Kashrus Officials Meet for Annual Conference

Kashrus officials from all over the world gathered in Woodbridge, New Jersey, for the annual conference of Association of Kashrus Organizations (AKO) to discuss current issues such as Schechita in the era of animal rights; Marijuana certification; insect innovations and the Impossible burger. Full Story, Photos

January 13, 2020 – 16 Tevet 5780

By KosherToday.com & COLlive.com

Kashrus officials from all over the world gathered at the Delta Hotel by Marriott in Woodbridge, New Jersey, for the annual conference of Association of Kashrus Organizations (AKO) on December 31, 2019 – January 2, 2020.

It included a bus trip to Met Life Stadium for the 13th Siyum Hashas, completion of the Talmud. More than 90,000 Jews participated in the monumental event.

Traditionally held the day after Kosherfest, this year’s AKO conference was moved to the new dates to coincide with the Siyum Hashas.

The conference was dedicated to the memory of three well-known kashrus authorities who passed away in 2019: Rabbi Shlomo Gissinger (Kof-K), Rabbi Benjamin Shandalov (first director of AKO) and Rabbi Yacov Lipschutz.

Amongst the topics discussed were controversies with animals and fish; Schechita in the era of animal rights; Marijuana certification; insect innovations; Impossible burger; Security; Hashgacha on home-based businesses and labels and fraud.

According to Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, executive director of AKO, there were a record 140 attendees, a far cry from the 6 that attended the first conference.

This year’s speakers included many notable halachic authorities and kashrus experts such as Rabbi Asher Weiss, Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Rabbi Herschel Schachter, Rabbi Shlomo Miller, Rabbi Boruch Hirschfeld, Rabbi Yona Reiss, Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld and Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick.

The AKO Convention was sponsored by the Kof-K and the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County. Rabbi Moshe Reich was the Convention Coordinator and Rabbi Ari Senter was the host.

Participating in the conference were new directors of kashrus agencies, among them Rabbi Yacov Barber of Apple-K in Rockland County-NY, Rabbi Yosef Konikov of RCF (Rabbinate of Central & North Florida), Rabbi Binyomin Kreitman of PCK, Rabbi Eliezer Marcus of BVK (Vaad Hakashrus of Buffalo) and Rabbi Yitzchak Mizrahi of Kansas City.