Kosher / Kashrut
"Kosher" is a Jewish dietary standard for food.
It is especially common in Israel and is granted to anything that meets the conditions of "Kashrut."
Kashrut is a system of rules that determines what is kosher and what is not kosher—in other words, what is permissible to eat and what is forbidden.
These rules were established thousands of years ago, and they have no connection to the food's quality or its effect on health. These are rules that originate from religion and faith, and they have accompanied the Jewish people throughout the generations.
Food Kashrut and the stamp that represents it—"Kosher"—exist in every Jewish community in the world.
In Israel, the state of all Jews, they are part of the daily life of most Israelis.
They are regulated by official state laws and regulations for anyone who wishes to observe Kashrut. However, alongside this authority, there are many separate Kashrut standards set by different communities within Israeli society, and these standards are either more or less stringent.
A Kosher stamp
What is forbidden to eat?
There are forbidden foods on which there is a full consensus:
Israelis who are careful to eat only kosher food will not eat pork in any of its forms or derivatives, nor camel or dog meat, or other animals detailed in Jewish law. They will also not eat shrimp, lobsters, or anything related to seafood in general—all of these are completely forbidden foods with a full consensus among all observers of Kashrut, across all religious streams and for those who are more or less observant.
A symbolic red flag flies over each of these foods.
It is forbidden to approach them, or those who sell them, or anyone who serves one of these items at a table.
What is permissible to eat?
Those who observe Kashrut eat steaks and cuts of meat from animals such as: cows, sheep, and lambs, and of course chicken meat (chickens, geese) and a few others detailed in Jewish law—all of which are permissible to eat provided they have undergone a certified slaughter by a Jewish ritual slaughterer ("Shochet"), for whom this is a profession, and who has passed a series of rabbinical tests that granted him certification.
There is a lower-level Kashrut standard that deals with the separation of dairy and meat dishes.
Someone who also adheres to this standard will not eat a cheeseburger, or a pie made with ground meat and cheese, or any food that mixes meat cuts and dairy products together.
In the kitchen of religious families, where the observance of Kashrut is particularly strict, there is a separate set of dishes for meat and a separate set of dishes for dairy, and even two separate kitchen sinks, so that the dishes do not get mixed up.
Traditional or secular families would not be so meticulous.
Beyond these basic principles—Kashrut is a complicated matter, and those who wish to learn more are invited to read full details on Wikipedia (link here).
The Kashrut entry on Hebrew Wikipedia. Click on the image.
According to surveys published from time to time, about 70 percent of Jewish Israelis observe some level of Kashrut.
The governmental Ministry of Religious Affairs, through the institution of the "Chief Rabbinate of Israel," grants the "Kosher" stamp only to those who meet the halakhic criteria—in restaurants, cafes, hotels, and any place where food is served to the public. Representatives of the Chief Rabbinate are "Mashgichei Kashrut" (Kashrut supervisors) or "Kashrut inspectors," who work in the field and ensure that kitchens operate according to the established rules.
The official stamp from the authorities does not satisfy all the religious streams in the country, especially the ultra-Orthodox sector, which numbers about a million people as of 2023.
The ultra-Orthodox have a spiritual leadership that makes the Kashrut rules more stringent and gives them their own interpretation.
The entire sector is divided into sub-streams, and each sub-stream has rabbis and leaders who have established separate Kashrut systems with separate Kashrut supervisors.
These systems provide an upgraded stamp called "Kosher LeMehadrin" (an exemplary level of kashrut), meaning the food that received the stamp has undergone a super-strict inspection according to the most stringent rules based on the interpretation of the rabbi who heads each independent system.
The number of independent Kashrut systems has grown over the years (the full list is detailed below), and more and more families belonging to the ultra-Orthodox streams will not eat food without the upgraded Kashrut stamp.
An independent Kashrut system, besides being a community marker that brings groups of people together through its own rules, operates as a business in every sense—it employs ritual slaughterers, Kashrut supervisors, consultants, and managers, as well as marketing and accounting personnel.
In the 21st century, the ultra-Orthodox sector's share of the population is growing steadily, and accordingly, the number of these systems is rising.
A selection of regular Kashrut stamps and "upgraded Kashrut" stamps from various streams in Israeli religious society. Such a stamp appears on food product packaging in stores and supermarkets.
The names and inscriptions are in Hebrew and bear names like:
Badatz, Chug Chatam Sofer, Rabbi Landa and Rabbi Shlomo Mahfoud from Bnei Brak, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef from Jerusalem, and more.
Kashrut is deeply ingrained in the consciousness of Israeli society, and it is practiced in both private and public spaces.
For example, in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)—soldiers are served only kosher food, under the supervision of the Military Rabbinate. In military kitchens, there is a complete separation between meat and dairy dishes. The same is customary in most public institutions in the country.
All the major food companies in the country, importers, and manufacturers, employ Kashrut supervisors and provide the Israeli public with food that has a "Kosher" stamp on every plastic or cardboard package.
Some of them value the large market share in the ultra-Orthodox sector, and especially for them, they employ supervisors from the independent, "LeMehadrin" systems of various kinds.
The marketers and large food chains try not to place food products without a Kosher stamp on their shelves. If such a product exists, and it's rare, it is often hidden in various ways, and the packaging usually highlights that the product is "not kosher."
Who doesn't eat kosher?
Israel is a Jewish and democratic state, and despite its special connection to the Jewish religion and its symbols, freedom of worship is made possible within it.
A great many people belonging to the secular stream in Israel enjoy this freedom. Among them are those who define themselves as Jewish atheists, or those who have a loose connection to religion. Their total number is estimated at about 30 percent of the total Jewish population in Israel.
Their way of life does not take religion, its commandments, and its prohibitions into account. They eat whatever is on their plate and are not concerned with the laws of Kashrut and its unique standard.
Those who insist on eating pork can find a suitable store for them in one of the major cities. And those who love seafood will find a suitable store or restaurant or the culinary wizards who prepare food that does not meet the Kashrut standard.
Kashrut and the Kashrut certificate are a topic that comes up for public discussion in Israel from time to time.
The religious establishment sees Kashrut as an ancient symbol that distinguishes the Jewish people and insists that it should be honored and passed on to the entire Jewish public living in Israel.
On the other hand, many secular people see it as a kind of religious coercion, especially small business owners in the food industry who are required to pay high sums for the right to receive a Kashrut certificate, which includes a separate payment to the Kashrut supervisors who are part of the entire system's mechanism.
Restaurants, cafeterias, and eateries forgo the certificate due to the costs involved in obtaining it and enjoy a wide range of customers who prefer the quality of the food over its Kashrut.
In the year Israel celebrated 75 years of independence, Kashrut has a special value in Israeli society, for better or worse, it is a matter that concerns every Jew.
And not just.
Besides the Jewish public, there is another large segment of the population that is not connected to Kashrut according to the Jewish standard: these are Arab Muslims, about two million Israeli citizens—they have their own Kashrut standard ("Halal"), and in addition, there are members of other religions and nationalities who live in Israel and eat according to other rules.
Seafood: A fundamental prohibition. Absolutely forbidden for all who observe kashrut
Cheeseburger: A lesser prohibition (meat with dairy), relevant only for those who are particularly strict about kashrut
And here are some more tidbits of information about Kashrut in Israel:
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A list of organizations that provide Kashrut stamps:
The full list - here -
Expansion of Kashrut Rules:
In the state's early years, a Kashrut certificate was granted to a business owner based on the halakhic rules that had a consensus, such as ritual slaughter according to Jewish law or the avoidance of marketing pork.
Over the years, there has been a growing trend among the Kashrut systems, both official and independent, to add rules, even those without a consensus. For example, a business that operates on Shabbat and is considered a "Shabbat desecrator" according to Jewish law may be "punished" and not receive the Kashrut certificate even if it has no connection to the food itself. -
Kashrut Supervisor:
A special position in the food industry in Israel. The supervisor's role is to ensure that a business owner in the food industry meets the halakhic standards. He makes regular visits. During these visits, he enters the kitchen and checks the food. The costs of his employment are funded by the business owner. -
Kashrut Certificate in Food Businesses:
A significant component in the expense items of business owners in the food industry in Israel. Most of those in the field must take into account that such a certificate hanging on the wall or stamped on the packaging can increase their customer base. And not only that—from time to time, lists are published with a "public warning" not to buy from the businesses on the list. In this way, someone who forgoes the certificate may undergo "shaming" in the media and on social networks. -
Tzohar Rabbinical Organization:
An association of about 800 Orthodox rabbis from the religious Zionist movement, whose goal is to bridge the gaps between religious and secular people in Israel. One of the organization's projects involves granting a Kashrut certificate to business owners, and the common assumption is that these certificates are given according to more lenient rules than all the other systems. -
Is the food kosher?
A common question in Israel. It is asked by customers who come to a restaurant, guests who are invited to a meal at a party or in a restaurant, guests at a hotel, passengers on a flight, and employees at workplaces who participate in events intended for all company employees. -
Kosher for Passover:
In addition to food Kashrut according to the rules detailed above, Israelis are careful to observe the special Kashrut rules for the Passover holiday. Their standard is called: "Kosher for Passover."
Details on this—here, in the Israeli story about Passover.
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