Sloatsburg, NY – For thousands of Orthodox Jews traveling back and forth on the New York State Thruway, the Sloatsburg rest area is a popular stop on their journeys between Brooklyn and the Catskills or Kiryas Joel.
The good news for Orthodox travelers on that well-worn route — although maybe not from a nutritional standpoint — is that the newly remodeled rest area has boosted its kosher credentials to give observant Jews something to nosh on.
To wit: a sign in front of the Dunkin’ Donuts now proclaims the doughy treats are prepared under strict rabbinical supervision to meet kosher standards. And two vending machines on the second floor tout their kosher offerings. One holds standard junk food like Wise potato chips and Hershey bars. The other has more specialized — and nourishing — options such as “lox sticks.”
(Source: Times Herald Record)
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18 Responses
please make no mistake.
if it is safra’s tablet k, that was at the chet haegel.
its a very questionable hecsher.
This is not news. The dunkin donuts there has been kosher for years now and they always had vending machines with wise and hershey stuff in it. They may have remodeled, but being kosher is old news.
In reply to the 1st comment: To say it’s QUESTIONABLE is an UNDERSTATEMENT. The hechsher is good ONLY according to poskim that hold that YOU DO NOT need one for salt,sugar,pepper,coffee or water. For anything else it is totally UNRELIABLE.
I hope the cholent sellers don’t see this as an opportunity to start selling again.
Exactly what benefit will a kosher Dunkin Donuts or Hershey Bars provide for travelers to & from KJ as well as all other yidden who don’t eat Cholov Stam? I would suspect that a large portion of orthodox travelers passing though Sloatsburg will have no benefit from such establishments.
If it’s not Cholov Yisroel – nothing was gained by this. (Only the modern Orthodox will have use of it)
Klal Yisroel #6 – there are people who do not consider themselves modern orthodox who do not exclusively eat cholov yisroel. In addition, I noticed last year that there was an item that I know has no hechsher in one of the “kosher” machines. One should not rely on its kashrus based on the fact that it is in the “kosher” machine
R’ Moshe zatzal writes Chalav Akum in America is 100% kosher, only Bnai yeshiva/Torah should be machmere.Thats it,dont make an issur out of a chumra, thats lieng.
The main info is missing as there is now a kosher sandwhiches machine with the Hisachdis Hechsher
To #8 Rabbi108300
A Hakpodoh not to eat Cholov Staam is NOT A CHUMRA its Mayikker Hadin. R’ Moshe ZTL’s P’sak is a Heter & even though, YBL”CH, R Dovid Shlita upholds that p’sak most Rabbonim do not advise those who ask to not be Makpid. Before you are Machshil Yidden you should ask a Poisek if in fact R Moshes P’sak applies to the Hamoin Am who by & large do NOT adhere to other Shittos of R Moshe such as not using a shabbos clock for AC.
Let’s not forget that the availability of Cholov Yisroel products to those outside NY was nonexistant back when that P’sak was issued.
Even if R’ Moshe wrote as you state that in America Cholov Staam is 100% good, that may have been just to make those people for whom Cholov Yisroel was impossible to get feel comfortable following the P’sak.
Its also a Stira to say on one hand Cholov Staam is 100% good yet B’nai Toirah should be Makpid. If its 100% good what’s there to be Makpid?
Another aspect is that many frum jews come from a Chasidishe backround & have Chasidishe Minhagim. It should be clearly stated that no Chasidshe Rabbonim ever held of such a Heter hence we have Cholov Yisroel due by & large to the Chasidim
I’m just suggesting that you consult proper Halachic authorities before making such public statements or to not be Makpid for yourself & not rely on what people tell you.
Hey chusid345, say what? Where is this machine? Please let us know!
the official quote is “u’baal nefesh yachmir” – he says its a heter, he says it’s ok, and he says “u’baal nefesh yachmir” – which you can translate however you want, but that sounds like one who cares about his soul…
Either way, our posek, who is Rav Moshe’s talmid, told us when we asked to take it on bli neder – and then in my pregnancy when I had tons of food aversions, he told me I could go back to eating chalav stam.
The point is that each person should ask their own Rav/daas torah…
“Even if R’ Moshe wrote as you state that in America Cholov Staam is 100% good, that may have been just to make those people for whom Cholov Yisroel was impossible to get feel comfortable following the P’sak.”
This doesn’t sound like a Gadol BaTorah to me. If he said it’s 100% good, he meant it’s 100% good. But see the next paragraph, regardless.
As far as your alleged stira, there is a simple teirutz (if you read the teshuva): my recollection is he wrote that Binai Yeshiva should be machmir “kidai shelo tishakach”. What that means is that even though non-CY milk is 100% fine, a Ben-Yeshiva should get CY milk so that the concept of CY should not be forgotten; meaning, if one were to move to or visit anywhere else in the world, one should know that chalav akum is trief, whereas living in America, one might not know about that halacha.
Also, all the svaras about how CY is more readily available now and things are different, are nice; but they don’t change R’ Moshe’s psak.
Bottom line: Ask your LOR and don’t worry too much about online psakim you read about.
I spoke to Rav Reuven Feinstein recently about his father’s position on cholov stam He said “You can’t be matir a chumrah” Cholov Yisroel is a chumrah – in the US the chumrah does not apply.
For the record a new Kosher vending machine has been put in this week with Kosher Sandwiches, Danishes, yogurts, milk, and Orange juice, all from Haimisher hechsarim (CRC Velover Etc.) this is in addition to the so called Kosher donuts store and licorices.
We have to Thank the great asken R mordchie Friedman who has been instrumental in transforming Sloatsburg into the biggest “cleanest: road Shul in the world for geting Sloatsburg to agree to allow real :Kosher food”.
Keep up the good work!!
HaKatan –
Well spoken! It’s good to see somebody has a head on his shoulders and doesn’t subscribe to the holier-than-thou chumra of the day.
Why can’t jews just take a 2 hour trip without eating ???
Where this is needed on I-95 between NY and Florida!