The Chief Rabbinate of Israel issued an edict, from the office of Rabbi Yani Cohen, who heads the department overseeing hotels for the Rabbinate, stating that any hotel wishing to receive kashrus certification for Pesach from the Rabbinate of Israel will need to comply with a number of criteria.

Among the instructions given as part of the edict was the stipulation that hotel room service will only be given using disposable plates and utensils, and that this rule will be enforced beginning a few days prior to Pesach on the 9th of Nissan. Likewise, the rule will be enforced until after the culmination of the last day of Pesach for Chutz La’aretz on the 23rd of Nissan.

The reasoning behind the ruling is to avoid any use of chametz in the hotel on hotel dishes without the knowledge of the kitchen staff. The reasoning given for the rule applying prior to Pesach is to prevent the possibility of any chametz dishes being left in the rooms over the course of the holiday by those lodging in them.

Other rules in the edict included the designation of special large baking dishes to be used only for Pesach as in previous years these dishes were damaged by the libun process required to kasher them. Another rule was that all Pesach preparations need to be completed by the 11th of Nissan, thus requiring meals n the 12th to be kosher for Pesach already.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)