RUSSIAN HATS & SHATNEZ

Bs’d-INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL SHATNEZ LABORATORIES
Yosef Sayagh 641 7th Street, Lakewood NJ 08701 (732) 364-7056 E-mail shatnezhedqtrs@yeshivanet.com
Editor: R’ Adam Singer (Savannah, Georgia)

Russian Caps–Jan ‘07
All Russian textiles must be carefully checked for shatnez before they are used. The Russian garment industry is known to make extensive use of linen and wool in all types of garments.

Rosh Hashanah is a time when thousands of yiden from all over the world come to the kever of Rav Nachman M’Breslov in Oman, Russia. R’ Yoel Schocket and R’ Eliezer Assoulin urged the askonim of Breslov to set up a temporary “Shatnez Testing Laboratory” in Oman, Russia,

The askonim launched a “shatnez awareness campaign” in Oman and requested that R’ Yoel Schocket and R’ Eliezer Assoulin make themselves available to test garments for shatnez starting a few days before Rosh Hashanah. This service has beeen available for the past three years.

R’ Yoel said “most of the Russian Hats (Kutchmers) that they tested were shatnez."

A Wool Russian cap bought in "Oman" Russia made its way to Mexico.
It was given to R’Moshe Cabasso (Mexico Shatnez lab) for testing.
R’ Moshe found an inner lining in the cap's beak that was 100% linen.

Russian hats have always been known to contain shatnez.

We find that the Chofetz Chaim in his sefer Machne Yisroel instucted Jewish soldiers in the Czar’s army to wear their uniform which contained shatnez only when faced with a risk of capital punishment for non-compliance. If not obligated to wear headgear , the Chofetz Chaim added, they should go bareheaded rather than wear a hat containing shatnez.

Brocolli spears

The following kashrus alert is from the OU on January 10, 2007.

Bodek 10 oz boxes Broccoli Spears (not bagged), Bodek Kosher Produce, Inc., Brooklyn, NY: Product bearing code #3193-ZK9 under OU, CRC, and Rav ....... certification is being reviewed for possible levels of insect infestation. Anyone in possession of this product code number is asked to call 212-613-8148, or email at kashalerts@ou.org. Consumers should also be advised that this product was packed in 2002 and has not been distributed by Bodek to stores within two years.
The previous alert can be cited with the URL: http://www.kashrut.com/Alerts/?alert=A1924

RE: "Tola'im"

http://hydepark.hevre.co.il/topic.asp?topic_id=2120268

ACIDOPHILUS-DAIRY???????

In general all "acidophilus" is dairy or on a dairy base.

There is NO dairy in Freeda's acidophilus. Freeda's plant is 100% dairy free.