OU Kosher opens new education division to support communities online
The OU Kosher first virtual event was attended by no less than 1,100 people in 23 countries around the world.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFRabbi Menachem Genack (left) and Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union(photo credit: HOWARD BLAS)
The Orthodox Union Kosher (OU), one of the largest kosher certification agencies in the world, opened a new division dedicated to education and help for communities around the world regarding any questions related to kashrut, adding to their already existing support actions to synagogue networks, youth programs, Jewish and religious Zionist advocacy programs, and programs for disabled people.“As we continue to grow the reach of OU Kosher around the globe, there was a critical need to provide more education and other resources to consumers. We are very proud of OU Kosher’s new Community Relations department and the tremendous success of its first program,” declared OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack.The OU Kosher's first virtual event was attended by no less than 1,100 people in 23 countries around the world "to discuss some of the most pressing kashrut related questions," continued Rabbi Genack.“We created the new Community Relations department in order to better serve the global kosher-observant Jewish community and its ever-evolving needs,” said OU Kosher COO Rabbi Moshe Elefant.During the first OU Kosher virtual event, the sessions focused on bedikas tolaim - checking for insect infestation - with real time closeup video of bugs on vegetables, checking and identifying issues in chickens, actual kashering of industrial plants and the cheese making process.“We wanted to create a communal hub which includes the OU Kosher hotline, speaker’s bureau, educational resources, consulting, conferences and more," continued Rabbi Elefant. "We’re pleased to share that Rabbi Eli Eleff, who has been a Rabbinic Coordinator/Account Executive with OU Kosher for more than 10 years has agreed to serve as Managing Director of this new division.”“Our vision for the Community Relations department is to provide the resources and tools for the community and to address their needs. This virtual conference was our first step in doing so, and it clearly demonstrates a very strong demand from the global Jewish community. We are here to work with you,” said OU Community Relations Managing Director Rabbi Eli Eleff.Participants joined the OU Kosher virtual conference from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, India, Israel, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Philippines, St. Barts, South Africa, Serbia, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.