By Raffi Rosenzweig, Kosher Today
The Star-K Kashrus agency is planning its first ever training event for women as kosher supervisors (mashgichot).
The major Baltimore, MD based agency currently runs a men’s seminar each year, although it is geared mostly to Rabbanim and the heads of kashrus agencies.
The planned women’s conference in the Fall, is for women that serve as mashgichot in the food service industry, mostly at catering halls and restaurants.
The program will teach proper procedures for checking vegetables, explain the dynamics of the kitchen, review policies and procedures, and draw attention to specific issues mashgichot should to be aware of. The seminar will also include trips to various facilities for a more “hands-on” approach.
“I am so excited [about the planned conference],” said Yael Kaner, the head mashgicha at the Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center.
“For all these years I watched men go to these conferences. Now finally this is the answer.”
Kaner is also a baker at Pearlstone, an all-kosher organic farm in Maryland, and incorporates her Sephardic heritage in making many ethnic dishes. Brimming with enthusiasm for her job, she views her position as an unrivaled opportunity to do what she loves and to teach about Judaism and kashrus. Kaner is particularly eager to meet other mashgichot at the training seminar.
“I want to get to know other women who are as passionate about it [kashrus work] as I am,” she said. The seminar was prompted by requests from mashgichot working in Israel who requested better preparation.
Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld, a Kashrus Administrator at the Star-K, explained that the conference is designed to help smaller, far-away communities, which may rely on women mashgichot more heavily than cities with larger kosher infrastructures where there is an ample supply of men mashgichim. Shifra Wollner, who works as a mashgicha at Pearlstone and at a nursing home, sees great potential in the seminar.
“I always want to learn more and update my skills,” she said. “I’m also hoping that practical standards will be outlined so that everyone is on the same exact wavelength.”
The practice of using women for kashrus supervision, for which the Star-K relies on a ruling of the late sage Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, is growing.
“Women are often more meticulous in their supervision,” said Rabbi Kurcfeld. “Even the slightest deviation will not be tolerated, which is a tremendous plus.”
Rabbi Kurcfeld also explained that although one might expect women to have a harder time gaining respect in the kitchen, that is not the case.
“You are only as good as who you are—you either have it or you don’t,” he said. “If you present yourself in a way that shows you are knowledgeable, sensible and have integrity, the workers will sense that.”
“Besides,” he added, “who do you think takes care of the personal hashgacha in the home of Rav Heinemann (referring to Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, the Rabbinic Administrator of the Star-K)?”
Many local kashrus committees expect the trend of hiring women as kosher supervisors to continue to increase.
Alter Rebbe never mentions 212. He does mention boiling, as the Rebbe himself mentioned to a Rov in kashrus. Be a machmir if you wish but not a mach dir. Know a little more before you upbraid others. I do recall the Rebbe asking for ahavas yisroel, don’t you?
this is an issue deald with in gemara rishonim and shulchan aruch about the relying on women, shchita bedikas chometz etc. etc. someone out there should claify the alter rebbes opinion on women mashgicim and does it differ in what industry or how much awareness and effort is needed to be masgiach.
my wife and i work as mashgichim together and it works out well. There is a lot of understandable resistance to anything new, but with a little bit of conversation we’ll all come to discover that this issue is inf act not new at all and everyone can calm down.
I want to just say, that in my house, I will take star k when accompanied with a chasidishe hechsher, or if it is on something like plain rice, that does not need a hechsher to begin with. To #6, after rereading my post, I am sorry I did not make myself clearer. TO the idea of women mashgichot, they have been around for a long time, the chidush here is the conference especially for them.
I was for a few yrs a Mashgicha for Rabbi Levy OH. And yes, I got paid very nicely. It is nothing new. Hatzlacha to the Mashgichot!!
Is there a heter for me to become one.?.i also live far away and would like to conduct brissim!@!@@. Can i also be the mashgicha for this bris
and meet Rav Heinemann in person. Then you will really know the high level of integrity he has.
sorry so its the keilim that need to be kosherd at 212.
ok tell me which company does that.
and only tell me when you know for sure…..
your words are very unrefined.
Even though you have a good point, there are classier ways to say it!
please think next time.
half of you all have probably been eating stuff supervised by women without even knowing it. both my parents work in kashrus. my mother has been a mashgicha for years- the kitchen staff wouldn’t dare do anything against her and in fact she makes a very big kiddush hashem as well as a kiddush luvbavitch being as she works to give real kosher food to many not yet frum kids. besides which, now a days there are many problems in kashrus supervision in general and the sha’los have nothing to do with the gender of the person supervising. Honesty, integrity,… Read more »
I’m willing…I need to bring in more money. Who’s hiring me???
I would trust a woman mashgiach more.
Look, before pesach. All the women are literally killing themselves cleaning just, just in case chometz ever touched there, the men tell them: calm down, etc.
Either she has yiras shomayim or not. The same applies to men. Women tend to worry more and be more vigilant, hence better hashgacha.
To #5
And OU, ChofK (OK?) does kasher at 212? They do when it’s easy but not all the time..
And I’d rather say the A”R paskens you need a rolling boil rather than say 212 as different atmospheres can vary.
To #6
5 is obviously talking about the keilim, a little tolerance during sefira..
No one is saying women cannot, or should not, be mashgichim. When an innovation is introduced, it is expected that people will examine the old way of doing things and compare it to the new. Questions that should be addressed will come up – but this is not a statement against women.
Regarding tznius: this is a topic that should be addressed even for men, if it has not already been (hotel story case in point). However, this should not preclude women from being mashgichim in the appropriate environment (I’m in agreement with #7).
the alter rebbe is of opinion that to kasher vesels that were used for milchig’s, it needs to be kashered at 212 degrees. and not at 170 or soo, that most kashrus organisations do like HAolam…
There are two issues when it comes to trusting a kashrus agency. 1) Do you follow their standards i.e., do they hold by the same poskim you would. 2) do you trust that they will keep those standards they claim to hold. If you would not rely on that agency due to difference of opinion, why do you care if they allow a woman to be mashgiach? If you’re issue is with the reliability of woman, I wonder if you always ask to meet the mashgiach before you eat at a function or establishment? I understand if your issue is… Read more »
what ?
foods nned to be kosherd at 212??
what foods nned to be koshered?
potatoes?
Rice?
what foods?
what are you talking about?
stop please with your tipshus
The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Oruch paskens that food needs to be kashered at 212. ALWAYS! Star K does not hold like that, they use other heterim, and halachos that are not our standard. We as Lubavitchers, should not be eating star k’s hashgocha to begin with,, so whats the issue?
When will people realize than we are living in the 21st century. Women work in all areas where men work and as long as they are trained as kashrut supervisors, good on them. I am surprised they the previous writers seem to think that female kashrus supervisers will only be employed in far off places. If a frum woman was the superviser in the Razag hall nobody would eat????
Come on all you women out there. Speak up for yourselves and stop these extremist fundementalists stop putting you down.
Basically, you’re both male chauvinist pigs (very unkosher). Paint it any way you like, but you can’t deal with the loss of control. Then again, I’m sure you trust your wife’s (mother’s) kashrus standards when it suits you.
I have been in hashgocha on and off over the years and my experience tells me their is potential problem with this trend. The environment in the kitchen of “kosher” restaurant or hotel is NOT what people would expect. It is often a vile place to work, particularly in terms of how men and women interract. The kitchen staff is not Jewish in most cases and they do NOT adhere to frum standards. How many times have I seen cooks may sleezy comments to the waitresses? How often is the topic of conversation between the males among themselves, or with… Read more »
A frum Rav in a far city can’t be the mashgiach? Questions to ask … is it a financial issue?
Of course Rabbi Heinemans wife is his Hashgocho …. but would he eat at another home where the husband is an AM HAARETZ and the wife is a mashgiach in some bread factory??
STAR – K there are some issues here!