Sunday, July 25, 2021

BMG's KCL Hashgocha, is it reliable?


https://jnews.us/bmgs-kcl-is-it-really-kosher/



Thursday, July 22, 2021

Anti'semitis'im in todays age

It is unfortunate that at this time and age there are still companies that have very antisemitic attitudes. Seems like Unilever hates everything related
to the Jewish religion and state.

We the Jews have been persecuted since the era of the Egyptians, going further to the inquisition and going again further to Germany Nazi's, 
nobody helped us, the world only watched. Unfortunately it is happening again, most of the companies that Unilever owns used slave labor during
WWII, now again they are coming out with their antisemitic sentiment like Ben and Jerry's ice cream, what else does this miserable board of directors
have under their sleeve against Israel and the Jewish community around the world? Another persecution or free labor like they had under Nazi 
Germany, this company is antisemitic.

These people forget that most of the technology (cel phones, Microsoft etc) in the world came out of Israel or Jewish people, Medicine etc., Unilever's antisemitic stance should abandon the use of everything that came out of Israel or created by Jewish people/companies.

All the stores that the CEO's are getting these emails should decide which way to stand, either against the Jewish people and its state of Israel, 
showing your true antisemitic colors or showing that you are not antisemitic and/or racist against the previous. Unilever products should be removed 
from all non antisemitic stores, remember there are other forms of buying produces from non antisemitic organizations, we the jews have grown and 
do not need any of the above stores that hate Israel and the Jewish people. 

The CEO has not come out to apologize or anything of this nature, he and the BOD have shown their true antisemitic colors.

Hopefully all the above receiving this email have a conscience and ban all the products from your shelves, antisemitic companies have no place at all.

I have informed my family, store that sells Ben & Jerry's product, leave your kart and buy elsewhere. 

Alan Jope should show his respect to the state of Israel and the Jews world wide and apologize, remember we do not need any of the products 
Unilever produces, simultaneously remove the whole BOD from Ben and Jerry's and again apologize to the whole Jewish community of the world. 
I do not care what religion he has, remember Soros hates the Jews, he has to apologize.

It is incredible that the only company that gave any response was Publix Supermarkets, their response was that they would continue to sell Ben & 
Jerry's ice cream, willing to place a bet that if it would have been a Jewish issue but a BLM issue, you all would have bent backwards to please them, 
you all are the same like the world when we were being massacred by the Nazi's all looked the other way.

I am also writing to all the rabbinical organization that give the K or UD for your products like Coca Cola, Tropicana Juice, Pepsi etc., to see how all 
the previous can lose this certification.

This email was previously sent to Publix, Cvs, Winn Dixie, Walgreens, Unilever and all the others not mentioned on top, there is a limit of email 
address, hopefully the certifications of the stores/ products not standing with Israel and the Jewish should lose all Jewish certification. 

Show your faces in favor of Israel and do not be coward, this is for the store and or manufacturers.

We the Jewish community have a large buying power.

Thank You
Robert Dirnfeld (Holocaust survivors son)
305-812-0007 
 

Monday, July 12, 2021

Update: Notice to Bnei Torah

 Kashrus Notice: Due to the current shortage of kosher chicken cutlets, many Lakewood caterers and food takeout establishments currently provide chicken cutlets from poultry plants - with a kashrus standard not for Bnei Torah. 

This includes chicken cutlets from Agristar and Empire/Meal Mart poultry plants.

Thursday, July 08, 2021

נהרדעא/aka= Lakewood has a serious problem of hard liquor & wine consumption. nihar is a lake, duah is a woods



From a comment;

I know a lot of you enjoy drinking, it’s a fun activity, you do it to be social. I want to beg something of all of you. I know a lot of you enjoy drinking, it’s a fun activity, you do it to be social. But- it’s something you need to be responsible about, not just for yourself, but for whoever’s doing it with you. 

I want to tell you about a boy I know. He went to his friends for shabbos, and Friday night they headed over to the house of a gevir who’s known to have an open bar, fully stocked, as much as you want. This boy drank- nothing crazy, not too much. He went downstairs pretty early to go to sleep. His friends saw him later that night, flat on his back, snoring away. They left him alone, and a little while on, woke up again to see that something was seriously wrong. I don’t know exactly what- was he gagging? Choking? Throwing up? I don’t know. They called Hatzalah, but by the time they came it was too late- this 26-year-old guy, single, his whole life ahead of him, was dead. Because he choked to death on his back. Tonight, his family is sobbing their eyes out. They’re brokenhearted. His 7 brothers, his 3 sisters, they can’t believe it’s true and they’re just beginning to grasp the fact that they’ll never be a whole family again.

And his mother- she’s practically collapsing. She can’t understand how this is happening. Why his friends let this happen. How they left him alone when one little thing would have saved him. How do I know this story? Because it’s my brother. Ari Levin. I’m the one watching my brothers fall apart as they try to grasp that they’re never going to hug Ari again. They’re crying about how they regret they didn’t get to say goodbye, they’re wishing they could tell him how much they love him, they’re sobbing it to each other and holding on to each other desperately. I know my dear brother Ari died for a reason, even if I don’t know what that reason was. I know it was Hashem’s plan and that if it happened, this is what He meant to happen. But- I also know that right now, his friends are feeling overwhelming guilt. They’re feeling that if they had just watched over him a little better, turned him on his side, he wouldn’t have died this way. They wouldn’t have to face my parents at the levaya tomorrow, knowing that they could have done something about his death. 

And my parents are wishing they’d known about Ari’s plans for the night, they would have begged him not to go. Go know that you could drink the same amount you always do but this time it’s going to go wrong. So I’m begging you guys, as a brokenhearted sister, as a future wife and mother- if you’re going to drink, please be more responsible. Know your limits, but know your friends’ as well. Watch over them and try to make sure they’re as safe as possible. Know what’s safe and what’s not. Please. The life you save could be your own.
******
נהרדעא- Each one wants to outdo his peers in the costly brands and in the quantity of an assortment of the "finest". 

Then they want to outdo each other in how much liquor they could hold.

They can't afford it, but they have peer pressure.

They go to various kidushim to make li'chaim on the chazon Ish's shiur.

It affects their stability at home, affects the wife and children.

Sure, they have daily pressure, but, this? We all do.

Are "kidush clubs" the only issue? NO

Drugs are just as a serious problem, with very tragic results.

Disease in disguise- Silence is not an option- Li'Chaim

Communities in crisis









Dinners / parlor meetings- limited to 2 bottles of up to $20.00 @
No Ruv should sell w/ chometz-no more than 1 bottle per household.

I'm not that familiar with all of the pratim; what I do know is that more and more people, especially the under 40 chevra are becoming addicts...they are seen in big numbers at AA meetings, and Rabbonim admit to me that it has become a major issue in their kehillas


Drinking in ModerationBy Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
The use of alcoholic beverages is a primary example of something that our Torah permits, yet prescribes definite limitations. In fact, there are Scriptural references, which are reinforced by Chazal in numerous ways, concerning the need for moderation in drinking alcohol. Indeed, the Talmud (Yoma 76b) relates the very word yayin (wine) to the word yelala (woe).

The rise of substance abuse, including alcohol, among adults and teenagers in our community is very troubling. Children who witness adults engaging in alcohol consumption—beyond what is reasonable or necessary for halachic purposes—learn that alcohol is a substance to which one can resort when looking for fun or when trying to alleviate feelings of anxiety or depression. Using alcohol this way can lead to addiction, with all of its serious consequences.

Then there is all the all-too-common phenomenon known as the “Kiddush Club.” These clubs consist of those who leave shul during the Haftarah reading on Shabbat morning to drink single-malt scotches and other liquors, often to excess. This practice disgraces the holy words and messages of the prophets found in the Haftarot; ironically, it is these very messages that these individuals would be wise to learn. I have personally witnessed how the effects of practices such as Kiddush Clubs can sometimes be literally lethal.

An Orthodox Jew cannot limit his concern to the kashrut of ingredients but must also consider the kashrut of his personal demeanor and the example he sets for others, especially children.




Wednesday, July 07, 2021

Party planners and kashrus



 I,  have been giving Hashgochas to events, Pesach hotels, weddings, etc for the past 45+ years. I
always found that party planners be a serious issue of concern, therefore I make it very clear to all parties that I am the only one in charge, not the caterer, chef, party planner, etc.

Reb Dovid Feinstein, Z”L has instructed me a few years ago not to do any Shabbos or Yom Tov hashgochas if there is a party planner involved, as there will always be serious Isuirim transgressed.

July 7, 2021

Party Planners Must Adhere to Strict Kashrus Standards, AKO Mini Conference Concludes

Chicago…The caterer is known as a reliable kosher caterer; the event is held at a well-known venue and the party planner is known for doing an outstanding job in pulling it all together. Yet, say leading kashrus authorities, it is the party planners who frequently allow certain products to slip through the cracks, namely with questionable products and ingredients. This was the conclusion of a cross section of kashrus leaders at a Mini Conference sponsored by the Association of Kashrus Organizations (AKO) that deliberated on how to deal with non-certified Home Food Businesses, Party Planners, and Community/Shul Backyard Events. The session was led by Rabbi Hayim Arking, the Administrator of the Jersey Shore Orthodox Rabbinate. According to Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Executive Director of AKO, “all the agencies agreed that the biggest undermining entity to kosher food-service are “party planners”. They get away with things those under certification cannot do but they are able to hide behind the “we are not cooking anything”.

The rabbis agreed that the only way to remedy the situation is through education, primarily rabbis of communities. Rabbi Fishbane announced that AKO will be establishing a sub-committee to put together educational materials and practical solutions for rabbis and their communities

Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Robot on the cutting edge of improving organic farming

 Robot on the cutting edge of improving organic farming


Strawberries are a crop often targeted by all kinds of pests. “We're focusing on strawberries,” said Adam Stager of TRIC Robotics. “The pests that we're treating against, it's specifically spider mites, powdery mildew and gray mold.”

Usually, getting rid of those pests would involve using chemical pesticides. However, for organic farmers, that’s out of the question. That is why TRIC Robotics came up with a solution. It is a self-roving robot is treating the plants with ultraviolet light. Used several times a week, it illuminates crops with UV light, killing the pests, with no impact on the crop.

“It just goes up and down the rows, carrying the lights in a very specific way, so that we can use the light in place of the chemicals,” said Stager, founder of TRIC Robotics, which created the robot.

With funding from the National Science Foundation and working with researchers from the USDA, the robot is now being deployed at test pilot farms in California, West Virginia, and at the University of Delaware’s agriculture research center.

“What's great is that it has a DNA mechanism that basically inactivates the way that the pests reproduce,” Stager said. “So, we can effectively eliminate the need for chemicals because we can affect the way the plants, the pathogens on the plants, affect the yields.”

Deciphering US produce labels and codes

 Deciphering US produce labels and codes

It is the responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration for assuring that foods sold in the US are safe, wholesome and properly labeled for either domestic or food from foreign countries. The laws require that labels on food including produce be truthful and not misleading, but the laws don't regulate definitions for all of the labels that you may see.

FDA Regulated Labels:

  • Country of Origin: Perishable produce must be labeled with the country where it was grown.
  • USDA Organic: This label indicates that the produce was produced on a certified farm that follows defined organic procedures, such as non-use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
  • Nutrition Facts Label: If packaging makes a claim about nutrients, the Food and Drug Administration requires a nutrition label.
  • Excellent Source Of/High In: A label bearing this claim must contain at least 20 percent of the daily requirement of that nutrient in a serving. A "Good Source Of" label indicates that one serving has 10-19 percent of the daily dose of the named nutrient.
  • Fresh: Fresh means that the food is in its raw state and has not been frozen or subjected to any form of thermal processing or any other form of preservation.

Unregulated Claims

  • Washed/Triple-Washed/Ready to Eat: Most produce gets a rinse prior to marketing. However, a washing claim may only mean that the produce has had dirt or grit removed. It is not a guarantee that it is bacteria-free.
  • Pesticide-Free: This label could mean one of two things: 1) no pesticides were used during growing; or 2) pesticide residue has been washed away. There's no real way to know unless it bears an organic label.
  • Hydroponically Grown/Hydroponic: This label generally means that the produce was grown in a greenhouse using a nutrient solution instead of soil.
  • Non-GMO: The only possible GMOs to be found in the produce aisles include potatoes, squash/pumpkins, papayas, sweet corn, and soy beans (edamame).
  • Gluten Free: Fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free. This is a true claim but misleading in meaning.
  • No Preservatives/Free from Artificial Ingredients: Preservatives or artificial ingredients are not usually added to fresh produce making this label misleading on nearly all produce.
  • Produce code stickers: The stickers on produce are for scanning the PLU (price look-up) number at the checkout and may share information about the produce. However, there are no governing or regulating laws and are voluntary by the producer.
  • Four-digit code: Produce with a four-digit code beginning with a 3 or 4 means the produce was probably conventionally grown with the possible use of pesticides. The code for conventionally grown bananas is 4011.
  • Five-digit code beginning with "9": Fruits and vegetables grown organically have a five-digit code starting with a "9". An organically grown banana's PLU would be 94011.
  • Five-digit code beginning with "8": Genetically modified produce (has genes from other organisms) stickers also have five digits, but these codes begin with the number "8." Remember there only five items likely to be found in the produce aisles that have been genetically modified so this is a rarely seen code.

Thursday, July 01, 2021

kashrus alert- Pistachio nuts with "vinegar" flavor

 

New flavored pistachio snack wins more accolades

Wonderful® Pistachios No Shells has received awards for one of its newest flavors, Sea Salt & Vinegar. Wonderful Pistachios No Shells Sea Salt & Vinegar has been selected as a winner in Good Housekeeping’s 2021 Healthy Snack Awards in the Nutritious Nuts & Legumes category, and has won Gold for “Best Savory Snack” in Delicious Living magazine’s 2021 Best Bite Awards for Consumer Choice. The new flavor was also named the “Most Innovative New Product” in the Salty Snacks category at the 2021 Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Launched in March 2021, Wonderful Pistachios No Shells Sea Salt & Vinegar features the two flavors to balance sour and savory. Wonderful Pistachios No Shells contain 6 grams of plant protein per serving.


Corn on the cob infested-The Star-K Rabbis should clean their glasses

Some people are unaware that in the USA, corn on the cob is generally infested-fresh & frozen

הרה"ג יצחק יוסף מזהיר: "מהיום יש להחמיר יותר בבדיקת תירס"

במכתב שכתב הרה"ג יצחק יוסף לגבי בדיקת קלחי תירס, התבטא הרב ואמר כי בעבר אומנם לא הייתה כל בעיה עם קלחי התירס, אולם כיום - כתוצאה מריסוס, "מצויים הרבה תולעים בתירס, וניתן לראותם בעין רגילה. ובאחרונה התירס נעשה מוחזק יותר כירק נגוע בתולעים
"


במכתב ששיגר הרה"ג יצחק יוסף לאחד ממזכי הרבים ששאלו אודות בדיקת קלחי תירס, ענה הרב ואמר כי "אומנם בעבר אמרנו שאם התירס טרי – לא מצוי תולעים. אולם נתברר שכיום השתנה המצב עקב הריסוס שעושים החקלאים, ומצויים הרבה תולעים בתירס, באופן שנראים בעין רגילה בבדיקה היטב היטב, ולא נראים רק על ידי מיקרוסקופ".

לדברי הרב, באחרונה התירס מוחזק יותר כנגוע בתולעים, "ובוודאי שיש לפורר את הגרעינים ולבדוק שאין תולעים כלל – ורק אז יאכל".
רבים טועים לחשוב כי לאחר בישול קלחי התירס, התולעים נעלמות – אולם במכתבו הרב מתייחס לכך גם כן, וכותב כי "ומה ששאלתם אם בישלו את קלחי התירס, אם כפי שכתבתם שהממצאים מראים שגם לאחר הבישול שורדים התריפסים ואינם נמחים, והוא בחזקת נגוע אף לאחר הבישול – על כן יש לפורר את הגרעינים ולבדוק שאין תולעים אף אחר הבישול. ורק אז יאכל.

"ואשריו של כל מי שיכול להתריע ולהזהיר ולהסביר לציבור שמה שהיה בעבר השתנה מסיבות שונות, וכיום יש להחמיר בזה הרבה", מסיים הרב.

SCOTUS-Non-Profits do not have to disclose donor names

 Dear  Yehuda,

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important decision in Americans for Prosperity v. Bonta, a donor disclosure case with direct implications for religious liberty.

In its 6-3 ruling, the Court held that a California law requiring the disclosure of donor names is unconstitutional.

Earlier this year, First Liberty filed a friend-of-the court brief in this case on behalf of Citizen Power Initiatives for China (CPIC), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing a peaceful transition to democracy in China. For CPIC, donor privacy is quite literally a matter of life and death, as its donors face reprisals by the Chinese government for carrying out their humanitarian work.

Please watch the video below. In it, our team explains in detail why today’s Supreme Court decision is a big win for religious freedom nationwide:

With today’s decision, the Court didn’t just guard the constitutional rights of a single nonprofit such as CPIC, but it also helps ensure government cannot attack or discriminate against millions of Americans who contribute to charities and causes that provide essential services all across our country.


Forcing charities to hand over and make their donor information public is unconstitutional—and it’s also very dangerous. Coupled with the toxic “cancel culture” that’s all around us, government having at its fingertips a compiled list of religious people and/or those who support faith-based groups is a recipe for disaster.

The ability to associate with others of like mind is indispensable to freedom. We’re very pleased that the Court recognized the disclosure of names and address of citizens simply for donating to a cause is chilling to the freedom of association—including the freedom to associate with, join and donate to the faith-based organizations that are near and dear to us.

As we celebrate this crucial victory for religious freedom, we also want to thank you for generously supporting First Liberty.

Thanks to YOU, First Liberty is answering the call—and we’re WINNING major victories for our First Freedom.

This is indeed a defining moment for religious liberty in America, and we’re grateful that we have courageous supporters like you who are stepping up like never before.

Gratefully,

Miller's organic farm, unpasteurized milk, etc.

 

If farmer doesn’t quickly pay $250,000 contempt fine, jail could become option

By Dan Flynn on Jul 01, 2021 12:05 am

Amos Miller and Miller’s Organic Farm — found in contempt on June 16 of a federal court’s 2019 injunction order and 2020 consent decree — are learning civil contempt sanctions can be costly. They may even include incarceration in federal prison. The court wants Miller to pay a $250,000  fine for contempt and reimburse USDA’s..