you got into the restaurant industry? Any training in formal dining or cooking the cuisine? Do you consider yourself to be a foodie? When I was younger, I worked in various restaurants, including pizzerias, sandwich shops, and more. I then went into real estate, and when the opportunity came up to buy a failing small restaurant, I bought it, renamed it, and rebranded it to be Eat a Pita which has been around for a decade in Lakewood, NJ. After that, I opened another restaurant, Revolve, a sixty-seat Bistro located in the same vicinity. After owning and selling the operative Tapas of Deal, NJ, I opened up the hit LBK Grill in Pier Village last summer and a second Eat a Pita in Lakewood the previous fall. Salt Steakhouse is the fifth restaurant which opened its doors this summer. The restaurant business is definitely my calling, as I enjoy seeing people coming in, wining and dining them, having a good time, leaving satisfied and happy and getting an overall great experience.

2. Why did you choose the name “SALT STEAKHOUSE?” There is a lot of deep meaning behind the name “SALT” as it refers to koshering meat and the steakhouse being right by the salty oceans of the Jersey Shore. Salt is not a flavoring or a spice for bland food, rather it is an enhancerit brings out whatever flavoring you’re going to have. If you put salt on a piece of fish, or meat or potatoes it will make the flavor pop.Even with alcoholic drinks, putting salt in a tequila glass it will make the flavor that much more savory. Salt is the main ingredient in almost every dish, even in desserts such as salted caramel. The key ingredient in every single dish and the core foundation of cooking is salt. There is almost no cuisine that cooks without salt. The restaurant has incorporated many variations of salt into the drinks and dishes, including black lava salt, Himalayan salt, rock salt, and flake salt. 3. What was your vision for Salt Steakhouse and why did you choose this location on the Jersey Shore as opposed to anywhere else?

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Initially, the Kushner Company reached out to me to operate LBK Grill as a fast food kosher outdoor venue which opened May of 2020 in the middle of the Corona pandemic--and the rest is history. LBK Grill became a smashing success and has served upwards of 50,000 customers in the Summer of 2020. We also received a tremendous amount of inquiries for reservations and Shabbat meals last year from those staying at the Wave Hotel which is right above LBK Grill. Seeing this demand, I realized the need for an upscale kosher steakhouse and that led to the next obvious step. There has never been in Monmouth County or the East Coast the type of high caliber waterfront dining experience that the glatt kosher Salt Steakhouse offers its guests. Being in Pier Village, at the top beach and the most upscale boardwalk in the tri-state area is definitely a plus for the restaurant. The locale contains many hotels, condos, and vacationers in which visitors come to enjoy the scenery, surf, and kosher food. Whether one is coming from Lakewood, NJ, or North Jersey, the travel time beats going to NYC, and the experience provides a beach and boardwalk vibe unlike the city or anywhere else in Jersey.

Salt Steakhouse will be open all year round, and offering prefixed, pre-booked online Shabbat meals for Friday night and Shabbat day. Meals will be composed of a full four-course meal (dinner and/or lunch) for those living within walking distance or those traveling to the shore for a hotel stay. The Shabbat meals are a great feature for families or friends getting together to enjoy an upscale dining experience. 4. Tell us about the decor and ambiance of Salt Steakhouse. Salt Steakhouse is situated in a brand new building, and the restaurant was designed by HHDesigners, Heshy Hecht, and his team from Toms River, who created a visually stimulating atmosphere contributing to the overall ambiance. Upon entering, guests are greeted by a very inviting, dimly lit bar area, in which the back wall and face of the bar are strategically set with blocks of Himalayan pink salt. The expansive 6000 square foot space incorporates a modern industrial decor, with high ceilings, wood floors and raw concrete walls. Metal features were added to the statuesque columns and mobile dividers and provide a touch of glamour throughout. Furniture consists of white leather chairs or spacious

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6. Describe some of the distinctive elements that were integrated into the restaurant’s kitchen and menu that sets you apart?

booths and marble dining tables, topped with salt candleholders. Waterfront outdoor seating is available on the boardwalk surrounding the restaurant. The goal is for the restaurant to appeal to both families and couples, private parties and those celebrating more significant events. 5. What are some of the special features that were incorporated into Salt Steakhouse’s design? There are two private event spaces and a chef’s table enclosed in a private room with glass walls that holds up to eight people. The guests can electronically frost the glass walls out for privacy as they enjoy an eight-course dinner of exquisite culinary creations, with the first-class service to match. In addition, Salt Steakhouse has partnered with Herzog Winery, and we are in the process of building a Herzog Wine Library that will hold up to 1500 bottles of all different types of wine. We will also be aging and storing our own vintage wines with our private label. The focal point above this area allows guests to watch on a 15-foot wide natural stone art piece, projected images of the actual wine-making process. 60

There is an all-glass refrigerator or dry-aging room in which the guests can view only the highest grade of prime beef being aged anywhere between 21 to 60 days and sometimes even 90 days. The refrigerated process of aging the beef releases the tension in the meat, breaking down the muscle and tissue, which ultimately makes for a more tender and delectable meal. The restaurant’s “Wagyu'' program is a Japanese concept in which a breed of cattle brought in from Japan have been pampered their entire life, including being massaged and fed the highest grade of ingredients. As a result, the beef from this animal is softer, more tender, well-marbleized, and has a more prominent flavor. Based upon availability of what cuts are available is what the steakhouse will have on its Wagyu menu. In addition, there is a Neapolitan Italian pizza oven, considered the “Ferrari” of ovens, installed in the middle of the dining room. It runs at about 700 degrees, where the chefs make various Neapolitan style flatbreads, including smoked chicken and beef, brisket, and BBQ. The menu includes vegetarian options, such as, vegetarian flatbread, a vegetarian risotto, a cauliflower dish, and various gourmet salads, to accommodate every customer. While it is a steakhouse, there is a premium raw and cooked fish menu in which all types of fish, including Salmon, Chilean Seabass, and Yellowfin Tuna are sourced from the highest grade fish available in the region. 7. Please tell us about the chef at Salt Steakhouse. Chef Pinchas Frank was born and raised in Ellenville, New York, and his father was the Rabbi of the Ellenville Shul. Around the year 2000, he studied in the Institution of Culinary Arts of Jerusalem. He then was the chef at Entree’ Restaurant in Lakewood for about nine years. Chef Pinchas and his culinary team of butchers, sous chef, and pastry chefs add a unique flair

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to every dish served at Salt Steakhouse, while maintaining a straightforward cooking style, mouthwatering flavor and beautiful presentation.

the guest can navigate and book reservations seamlessly. We do, however, accept a limited number of walk-in customers.

8. What is JSOR’s role in Salt Steakhouse and what is the significance of being a glatt kosher restaurant within the community?

Customer service is a top priority at Salt Steakhouse. Employees are all hand-picked and trained by the best consultants to provide the highest level of professional service. My philosophy is that the customer is always right, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for an unhappy guest. I believe you must listen to your guests. The guests are the boss. Our staff is specially trained to work hard to please every guest, treating them like kings and queens.

My team and I worked closely with JSOR to curate seasonal menus with ingredients and foods available at different times of the year. A full-time mashgiach works every day in the restaurant from morning until closing. All greens are washed in-house under the supervision of JSOR. In addition, all incoming deliveries are checked to meet or surpass the JSOR standards. For example, all breads and baking are Pat Israel, all flour is Yashan, most meats are available as Bet Yosef, and all wines are Mevushal. Our goal is to accommodate everybody who wants to come here whether they are a vegetarian, Bet Yosef, or Kedisha Schechita. Being a kosher restaurant has many challenges. However, I look at kosher as a plus because it sets us apart from every other restaurant. Eating kosher only adds to the experience. 9. What is your philosophy behind creating a great dining experience for the customer?

10. How do you define hospitality and what sets Salt Steakhouse from other restaurants? Hospitality is making sure every person is happy and that we are attending to the guest’s needs, whether it is accommodating a special dietary restriction or a seating request. What sets us apart is our attention to fine detail, with our decor, our food, and our staff. Our number one goal is to have guests leave with a smile on their face no matter what, so they are sure to return again and again.

I firmly believe that a great dining experience begins with a user-friendly website so that

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Get t he Inside Scoop on t he Kosher Baked Bear INTERVIEW WITH TYLER HESS 7/27/21 BY: RAQUELE SASSON The Baked Bear, a San Diego, California-based ice cream sandwich shop, opened its first location in New Jersey just in time for summer. Well known for its monstrous ice cream sandwiches and original, baked-from-scratch recipes, the menu will feature 12 cookie and brownie flavors and 13 super-premium ice cream flavors. Guests can mix and match to customize their ideal ice cream sandwich. After selecting their cookie or brownie and premium ice cream, toppings can be added such as Oreo crumbs and Fruity Pebbles. Finally, guests can opt to have their sandwich hotpressed to perfectly warm the cookies with cold, delicious ice cream. Store owners, Tyler and Elly Hess, first fell in love with The Baked Bear concept when living in San Diego where Tyler was serving in the Navy. While working for a major food manufacturer, including ice cream, they relocated to New Jersey and started dreaming of starting their own business at the Jersey Shore. “We were constantly talking about how much we loved and missed The Baked Bear in San Diego, and it just dawned on us. Pier Village would be the perfect home for our very own Baked Bear location.” said Tyler Hess. “Just the heavenly aroma alone will keep our customers coming back,” Elly Hess added. “Fresh baked cookies all day, every day. Plus, the absolute best ice cream ever. Who can resist?”

1. Tell me a little about yourself and how you got into the business of selling ice cream with the Baked Bear franchise? I was actually in the navy- that was my first career, and I was stationed in San Diego for about four years. Around two years ago, when my wife and I were in San Diego for a wedding, they had advertised franchise opportunities. I became friendly with the owners and decided to go for it, knowing it would do well here on the Jersey Shore. Our Grand Opening was the weekend before Memorial Day. Here in Pier Village, there is a great community and there are a lot of options in terms of food, beverage and entertainment that draw people here. There are also many diverse groups of people and our product is something we can share with the community. And who doesn’t love Ice cream and cookies when they’re at the beach in the summer? 2. What is the meaning behind the Baked Bear name? So, the “Baked” is for the bakery as all the dough is made in-house. We bake all of our cookies from scratch here every day. And if you noticed our logo, the “Bear” is a Polar bear which represents ice cream. 3. What is the concept behind the Baked Bear? And What sets it apart from other ice cream stores in the area? Our main staple is the custom ice cream sandwichit’s kind of like Chipotle for dessert. Our customers can select everything that they want to build out their personalized ice cream sandwich. We have cookies, brownies, vegan options, and then your choice of ice cream in the middle. Then you can add a wide assortment of toppings and warm the whole thing up so the cookies taste like they are right out of the oven. We have parve options for both the cookies and ice cream too.

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4. Tell me about JSOR, how it came about and why you chose to become a kosher Baked Bear franchise? It’s an interesting story...I’m not Jewish myself, but when I came into Pier Village I knew there were kosher restaurants and that Deal is a big Jewish community. We were not kosher and the Baked Bear is not a kosher franchise. But when I moved in I met the owner of LBK Grill and Salt Steakhouse, David Mizrahi, and we were talking about our businesses, and he asked me, “Are you kosher?” I said, “No,” and he said, “Well, you should be..!” So, he introduced me to JSOR and Rabbi Arking, Rabbi Kahn and when I gave them a call, they came out super excited about it too. 5. How has it made a difference in your clientele volume being backed by JSOR? I had to make some tweaks to our recipes, ingredients and our operational process to make it work. Luckily we were able to become kosher shortly after we opened, so we’ve been able to serve customers from the community right off the bat. We are very appreciative that JSOR led us through the process so that we can follow our business’ core values. One is to be a part of the community, and we have noticed that people take note of the posted information as they are ordering their dessert. We are happy to have them as happy customers! 6. What exactly is the role JSOR plays to make sure your food is kosher? The baking process is very important, so the Rabbi comes and inspects our ovens and entire baking process. Also, though it’s not “chalav yisrael,” all of the Baked Bear’s ice cream is kosher. I mentioned we made a few tweaks to our recipes, mainly around substituting our eggs to a kosher option. We eliminated and swapped out one of our drink options that wasn’t kosher. We also changed our process for the parve items by not using shared equipment for dairy and pareve cookies. As per the rabbis’ requests, we purchased different color trays and ice cream scoops to ensure that there is no cross-contamination. Again, the investment is worth it for me, I’m serving the community, it brings me more business-it’s just a win-win. 7. What type of research or training did you do in order to be able to run the Baked Bear? When we bought into the franchise,I went out to San Diego for a month and brought my management staff out for two weeks. So it was

thorough, very detailed training- I started out working as an entry-level team member, then I learned how to be a shift leader, and then a store manager. My team and I know how to do everything from the bottom to the top. When you get good instruction and training, plus have my military background, it makes it easier to be a good operator. I have a personal relationship with the CEO of the company and he came here for a week during our grand opening to help with the training and with the launch. They provide a high level of support, are hands-on, and very helpful with solving problems and working together. 8. Is there a philosophy that they pass on to all their franchise owners? The core values and mission statement of the Baked Bear is to spread joy and happiness to our customers one ice cream sandwich at a time. And that’s what I instill in all my employees. In order to work here, you need to be positive, you need to be happy, you need to be outgoing and personable. We’re all about customer service- the moment a customer walks in the door that is our focus.There are many places that sell ice cream, but what I think makes the Baked Bear special is that it’s custom, our employees are great, our staff is friendly and helpful, we are 100% customer 63

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before in my life. Particularly during the construction process and opening process, so many things went wrong. In this COVID environment, things get delayed, such as parts and materials, and the lack of availability of workers. All these unexpected things occur, but you just have to be flexible and that drive to overcome and not take no for an answer or accept the status quo. It is hard work, but it’s also very rewarding. I like being a part of the community, I have my own staff, and a team I can grow and develop. 11. What are the hours here, and on average, how many customers a day come from morning till night to enjoy some dessert?

focused and customers like that. That’s what sets us apart. 9. Tell us a bit about the design of the place and the kitchen. The Baked Bear franchise has a general layout and design element that we follow, but every store does not have the same exact dimensions, so we modified it a bit. The layout of the counter is the same in every shop because it's in the order you customize your ice cream sandwich. First, you have the cookies on display, then ice cream, toppings, and the register. It’s like a conveyor belt process, and we guide the customer through that. We also have a window so people can watch the bakery process where they’re mixing the dough. I gave it some personal touches, like pictures from the local area to make it unique. 10. What characteristics must you have to be a business owner? What are some of the challenges you face being a franchise owner? My military background certainly helps me, particularly with franchising, because it's about following specific steps and procedures, being organized and detail-oriented. As a business owner though, the number one thing is you have to be very flexible and adapt on the fly, because so many curve balls happen, and so many things have gotten thrown at me that I’ve never dealt with 64

During the week, we are open from noon to 11 PM, but on the weekends, we extend that a bit to accommodate the line. In the fall, we will adjust as we see when we are the busiest knowing that the beach traffic to the area will slow down. That’s when we will focus on further expanding our business to catering events, such as birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, and any corporate events. We will also utilize the delivery Apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Obviously, the beach go-ers vary significantly based on the weather, so it’s hard to give an average number of customers, but when we are busy, and there is a line out the door, we are excited to keep growing. 12. What has this whole experience taught you about entrepreneurship? I was in the military and then worked for a big company, and now I’m an entrepreneur. The biggest adjustment has been wearing the many different hats. Not only am I the boss, but I’m the maintenance man, sometimes the cleaning guy, HR, and marketing- I’m everything. What is awesome is I can control my own destiny, and I’m the decision- maker. It is also really important as an entrepreneur to know that you can’t do it all yourself. You need to build a good, strong team, develop people, give people the opportunity to shine, and allow them to grow. That’s what people want. So I like to bring people in, develop them and if they show promise, give them more opportunity. That’s what gets me excited. It’s only going to help me in the short-term and them in the long-term by learning more skills. As an entrepreneur, you can have the best ideas and work ethic, but there are only 24 hours in a day, so building a good team that can help and take on more responsibility is absolutely paramount.

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The Evolution of SmokinDeal HOW A PASSION TURNED INTO A KOSHER BUSINESS BY: ROBBIE HALIMA

BBQ, Brisket and Dry Rubs I was never in the food business, but I was always a “foodie.” Before I got married, I dabbled a bit in smoking meat. Watching all those great BBQ shows, I was inspired to create something amazing, something unique that many of us in the community are not close in proximity to. Between burning most of it, the cost of Prime grade quality meat, and meeting my lovely wife, I let the dream go. But the craving was always there to get back on the horse. I’m far from the type to give up on anything. I spent years of trial and error to perfect my rubs. Then,six years later, when the pandemic started and with some extra time on my hands, I decided to give it another shot just for fun. I spent many long nights smoking brisket for 14-18 hours, fighting the bitter cold, physically playing with fire (no pun intended), and testing the right mix of charcoal and wood flavors. I experimented with old recipes that I had stashed away until I finally nailed it.

I called over a good friend, and, in short, he ate one pound of brisket and took two to go. Over the next few weeks, I continued to make more to ensure it wasn’t a fluke. I called the same friend over for his opinion once again, and his reaction was, “Ok, ok, let’s go! Where’s my to-go bag, yalla let’s go!” I couldn’t just stop there. I still needed more feedback, so I tested it out on a few of my coworkers at the time. And again, it was a hit. Still not satisfied, I asked my wife’s cousin if he liked smoked meat to come over and try it. The reaction was the same, “Wow! I can’t believe you made this; you gotta sell this.” At the time, I wasn’t thinking of it as a business. I viewed it as a way just to invite a bunch of friends over and have a Brisket Sunday or a delicious barbecue. So that’s what we did. We invited a bunch of friends over with all their kids. I made a whole 12-pound brisket and two Dino ribs. Within ten minutes, it was all gone!

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Pivoting from a Passion to a Business Not until I was let go from work in December 2020 with two months’ notice did I think this could be a business. Friends texted me right away with support; some offered to help find me another job and put me in touch with various opportunities. Then, the handful of people that tasted the food and were buying it told me to start an Instagram account. At the time, I have to admit I was not fond of it, but I did, and the name SmokinDeal was created at the spur of the moment. On January 8, 2021, I received a beautifully written text message from my now ex-boss and was provided with only two weeks' notice to leave. However, everything comes from Hashem for a reason. So, after some advice and not being able to supply enough food weekly, I kicked the Instagram marketing into high gear,(credit to the “Wolf Pack”), and a much larger smoker was purchased and added to the arsenal. From there, the story continues… I still was not perceiving it as a full-time business until my wife’s cousin who tasted the brisket a few weeks back called me and said he wants to buy one pound, as well as, some ribs and burnt ends. There was a little back and forth about me not wanting to charge him and him saying, “Then forget it I don’t want it.” That’s pretty much when it started as a side gig. He had a few friends over who tasted it, which kicked it off the ground. One of them is now called my "Number One." It all started from word of mouth. Since then, I’ve been at maximum capacity with how much I can make for Shabbat or Sunday and sold out every weekend. One customer kept trying to order on Thursdays for three weeks in a row, and I had to turn him away each time saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sold out.” Finally, the following Monday, he sent me a text saying, “I’m ordering from now, please book it for me for Shabbat, I don’t want to lose out again.” The same customer’s text verbatim a couple of weeks later: Customer: Anything left for tonight? Me: Half rack of pastrami ribs. I actually have 3 half-racks. Pastrami brisket I might have 1lbs. And regular smoked brisket. Customer: How much for it all? Me: Around $275-$335. Let me know as soon as possible- I just put them in the freezer Customer: Get it out of the freezer. Done and done. Thank you.

It’s gotten to a point where some people make their selection based on whatever remainder of meat is left. Their question to me is, “Do you have anything left? I don’t care what it is, I’ll take it!” I once got a phone call at 11pm from a customer asking me to make him a pulled beef sandwich…. and I did. Another time I was up smoking meat orders for Shabbat, a good friend was live on Instagram, and we joked around if I had anything available at that moment, 2:30 AM! End of storywe did a live of him coming over and I made him my famous pulled beef sandwich. Video is up on Instagram @smokindeal Everything we make is a specialty because each item is painstakingly handmade. I wouldn’t add anything to the menu unless it possessed the “wow” factor. Whenever I’m testing a new recipe, I send samples to specific customers I trust for honest feedback. Sometimes it’s a win, and sometimes I drop the recipe altogether. The Magic of Mazza Mazza started by accident. Certain parts of a whole brisket simply fall apart and can’t be sliced. That being said, I wasn’t experienced enough to know what else I can make of it and was throwing it away. One day my wife said, “It’s horrible that you keep throwing all this away,” so she decided to do some experimenting of her own and created what we now call the “Brisket pizza.” We also included the standard Lahamagine and Kibbeh. The Kibbeh recipe and techniques come from my mother, whom I’ve tried to convince for years that she must sell her kibbeh. So my wife went on an extended expedition to Brooklyn to learn the handmade techniques and recipes handed down from my grandmother. At the same time, I remembered an old bbq sauce recipe that I loved but couldn’t recall the exact ingredients or amounts. So, the experimenting began again, and a few weeks later, pulled beef brisket came about. We couldn’t just offer a few Mazza items; people wanted more and were asking for more. Especially the kibbeh. 67

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cooking sometimes at six or eight o’clock at night. Nevertheless, he always arrived to show me the ropes, and ensured I was doing everything properly. Learning any new routine is difficult, but it’s really not a big deal once you do it. I believe JSOR is trying to bring more restaurants to the community to help prevent people from eating out and support them in maintaining the proper kashrut together. And I am all for it. Branding, Marketing, and Catering It took about two months to brand SmokinDeal with a logo and a slogan of, “It’s so good it’s _______.” I’ve offered Dino ribs to anyone that can fill it in. Perhaps, I’ll leave it as is, as one person suggested. Marketing has been mainly through Instagram and a WhatsApp group chat where I post a daily menu of what is available that day. Partnering with JSOR Teaming up with JSOR was not an easy task; however, it was worthwhile to do so. It has taught me to be more aware, mindful, and careful. Customers started asking about hashgacha so teaming with JSOR was a no-brainer. Separate locked kitchen area and utensils brought and continue to attract new clientele. The entire JSOR organization has been overwhelmingly kind and generous with their help and support, and I thank them for what they are doing. Hashem should bless them all as they continue to achieve extraordinary accomplishments with kashrut in our community. The mashgiach assigned to me was extremely strict. However, he took the time to point out how things should be done, helped me learn more, and raised my awareness. Rabbi Arking stayed in complete communication with me through dozens of phone calls and hundreds of text messages. I can’t even count how many times Rabbi Arking has shown up by surprise to help me while working in the kitchen. Rabbi Arking was always right there over my shoulder. Although it took getting used to keeping things separated as needed, it is well worth the effort to maintain the standards of kashrut. My mashgiach, Rabbi Kahn, is fantastic and is in touch daily about what I am cooking. He was very accommodating, even though I would start 68

While SmokinDeal started in December 2020 with about 3-10 orders a week, now, we have a daily menu, catered events, private dinners, Mazza parties, engagements, and more. The first time I had to cook for hundreds of people was for Super Bowl parties which was challenging. This summer, our premiere Smokeout event brought together different guys in the community that didn’t know each other but who love my food. The event was a huge hit. I created a small WhatsApp group chat for everybody attending the event and posted some food prepping videos from the night before. Everybody in the chat discussed how excited they were for the actual event. After the party was over, SmokinDeal got rave reviews which created a demand for another Smokeout…. date is yet to be determined!! As we expand, the natural next step is to secure a location, which will be in the Deal, NJ area. The Significance of Kashrut in the Community It is extremely critical to the community’s core values to have a wide variety of kosher restaurants from which to choose. With social media combined with COVID in our backyards, our children will grow up in a new world and society. We need to adapt, pivot, and make changes in our community for years to come by bringing more restaurant venues that the younger generation can enjoy. Let’s not leave them with the option to choose the non-kosher venues because they “look more fun.” Instead, let’s create kosher venues that “are more fun.” We should never forget that our children will most likely follow our example, not our advice.

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HomeKosher Vendors HOMEKOSHER - A STATUS SYMBOL

Baruch HaShem, our community is growing at a rapid pace and for many so is the desire to start a home-based business. More and more people, women and men, adults and young adults, are cooking, baking, and catering! HomeKosher provides guidance in keeping a secure standard of Kosher and recognition of status for these people. Backed by the highly qualified Rabbis from the JSOR, HomeKosher is taking home food service businesses to the next level, reaching new clientele, and expanding their customers base. In addition, having a recognized status of HomeKosher brings greater confidence to all who would like to buy.

alan’s

izerdbay

Alan's Izerbay Alan Ashkenazie 732-314-1190 @izerdbay

Cookiesndough Michelle Sarway 347-725-2731 @cookiesndoughny

Alexis Cohen 732-403-4901 @alexiscohen

The Cupcake Shop Margo Giladi 718-501-4976 @thecupcake_shop

Best with Bread Hellen Falah 305-213-6993 @best_with_bread

Fonz Fired Pizza Alfonse Missry 917-270-7524 @fonzfiredpizza

Bread and Batter Sara Jajati & Gabrielle Srugo 917-667-9470 @breadandbatter Challi n' Biscotti Emily Massry 718-974-2548 @emilymassrychalli_n_biscotti CooCoo Kosher Victoria Harary 516-732-7587

@CooCoo_Kosher

Fran's Balanced Kitchen Frances Palacci 917-692-0002 @fransbalancedkitchen Frieda's Kitchen Custom Cakes Frieda Cohen 718-986-1313 @friedacohen Homemade by MJ Michael Jemal 917-922-1446 @homemade_by_mj

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Manie's Dressings & more Manie Dwek 732-996-0691

Marlene's Treats Marlene Massry GOURMET FRENCH MACARON 732-570-5205 Gluten-Free

Retail Price $15

non-gmo non-hydrogenated oils Homemade

M T

Gluten-Free

Retail Price $15 non-gmo non-hydrogenated oils Homemade

M T

Flavors: Caramel Macchiato // Mint Chocolate // Chocolate // Vanilla Strawberry // Cherry // Lemon // Coffee // Cookies and Cream Ingredients: Blanched Almond Flour, Egg Whites, Organic Pure Cane Sugar, Natural and Artificial Flavors and Colors.

GOURMET FRENCH MACARON

Rita's Pies Rita Balanka 718-509-5335 @ritas_pies Selmitas Selma Mann 917-575-9666 @selmitas_

Mary Dairy Mary Sutton 917-902-6595

@Mary_Dairy13

Sheri’s Babycakes Sheri Saff 917-826-3359 @sherisaff

Molli B Biscotti Mollie Betesh 917-402-9687 @molliebbiscotti

String Cheese by Jane Jane Choueka 917-647-1620 @stringcheesebyjane

Nic's Desserts Nicole Michael 516-974-5749 @nicsdesserts

Stuffffed Jaqueline Elbaz 917-514-7432 @stuffffed

Popmix by Marilyn Marilyn Shamula 917-280-6564 @marilynspopmix

Teatoxx Rena Goldman & Marcelle Shasho 718-844-2959 @teatoxx_

Rachelly's Desserts Rachelly Sharaby 917-885-3559

If you have a home based food service business and would like to take it to the next level, call the JSOR office (732) 759-0388 and ask for details! Learn more at www.homekosher.org or on Instagram @home.kosher 71

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Pomegranate Chicken

Jacqueline Elbaz | @Stuffffed HOMEKOSHER

This festive holiday dish includes symbolic ingredients such as pomegranites and molasses to help bring in the Jewish New Year! It tastes as delicious as it is beautiful!

INGREDIENTS: · 6-8 chicken pieces (I used legs and thighs · · · · · · · · · · · ·

to make everyone happy) with the skin on. 5 TBS pomegranate molasses 1-2 lemons, washed and sliced 2 small red onions, sliced thin 3 cloves crushed garlic Tablespoon of evoo or avocado oil Pinch of salt Pinch of pepper Teaspoon Lemon pepper 2 tsp dried mint 2 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp coriander 2-3 teaspoons pomegranate seeds

INSTRUCTIONS: In bowl mix together chicken, pomegranate molasses, lemons, onions, garlic, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and oil. After coating chicken, put in ziploc bag to marinate. Refrigerate for no less than 2 hours Preheat oven to 250 degrees Put the chicken in the oven for 45-50 minutes on a lined metal sheetpan tray Add the mint, parsley and coriander plus pomegranate seeds Bake for another 20-25 minutes Serve and enjoy!

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"Lubiya "

Jean Kairey | Grandma's Goodies

Sephardic Black-Eyed Peas The traditional Black-Eyed Peas with meat is served at the Rosh Hashanah meal to symbolize a New Year that is rich in blessings and prosperity.

INGREDIENTS: · Black Eye Peas - Fresh or frozen · Veal Yadayim · Garlic · Oregano · Salt · Pepper · Allspice · Water INSTRUCTIONS: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the garlic, oregano, and veal until they start to brown. Add rinsed loobye, and all seasonings. Cover with water. Transfer to the oven and bake covered on 350 until meat and black-eyed peas are soft and brown.

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Meat Empanadas Esther Arking shares one of her most delicious mazza recipes. If you like it extra spicy, feel free to add a green jalapeno to the meat!

INGREDIENTS: · 1 lb. chopped meat · 1 sweet onion cut up very small · 1 red pepper cut up very small · 1 whole head of garlic cut up very small · 1 8 oz can of tomato sauce · 2 Tbs oregano (be generous) · Salt · 5 oz jar Spanish green olives halved · Mazor Empanada dough · Green jalapeno (optional for extra spice!) · Vegetable oil for frying INSTRUCTIONS: Combine the meat, onion, red pepper, garlic, tomato sauce, and spices in one pot Cook the meat down and use a masher until there are no more juices left. Mash it down until the meat is very fine. Once all of the ingredients are cooked, add the cut up olives to the cooled mixture. Place meat in the center of each dough round Fold the dough over to close it, and then seal the edges using a fork. Deep fry in vegetable oil until the dough looks golden brown and a little crispy.

Esther Arking

In honor of the

JSOR for their invaluable service to the community.

Ricky Esses

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KOSHER

JSOR

JERSEY SHORE ORTHODOX RABBINATE

Restaurant Guide

In Honor of Our Parents, Danny & Shelley Massry By Their Loving Children - Isaac & Linda, Mark & Iris

Fine Dining MEAT 656 Ocean Bistro 656 Ocean Ave, Long Branch, NJ 732-728-9656

Dougie’s BBQ 256 Norwood Ave, Ocean, NJ 732-517-0300 LBK Grill at Wave Resort (Seasonal) 110 Ocean Ave, Long Branch, NJ 732-335-6633

Butcher’s Steakhouse 401 Main St, Allenhurst, NJ 732-686-1498

Prime Kosher Sports @DSN 244 Norwood Avenue, Oakhurst, NJ 732-813-5757

Salt Steakhouse 15 Morris Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 732-813-7258

Retro Grill 214 Roosevelt Ave, Deal, NJ 732-695-3119

Takara Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse 1610 Rt 35 South, Oakhurst, NJ 732-663-1899

Sheng Mao Chinese 214 Roosevelt Ave, Oakhurst, NJ 732-531-7086

Tapas 116 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-660-1700 DAIRY Down To Earth (Seasonal) 312 Main Street, Allenhurst, NJ 732-686-1597 Orchid Gardens Dining 1610 NJ-35, Oakhurst, NJ 732-695-3122 Primavera 118 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-430-2106

Family Dining Balagan 66 Monmouth Rd, Oakhurst, NJ 732-716-4200 The Diner at Stingers 656 Ocean Ave, Long Branch, NJ 732-728-9656

Cafe / Bakery Ave P Appetizers (Seasonal) 276 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-695-6226 466 Avenue P, Brooklyn NY 718-339-7202 The Chocolate Soda 290 Norwood Ave, Ocean, NJ 732-531-5460 Crawford’s Cafe 1942 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn NY 718-998-7002 Crust Co. Pizza 379 Monmouth Road, W. Long Branch, NJ 732-229-2145 Diet Gourmet 167 Lincoln Ave, Elberon, NJ 732-870-3287 Grandma’s Cheese Cafe 101 Brighton Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 732-895-3621 78 Brighton Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 732-895-3621

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Hot Bagel Bakery 67 Monmouth Rd, Oakhurst, NJ 732-870-6262 The Juice Theory (Vegan) 87 Brighton Ave, Long Branch, NJ 732-455-5444 514 Kings Highway, Brooklyn, NY 718-676-2128 Nahum Bakery and Pizza 268 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-531-2911 Slices Pizza 250 Norwood Ave, Ocean, NJ 732-531-6811

Sushi 656 Ocean & Stingers Bar & Grill 656 Ocean Ave, Long Branch, NJ 732-728-9656 Dougie’s (Seasonal) 256 Norwood Ave, Ocean, NJ 732-517-0300 Down to Earth (Seasonal) 312 Main Street, Allenhurst NJ 732-686-1597 Jersey Shore Sushi Co @Nahum Bakery 732-531-2911 Maki by Akimori 250 Norwood Avenue, Deal, NJ 732-508-9359 Orchid Gardens Dining 1610 NJ-35, Oakhurst, NJ 732-695-3122 Simply Sushi @Freddy’s 52 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 732-483-4700 Sheng Mao Chinese 214 Roosevelt Ave, Oakhurst, NJ 732-531-7086 Takara Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse 1610 Rt 35 South, Oakhurst, NJ 732-663-1899

Butcher / Grocery M & A Kosher Meats 198 Monmouth Rd, Oakhurst, NJ 732-531-2100 Kings Highway Glatt 250 Norwood Ave, Ocean, NJ 732-660-1010 Sarah’s Tent 100 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-531-5560 Kosher Experience @ShopRite of Neptune 2200 NJ-66, Neptune City, NJ 732-775-4250 Kosher Meat, Deli, Fish & Bakery @Stop & Shop 150 West End Court, Long Branch, NJ 732-229-9411 Freddy’s on Monmouth 52 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 732-483-4700 Shalom Foods 104 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-531-4838 Craft Cuts Butchery - Online Ordering 732-853-1155 Prept by Ray T 311 Avenue X, Brooklyn, NY 929-552-7029 1195 Lincoln Sq., Long Branch, NJ 732-795-3190 Khasky Foods Marketplace 426 Ave U Brooklyn, NY 718-376-5800

Sweets, Treats & Ice Cream Asbury Waffle 800 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 732-479-4473 The Baked Bear Pier Village 15 Morris Ave Unit 115, Long Branch, NJ 732-903-8940 Bellalicious 65 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 732-263-9100

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Broad St Dough Co. 2005 Rt. 35 North, Oakhurst, NJ 732-531-1401 177 Elton Adelphia Rd, Suite 1, Freehold Township, NJ 732-303-9000 Carvel 175 Monmouth Rd Corner Rt 36, W. Long Branch, NJ 732-870-3040 Coney Waffle 24 Centennial Dr, Pier Village, Long Branch, NJ 732-556-6951 Igloo 2005 Highway 35 South, Oakhurst, NJ 732-531-5422 Playa Bowls 2005 Route 35 South, Oakhurst, NJ 732-686-9988 Rita’s Italian Ice (Seasonal) Location of 342 US Highway 9, Manalapan Township, NJ 732-617-8088 Rita’s Italian Ice (Seasonal) Location of 76C Highway 35, Eatontown NJ 732-460-0075 Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory 56 Centennial Dr, Pier Village, Long Branch, NJ 732-222-7623 Slurpees, Coffee, Iced Coffee AT THE FOLLOWING 7-11 LOCATIONS ONLY: 187 Wall Street, West Long Branch 732-263-1759 47 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst 732-571-5196 554 Ocean Boulevard, Long Branch 732-870-1133 Strollo’s Lighthouse (Seasonal) Location of 69 Brighton Ave, Long Branch, NJ 732-997-9018 Sylvia’s Candy & Gifts 114 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-531-3433

Call to Order / Pick up Brewology Iced Coffee 732-996-3482 Clean Greens (Micro Greens) 646-641-4576

El Cuisine - 908-675-3392 Grandma’s Goodies by Jean Kairey 848-667-1040 Nicole’s Kitchen 323 Main St, Allenhurst, NJ 732-531-1405 116 Norwood Avenue, Deal, NJ Sophia Gourmet Sauces 718-376-2565 Simply Gourmet by Rosie Bawabeh 917-572-3516 SmokinDeal 732-614-2822 Treats By Eileen 732-859-8109 Twist Challa by Karen Tawil 917-301-9597

Caterers

Aqua E Grano - Fred Bijou - 347-206-2156 Fine Catering by Bella Betesh/Juice Theory 514 Kings Highway, Brooklyn, NY 718-676-2128 Catering by Grace Sitt 732-337-7314 Grandview Catering at Jumping Brook Neptune, NJ 732-922-8200 Nahum Bakery 268 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-531-2911 Nicole’s Kitchen 323 Main St, Allenhurst, NJ 732-531-1405 116 Norwood Avenue, Deal, NJ Rivka’s Catering by Sarah’s Tent 100 Norwood Ave, Deal, NJ 732-531-5560 Yishay’s Catering 732-546-7056

Community Institutions

Camp AllSport 1759 Brielle Ave, Ocean, NJ 732-660-8020 Camp David 1200 West Park Ave, Ocean, NJ 212-433-0958 DSN Community Center 244 Norwood Ave, Oakhurst, NJ 732-686-9595 Hillel Yeshiva Lunch Program 1025 Deal Rd, Ocean, NJ 732-493-9300

Coconutz Chocolate 197 Wall St Unit 1, W. Long Branch, NJ 732-259-7000

Magen David Yeshiva Elementary 2132 McDonald Ave, Brooklyn, NY High School 7801 Bay Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY

Dress It by Milene Schweky 908-492-0155

Ultimate Sports Camp 1025 Deal Rd Ocean, NJ 718-375-6859

In honor of the JSOR Rabbinical team and the committee.

Joey and Sophia Mizrahi

The Kassin Family thanks you and everyone associated at the

JSOR

for all your efforts in helping to keep our community “kosher”, and at the same time enjoying an enhanced “eating” experience in your community’s Jersey Shore area restaurants.

We wish you and your organization

continued growth and success in all your endeavors.

info@coluur.com

u o y g n i h s Wi ! r a e y w e a ha p p y N

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