On October 21-23, STAR-K Kashrus Administrators traveled to Lakewood, New Jersey, to present their Kashrus Training Program to twenty-five Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG) Kollel fellows who are participants in the Ner Le’Elef program.

STAR-K Rabbinic Administrator HaRav Moshe Heinemann, STAR-K Institute of Halacha Rav Mordechai Frankel, and STAR-K Kashrus Administrator-New York/New Jersey Rav Shmuel Heinemann joined STAR-K Kashrus Administrators Rabbi Eliyahu Shuman, Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld, Rabbi Dovid Heber, Rabbi Avrohom Mushell, Rabbi Zvi Goldberg, Rabbi Zvi Holland, Rabbi Moshe Schuchman and Rabbi Sholom Tendler, in covering topics ranging from the kashrus of medicines, alcoholic beverages, milk/cholov Yisroel, meat, and fish to foodservice challenges, commercial and residential kashering and industrial kashrus. Practicums included: vegetable checking/insect recognition; nikkur; koshering; and, chicken shaylos. Kosher accountability, answering consumer shaylos properly, overseeing plants overseas, and agency administrative issues were also discussed. Tours of a catering facility and a mikvah rounded out the seminar experience.

Since 2005, the Ner Le’Elef Training Program, a division of Torah Links, has helped capable Beth Medrash Govoha yungerleit fill crucial communal roles – rabbanim, kollel yungerleit, educators, kiruv professionals and institutional administrators- -across North America and beyond. Its two-year course covers general hashkafa,
da ma shetashiv, Jewish history and pertinent halacha topics, such as eruvin, mikvaos and taharas hamishpacha. Lectures also focus on various leadership skills, such as teaching, public speaking, fund-raising and marketing techniques.

“It was fascinating to hear shiurim from the rabbonim of the STAR-K,” noted BMG Kollel fellow/Ner Le’Elef participant Yaakov Lyons. “They showed us how the sugyas in yoreh deah combine with technology and science in the world of Kashrus.”

BMG Kollel fellow/Ner Le’Elef participant, Moishe Botnick, concurred. “It was great to hear about the practical application of hilchos kashrus in a commercial setting and to get hands on experience in bug checking and nikkur. I was impressed with the halachic knowledge of all the star-k speakers in addition to their expertise in the practical issues relevant to hashgacha.”

“It’s a pleasure working with Rabbi Holland,” said Rabbi Moishe Katz, director of Ner Le’Elef Lakewood. “The Kashrus seminar is one of the highlights of our program.”

“STAR-K has always been dedicated to our various training programs in the world of Kashrus,” remarked STAR-K President Avrom Pollak. “It is something that makes us very proud and we are committed to continuing it.”

(Margie Pensak – YWN)