7 Elul 5771

September 6, 2011

The Matai Ephraim tells us that in the month of Elul we check our tefillin and mezuzot. Based on this many try to have their tefillin and mezuzot examined during this time.

Here are number of tips can save a lot of aggravation and frustration as well as increase the longevity of your tefillin and mezuzot.

1. Make sure the person examining your tefillin and mezuzot is certified as an examiner.

2. Make sure that the sofer who wrote the scroll is certified by a recognized rabbinical organization (one would not eat meat from a shochet who was not certified).

3. Only go to established and accredited places to have your articles examined. (more…)

Wednesday, 24 Av 5771

August 24, 2011

The Taiku restaurant on Emek Refaim Street in the capital is no longer under the hashgacha of the OU.

The former Taiku, in the same location, was a mehadrin meat restaurant with an OU mehadrin hashgacha.

This new Taiku has nothing to do with the previous owners or the OU, and the hashgacha is Jerusalem Rabbinate, regular, not mehadrin. it is dairy, not meat! (more…)

Wednesday, 24 Av 5771

August 24, 2011

Badatz Mehadrin (Rabbi Avraham Rubin) announced on August 14, 2011 that the Grill Burger restaurant at 11 Beit HaDfus Street in the Givat Shaul area of Jerusalem is no longer under its supervision.

Unfortunately, the store sign still reads “Badatz Mehadrin” so I remind you that when you enter a store, before ordering, you must check for a valid teudat kashrut. (more…)

7 Av 5771
August 7, 2011

The following businesses are now under the badatz’s hashgacha:
1) Falafel HaBayit (meat) 60 Derech Ben-Tzvi, Kiryat Chaim, Haifa – 04-840-2626
2) Chef Tzion Restaurant (meat) 3 Yochanan HaSandlar, Bnei Brak – 03-574-5111
3) Capitlona Pizza & Ice Cream (dairy) 11 Baalei Melacha, Tzim Center, Netivot – 050-422-2472
The following are no longer under the badatz’s hashgacha:
1) Al HaEsh, 9 Jabontinsky, Ramle (out of business)
2) Pizza Chetzi Meter, Kikar Neuman, Beit Shemesh (out of business)

17 Tammuz 5771
Tuesday, July 19, 2011

These wafers, bearing an OU symbol, were found for sale in Israel. The OU confirms that the product is still unauthorized, as per the OU alert dating back to 2009. (more…)

16 Tammuz 5771
Monday, July 18, 2011

The Red Heifer Steakhouse, (02-624-0504), located at 38 King George Street, Jerusalem, is now under the supervision of Badatz Mehadrin (Rabbi Avraham Rubin).

The restaurant is under the same ownership, just a different hechsher.

16 Tammuz 5771
Monday, July 18, 2011

The following are now under the badatz hashgacha:
1. Orna Pizza (dairy) 20 HaBanim Street, Tiveria (04-672-6115)
2. Doda La’Pizza (dairy) 8 Ben Hoz Blvd., Holon (03-726-6673)
3. Pizza Kimat Chinam (dairy) 48 Herzl, Bat Yam (03-648-5555)

11 Tammuz 5771
July 13, 2011

On July 12, 2011, JKN published and alert regarding Hershey’s Strawberry Syrup sold in Israel. The following statement is a follow-up to that report, providing new information regarding the kashrut of the product in question.

Following the statement is a link to a PDF document, a copy of the kashrut certification from the OU.

“On July 12, 2011, the OU issued a Kashrus Alert relating to Hershey’s Strawberry Syrup imported to Israel by Mor Yam Marketing, Ltd.  As the official importer of Hershey’s products in Israel, Mor Yam deeply regrets the inadvertent omission of the Dairy designation on the Hebrew label and has recalled existing product from the market so that it can be re-labeled properly as OU-D. (more…)

10 Tammuz 5771
July 12, 2011

The following businesses are under the hashgacha of the badatz.
1.  HaPanas Restaurant (meat) (Nahariya Boardwalk) 04-992-0373 (Catering not certified)
2. Baguette HaNavi (meat) 102 Eretz Chefetz (Shmuel HaNavi, Jerusalem) 02-5328696
3. Tachan Bakery (dairy/parve) 41 Etzel (Tel Aviv) 03-537-4455
4. Bamsila Café (dairy/parve) 13 Mesilat Yesharim (Tel Aviv) 057-720-2257
5. Ta’Amei Chef Tzion (meat) 40 Prof. Shor (Holon) 052-258-5592
6. Pitot Bakery (parve) Ashdod Industrial Area (Ashdod)  08-853-3991
7. Pinati Mehadrin (meat) Orot Center (Ohr Akiva) 04-610-1212 (more…)

10 Tammuz 5771
July 12, 2011

Hershey’s strawberry flavored syrup manufactured in the United States is labeled OU-D. The same product found in stores in Israel bears and OU (without the dairy designation) on the import label.

The OU responded to a JKN inquiry, explaining that the OU on the product sold in Israel, on the label from Mor Yam importer, is “unauthorized”, adding it makes no mention of the dairy designation. (more…)