Many of us take for granted how fortunate we are to be able to eat regular wheat Matzoh on the Seder night, and have little side affects the rest of Pesach. Not everyone is so fortunate. Thousands of Jews worldwide are either wheat sensitive or gluten sensitive and require Spelt or gluten-free oat Matzos.

Oat Matzos are by far the most difficult Matzoh to produce. The lack of gluten content makes the dough difficult to work with and to produce Mehudar Matzos takes tremendous expertise.

Rav Shmuel Meir Katz, well known as one of the distinguished Poskim of Lakewood has for years taken upon himself the Kashrus responsibility of much more than ordinary wheat Matzos. The hand Matzos, made of Oat, Spelt or Organic Whole Wheat are produced under his auspices in the Lakewood Matzoh bakery, but the complex production of the machine Matzos, required Rav Katz to make a special trip to Eretz Yisroel to oversee the production.

As he arrived in the Kiryat Sefer bakery just hours after landing, he was met by not only a team of Mashgichim, but by a US representative of the GFCO Gluten-Free Certification Organization, who was on hand to inspect the bakery prior to production and to test the Matzoh after being baked, making sure that the Matzoh was in fact gluten-free.

Rav Katz was busy fielding questions from Rav Mordechai Gross’s Kashrus supervision of Bnei Brak, who wanted to know every last detail of precaution used during the harvesting process in the US. So pleased with the report received, Rav Gross agreed to give his Kashrus approval to both the Gluten Free  Oat and Spelt Matzoh runs produced under Rav Katz’s auspices.

Spelt Matzoh, an indigestion solution for many, is in fact very tasty. Despite the high cost of this specific grain, it is a welcome solution to the Pesach home of thousands of Jews. Gluten-free oat Matzoh however, is not as tasty, but for those suffering from Celiac disease, there is no other choice. Oats by nature contain bitter enzymes, which are normally extracted by the use of steam. For a Pesach production this is not an option as they would become Chametz and so gluten-free oat matzos often have a slight bitter aftertaste.

Rav Katz has a very busy schedule in Lakewood, but his short trip to Eretz Yisroel enables thousands of individuals to eat Mehudar Spelt and gluten-free Oat Matzos. Let us wheat eaters be very grateful this Pesach, that we can enjoy our wheat Matzos, without tormenting our body along the way!

The spelt oat and whole wheat can be purchased in American from the Lakewood matzah Bakery or call 732-364-8757.

In Israel at 077-901-5645 or [email protected].

(Jerusalem Kosher News, Israel for YWN)