17 Sep OU KOSHER SUMMER EDUCATION PROGRAM EXPLORES DAILY APPLICATIONS OF KASHRUS IN DEPTH

As rabbinic positions go, Rabbi Aaron
Kleinman’s is among the most unique. A
commander in the U.S. Navy Chaplain
Corps, his role includes overseeing kashrus
on various warships — a challenge he
recently shared with over 90 men from the
U.S., Canada, and Panama, who are working
in, or eager to join, the kashrus field, at the
Orthodox Union’s ASK (Advanced Seminars
in Kashrus) OU Kashrus Education Program.

ASK OU offers in-depth insights and hands-
on experience in the kashrus industry via two

unique educational programs; a one-week
course and a three-week internship.
This year’s seminars took place at the OU’s
New York headquarters coupled with site
visits around the Tri-State area. Rabbi
Kleinman’s session, Kosher at Sea, touched
upon the intricacies of keeping kosher while
serving in the U.S. Navy.
“We had a really fun session,” he says. “After
a brief overview of the Navy, Marine Corps,
and their operating environments, I talked
about some of the different platforms,
including destroyers, amphibious assault
ships, and aircraft carriers, and some of the
special aspects of kashrus in each of them.
We covered a scenario that actually happened
to me: the task of preparing a post-Rosh
Hashana services meal on a non-kosher
aircraft carrier that I wasn’t stationed on. We
really got into the scenario; participants
shared how they would do things and actually
gave me some good ideas. I wish I had had
their brain trust at the time I needed it — the
meal would have been even better than it
was!”
A division of the Orthodox Union, OU
Kosher is the world’s largest and most
widely-recognized kosher certification
agency, certifying over one million products
manufactured in 13,000 plants, in 106
countries. ASK OU was launched by Rabbi
Yosef Grossman z”l, who served as senior
educational rabbinic coordinator and director
of Kosher Educational Services at OU
Kosher. The ASK OU Summer Kashrus
Training Program has run annually on
alternate years for men and women since its
inception, with the exception of the Covid
period. It just completed its 16th cycle.
“The ASK OU Summer Kashrus Training
Program presents a chance to demystify what
goes on behind the scenes in kashrus and to
observe practical applications in real-life
context,” says Rabbi Eli Eleff, managing
director of Community Relations at OU
Kosher, who oversees the program.
Led by the OU’s world-class rabbanim,
poskim, and administrators, ASK OU’s
weeklong program provides an overview of
the processes and implications of kosher
certification through hands-on seminars and
visits to food service providers. A concurrent

three-week internship geared for semicha
students, rabbanim, and avreichim, includes
the one-week program and explores the
intricacies of kashrus and halacha in greater
depth. Participants gain hands-on experience
at food-processing plants and at OU
headquarters and network with worldwide
industry experts.
Rabbi Simcha Silverman is the director of
Spiritual Services at New York’s Lenox Hill
Hospital and the rabbi at Flatbush’s
Congregation Etz Chaim. Attracted by ASK
OU’s range of meaningful topics, hands-on
approach, and the opportunity to interact
with field professionals, Rabbi Silverman
was drawn to participate in the weeklong
program for a second year.
This time, he particularly enjoyed
Commander Rabbi Aaron Kleinman’s
presentation.
“Much of what he spoke about resonated
with me, as I’ve witnessed many of the same
situations in the world of chaplaincy,” says
Rabbi Silverman. “While the hospital setting
is quite different from the Navy, there is a lot
of overlap in our experiences.”
This year’s seminar leaders included HaRav
Hershel Schachter, shlita, who led a Hilchos
Kashrus seminar followed by a Halachic Q
& A session; OU Kosher Chief Executive
Officer Rabbi Menachem Genack, who
spoke about The State of the Orthodox
Union, OU Kosher Chief Operating Officer
Rabbi Moshe Elefant, who led an Ask the
Rabbi session, and numerous OU Kosher
rabbanim who presented myriad topics,
including How to be an Excellent Mashgiach;
Shabbos Appliances; The Wine Industry;
Cybersecurity; The Transportation of
Commodities; Red Flag Ingredients; Cheese,
Whey and Related Products; and Mesorah of
Birds. Participants also learned about
industrial and retail kashering, and how to
establish a local vaad hakashrus.
“Kashrus does not exist in a vacuum and
there are certain ways that it’s applied,” notes
Rabbi Eleff. “Whether in New York or out of
town, each vaad hakashrus has its own
nuances and specific requirements. We
wanted participants to understand that kosher
is really quite broad, rather than one size fits
all.”
Visits to OU Kosher certified restaurants
Wall Street Grill and Reserve Cut, and tours
of OU Kosher certified processing plants
including Newburg Egg, Biazzo Dairy
Products (which manufactures specialty
cheeses), Hanover Foods (which
manufacturers canned and frozen vegetables),
and Empire Poultry, among others, offered a
glimpse into kashering operations and
facilities’ unique kashrus issues.
“The program far exceeded my expectations,”

reflects Rabbi
Silverman. “The
schedule was precise,
and we covered
significant material in
a relatively short span
of time. I appreciated
the practical
presentations where
expert speakers shared
halacha and we got to
observe fieldwork in
action at diverse
facilities. I also liked
the camaraderie we
developed as
participants.”
Rabbi Daniel Reines
of Lakewood, New Jersey, is
among ASK OU’s one
thousand alumni. After
attending the previous ASK
OU program, he became a
Rabbinic Coordinator (RC)
at OU Kosher and now
oversees the kashrus of

approximately 100 flavor-
based companies.

“I learned in kollel for a
number of years,” he says.
“While learning the halachos
of issur veheter in kashrus,
their practical application
intrigued me, and I was
inspired to attend last cycle’s
ASK OU internship
program. The presentations
and field trips offered a
glimpse into OU Kosher’s
fascinating work, and I was
particularly moved by the
ambience, professionalism,
and support at all levels,
which I observed at OU
headquarters.”
Rabbi Reines, who is
originally from Venezuela,
also supervises the kashrus
of corporations in South
America; something he says
necessitates fluency in
Spanish and an
understanding of Latin
culture.
“I was so impressed with the
ASK OU training program,
that during my internship I
imagined that if I would end
up working in kashrus, I
would want to work at OU
Kosher,” he says. “The
experience I gained during
the program has aided me in
my daily job at the OU.”