Current (February 2009) CBT Kashrut Policy statement

1. Introduction

Our major goals for Kashrut and Shabbat/Chag observance are to:

1. Create a place where we can all celebrate Shabbat, the Chaggim, b'nai mitzvot, and other life events as a community following accepted Conservative Jewish practice.

2. Set an educational model helping us all to grow in observance.

3. Provide a kosher table for meals, songs, discussion and prayers.

4. Provide a way for non-kosher members to contribute to our community potluck meals.

2. The Kosher Korner

Eleanor Gibson offers the following:

If you wish to contribute to our Kosher Dairy Lunches and do not keep Kosher at home here is a way for you to do so.

First decide what type of foods you wish to make. If you want to bring foods that need to spend some time in the oven you will need to clean your oven before cooking for the Synagogue. I brought a cranberry pie each time for a year. Yes, I had the cleanest oven I’ve ever had in my life. If the foods will be cooked on the stovetop there is no need to do anything special to the stove.

Once you have decided what you are going to be fixing you need to figure out the least number of ‘things’ it takes to prepare and cook with. For my pie I needed a bowl, a 1cup measure, a whisk and the pan to bake it in. Today I would be using foil pans from the dollar store marked kosher. If you will be cutting anything you will need a new knife and cutting board. When you have determined what you will be making and what tools it will take you will need to either kosher the dishes and utensils or buy new at the dollar store. If you wish to kosher existing pans and need help or direction contact the Ritual Committee.

All ingredients need to be Kosher. Please see the appendices for what is kosher and what is not and for an explanation of kosher symbols (hechshers.)

Now you have the dishes, pots, pans mixing spoons and ingredients that you need to cook Kosher, on with the project.

You will need to cover a portion of your kitchen counter, which isn’t Kosher so you will have a workspace. You can cover this with a piece of butcher paper, plastic, newspaper or anything that has not had non-kosher food around or on it. If baking you will need to run your oven on a clean cycle. Set out your ingredients and pans etc. This area is now your kitchen for the duration. Make your dish. Cook it and wrap it for transfer to the Shul.

Dishes will need to be washed with a new sponge in a new dishpan or using the bowl you mixed the food in. The dishes cannot be put directly into the non-kosher sink or washed with non-kosher dishes. Place the clean dishes on a clean towel to drain and use a clean towel to dry them. Be sure your soap is Kosher. Sack up the kosher stuff and store it away so no one will use them by mistake. Put away or dispose of the counter covering and you are done, until the next time.

3. The CBT Kitchen

A. The kitchen at CBT is a dairy/vegetarian kitchen only.

B. Hot foods may be prepared here in the CBT Kitchen or in your Kosher Korner or by a kosher professional catering service such as Nosh A Way or Leah’s Catering.

http://www.leahscatering.com/

C. Cold foods may be brought into the synagogue including:

1. Any packaged foods with a hechsher.

2. Any whole fruits and vegetables. No sliced fruits and vegetables are allowed because of the unknown kosher status of the slicing machine.

3. Bagged salad mixes must have a hechsher due to the possible presence of insects. All un-bagged fresh vegetables or unmarked bagged fresh vegetables must be washed carefully on all sides and inspected for insects.

4. All wine for use in the synagogue must be kosher.

5. All breads, bagels and challah must be hechshered.

D. Cheeses either with a hechsher or made with microbial enzymes are kosher.

Only whole blocks of cheese may be brought to CBT. Pre sliced packaged cheeses are not allowed due to not knowing the kashrut of the slicing machine. Additionally, the word enzyme on the label does not mean that the enzyme is derived from a microbial or vegetable source. Rather, the word enzyme appearing on the label more likely means that there is the possibility of the cheese being made with a combination of enzymes from a variety of sources including animal.

E. To contribute in other ways, consider bringing flowers or making a contribution to the Kiddush Fund.

4. Questions

If you have questions you can contact Lowell or Sue Cordas, Eleanor Gibson, Tobi Braverman or Len Albert.

5. Food Requiring Kosher Certification

A. If it is not on the list of foods not requiring kosher certification, it will require one.

B. In general, all canned, baked, processed, frozen and prepared foods require Kosher certification.

C. A good practice is that when in doubt; assume the item should have a hechsher.

6. Technicalities

· Some of the following ingredients can be in the products you purchase. The following list tells you what is kosher and what is not:

· Propylene Glycol is naturally kosher it is a humectant that keeps dry foods moist.

· Stannous Chloride comes from a tin and is naturally kosher, used in sodas.

· Vanilla needs kosher certification due to the extraction process.

· Xylitol is naturally kosher and comes from wood pulp mash, peanut shells or even corncobs.

· Glycerides and polysorbates are added to spice extracts and are usually not listed on ingredient labels and need certification.

· Calcium stearate/Magnesium stearate must be certified.

· Enzymes require a kosher certification.

· Flavorings the following are never kosher: Ambergris, Castoreum and Civet.

· Glycerin can be either a vegetable or animal derivative and need certification.

· Carmine is used to color foods red. Products containing carmine are never kosher, as it is made from crushed insect shells.

Appendices A., B. and C. click to read more...