11 Responses

1. The 7-11 in lakewood isn’t giving free slurpee’s anymore. It was on the lakewoodscoop

2. Amazing how yidden will wait on line for an hour to get something that costs $1.25 for free.

3. I’m also mystified how people who are otherwise pretty machmir about their Kashrus buy slurpees. Is there any mashgiac temidi there to make sure apu doesn’t mix the kosher and non kosher flavors?

4. #3 its not so pushut to label every yid getting slurpee today or any day as doing something questionable, many poskim after thorough research have concluded that the certified flavors can be had lechatchilla. i hear where you are coming from and why it would seem odd that frum yidden are patronizing a place with treif hot dogs spinning on the checkout, but if you check the research out and see what poskim have to say, the certified flavors are fine. if you want to be machmir for whatever reason thats fine, i respect that, but know the reality of the situation first and lets not paint our fellow yidden as lacking yosher or yira etc if they are really acting within the letter of the law

5. Reb Derrin,
   Leaving the judging of other jews aside, you fail to address my point. My concern was not with patronizing a place that sells treif hotdogs. My issue is: How do we know that the container that has the kosher flavor in it today didn’t have the non kosher flavor in it yesterday?

6. ” . . . if they are really acting within the letter of the law.” . . . That is precisely the point. Acting within the “letter of the law” is actually NOT within the letter of the law. Acting with kedushah – being m’kadeish atzmecha b’mutar lach – is actually a fulfilment of the mitvas asei of kedoshim tihyu. Not optional.

7. Unfortunately waiting in line for an hour to save a couple of dollars; reinforces a negative stereotype.

8. Btw. You are allowed to ask them to go to the back and check that the actual bag with the syrup has a hechsher on it. I’ve never done but I know people who have.

9. SORRY…meant to #4

   KASHRUS MAGAZINE
   PO Box 204, Brooklyn, NY 11204
   718-336-8544; [email protected]
   http://www.kashrusmagazine.com

   March 15, 2016
   To whom it may concern,
   We have been speaking about Slurpees sold at 7-Eleven stores for several years now on our weekly radio
   show, “Kashrus On The Air,” over JRoot Radio. Almost every week people call in and ask again. Recently, we
   did a show dedicated to Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and 7-Eleven.
   I have been asked by readers to clarify our position in writing, something I cannot do in KASHRUS Magazine because of its broad audience. I am doing that now.
   There are 7 reasons why I do not advise buying Slurpees in 7-Eleven stores if A) the store itself is not
   under hashgacha, and if B) a neighborhood Vaad Hakashrus has not advised kosher consumers on a specific
   course of action, as is done in Baltimore, Chicago, etc.Currently, no 7-Eleven store is kosher-certified in New
   York City and no kashrus agency here locally has offered any advice on how to handle them.
   The Issues
   1. Who certifies the Slurpees? Slurpees are a brand name of the product sold at 7-Eleven stores, but no one
   kashrus agency certifies the Slurpees. They are produced by various companies and have various hashgachos. Some national kosher agencies have taken the time to “approve” certain ones. It must be remembered that there are non-kosher flavors and dairy flavors too and they are not approved. As far as which flavors are in a given store, only the store owner knows. He/she is usually a non-Jew. So the kashrus of the Slurpees in the store is in the hands of a non-Jew. Even if we somehow trusted him, is this the message that we want our young people to have? By bringing yeshiva boys and girls in buses from day camps for free Slurpees on 7/11 (July 11th), aren’t we teaching them that it is okay to buy food in this store?
   2. Backup. Every flavor Slurpee syrup eventually runs out. The machine automatically switches to draw from
   another flavor until such time as the attendant realizes it and replaces the flavor, if it is in stock.
   3. There have been mislabeling of flavors.
   4. We have found that some flavors which are dairy were not labeled as such.
   5. 7-Eleven products themselves have been mislabeled.
   6. These stores in our neighborhood carry baked goods with the kosher certification of a Conservative rabbi
   with no indication on his letter that he is Conservative.
   7. Soda fountain sodas and coffees have their own problems. Once in the store, many avail themselves of
   those services as well.
   But the biggest reason to avoid the Slurpees is that our yeshiva children don’t belong frequenting such a
   store as 7-Eleven, one where you can only buy a few of the things that are being sold. Is this the atmosphere
   that we want for the future dor of klal yisroel?
   In some yeshivos and bais yaakov schools, Slurpees are sometimes given as rewards/treats to the students. Shouldn’t we review such a practice? There certainly are plenty varieties of Yiddishe nosh in the marketplace.
   While I am at it, does your yeshiva/bais yaakov offer a kashrus segment in the curriculum. We are ready
   to assist you in planning and executing such a program in any grades from 3rd grade through high school.
   I welcome any questions or feedback. Thank you.

   Yours truly
   Rabbi Yosef Wikler
   Editor, KASHRUS Magazine

10. Shuali – Neither the Rambam, NIR the Chinuch count Kedoshim Tihyu as one of Taryag Mitzvos. Why not?

11. R’ Moshe B, there are Many מצות that aren’t counted in the תרי״ג.