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A day in the life of... Rabbi Sholom Adler By Moshe Epstein

The Kashrus Scene— As Seen from Toronto

e live in a world with constantly evolving technological advances. These advances have caused many changes in the food industry, making W kashrus supervision a greater challenge and responsibility. The COR, Canada’s primary kashrus agency, was founded over fifty years ago by Rabbi Gedalia Felder, zt”l. Today, the COR has grown and expanded to accommodate the growing food industry, ensuring quality kosher food for the Jewish consumer. The acronym “COR” stands for Council of Orthodox Rabbis, which is how the organization was originally referred to at its inception. Today the organization is known as the Kashruth Council of Canada, yet is still widely referred to as the COR. Rabbi Sholom Adler, the COR’s Kashrus Administrator, was born in Brooklyn and raised in Toronto, where his parents moved in 1964. He attended Yeshivah Shaarei Yosher, and later the yeshivos of Brisk and Lakewood. Rabbi Adler graciously related a typical day at the COR with Hamodia.

Some Background Info: my kabbalah as a shochet from the Debrecener supervises over 130 community Canada’s official 2005 census reported a Rav, Harav Moshe Stern, zt”l, and from, establishments such as restaurants, caterers, population of 370,000 Jews, 190,000 of whom ybl”c, Harav Yechezkel Roth, shlita. As a bakeries and retail stores. This is managed live in Toronto. Although only a small bachur I was interested in the field of separately by Rabbi Tsvi Heber, Director of percentage of Canadian Jews are strictly shechitah, and so during bein hazmanim I often Kashrus, Foodservice Division. observant, a majority keep kosher. Toronto, accompanied shochatim to observe the the base of the COR’s operation, is home to process. Before becoming affiliated full-time About the COR tens of thousands of frum people. I feel with the COR, I worked for twenty years as Being Toronto’s primary kashrus agency privileged to serve the Toronto kehillah, as a with various kashrus agencies has its challenges. Large metropolitan areas well as the numerous other communities worldwide, so I brought along to the COR might have choices of multiple agencies, so whose families consume products under our both firsthand acquaintance of the shechitah establishments can shop around for a hashgachah. process and on-site industrial knowledge certifying agency that will suit their needs, At the COR, I am responsible for seven and experience in establishing and both culturally and financially, or for any hundred companies across Canada. I work maintaining sophisticated kashrus other reason. In Toronto, the COR balances with a team of capable and experienced standards throughout the food industry. all of these issues to satisfy a wide range of Rabbinic Coordinators and I’m also The COR has the largest foodservice constituents, catering to the full spectrum of currently in charge of shechitah. I received department in North America that Canadian Jewry.

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As well, in cities with more than one And it doesn’t typically end with one food cooked by a Jew, for which an kosher-certifying agency, what can happen crisis: While waiting on hold to resolve the observant Jew must at the very least ignite is that when one agency removes its Halifax dilemma, another call came in from the fire that begins the process. certification from an establishment due to a local bakery with a new predicament. The Studying the machinery, I realized that if non-compliance, within hours, the bakery had run low on bagels and needed a an electrical blackout would cause the establishment has signed up with another special production to take place on boiler to shut down, there were two agency. The consumer, often unaware of the Monday, under the supervision of a options. One would be to halt everything switch in certification and why it took place, mashgiach. While still negotiating for the until someone from the COR could be is put at possible risk for less-than-optimum Halifax company, I called our in-house summoned to the site — a situation that kashrus. scheduler and asked that he take care of the could incur substantial financial losses due This type of switch to another kashrus local matter, which he accomplished to “down time.” The other option I came up agency in Toronto would prove to be an successfully. with was much better: I segregated the unsuccessful move, as kosher consumers bishul Yisrael egg cooking system so that here place their trust in the COR, which Afternoons even if someone at the company does turn provides them with the high standards they On a typical afternoon, I handle many on the boiler to enable the operation of the enjoy. interesting issues. One example I’ll share rest of the equipment (which does not As Canada’s largest kashrus with you is my experience with a company require “bishul Yisrael”), the “hard-boiled organization — with 70% of the “market that produces boxed juice drinks that you egg” cooking system is not affected. I also share” — the COR’s mission is huge. As its might send along with a school-age child to assisted in designing a dial-in code system administrator I can say that no “one” day is drink during recess. The company that to remotely restart both the boiler and the “typical,” since new situations are owns the brand that has the formula for the “egg-cooking” system. constantly arising, but I will do my best to product sends it to a specialized processing describe a “typical” day at the COR. facility for production and packaging. This is because the machinery used in that Mornings process, referred to as “Tetra®,” is very As morning dawns, my busy day at the expensive to own and maintain. The COR begins, as I and other staff members specialized processing facility serves a wide reply to the constant phone calls and email variety of juice drink and non-kosher liquid requests. This correspondence with the food producers, making it challenging to many companies and restaurants under the kasher the machinery. Researching the COR’s supervision range from routine to sophisticated technology involved, and unique. One Friday we received a phone resolving the problems that arose due to the call from one of our companies located near machinery not being dedicated to only Halifax, Nova Scotia, asking that a specific kosher juice, was a challenge that proved piece of equipment be kashered by the extremely rewarding once overcome. following Tuesday. They needed this Another scenario of a company equipment right away to fill an order. Since that uses a preparation process it was Friday, when our office closes at 3:00 with complicated halachic p.m., the task seemed impossible. But prior ramifications relates to a experience has taught me to “never say manufacturer that markets never,” so I picked up the telephone and hard-boiled eggs. The system did my hishtadlus. Fortunately, I located the they use for the preparation of mashgiach who was scheduled to be in other and for Halifax a week later for a different job, and boiling the eggs is a steam I asked him to change his itinerary to enable boiler that, in turn, heats the us to accommodate the client. water that cooks the eggs to While relating this story took me mere such a degree that they become minutes, actually engineering these “hard-boiled.” Understandably, arrangements took several hours and many a mashgiach must turn on the boiler phone calls — but that’s a good part of to begin the cooking process. This will what I do! ensure that it will be bishul Yisrael —

Rabbi Adler on his way to inspect a facility A day in the Life Of 20-35 c.qxd 11/19/2009 3:03 PM Page 26

Rabbi Sholom Adler

The Low-down The RVH has tackled policy decisions on undocumented foreigners, or otherwise On High-Level Meetings a variety of interesting questions. For contravene provincial or federal regulations. On a typical day I also attend several instance, if we kosher-certify a caterer at an If one of our contracted companies would meetings. One such meeting may take place affair attended by both Jews and non-Jews, face such a situation, our problem with them with the Rabbinical Vaad Hakashrus (RVH), after which food and drink will be awarded would not center on the political issue of which meets about four times a year, barring as prizes to attendees — a gift certificate to a whether undocumented workers should or any major issues that demand emergency restaurant, a case of wine, or the like — must should not have the right to work in Canada. sessions. One of the important topics this the prizes also be kosher? The psak halachah Instead, it would focus on the fact that the board addresses is COR policy. was, yes: prizes that would be consumed, people managing that company have A recent interesting case was a question albeit after the event, must also be kosher in proven themselves to be less than 100% posed by a non-Jewish businessman who order for the event to be under COR trustworthy. People who don’t hesitate to had signed a contract to lease a store in a certification. cheat, on any issue, are not the best mall. The store was to be staffed by non-Jews Another RVH matter was a COR- candidates for COR kosher certification, and kept open on Shabbos, while selling certified kosher caterer who booked a mixed since there’s an element of trust built into COR-certified candy. Our rabbinical board marriage. Was this permissible? The our contracts that cannot be ignored. decided that it could not give a on a Rabbanim decided that the COR certifies the store kept open on Shabbos. Since the mall caterer, not the event, over which they have Other Meetings owner insisted that all of the stores renting no control and no knowledge of the In addition to RVH meetings, I also from him be open parties involved until the actual attend other meetings on a regular basis. affair. Before I describe some of the issues we deal However, since many Canadian with, I would like to remove a common Jews look for the COR certificate misconception. When many people hear the before eating at a simchah, the RVH words “kashrus organization” the concept decided that they would not certify of the organization being the policeman a caterer who served chalav stam. seeking to catch perpetrators of fraud in the This will prevent anyone at the food industry may be the general picture simchah from not being able to that comes to mind. But nothing is further participate or eat something they from the truth. Many hours are spent each wouldn’t want to consume week educating both manufacturers and because he or she is makpid on individuals about our standards and . requirements in an effort to help them to On the other hand, coffee comply. Although mistakes may be made, shops that serve chalav stam do they usually occur as a result of ignorance, receive COR kosher not malicious intent. certification if they meet all of What you have to realize is that food our standards and agree to manufacturers don’t understand the halachos place signs at the store of kashrus, but they do understand the entrance, as well as inside, concept of service, which is a strong informing consumers that chalav stam is motivator. We provide the companies with Rabbi Adler inspecting machinery in being served. The difference is that in the the opportunity to enter a whole new a food-manufacturing facility first instance, a person might not have a market, which would otherwise be choice of attending the simchah, and it would unavailable to them, and they in turn seven days a week, the businessman is now be impossible to adequately notify guests appreciate the level of service that the COR trying to get out of his contract and find a that chalav stam was being served (for provides. The increased production of more accommodating landlord. example, at a bris or other event). However, kosher products provides a tremendous Had this non-Jewish business been anyone opting to buy a cup of coffee in a service for the Jewish community. The large located some distance from any Jewish particular shop has their preferences and array of kosher-certified food provides a community, where no public zilzul of knows it is their responsibility to carefully much greater choice in both quality and Shabbos would have been involved, instead read the displayed kashrus certificate for price for supermarket shoppers. This of a local retail establishment, our Rabbanim details. arrangement, which satisfies and helps all may have considered other parameters, but Finally, I want to share the RVH’s policy parties, greatly increases my job satisfaction in this case, that was the psak halachah. regarding companies that employ and keeps me motivated despite the long

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hours and frequent trips I that unless he sought Kosher often have to take to fulfill for Passover certification we my duties. couldn’t help him, as I have also developed a sanitizers are inherently PowerPoint presentation kosher. Additionally, a called “Kosher 101,” which non–Jewish wig is a tutorial for companies manufacturer sought kosher to learn the basics of kosher certification for her wigs! laws and how they apply (Remember the Indian hair to food manufacturing scandal? Obviously she did, facilities. This raises their which prompted her call.) awareness so that they As well, we had a consumer understand what lies in a supermarket who called behind all the rules and on his cell phone and thus will more easily Rabbi Adler checking a chalif wanted me to stay on the comply. phone with him while he selected among A recent case comes immediately to Peterborough, Ontario, on a highly products, all without certification (which I mind. A trucking company transported a sophisticated system to prevent such a did for a very short while). load of fatty acids in a tanker that was later tragedy from recurring. Bar codes don’t slated to transport a kosher-certified work with fresh, unpackaged meat, so we After Hours ingredient, totally unaware that some fatty are developing a system that will have 100- My typical workday ends at about six acids can be derived from animal fats, and percent traceability of meats. We hope to p.m., when I head home for family time, a would therefore be halachically problematic. have such a system and pilot project in place shiur, davening and, quite often, participation Baruch Hashem, we caught the mistake in in six to twelve months. in simchos. But one recent Sunday night, a time and took corrective steps. Yet, it was At a previous meeting, we also discussed shochet who was scheduled to shecht in never a matter of “catching” the trucking the new COR logo, which includes the word Quebec called frantically from New company, but rather educating them better “kosher” in Hebrew (see first page of this York’s Kennedy Airport and told me that so as not to make such mistakes in the article) so that it will be immediately he had not been allowed onto the flight, future. recognizable as a kosher symbol. This since his name was spelled incorrectly on Of course in instances of actual fraud, symbol is already seen on many products his ticket. He was slated to begin perpetrators must be caught, stopped and and is great for achieving corporate shechting at six a.m. Monday morning. punished. However, besides some foreign branding. Gone was my family time, my shiur, and manufacturers whose culture is so vastly One project among many others I’m all the rest. different from that of the West that it currently working on is a contract with the After numerous phone calls I located a necessitates our dealing differently with producer of a Kosher for Passover paper travel agent (on a Sunday!) who was able them, the majority of companies located in towel that will be produced without starch to issue an emergency ticket for the Canada and the United States have a or kitniyos glue. I also met with a company shochet (charged to my credit card, of business interest in complying with all of that professionally handles power-washing course!). The shochet jumped into a taxi our rules. I never present myself or any of and heavy-duty cleaning in the safest from Kennedy Airport and raced to my rabbinic coordinators and mashgichim as methods possible, to discuss alleviating the Newark, where he picked up the new policemen, but rather as people dedicated to inherent dangers of dealing with the ticket with his correct name at the airline making our partnership work, for the benefit extremely high temperatures and fire counter, and he made it to Quebec on of the consumer as well as the manufacturer. involved in kashering. time. I made all that effort not just to help One type of meeting that I participate in the shochet, but for the kosher consumers’ on a typical day concerns long-term Lighter Matters benefit as well. If he hadn’t arrived on planning for improved service to the I don’t want everyone to think that every schedule, the COR would not have had consumer, as well as the reliability of our minute of each day is consumed by only an entire shipment of meat, which we hechsher. A recent issue concerned the weighty matters. Sprinkled throughout each were counting on for our consumers. aftermath of the Monsey meat scandal of day, in response to both telephone calls and And so begins another day in the life several years ago. The COR is currently emails, are inquiries of every sort. I recently of Rabbi Sholom Adler, Kashrus working in conjunction with scientists and dealt with a manufacturer seeking kosher Administrator, COR. The kashrus scene — technicians from Trent University, in certification for hand sanitizers! We told him as seen from Toronto — is alive and well. ]M

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