OU Kosher Staff

A Milestone for Kosher Tidbits: OU Series Announces its 100th Program

Just in time for the Torah portion of Shemini, to be read March 29 and which introduces the laws of kosher, OU Kosher will celebrate the production of the 100th and 101st Kosher Tidbits, the comprehensive series of 15-minute broadcasts by OU experts on a wide variety of kosher topics, and heard on http://www.ouradio.org.

The century mark is reached by a program on Shemittah, the sabbatical year in Israel, recorded by Rabbi Moshe Elefant, Chief Operating Officer of OU Kosher; and the 101st on non-kosher kitchens, by Rabbi Eliyahu Ferrell, Rabbinic Consultant.

Q&A Pre-Passover Webcast on OU Website

In anticipation of the Passover holiday and its complexities, the Orthodox Union Kosher Division announced today that it will present a pre-Passover webcast on the OU website, http://www.ou.org/ouradio/webcast, to clarify questions and concerns people are facing in their preparations. It will be held Thursday, March 27, at 3:00 p.m. with log-on time at 2:45 p.m. The webcast is part of OU Kosher’s continued and ever-growing educational outreach to the community, which includes the OU Kosher Coming to Schools and Communities programs and the Kosher Tidbits postings on OU Radio, http://www.ouradio.org.

In Largest Liquor Kosher Certification in U.S., DeKuyper® 60-Flavor Line Liqueurs Receives OU Symbol

The close relationship between OU Kosher and Cincinnati-based Beam Global Spirits and Wine, which goes back to 1992, became even closer in March, 2008 when Beam’s 60-flavor array of DeKuyper® cordials and liqueurs, the best-selling line of those products in the United States, was certified OU Kosher. The 60-product certification was the largest liquor kosher certification ever in the United States.

In late 2006, the OU announced that it was certifying Beam’s Starbucks™ Coffee Liqueur and Starbucks™ Cream Liqueur products; it already was providing the famed OU symbol to Leroux® Liqueurs. All of these products are crafted at the Beam Global Cincinnati facility. According to the OU, that facility produces the largest number of kosher certified spirits in the country.

OU to Honor Osem USA with National Kashrut Leadership Award at 110th Anniversary National Dinner

The Orthodox Union will present its National Kashrut Leadership Award to Osem USA at the OU’s 110th Anniversary National Dinner, Sunday, April 6 at the Grand Hyatt New York. Osem USA President, Izzet Ozdogan, will accept on behalf of the company.

This Is Not Blarney: OU Certifies Glanbia Ingredients Ireland for Production of Kosher Lactose

OU Kosher announced today that its newly certified company, Glanbia Ingredient Ireland, is producing kosher lactose for baby formulas, with the lactose being supplied to major formula manufacturers in the American market. By working with the OU, Glanbia is able to produce a kosher product without the need repeatedly to kosherize its plant and to modify its production procedures.

Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky Visits OU Headquarters

Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh Yeshiva of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, visited OU headquarters in New York this week to give words of chizuk to an audience of OU Kashrut senior rabbis.

Huge Lakewood Gathering Crowns New OU Kosher Initiative

With the ever-growing focus on kosher food and the intricacies of kashrut, the Orthodox Union, the premier institution in kosher certification, recently established the Harry H. Beren ASK OUTREACH Initiative to provide kosher education to yeshiva students in the convenience of their yeshivot, kollelim and semicha programs. Its latest crown in a series of presentations, which also included Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, Yeshiva Ohr Hachaim, and Mesivtah Tiferes Yerusholayim, drew close to 1,000 fascinated members of the Lakewood, NJ, community, making it a standing-room only event. It was held in Khal Zhichron Yaakov synagogue, with the haskomoh of the Beth Medrash Govoha Roshei HaYeshiva and the endorsement of the KCL—Vaad HaKashrut of Lakewood.

OU KOSHER to Present “OU Kosher Coming” Program in New York State Capital District Region on March 5

The OU Kosher Coming program, which will encompass broad segments of the New York State Capital District region, will take place on Wednesday, March 5, featuring Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU Kosher Vice President of Communications and Marketing and Rabbi Yisroel Bendelstein, OU Kosher Rabbinic Coordinator who specializes in the baking industry and is a frequent lecturer at OU Kosher Coming programs.

Eich Noflim Giborim: Rav Arye Lerman and Rav Shimon Eider

In the past three months, Klal Yisroel suffered the loss of two remarkable individuals, Gedolim in their own rights, who for many years maintained a special relationship with the OU. Each left an indelible imprint on the OU, and in a broader sense, profoundly influenced the world of Kashrus. These two giants were Rav Arye Lerman, zt”l, who was niftar on the 29th day of Tamuz, 5767, and Rav Shimon Eider, zt”l, who was niftar on the 16th of Tishre, 5768.

OU & Food Institute to Present Trade Seminar, 3/19

Ou and Food Institut to Present ‘Identifying Opportunities in the U.S. Food Market:
A Seminar for Trade Consulates,’ on March 19 in New York