Monday, 26 Cheshvan (November 24), marked the 10th Annual OK Mashgiach Conference in Brooklyn, NY. It was a “standing-room only” crowd as 150 rabbis packed the Beis Eliezer Yitzchok shul on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights.
The rabbis came from all over the world, from dozens of cities across the US and as far as the Far East, Israel and Australia.
The conference was treated to an all dairy meal catered by Crown Heights’ own Bunch-O-Bagels on Troy Avenue.
The conference began with remarks by OK’s head Rabbi Don Yoel Levy welcoming the crowd and discussing the responsibilities of a mashgiach, Kashrus Administrator of OK Kosher Certification.
Awards were presented to Featured Mashgichim, Rabbi Dovid Feder and Rabbi Tzvi Liker, as well as to the Featured Company, Kontos Foods, which recently became Pas Yisroel.
Speakers included Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish, Rabbinic Coordinator at the OK, who spoke about the halachic implications of fermentation; Rabbi Yisroel Swimmer of Digital Kosher, who spoke about the newly created Mashgiach Portal online access center; and Rabbi Hershel Weiszner, Mashgiach Liaison.
In addition, Rabbi Ahron Haskel, Director of OK Israel, spoke about kashrus supervision in China; and, Rabbi Shlomo Horowits, a kosher educator in Israel, spoke to the crowd about the latest breakthroughs in the kashrus world.
Rabbi Leibel Altein, Director of the Heichal Menachem Chassidic institute in Boro Park, spoke about the groundbreaking work of Chassidus Mevueres (which is sponsored by the OK) in bringing Chassidus to the masses.
Each participant received the newly printed Chassidus Mevueres on Tanya.
Established in 1935, the OK Kosher Certification is one of the world’s most respected symbols of kosher approval. Under the leadership of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, the OK provides certification for food giants and products across the globe.
to #3: thanks for clarifying. sounds tho like almost preaching to the choir.
one event the OK could do is for the general public (not sure what the incentive to come would be tho) to learn how/why to appreciate the work of a mashgiach, or to hear PR of the OK’s work in China
for the mashgichim themselves, the only thing seemingly of value would be the mashgiach portal, which wouldn;’t need such a “conference”
whatever.
hope all who went and who made it felt good about it. party is always good, i guess
Of course there was much to be gained from the speeches. Rabbi levy spoke about the resposiblities of the mashgiach. He also included a detailed desription for kashering spray driesr whach any mashgiach knows was very usueful. Rabbi Haskel spoke about Kashrus issues in China and how the OK is in the forefront in tacklling these issues. He expalined the problems involved and the OK is ther only one today requiring mashgichim tmidim in many facilities in China. Rabbi Gornish as usual had a very informative technical treatise on fermentation. Yisroel Swimmer gave a very informative expalanation of the mashgiach… Read more »
its a time that these lubab beards led by competent chassidim took a leading role in leading kashrus today go!! weizner!!! u looked great a inspiring leader!
did anyone attending learn anything they didn’t know? get inspired? what’s the point? why was this done?