By Rabbi Dr. Abraham L. Rabinovich
The Va’ad HaKashruth of Wilmington, established in 1948, is a community-based non-profit organization committed to promoting high standards of kashruth and to facilitating an increased availability of kosher foods through its supervision and certification of several local establishments.
The Va’ad HaKashruth of Wilmington, established in 1948 by Rabbi Leonard Gewirtz, z”l, serves the needs of kosher certification for the Jewish community of Delaware and neighboring Pennsylvania. The rabbi of the traditional congregation in Wilmington, Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth, has always continued to serve as Rav Hamachshir, setting and maintaining the community standard for kashruth. Currently, the Va’ad, endorsed by The Delaware Rabbinical and Cantors Association (DERECH), is providing supervision and certification to several local institutions and businesses. The chairperson of the Va’ad’s board is Mr. Alan Goldberg, a longtime member and past president of Adas Kodesch. For a detailed list of the local institutions and businesses under the Va’ad please visit https://akse.org/the-vaad-hakashruth-of-wilmington.
The Va’ad is constantly looking to expand its role in making kosher food more available for our community. Please reach out to us if you know of any establishment that would be interested or could benefit from being kosher.
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Mr. Hayim Weiss, board member of the Va’ad has suggested that we have a Kashruth column for the Jewish Living of Delaware, so, here I’m writing about Kashruth. For our first discussion, let us address the issue “Why keep Kosher?”
To borrow the line from the play Fiddler on the Roof where Tevye says “You may ask, how did this tradition get started? I’ll tell you. I don’t know. But it’s a tradition. And because of our traditions, every one of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do.”
Truthfully, our ancestors would never dare to ask such a question. As my Bubbie would say “What do you mean why we eat Kosher? We eat Kosher because it’s a Mitzvah and God told us to do so. No question asked!” But on the other hand, Judaism encourages us to ask questions so, why not. Besides, it makes it easier to observe the commandments when we find reason and meaning as to why we should observe them. Did you know that the verb in the Hebrew Kasher—which means to be suitable, be advantageous, be right and proper—was mentioned for the first time by Queen Esther in the Megilah (Esther 8:5). Certainly, Kosher food is more suitable health-wise because it demands a higher standard of cleanliness and strict supervision. In addition, among the many reasons why to keep kosher, most importantly, being Kosher is advantageous, for it fosters us to maintain a strong sense of Jewish identity. As the French gastronome, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, famously asserted “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Without a doubt, keeping Kosher is a lifestyle and one that defines the eater and provides clues about the community to which she or he belongs in many ways. So, why not keep Kosher and show your proudness of being Jewish
Being Kosher isn’t easy and can be costly but it is surely worth the effort and its reward pays off, for it helps us be Jewishly balanced. As Reb Tevye said: “And because of our traditions, every one of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do!”
