Video: OU Kosher’s Pre-Pesach Webinar Q & A

OU Kosher presented its annual Pre-Pesach Webinar, to enable its kashrus experts to educate the kosher consumer about the most complex Jewish holiday of the year.  For those who missed the presentation, or want to view it again, it is archived at  oukosher.org/passover/webcast/pre-pesach/pre-pesach-webcast-5775/.

Moderated by Rabbi Eli Eleff, rabbinic coordinator and  consumer relations administrator, this year’s panel consisted of Rabbi Moshe Elefant,Chief Operations Officer of OU Kosher; Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz, senior rabbinic coordinator and Passover Directory editor; Rabbi Gavriel Price,rabbinic coordinator for  ingredient research; and Rabbi Eli Gersten, rabbinic coordinator and halachic recorder.

Questions discussed in the 45-minute presentation included:

·        The OU’s stance on quinoa;

·        Drinking coffee on Passover – what is permitted and what is not permitted;

·        Eating smoked and frozen fish on Passover;

·        Do paper goods need special Passover certification?

·        What am I looking for when purchasing matzah and wine for Passover?

·        Can I use washed and cut carrots on Passover?

·        How does shemittah (the Sabbatical year) affect Passover products purchased from Israel?

·        If consuming vitamins, what is the situation if the vitamin has corn syrup?

·        Does seltzer need to be Kosher for Passover? Don’t the bubbles come from the manufacture of beer?

·        Can tequila be consumed on Passover?

·        Regarding medications, questions included the use of thyroid medications on Passover;

·        For those using a time share following the first two days, can kashering be done then or does it have to be done before the start of the holiday?

According to Rabbi Moshe Zywica, rabbinic coordinator and supervisor of the OU Consumer Relations Department, who coordinated the broadcast, “There is no genuine Pesach experience without meaningful conversations, discussions and analysis. It is our hope and purpose that the webinar was one step in that direction.”

For further information, contact OU Kosher at 212-613-8241 or [email protected]. The website is oukosher.org/Passover. Get the OU Kosher app atou.org/apps/. Follow @OUKosher on Twitter and visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/OUKosher.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}