OU Kosher Conference Attracts Over 100 Participants

From COLlive reporter

More than 100 OU Kosher Rabbi Coordinators (RCs) and Rabbi Field Representatives (RFRs) from around the world recently gathered at the Hilton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey to participate in OU Kosher’s two-day annual Kashuras Conference. bottom.

The RFR inspects food production at various factories and the RC oversees the RFR and works with client companies to maximize the benefits of OU Kosher certification.

OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international kosher certification body, certifying over 1,000,000 products from over 13,000 factories in 105 countries around the world. The agency certifies his two-thirds of all kosher certified food in the United States.

For over 25 years, OU Kosher has hosted Mashgichim and Rabbi in a two-day conference. The event provides an opportunity to meet colleagues and learn about kosher laws, procedures, techniques and trends from religious authorities and industry experts.

“This conference puts OU Kosher’s work and mission in a broader context and helps us understand how the RFR and RC are all aligned,” said OU Kosher Chief Executive Officer. Mr Ravi said. menachem genak. “We discuss policies to make their jobs easier, more efficient and more effective.”

This year’s event was attended by approximately 55 rabbinical coordinators from the OU Kosher headquarters in Manhattan and approximately 75 rabbinic field representatives from North America, Europe, Israel, Brazil and Mexico. Notable among them is Chabad Shulchim. Ravi Genak said the diversity of participants strengthens OU Kosher and facilitates the fostering of cross-organizational relationships.

According to OU Kosher Chief Operating Officer Ravi Moshe ElephantThe 100 people who oversee OU Kosher’s 850 RFR operations work full time, making thousands of factory visits in 104 countries and inspecting over a million raw materials. Many people who work in the field spend a significant amount of time away from their families.

“Combining our RC and RFR will benefit our Kashuras programme,” said Ravi Elephant. “This conference is an opportunity for them to connect with each other and learn new and important skills and facts about our work. Personal interactions like this are invaluable.”

Following the welcome from Mr. Ravi Genak and Dr., Chairman of the OU Kosher Committee, Joshua Penn, participants participated in breakout sessions on topics such as conflict and communication in professional settings, time management, overlooked issues in cachering, and innovation in biotechnology and ingredients development. Other sessions included topics such as Chavursa Learning, Dahu Yomi Shuurim and Yarchei Kala.

Attendees enjoyed the dialogue between Rabbi Genak and Rabbi Elephant and reflected on their unique vision, collaboration and mutual achievements at OU Kosher.

Other highlights included a shawl on kosherizing paraphernalia by Merkaz Halav Kuk Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi. Yaakov ShapiraLecture by a rabbi with a person who flew in from Israel for this conference Area BredneyMajid Siul of Mir Yeshiva, Brooklyn, and a member of Moets Gedrey Hatra of Agdas Israel, USA.

Expressing the same feeling Novominskel Rebe “Mr. Chazal said that consuming non-kosher food dulls the mind and spirit,” said Rabbi Bourdney at a Kashuras conference several years ago. Rabbi Bourdney said he thanked OU, the leading institution for kosher in North America, and attributed the growth of Torah across the continent to OU.

The annual Kashrath meeting also serves as a forum for OU Kosher to publicly recognize the RFRs and RCs who have worked for the institution for 25 years.A rabbi was among those honored this year for his decades of hard work and service Yaakov Luban, one of OU’s most senior rabbis and will retire in January 2024 after nearly 40 years of service. Rabbi Genak, who has been friends with Rabbi Ruban since childhood, expressed his gratitude to Rabbi Ruban on behalf of OU Kosher.

Each year, OU-accredited companies are also honored at this conference. This year, Kedem was honored for its 69-year partnership with OU and for making kosher essentials such as wine and Passover products available to Jews around the world.