OK Kosher Certification Held Annual Mashgiach Conference

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] — Last week, on 29th of Cheshvan OK Kosher Certification held its 11th annual Mashgiach Conference in Chovevei Torah in Crown Heights. Over 100 OK personnel and mashgichim were in attendance, including many from around the world.

As in past years, the OK honored two Mashgichim. This year’s honorees were Rabbi Yitzi Loewenthal from Denmark and Rabbi Yitzchok Teller from Belgium. Both rabbis were chosen for their dedication to upholding the rigorous kashrus standards set forth by the OK and the sheer volume of work they do on behalf of the OK.

Every year the OK features a company who is making strides in increasing their kosher offerings and works well with their mashgichim and rabbis. This year, the OK honored PriceCostco and their regional manager.

For over a decade, Costco kosher bakeries in Brooklyn, NY, Lawrence, NY, Nanuet, NY, New Rochelle, NY, and Hackensack, NJ have been under the kosher supervision of OK Kosher Certification, (Cholov Stam and Pas Palter) providing their customers with fresh, quality, kosher baked goods at prices that cannot be beat.

Costco – Lawrence was the pilot store for a line OK Kosher certified Cholov Yisroel cheese, along with top-quality, OK Kosher certified, Choice grade Glatt Kosher Lubavitcher Shechita beef produced by Colorado Kosher Beef. Costco stores in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Lawrence now carry this kosher beef. Many Costco stores already carry the Cholov Yisroel cheese.

Rabbi Levy, Kashrus Administrator, opened the conference with words of Torah and chizuk, along with anecdotes about his father, Rabbi Berel Levy, a”h.

Attendees were also treated to an interesting lesson about fish and kashrus, given by Rabbi Berel Bell, a dayan of the Montreal Beis Din and a member of Montreal Kosher; a presentation on kashrus and flavors by OK Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish; an introduction to the new features of the Mashgiach Portal by Mashgiach Liaison Rabbi Hershel Weiszner; and, a fascinating lecture on the importance of a mashgiach by OK Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Elisha Rubin.

The conference ended with a lavish buffet lunch, allowing the rabbis time to interact with each other and discuss their questions with OK headquarters staff.