What's Happening in Local West Orange Synagogues

Know Before You Go
It has become extremely popular for families to leave their homes for Pesach and spend the holiday in a hotel. Whether an exotic Caribbean location, a Florida hotel, Mexican resort, a spa on the West Coast or a program in the NY metropolitan area, the lure of a holiday spent being catered to, entertained, inspired, educated – all without having to clean your own home for Pesach – has proven strong indeed.

Once the province of only the very well-to-do, competition in the Pesach getaway industry has become so strong that prices have been driven down and many programs wind up costing little more than an annual vacation for the average family might cost.

All is not perfect, however, in Pesachhoteland. Potential profit and a highly competitive industry create incentives for program operators to cut corners in order to maximize returns.

Renting entire hotels for 8 days, or booking a considerable percentage of a hotel for that length of time, is a great financial risk. How does a tour operator reduce those costs? He can’t cut back on entertainment – his guests expect only the most popular and in demand acts just like at the other hotels.

He can’t cut back on speakers - he has no choice but to hire the most prominent lecturers, in order to draw the “learning” crowd.

He can’t cut back on the level of luxury of the hotel and facilities - people will not be interested in a program in a less than stellar locale and they are expecting to be pampered while they are away.

He cannot cut back on the quality (or the quantity!) of the food - the entire experience is based on being “bowled over” by the cuisine and eating until you can’t hold any more. Cutting back on any of the above is not an option, because any reduction in any of these areas is obvious and visible to the guests.

There is one place where cutting back could take place and guests will never see or realize it. That is in the kashrus.

The incentive to cut back is great, as has been explained. And there is neither any lack of opportunities to do so nor lack of mashgichim who are willing to compromise on the level of Kashrus to secure such a well-paying position.

In a hotel situation – especially on Pesach – the level of Kashrus can sink very, very quickly and dramatically. Unless there is full control of the kitchens, waiters, dining rooms, dishwashing and all other parts of the venue where food and equipment are used or found, the potential for serious compromise of kashrus is rampant. And “incidents” and “problems” happen much more often than anyone wants to let on. Even those mashgichim who are well-meaning will be challenged to do a job if properly supervising the facilities requires more manpower than the tour operator’s budget has allocated.

And then, there are mashgichim who are less well-meaning, for whom “it’s good enough for them” and “we can be lenient because (fill in the blank)” are their Pesach mantras. Step into a hotel kitchen under their supervision. You will never know its Shabbos or Yom Tov or Pesach, because anything goes.

Pesach has always been a time when people try to be more careful in what they eat, not less. Most people would never let happen in their own Pesach kitchens at home many of the things that are normal daily occurrences in hotel Pesach kitchens. If you wouldn’t accept that at home, why should it happen in your hotel?

In order to protect yourself from such things, there are a number of “red flags” that a Pesach guest can look for before putting their spiritual lives on the line at a Pesach hotel. Among the questions to ask are:

• Is the entire hotel kosher for Pesach – if not, run the other way. It is almost impossible to control a “mixed” environment and trouble and mix up are almost unavoidable. The only question is how bad the problem will turn out to be. Would you leave your chometz items around for someone who doesn’t know about Pesach to grab and use at your table at home? Why is a waiter or kitchen employee in a hotel any different, if they have non-kosher and non-Passover items available to take and use? Would you leave non-Pesach/non-kosher food and utensils around for grabbing and using in your own home?
• When does non-kosher/non-Passover hotel food preparation cease in the hotel – if the hotel maintains a presence in the foodservice facilities within 2 or 3 days of Pesach, this is a very big warning sign. Find out where the daily guest complimentary breakfast and evening receptions will be prepared and served. Most hotels will have regular guests up until erev Pesach, even in hotels that are completely kosher for Pesach. Are Pesach and chometz preparations going on in the same area/kitchen? Would you find that acceptable in your own home?
• When do preparations for the second Seder begin in the kitchen and dining room – it is widely known that no preparations are allowed to be done from one day of Yom Tov to the second, and certainly from Shabbos to Yom Tov. This year, the first day of Pesach is Shabbos. What is the program going to do on Shabbos, if anything, to get ready to start the second Seder as early as possible. Remember that the clocks have changed and that the Seder itself cannot start until late. Guests start getting grumpy if they have to wait for tables to be set and food to be warmed up and Seder plates prepared. What does the program have planned for Shabbos afternoon to speed things up? Putting together Seder plates? Setting tables? Taking food out of refrigerators and/or defrosting food from the freezers? Would you do those things on Shabbos afternoon for Yom Tov in your own home?
  
  

These are just a few of the warning signs to look out for. Contact your local Kashrus professional for more advice.

Matzoh Baking

The flour was flying while the water poured freely this March 16, when B’nei Torah went on its annual matzoh baking expedition.

The event, much anticipated by matzoh connoisseurs, was held at the same matzoh bakery in Boro Park that has churned out B’nei Torah matzohs for the past six years.

In this year’s baking, 167 lbs. of unleavened bread were baked, boxed and carefully taken home for use at the Pesach sedarim this coming April 6 and 7. The total produced exceeded last year’s 196 lbs. and the baking was done at the same frenzied pace as in the past.

In order to be used at the Seder, a matzoh has to be made with specific precautions taken to guarantee it does not become chometz. This is where B’nei Torah focuses its efforts during the baking.

Rather than kneading the dough, rolling the matzohs or working the oven, B’nei Torah leaves those tasks to the professionals. Instead, we optimize our extra manpower by putting our own people to work adding critical steps to the cleaning of equipment, overseeing the entire operation and ensuring that the normal baking is done with added safeguards to ensure a true chometz-free environment.

In the B’nei Torah matzoh baking, no mixing bowls are ever reused without having been thoroughly washed out and checked by our members. Sticks which are used to carry the matzohs from the table to the oven are sanded down to a fine smooth surface.

Members of the B’nei Torah group are stationed at strategic locations throughout the process, ever-vigilant for a matzoh that might be laying on a table for too long or else sitting too long next to the oven before baking.

In such a case, the added B’nei Torah supervision ensures that the matzoh is moved along properly and, if not, that matzoh will not meet the high standards we insist upon and will be rejected.

Unlike the mass-produced hand matzohs on store shelves, B’nei Torah matzohs are each specially made to the most exacting specifications of halacha. And they are 100% whole wheat, too!

Those who ordered matzohs should call Rabbi Stone at (973) 943-2150 to arrange for pick up.

Sale of Chometz
As in previous years, Rabbi Stone will be arranging for the sale of chometz.

The procedure entails filling out a form that details the various types of chometz items to be sold and the locations where the chometz is stored. Being familiar with these details when coming to sell, as well as having an idea of the value of the goods, will help to expedite the procedure.

Special arrangements can be made for those who will be away from home for the entire holiday. In addition, an earlier sale will take place to aid those who will be in Israel for Pesach.

Rabbi Stone will be available for selling of chometz at most hours of the day or night (provided he is in town) between now and erev Pesach. Please call (973) 943-2150 or (973) 243-0824 prior to coming to confirm availability.

For a copy of the mechiras chometz document, click here.

Who We Are
Torah study continues to be the focus of Congregation and Kollel B’nei Torah of West Orange. The Kollel will meet this week, as every week, on Monday through Wednesday nights, from 8:15 to 9:45 p.m. On Thursday night, it will be from 8:30 to 10. Maariv follows each night.

The Kollel is held in the Sefardic Minyan at AABJD. All are welcome to come and experience the thrill and fulfillment of studying Torah one to one.

B’nei Torah, with its minyan and Kollel, is dedicated to uplifting and enriching the lives of every Jew through Torah study, serious tefillah and atmosphere that stresses and encourages personal growth. No experience necessary – everyone is welcome to come and grow along with us.
Note: This week, there will be limited learning availability. Please try to reserve a slot by calling Rabbi Stone.

Davening Times for Shabbos Parshas Tzav/Shabbos HaGadol

Friday March 30
Candlelighting: 7:02 p.m.
Mincha Erev Shabbos: 7:05 p.m.

Shabbos Day, March 31
Brochos: 8:10 a.m.
Shochen Ad: 8:50 a.m.

Kiddush following davening
Learning Seder: 5:00 p.m.
Mincha: 6:55 p.m.
Maariv Motzei Shabbos: 8:10 p.m.