Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer is a rabbinic coordinator at OU Kosher, where he specializes in the dairy industry. Rabbi Gordimer is the chairman of the OU Dairy Committee, and he manages the OU programs of over 90 certified dairy companies.

Cheeses – When Waiting is Required

Here are some common cheeses and the lengths of time for which they are aged:

How is Cheese Made Kosher

An overview of the procedure for making Kosher cheese and answers to some of the frequently asked questions about Kosher cheese.

The Kashrus of Ice Cream

From the 26th issue of Daf Hakashrus Ice cream used to be considered a kosher-friendly dairy product. Consisting of fresh cream and sugar, with added vanilla beans/cocoa/ strawberries, it was so easily made kosher. Those days are long gone, and contemporary ice cream is one of the most challenging of dairy products out there. Let’s […]

OU Kosher Cheese: Why some of America’s top cheese brands are now going kosher

It’s early morning in the Sardinian countryside and a farmer is milking his sheep while an Orthodox Jewish kosher supervisor looks on. The supervisor, known as a mashgiach, is sleeping in the farmer’s barn, and he’ll be there all week. Welcome to the world of kosher cheesemaking. The weeklong kosher cheese run in Sardinia is […]

Spread the Word! Not All Butters are Created Equal – or Kosher

“Do you have any kosher butter?” “What do you mean? Butter is always kosher!” Not necessarily. Butter is often kosher, but to use the word “always” is to deny the important concerns and considerations that must be taken into account when certifying butter facilities. The distinctions that come into play with cream sources, as well […]

Kosher Cheese

“Rabbi, why doesn’t most hard cheese have a hechsher? After all, the ingredients all seem kosher?”

The above question is often posed to me and my colleagues in the kashrus industry. While the question is simple, the answer is a bit more complex.

It’s More Than Curds and Whey: OU KOSHER’s Dairy Expert Tells How To Kosherize A Cheese Company

Some time ago, I received the following letter:

As you know, I manage a cheese company, which manufactures kosher and non-kosher cheese, plus kosher whey powder. You are familiar with our equipment and how it needs to be kosherized, but my staff needs some education on this. Can you please explain the kosherization rules for the equipment so that I can share them with my staff? If you don’t mind, I would also appreciate if you could include a basic review of how the equipment works, so that new employees can also benefit from this.