This page contains answers to questions that have been asked over the years. I've tried to pick the practical questions. Things that someone who has recently decided to adopt a kosher lifestyle is likely to encounter, and not the more complex issues the average consumer is probably going to let a professional worry about. After all, the ordinary kosher consumer doesn't really need to know the precise requirements and angle for sharpening the shechita knife, but he does need to know how to kasher the silverware in his own kitchen, or what he is, or isn't, permitted to eat at a business lunch.
If you don't find the answers you're looking for on this page, feel free to use the form at the bottom of the page to ask directly.
That Business Lunch: Okay, just what can I eat if I have to go out for business?
This depends on where you're eating out. If there is a kosher restaurant handy, and you can have your business lunch there, then there's no problem. But if you're asking this question, we have to assume that a kosher restaurant is not an option. In a fast food restaurant, the options are very limited. One may generally drink coffee if it is served in a disposable cup, since restaurant coffee is normally made in containers reserved for that purpose. Creamer in individual containers may be used if the container is marked with a reliable kosher certification. One may also drink a kosher soda from a paper cup, or directly from a can or bottle. Food, in a fast food restaurant, is probably out of the question.
In a regular restaurant, the same general rules apply to beverages. If arrangements are made ahead of time, you may be able to arrange for a kosher TV dinner. Another option is a piece of fish, cut with a kosher knife, double wrapped in aluminum foil and broiled. Both the TV dinner and the broiled fish should be brought to the table unopened, and eaten with previously-unused plastic dinnerware, either from the original container, or from a paper plate.
One additional problem applies in this case, and that is the question of maaris ayin, or appearances. While you may take considerable care to insure that you don't eat anything that isn't kosher, someone seeing an obviously-observant Jew in the restaurant may mistakenly think that the regular food is permitted, and so be led into inadvertently transgressing. This is true, even if the other is a non-observant Jew who would not ordinarilly keep kosher.
Microwave Ovens: How can I kosher a microwave oven? And do I need more than one?"
Taking these questions in reverse order, there is a difference of opinion as to whether it is permitted to use a single microwave oven for both meat and dairy. Those who permit this generally indicate that the bottom surface (a paper towel will suffice) should be changed between types of food. More stringent authorities hold that one should have separate meat and dairy microwaves, and this is certainly preferable if economically feasible.
Koshering a microwave is actually quite easy. The interior should be carefully washed, and the appliance allowed to sit unused for a minimum of 24 hours. After that time, place a container of water in the oven and operate it on high until the water has boiled, and the interior of the oven filled with steam.
Who Do You Trust? There are so many products in stores that are marked with some sort of kashrus mark. How can I be sure which are really trustworthy?
The truth is, no kashrus symbol is universally recognized. Various groups of Jews have established their own particular standards, but other groups disagree and therefore feel the other's supervision isn't trustworthy. The most universally recognized symbol is probably the O-U symbol of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. Another highly reliable symbol is the KAJ of the K'hal Adath Jeshurun community of Washington Heights. A very common symbol is the O-K of the Organized Kashrus Laboratories. (The symbols O-U and O-K, of course, represent the indicated letter inside a circle.) A circle around a "K" in which the lower leg of the "K" touches the circle is not a kashrus symbol, by the way, but a trademark of the Circle-K convenience stores, where the products sold may, or more likely may not, actually be kosher.
Your best source of information on the various symbols is your local Orthodox rabbi. Kashrus Magazine, published by Yeshiva Birchas Reuven of Brooklyn, NY, publishes an annual issue which includes a listing of every kashrus certification symbol they are aware of. (They do not, however, provide information on the reliability of the symbols, but do indicate the orientation of the rabbi or organization behind the symbol when this is known.) A number of books on the topic of kashrus are available, some of which contain symbol listings. One should be aware that the exclusion of s symbol from the listing in a particular book does not necessarily indicate that the symbol isn't realiable. Certification that may be acceptable to many Orthodox Jews may not be to the author of a particular volume. In the same way, a symbol he accepts may not be acceptable to others. Again, your own rabbi is the best source in this area.
The most problematic symbol is the plain "K," found on many products. Some products marked with the "K" have entirely reliable supervision (Kellogg's® cereals, for instance). Others have no supervision whatsoever, and are merely being proclaimed to be kosher by the manufacturer. Obviously, this isn't always true. A letter to the manufacturer will frequently provide the answer to this question, as those who are under supervision are usually more than happy to say so when asked. On the other hand, the answer may not always be reassuring. A popular brand of string cheese (mozzarella sticks), marked with a "K," turns out to be under the supervision of a Conservative rabbi. Because the Conservative rabbinate considers gevinas akum (the cheese of gentiles) to be kosher, such a certification is meaningless.
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