Under the direction of Rabbi Yosef Grossman, OU Director of Kashrut Education, and with Rabbi Moshe Perlmutter of Passaic, NJ providing the training, OU Kosher went to the Satmar Talmud Torah’s kitchen – capable of serving 10,000 meals daily – to illustrate foodservice kashering, performed in large kitchens such as those found in schools, hotels and catering establishments. The next day Rabbi Perlmutter demonstrated industrial kashering, performed in plants and factories, at Oasis Food Company in Hillside, N.J., manufacturers of margarine and other condiments.
Some 20 members of the kollel, what Rabbi Grossman called “a very learned group,” participated. According to Rabbi Grossman, the group could have been as large as 100, based on interest in the community, if there had been space to accommodate them.
Outreach to Satmar follows similar approaches to Chabad Lubavitch, Belz, Bobov, Vichnitz and Skver Chasidim, among other groups. “It was only a matter of time before we got to Satmar,” Rabbi Grossman said. “We were approached to demonstrate kashering. Rabbi Perlmutter has great expertise in this area.”
In its study of Jewish law, the Satmar kollel seeks out practical applications of everything kollel members study, thus leading to the request to the OU.
“It is clear,” declared Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, “that in the Torah world, we have much more in common than what sets us apart. The range of communities that have availed themselves of ASK OUTREACH is living proof that the OU’s expertise spans the Jewish world, and that respect for our knowledge and its practical applications is a unifying force in the observant community.”
Back in Kiryas Joel, the session in the Satmar kitchen, focusing on ovens, pots, kettles and other items, emphasized how to make a treif vessel kosher; as Rabbi Grossman pointed out, everything in the Satmar kitchen was kosher, but the techniques could still be demonstrated.
“We received a very warm reception at Kiryas Joel and were made to feel right at home,” Rabbi Grossman said. He was pleased to see the OU symbol on food items in the Satmar kitchen.
“We were very pleased to reach out to Satmar in our ongoing efforts to develop relationships with all segments of the Torah world who would like to benefit from our services,” Rabbi Grossman said. “We hope this approach to the Satmar community will be ongoing in future areas of mutual benefit.”
Rabbi Perlmutter agreed. He noted that in kosherizing seminars he gives for the OU, this was “the only time it was totally Satmar and on their home turf, in their kitchen, with their own mashgiach participating.”
Summing up their knowledge of kosher law as “phenomenal,” he said, “We both learned a lot from each other.”
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8 Responses
That’s what rabbi grossman says that he find in the kitchen with the OU simbol what that means it was only the OU simbol & with other supervision simbol also or only OU simbol ?
The tone of the article suggests an antagonism that isn’t really there (unless one discusses Israeli politics, and not even then).
harrys’, why have such a cynical attitude? I am glad that Satmar is producing lomdim and now given an extra boost in knowledge by the professional from the OU.
The tone of the article suggests an antagonism that isn’t really there (unless one discusses Israeli politics, and not even then).
Comment by akuperma — September 23, 2008 @ 8:02 am
Youre 100% right. The whole tone of the article makes it sound like us (normal people) against them (weirdos).
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harrys’, why have such a cynical attitude? I am glad that Satmar is producing lomdim and now given an extra boost in knowledge by the professional from the OU.
Comment by Flatbush Bubby — September 23, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Bubby,
You sound like a professional lamdan yourself.
Cherryhillbilly, you sound like a professional letz.
Whatever the merits from this lecture, after all the OU is far from kosher enough in many ways which they are מיקל (like cholev Yisroel) when we are מחמר and that alone should be serious enough not to eat the product when they are the only one giving the הכשר on a particular product.
But more than that in satmar most live by the פסק of our rebe z”l (printed in diveri yoel תשובת) and written specifically to reb hersh pichus moskowitz that no matter how competent a particular rabbi or beth din is “it is not reliable enough” to accept from them any pesak in any matter if they are affiliated or support zionisim, the OU always was and still is supporters and purveyors of anything zionisim or agudisim (see their website) and other declaration of theirs.
רבותי! הזהרו בגחלותן
OU is extremely reliable no matter how huge they are and put all politics aside they can represent all obsevant jews when it comes to Kashrus. Being a follower of different rebbes or different Mosdos does not ever make them unreliable. There is no such think as more kosher than OU. It’s either 100% kosher for everybody or its not Kosher for anybody.They follow every hidur. They are even very machmir on all hidurim. Only the ultimate hidur from Beis Yosef is not necessarily being followed because of the Sfardy minhag such as allowing kitniyos for pesach consumption. But their Glatt requirements are identical or more extreme to all others including Kiryas Yoel, Nirbater, Hisachdus, Tartikov Beis Din etc. Do Not Consider OU any less than the most reliable Hechsher available today. No stone is left unturned with any product they take resposibilty for the Kashrus.