Rabbi David Polsky, who is the voice at the end of the Orthodox Union’s Kosher Consumer Hotline, is in a post-Passover recovery mode. In the span of two weeks prior to the holiday he answered more than 2,000 phone calls from across North America, Israel, Latin America and Europe.
On the Thursday before the holiday, almost 300 concerned individuals phoned in with questions on all matters of Passover intricacies, including some unusual ones as happens every year. “I received a question from a vegetarian about what he could use on his seder plate in place of a shank bone,” Rabbi Polsky said.
The majority of callers, however, were concerned with medications and baby formulas and whether or not various products required OU Kosher Passover certification.
Now that he has had time to recuperate, Rabbi Polsky is relieved that the phone is not ringing every second. “The Passover season was pressure filled, but I am happy that I was able to help so many people with their holiday preparations,” he said.
The Hotline, which is operated by the OU Kosher Division, provides consumers with information on OU certified products and kosher laws. Consumers may contact Rabbi Polsky at 212-613-8241.