Advanced Seminars in Kashrus Taught by World-Class Industry Leaders
As rabbinic positions go, Rabbi Aaron Kleinman’s is among the most unique. A commander in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, his role includes overseeing kashrus on various warships — a challenge he recently shared with over 90 men from the U.S., Canada, and Panama, who are working in, or eager to join, the kashrus field, at the Orthodox Union’s ASK (Advanced Seminars in Kashrus) OU Kashrus Education Program. ASK OU offers in-depth insights and hands-on experience in the kashrus industry via two unique educational programs; a one-week course and a three-week internship.
ASK OU Kashrus Education Program Summer 2024 participants. In the foreground are (l to r): OU Kosher Chief Operating Officer Rabbi Moshe Elefant, OU Kosher Chief Executive Officer Rabbi Menachem Genack, and OU Kosher Managing Director of Community Relations, Rabbi Eli Eleff
This year’s seminars took place at the OU’s New York headquarters coupled with site visits around the Tri-State area. Rabbi Kleinman’s session, Kosher at Sea, touched upon the intricacies of keeping kosher while serving in the U.S. Navy.
“The ASK OU Summer Kashrus Training Program presents a chance to demystify what goes on behind the scenes in kashrus and to observe practical applications in real-life context,”
“We had a really fun session,” he says. “After a brief overview of the Navy, Marine Corps, and their operating environments, I talked about some of the different platforms, including destroyers, amphibious assault ships, and aircraft carriers, and some of the special aspects of kashrus in each of them. We covered a scenario that actually happened to me: the task of preparing a post-Rosh Hashana services meal on a non-kosher aircraft carrier that I wasn’t stationed on. We really got into the scenario; participants shared how they would do things and actually gave me some good ideas. I wish I had had their brain trust at the time I needed it — the meal would have been even better than it was!”
A division of the Orthodox Union, OU Kosher is the world’s largest and most widely-recognized kosher certification agency, certifying over one million products manufactured in 13,000 plants, in 106 countries. ASK OU was launched by Rabbi Yosef Grossman z”l, who served as senior educational rabbinic coordinator and director of Kosher Educational Services at OU Kosher. The ASK OU Summer Kashrus Training Program has run annually on alternate years for men and women since its inception, with the exception of the Covid period. It just completed its 16th cycle.
“The ASK OU Summer Kashrus Training Program presents a chance to demystify what goes on behind the scenes in kashrus and to observe practical applications in real-life context,” says Rabbi Eli Eleff, managing director of Community Relations at OU Kosher, who oversees the program.
A visit to the Vaad Mishmeres Masores HaOf in New York’s Catskills region with OU Kosher’s bird expert, Rabbi Chaim Loike (far left)
Led by the OU’s world-class rabbanim, poskim, and administrators, ASK OU’s weeklong program provides an overview of the processes and implications of kosher certification through hands-on seminars and visits to food service providers. A concurrent three-week internship geared for semicha students, rabbanim, and avreichim, includes the one-week program and explores the intricacies of kashrus and halacha in greater depth. Participants gain hands-on experience at food-processing plants and at OU headquarters and network with worldwide industry experts.
Rabbi Simcha Silverman is the director of Spiritual Services at New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital and the rabbi at Flatbush’s Congregation Etz Chaim. Attracted by ASK OU’s range of meaningful topics, hands-on approach, and the opportunity to interact with field professionals, Rabbi Silverman was drawn to participate in the weeklong program for a second year.
This time, he particularly enjoyed Commander Rabbi Aaron Kleinman’s presentation.
“Much of what he spoke about resonated with me, as I’ve witnessed many of the same situations in the world of chaplaincy,” says Rabbi Silverman. “While the hospital setting is quite different from the Navy, there is a lot of overlap in our experiences.”
This year’s seminar leaders included HaRav Hershel Schachter, shlita, who led a Hilchos Kashrus seminar followed by a Halachic Q & A session; OU Kosher Chief Executive Officer Rabbi Menachem Genack, who spoke about The State of the Orthodox Union, OU Kosher Chief Operating Officer Rabbi Moshe Elefant, who led an Ask the Rabbi session, and numerous OU Kosher rabbanim who presented myriad topics, including How to be an Excellent Mashgiach; Shabbos Appliances; The Wine Industry; Cybersecurity; The Transportation of Commodities; Red Flag Ingredients; Cheese, Whey and Related Products; and Mesorah of Birds. Participants also learned about industrial and retail kashering, and how to establish a local vaad hakashrus.
“Kashrus does not exist in a vacuum and there are certain ways that it’s applied,” notes Rabbi Eleff. “Whether in New York or out of town, each vaad hakashrus has its own nuances and specific requirements. We wanted participants to understand that kosher is really quite broad, rather than one size fits all.”
ASK OU Summer interns suited up for a food plant visitation
Visits to OU Kosher certified restaurants Wall Street Grill and Reserve Cut, and tours of OU Kosher certified processing plants including Newburg Egg, Biazzo Dairy Products (which manufactures specialty cheeses), Hanover Foods (which manufacturers canned and frozen vegetables), and Empire Poultry, among others, offered a glimpse into kashering operations and facilities’ unique kashrus issues.
“The program far exceeded my expectations,” reflects Rabbi Silverman. “The schedule was precise, and we covered significant material in a relatively short span of time. I appreciated the practical presentations where expert speakers shared halacha and we got to observe fieldwork in action at diverse facilities. I also liked the camaraderie we developed as participants.”
Rabbi Daniel Reines of Lakewood, New Jersey, is among ASK OU’s one thousand alumni. After attending the previous ASK OU program, he became a Rabbinic Coordinator (RC) at OU Kosher and now oversees the kashrus of approximately 100 flavor-based companies.
ASK OU participants in discussion with the mashgiach at an indoor vertical farm, where crops are grown in vertical and horizontal stacks to optimize plant growth
“I learned in kollel for a number of years,” he says. “While learning the halachos of issur veheter in kashrus, their practical application intrigued me, and I was inspired to attend last cycle’s ASK OU internship program. The presentations and field trips offered a glimpse into OU Kosher’s fascinating work, and I was particularly moved by the ambience, professionalism, and support at all levels, which I observed at OU headquarters.”
Rabbi Reines, who is originally from Venezuela, also supervises the kashrus of corporations in South America; something he says necessitates fluency in Spanish and an understanding of Latin culture.
“I was so impressed with the ASK OU training program, that during my internship I imagined that if I would end up working in kashrus, I would want to work at OU Kosher,” he says. “The experience I gained during the program has aided me in my daily job at the OU.”