Winter 2025

Forty years ago, the Lakeshore Hebrew Day School of New Orleans celebrated its 10th Anniversary Dinner in one of the premier hotels in the Vieux Carré, under the supervision of the local Orthodox rabbi. The day school then housed the New Orleans Kollel, of which I was a member. The event was so special that my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Henoch Leibowitz ztz”l, was brought in as the guest speaker.

Before the event, we met extensively with the hotel chef, the pastry chef, and the food and beverage director to ensure that – even though the hotel was kosher certified – there would be no kashrus hiccups. When the big day arrived, I came with a crew made up of the chevrei hakollel to supervise the cooking for the event. Imagine our alarm when the chef showed us the “kosher” soup kettle – gleaming on the inside but encrusted with crawfish on the outside! To say it was a very long day is a gross understatement.

Decidedly, kashrus has come a long way since then. Nevertheless, kashrus challenges constantly arise with the advent of new trends, advancements in technology, and changing practices in global productions.

There are two truisms when preparing for a lifecycle event: (1) The more preplanning prior to the event, the fewer problems will be encountered; and (2) Murphy’s Law – there will always be problems! In view of these truisms, it is incumbent on ba’alei simcha to have as much awareness as possible about potential kashrus pitfalls so they can avert simcha crises and enjoy their simcha – b’simcha! In that spirit, the checklists below should help.

Planning Simchas In Town

In-town simchas are special occasions. There’s no travel involved and we know most of the people in attendance. But when attending a catered event in a hall or shul – be it a Kiddush, Shalom Zachor or Sheva Brachos – guests should be aware that the simcha might not be under any “official” kosher certification, unless the shul is certified, the food service event has been approved by the shul, or if the shul has hired a Vaad mashgiach. If the ba’al simcha has hired a party planner, other challenges may arise (see sidebar, “The Perils of Partnering with a Party Planner”).

The Kiddush Checklist

Pre-planning your Kiddush is the best strategy to guarantee that the simcha will encounter a minimum of glitches.

• If the Kiddush is being held in a shul, inquire about their guidelines. Does the shul have their own Kiddush Committee?
• Will they allow you to prepare the Kiddush yourself?
• If yes, which certifications does the shul permit? 
• Does the shul require that all baked goods be Pas Yisroel and/or Yoshon?[1] 
• Can you purchase boxed bakery goods from the supermarket, or must the baked goods come from a Shomer Shabbos bakery?[2] 
• If rolls are served, are they truly Mezonos rolls, or real bread?[3] 
• Is there a washing station? 
• If the Kiddush is dairy, do the dairy products have to be Cholov Yisroel or will Cholov Stam products fit the bill?
• Is there adequate division between the fish – herring, gefilte fish, salmon, sushi – and meat –cholent, turkey salad, deli, chopped liver?
• What is the shul’s policy regarding prepared food brought into the shul from a take-out store? 
• Does the store need to be under hashgacha and, if so, which hashgachos would be acceptable? 

• Is someone responsible for checking that the items coming into the shul have a reliable kosher hechsher and are properly sealed?[4]
• What is the shul’s policy regarding home baked items?[5] 

• If potato chips and pretzels are being purchased, do they have to be Bishul Yisroel and/or Pas Yisroel?[6] 
• If the Kiddush is milchig, should candies be Cholov Yisroel?
• Does the shul allow candies coated with resinous glaze?
• What is the shul’s policy concerning wines and liquor? Does all wine need to be mevushal?  Do all the liqueurs have reliable kosher supervision?

Cholent and other hot items are dealt with in the Sheva Brachos section below. 

The Shalom Zachor Checklist

Mazel Tov! It’s a boy, and he was born on Friday morning. Everyone is rushing and hurrying to get the Shalom Zachor ready. Quick – get the beer and the arbis (chickpeas)! But hold on: 

• Do you realize that both flavored and non-alcoholic beers need reliable kosher certification?[7] 
• If your guests only use Yoshon products, are you aware that beer (which is produced from malted barley) might be Chodosh?
• Are you aware that canned chickpeas are one of the leading items likely to be produced in a facility that also produces canned meat products, and so they need a reliable hechsher?
• Are you aware that meat and fish boards require two simanim if delivered?[8]

The Sheva Brachos Checklist

Shabbos Sheva Brachos can be a grand undertaking.  As the cost of having a caterer has become prohibitive for some, ba’alei simcha often opt to cater the event themselves and buy prepared foods from reliably certified food vendors. In the trade, when food is purchased from a caterer or a take-out store, it is referred to as a food service event versus a fully catered simcha. It is critical that you, as the ba’al simcha, clearly understand what your responsibilities are in this situation.

• Are you aware that it is your responsibility to check all food items as they enter your home or social hall to determine if the products have proper kosher identification?[9] 
• Do you realize that you must ensure that the kashrus status of the food continues? That you are responsible for ensuring that a Shomer Shabbos watches the meat, chicken and fish items to avoid a problem of basar she’nisaleim min ha’ayin?[10]
• Are there aino Yehudim or non-observant help cooking the meal before Shabbos?[11]
• If so, were all fires turned on by a Shomer Shabbosto avoid problems of bishul akum (food cooked by an aino Yehudi)?[12] 
• Are the oven controls or knobs properly covered and are there blechs covering the burners of a gas or non-glass stove top?[13]
• Does the shul allow Chazara (returning cooked food to the fire)?[14]
• Have you checked to make sure that you are using institutional water urns that do not introduce fresh water into the tank?
• Have you turned on all water urns before Shabbos?
• Have you made tea essence before Shabbos?[15]
• Have you opened all sugar packets, sealed food containers and bottles with threaded caps before Shabbos?
• Have you checked salads and vegetables before Shabbos to make sure they are free of tolayim (insects)?
• Are you aware of potential issues with Borer (separating the bad from the good), especially when checking vegetables for tolayim on Shabbos?[16]
• Have you checked all bakery items for their Pas Yisroel and Yoshon status?
• Have you ensured that all wines and liqueurs bear the proper hechsheirim?
• Are the wines and grape juice mevushal in the event you hired waitstaff who are either aino Yehudim or non-Shomer Shabbos Yidden?
• Are you aware that you are responsible for the kashrus of all chinaware, flatware, serving utensils, heating equipment and display pieces?[17]

Navigating a Destination Event

B’chasdei Hashem, the mishpachos of Klal Yisroel have seen unprecedented growth in both size and affluence. Home dining rooms can’t always accommodate extended families, and shul social halls don’t hold a candle to points unknown. So, what do wandering Jews do best? Wander to large Airbnb homes – in Orlando, Scottsdale, Cancun or to points beyond.[18] Some well-heeled travelers even bring their own personal chef to cater the occasion. For now, we will focus on the additional kosher culinary challenges one faces when taking a Shabbos or simcha “on location.”

The Destination Simcha Checklist

• Do all the kosher products meet with your (or your guests’) kashrus standards?[19]
• Are the available kosher bakery goods pareve, Pas Yisroel, and yoshon, if these are required by you or your guests?
• If you are serving dairy, are Cholov Yisroel products available?
• What do you do about dishes?[20]
• If you hire a personal chef, who will be responsible to see that Bishul Yisroel, basar she’nisaleim min ha’ayin, and bedikas tolayim for vegetables and fruits are met?
• Can the stove, oven and sink be kashered and, if so, who will take care of the kashering?
• Are countertops kasherable or do they need to be covered? Do you have the necessary covers to do this?
• Are the appliances Shabbos-compliant?[21]

Pre-planning the trip and event details – from forshpize to dessert – whether you do it yourself or have a party planner (again, see sidebar) who is up to the challenge, will ensure that your simcha is really b’simcha and the occasion truly memorable.

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[1] If the Kiddush bakery products must be Yoshon, the ba’al simcha should realize that Yoshon does not just include breads, cakes and cookies.  Products such as jarred gefilte fish, licorice, pretzels, noodle kugels and even potato kugels may have flour in their ingredients and must also be Yoshon.  It would be a good idea to place small signs indicating which items are Yoshon.

[2] Be aware that cakes are often decorated with pictures or lettering that may not be cut on Shabbos. 

[3] Rav Moshe Heinemann shlit”a requires that to be considered Mezonos, the roll should be as sweet as a cinnamon bun.

[4] Meat and fish items require two simanim (seals) when they leave the store, while cheese, dairy and bakery goods require only one.

[5] There are home bakers who bake beautiful simcha cakes. Does the shul’s policy require kosher supervision for these cakes?

[6] Someone needs to be responsible for opening all unopened cans, bags, boxes and bottles before Shabbos.

[7] Do not assume that a flavored alcoholic beverage is just a little lemon juice mixed in the beer. Further, those flavors can come from Eretz Yisroel; and glycerin is often used as a blending agent in flavored beverages.  Regular beer and ales are generally acceptable. Be mindful that beer companies are increasingly choosing to bottle their brews in cans. If you don’t open cans on Shabbos, better to purchase these in bottles.

[8] See also footnote 4.

[9] When the caterer delivers the food items, or when the food items are picked up from the store or commissary, the food must be properly sealed – especially meat and fish.  Once the seals are broken, the hashgacha’s responsibility ends.

[10] This problem arises when aino Yehudim are hired to prepare the meal and are not supervised at the venue.

[11] All foods should be cooked at least 1/3 of the way before the onset of Shabbos. 

[12] Fires are frequently turned on and off during cooking. Since the ba’al simcha will be preoccupied and unable to properly supervise the food preparations, he should designate someone to be responsible for igniting all heating equipment.

[13] The melacha of Shehiya forbids one to leave uncooked food on a cooking surface before Shabbos on which the fire may be adjusted to hasten or improve the cooking. To prevent this, the fire and controls be covered with a blech. See also footnote 12.

[14] There are strict guidelines that must be followed when returning cooked items to the oven. These apply even if the stovetop is covered with a blech, and even if the food that one wants to put onto the blech is fully cooked and still hot. It is very important to review the laws of Chazara with your rav to avoid any problems on Shabbos.

[15] Rav Heinemann requires the essence to remain on a blech to retain its warmth.

[16] Often salads, platters and trifles are made on Shabbos and involve cutting and separating peels, pits and seeds from the fruits or vegetables. Separating these items incorrectly may cause one to violate the melacha. These laws can become quite complicated. It is advisable to check with one’s rav to review these rules.

[17] Questions regarding their prior use should be addressed ahead of time.

[18] See “Navigating the Ins and Outs of Renting an Airbnb” by Rabbi Zvi Goldberg.

[19]  e.g., Yoshon, Pas Yisroel, Bishul Yisroel, Glatt and Chalak Beit Yosef.

[20] In some areas, kosher dishes and cookware are available for rent.

[21] Shabbos-compliant appliances have become increasingly more difficult to find as technology advances and appliances have become more sophisticated. All too often, STAR-K gets calls from panicked destination travelers who are stymied by appliances requiring a Sabbath Mode to deactivate lights, icons or 12-hour shutoffs, and have not the slightest idea what to do. Prepare accordingly.