News from the Beth Din of Johannesburg (UOS)

From the Union of Orthodox Synagogues of South Africa/Beth Din of Johannesburg (UOS): “UOS at Your Service” – on ChaiFM every Thursday night from 7pm to 9pm. Join UOS executive director Darren Sevitz and his guests as they discuss how each day, in some way, the UOS is working for you! Your input, comments and questions are welcome. – call 0861 CHAIFM / 0861 242436, SMS 37420 or email darrens@chaifm.com. (Broadcast in Johannesburg and available worldwide on audio streaming – www.chaifm.com) Cape Blue wine bears an unauthorized Beth Din logo. This wine is not kosher. Cadburys Top Deck with mint is now kosher certified. Pomegranates and other fresh produce from Israel are available in South Africa. Grains, fruits and vegetables (and their extracts) that grow in the Halachic boundaries of Eretz Yisrael are subject to many extra Kashrut laws due to the Kedusha (holiness) of the land. These include: The requirement to separate Terumah (the Priestly tithe) and the various forms of Maaser (tithes for the Levites, the poor, and the portion that was to be eaten in Jerusalem in Temple times). Shmita (produce of the Sabbatical year) A stricter form of Orla (produce of a tree within its 1st 3 years). Processed foods from Israel with a reliable Hechsher will certify that all these Halachic issues have been taken care of. Israeli tomatoes are usually locally grown, as are English cucumbers. Check the label. The Chief Rabbi, the Beth Din and the Union of Orthodox Synagogues of South Africa are supportive of the community’s extreme concern over the high prices of kosher meat and chicken and will be setting up an independent commission to investigate the situation. The commission will be established as soon as possible and will include relevant experts. The community will be notified as soon as they have accepted their appointments and the mandate and terms of reference of the commission have been drawn up. The above bodies undertake to report back to our community at the conclusion of the process. The South African Jewish community is privileged to have one of the most reputable and well run Kashrut infrastructures in the world. We are determined to maintain our high standards, and at the same time to make keeping kosher as affordable to our community as possible. Earn extra money during school holidays (summer, winter, Pesach, etc.) by working as a Beth Din mashgiach! We regularly need persons to fill-in for our mashgichim who take annual leave. For more information, and to receive an application, please contact Gila Jacobson at 011 485 4865, ext 220.

Subscribe to RSS