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01-30-2014 STAR-K Discusses Pesach Hotels
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Rabbi Zvi Goldberg and Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld discuss staying at Pesach hotels
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
R May kurzfeld is joining us again thank
you RAB Kurtz for coming no problem
sh everybody's listening and uh we are
here every month the last Wednesday of
the month at noon and our headquarters
in Baltimore Maryland the number that uh
if you want to dial in and listen by
phone is 218
1203 again 21889
51203 passcode
2020 and if you are
coming in by through the web the the
address is learn kosher doclick
webinar.com
kosher uh these classes are recorded and
archived at kosher classes. org also on
our YouTube channel how you can search
for Stark next month we want to announce
again we're having a special edition of
this webinar a multimedia addition and
checking your uh uh produce for insects
at same same same time of month the last
Wednesday of the month February 26th at
noon the the address is a little bit
different it's a special address uh it's
torah. click webinar.com
bugs again torah. click webinar.com
bugs the same phone number but we
recommend that you come in by web
because you want to see the whole idea
is to be able to see what you're what
you're talking about is just uh
discussing it it loses some of the um
some of the effect um today we're going
to
discuss uh hotels for
Passover and the catchy title that was
sent out was no or no you have to know
what you're doing or else uh give a a no
to the to the hotel you go before you go
right so
a as a
disclaimer uh we are not discussing
specific hotels we're not uh ready or
are able to answer the questions well I
have is a specific hotel in Spain or
Costa Rica or in Canada or in Alaska or
wherever the hotels are um I I was
looking in preparation I was looking
around I saw there advertised I counted
85 hotels the only place I didn't see
was in Egypt in MIT there's still not
going down to MIT that's we already left
we already left right so we came out of
there that's about the only place that I
could see as they don't have a PES Hotel
so we're not uh we're not talking about
specific place or rabbis or certifying
agencies that's not our job just giving
you
General General uh uh information what
to ask what to look at and to that end
our chat today we we welcome uh your
your chat and your input and your
questions we're excited excited about
that and we to it but it's moderated
that means we don't want to get into any
specific hotels or rabbis so we're
moderating it and our tech support uh
Rabbi Ellie rler will allow the
questions through uh just to make sure
that there's nothing specific we don't
want to impune any other agency or hotel
um another another uh um disclaimer is
that by having this webinar doesn't mean
we're recommending that people go away
for PES uh I I don't go away and you
know home at home with the children is
is is uh a very effective way of having
a a Passover seder uh but it is
appropriate for some people we can't
know for sure there are people who have
to go away you can't be be Al at home
they can't make PES they need to go away
they want to go away we're not coming
down on that side of the coin that's
something an individual decision that
you could discuss with your family and
your your own personal rabbis whether or
not it's appropriate to go away we're
not we're not uh we're not here to
discuss that we're we're discussing
what's our expertise which is the kis
angle of it and uh and what you need to
look into
before you make that that decision um if
you could just chat with us if you do
hear us because sometimes there are some
glitches in the system so if you do hear
us please give us a chat to let us know
that you are that everything is working
well and uh we appreciate that okay we
have Rick Josh okay thank you so let's
start RAB kurzel let's Jump Right In uh
first of all where are you going for PES
no I am going for you go to to the P to
the Stark Stark I think the star k uh P
up program but this is not an it's not
an ad for them right it's not an ad for
them specifically no but it's not the
idea I don't think that it could handle
all the all the uh it's it's it's a good
program but it's a smaller program 130
people this right so uh we're not we're
not trying to push it although we're
happy if you go uh the that we know is
good that we we uh that we know
personally okay now uh so let's discuss
what's the what's the first thing you
see I I I took out some of the ads
kurel um you know the ads for PES
programs all over the uh all over the
um the uh the magazines and the internet
and uh you Noti this and I know there
something different about the ads
nowadays than used to be what you know
about the this and this difference yeah
so you want to mention that no I'm just
saying you just it's interesting that uh
I've been involved with the star C for
30 years already and to see the how
things have have changed over the years
in the ads the quality of the ads what
they're offering as far as the PES
programming but one thing that was very
startling to both R Goldberg and myself
is that years ago it was very evident
self-evident who's hash wasn't it was
part and parcel of the ad itself it was
very primary to the ad to um to that
people should know what is and now it
seems to be just simply it says under
rical supervision strict strict robal
supervision and it says of
course is and then it lists all the
wonderful activities that you're going
to have with your GL kosher and K and
event and whether it's non gabr or
whether it's gab so why do they leave
out the the the cerification I mean you
would think that that would be the first
the first draw yeah I'm sure you must
have some thoughts about that okay well
part of it is a practical thing because
sometimes I know many of the people that
are listening have maybe possibly
actually have gone through this where
originally initially they're told was
going to be Rabbi so and so and
something occurs and it changes in the
middle to another Rabbi so and so forth
for whatever reason is not exactly uh
clearly stated what what made the change
or sometimes the actual could Rabbi
couldn't make it couldn't make it RAB
wasn't happy or wasn't happy which has
happen from that we know from experience
RAB was not happy with what he was
seeing and that got altered which again
the client the guest never finds out
about another um thing that happens
sometimes believe it or not is that um
the program actually does not happen and
they actually because they don't have
enough numbers they will combine with
another program and move people another
programs even though initially it might
started with Rabbi so and so it doesn't
actually occur that we move to a
different property and that will be a
different re 5 that advertised how many
you have any idea how many actually
happen every year no I don't I don't
have any numbers I can't say and I and I
wonder again there's only just the
speculation I wonder how many of it is
actually again I don't know if this is
true or not this is just all speculation
then it's not as important as it used to
be years ago that maybe the consumer
just simply wants to see that it's under
retical supervision and they're not
necessarily so um uh interested in
finding out who that person is not
everybody some do I I I I I I second
your assessment I think that there is
some sense that that's not the main
thing that's like secondary first we
want to know um accommodations
accomodations the swimming the lavish
Buffet the mat the balcony with the view
right the the the you know the fridge
the safe elevators I want well I want to
know everything's going to be there then
you know I'll find out who the
certification is it seems to you get
that sense right AB get that absolutely
that's not a good thing that's what I
that's what I feel that's what I
feel okay so well okay so let's say to
find out who that find out who the
certification is and and make sure that
that's the one that's going to be
actually you know you don't want a last
minute change right so you know you
should I guess it must be a way of
Contracting with the with the hotel that
I'm coming because you're telling me
that this certification if it changes
then uh also but also I want to
elaborate when you ask is again most
people the the rec consumer is not
always equipped to know whether this
Rabbi is is is a good Rabbi or not so
really you find out whether somebody who
does this year round and it's someone
what is their what is this person's
reputation now again how's the consumer
going to know if this one if this Rabbi
that you never actually speak to the
rabbi whether it is someone with
reputation you always have to know
someone that you trust you're the rub of
your Sho because the star does that we
might not speak to a consumer and
necessarily divulge everything that we
feel but we feel that Rabon of schs and
of certain situations need to know and
need to be equipped in order to answer
their constituents and their congregants
precisely what so therefore we are very
selective and very careful to whom we
speak to and sometimes we'll speak
confidentially if you're asking us what
we think about this particular person so
you're saying that the individual
consumer he calls up the caterer or the
the one who's arranging
right and he says okay who's certifying
it he gets a name what does he do with
that name he calls his own Rabbi and his
Rabbi says let me find out let me find
out either he knows or let me find out
okay and what is what is the rabbi
looking into what are the things that
are are the issues that that
specifically for a PES hotel that they
need to be uhing yeah what is what well
let's talk about what is yeah what are
the issues okay well first of the
general PES I just want to add there are
also some other
uh well-known uh agencies and
individuals that have been accepted also
uh you can find that information about
uh about The credibility of certain
rabbis and some
agencies you know our other agencies
have have have actually online in apps
or online have taken on the
responsibility of uh vetting certain
rabbis find out from their research
whether they're universally accepted or
not so that's another place for
consumers to go that's a place to start
but because you find their name
somewhere online and approved list
doesn't mean that they can do a hotel
for P I just wanted to mention that okay
so what is some of the issues that are
why what on the scale of things running
a PES of Hotel say some zero to 100 is
how difficult okay it's very difficult
it's a 10 maybe 10 out of 100 10 no 10
out of 10 out of 100 it's 101 I see 10
out of 10 I've done many PES hotels
since I've been working for the Stark in
many venues from Mexico um five times
and in the United States and they're
always the same issues and the issue is
the lead time that you're given to get
the the uh the facility cleaned to get
the kitchen cleaned realize it think of
how long it takes you as a consumer
those who are staying home to get just
simple Kitchen in their home with no
fancy schmancy equipment just simple
ovens and and countertops with uh with
with sink
imagine what it is at a hotel takes days
weeks take days literally it does does
take days and to get it clean enough to
our specs when you're dealing with with
things that I must tell you that are not
always as clean as you would like it to
be even year round they're not always as
clean with at the same time they're
trying to still figure out no Hotel will
shut down completely for four or five
days giving you the opportunity to toh
take this place because they lose all
that money from from they usually
there's a lot of other activities going
on around you there's tra still going on
and uh we're trying to work within that
framework and um you're depending on
them and the one thing I've always said
to management is realize that regardless
of whatever we do in the next couple of
days Passover is coming there is no
there is no tomorrow there is no we
we're going to push it off another day
we've got to get everything done on
schedule so that is a very vital thing
that consumers should know I I I would
venture that you ask I'm
curious that work and what are the
challenges of well that's no different
than having let's say right now OU OU is
on many different packages of products
RK we have individuals taking care of
the account so what happens he he he
arranges for he arranges for someone who
he's trusting of course he's not going
to be there obviously no he he can't be
in five places at one time so when you
have an individual Rabbi just like the U
of star k he himself is you have to
trust him if he's a he's known has a
good reputation that he himself is
picking people who are knowledgeable in
the business would you want to know who
that person is going to be at the hotel
running it definitely you would want to
know who that is that is more important
than the rabbi himself because a person
who's actually running the event like I
do at my hotel obviously you know the
rub is not there all the time so
some competent when when when Mix-Ups
happens when issues occur things happen
whether it's pesak related y related
shabas related that manyas come up not
just P regular so this this is very
important you're saying not only should
I find out who the rabbi is and whether
or not he's reliable but who is actually
going to be on the ground on on site
site and and um and then we talked about
this a little bit the question is really
is the rabbi who's overall certifying
just giving over the Reigns to the rabbi
who's going to be there that's not
really what you're looking for correct
you're looking for somebody who's taking
responsib respons set policy policy like
like like the major agency would do they
would make sure if you go to a hotel
that's certified by a major agency
expect that their policies are going to
be implemented not that who's ever there
you know it's he'll decide he'll decide
what he don't expect so with the with
the with with the rabbi who's certifying
you want to know that the rabbi is going
to be on site right is following the
standard that's set up by the by by the
correct the ra by the the head Rabbi
correct okay that's that's an important
Point are there questions we're happy to
to take your questions if you want you
can chat with us um is is the moderat
chat
going okay fine there are a few
questions let me see oh here we are okay
um okay uh Stark Tech says you can see
Rob by crystals are on Hotel kis at he
gives you the link um and that's an
article about different the challenges
that come up certifying Hotel the year
it's not simple at all I also have
another article that uh that that on
it's called um it's called also about
hotels uh Travelers guide to hotels
that's from a consumer perspective but
what you need to be aware of when you go
to a hotel again not specifically for uh
Passover what is the proper forum for
asking about specific programs hash
David
asks not sure what he means the proper
forum meaning who should you ask when
you when you book meaning when you book
before you book before you book to ask
the person who you said it's under
strict rical supervision that who who's
who's the and if you're not familiar
with the find out then simply you have
to go about you know the process of
researching it you feel and honestly we
do get calls sometimes individuals that
have do known personally but again I'm
very cautious because there are certain
things that sometimes you have to give
it over to someone who knows how to deal
with it delicately and inappropriately
it should be constructive not a
destructive way of doing something well
that's the you know the good thing about
is is that this is the secret that every
consumer should have someone on the
inside in the social World someone that
he trusts who's sort of can give him the
inside information if you could develop
that relationship that would be great
has a a tongue and cheek comment
supervised by the K the kosher enough
koser so it's good enough you know it's
just uh okay um
J uh B is asking why is it necessary to
ask all these questions I guess they're
asking why can I just rely on on on the
agency mean how do you want to answer
well the answer is very simple
unfortunately this is not just a PES off
question this is a year round question
they're right now to my knowledge
somewhere in the close to 18 00 hashas
in the world it's it's over 1600 it's
it's that neighborhood of 1700 or so has
in the world and if you think about it
most people have maybe are familiar with
and the reason is is because as a star k
throughout its history has had to there
is no product in the world that is being
made with whether it's an OU product
starkk okay only exclusively with with
uh with the with that agency
sees oversight and and you know what do
you call looking it over and and uh and
supervision therefore we have to depend
on each other there's an inter
interaction between agencies so we have
to do research ourselves so you have to
go through that you know getting back to
this is a yearr round
question that automatically just because
it has is not guarantee you the quality
of the as it has Ash but the quality is
not necessarily there and
definitely recommend people become
educated and and that's really the
purpose of all of these all of the the
teaching that we do is to help you
become educated and and learn more and
do it better um is asking what should be
done if you see something unacceptable
being done on yont and it isn't being
corrected can you continue to trust them
to eat there depends on what the issue
is it's uh if you if you bring it to the
attention of the Raba maksh who's there
on site and if you're AA if you know how
walk is well know sometimes you be
mistaken I've had many people who are
Yesa come to me or you
know and I must tell you they might know
theoretics certain things but we have
practical knowledge we're in the field
of K
Andis and hus kashing or Bish or
anything like that um sometimes you know
once I explain to them why we do it the
way we do it they realize that oh I
maybe I thought that it's not a pro find
out that you know that that that that
that refinment does permit it based on
whatever s it may be the simple answer
to this question really depends on how
bad it is what he find something that's
so terrible uh which is unlikely I think
that it's so bad that it could be make
make the food really and you shouldn't
eat it that's unusual case but then you
wouldn't be able to eat but if it's not
that bad then um you can continue to to
you know it's sort of you sort of kind
of stuck when you're there I mean you
have to uh have to have to make an
assessment you have to makeas in your
hotel room before PES so that's one of
the things we wanted to cover the answer
is yes you should makea without a br we
say um because they they do some
cleaning in the in the hotel they don't
do a Bika but they don't go room to room
the maids the maids check it it's not
likely that you'll find anything but you
have a story we had a story ourselves
that in that uh that uh um I know of a
situation where on pesak one of the
guests found an old Donut in one of the
drawers and it was not cleaned out so
again those those who are listening
should know that that no hea that I'm
aware of actually goes to every room and
does a
bedika
know they only have it cleaned in the
general cleaning that that donut was
Kos not really not at all okay and and
the and um and therefore really you as
the consumer when you go go to these
hotels you're to do your own when you
get there right but we say without
because it was clean somewhat it clean
correct um let's talk about the question
that we put out about the the ads that
say you know GL
kosher all that what is all that let's
let's let's focus a little bit on that
is that enough I mean what what does
that mean and is that it's just today
it's a today it's the catchphrase
Everything is Everything is glus and but
you can go on things that are
you know glad koser one of the big cases
I give up was cruises and um and really
everything else around it is not
necessarily as it appears it doesn't
have so it doesn't have anything to do
with the quality of the certification of
the certification as aah maybe they're
buying certain foods what is we have
that question what does that
meaning what is that what is that
referring to not just in in in a
nutshell I want to say r is is a is a
practicing he's qualified and so you
could talk about that I know means is
that it's it's a nothing more nothing
less it has nothing to do with anything
about the quality of the or just that
there's an expectation
it's mention that that means that they
they're more and
more more you know more careful that's
the attitude I must tell you that
mentioned that I deal with over the
years who are qualified in their things
so it's not necessarily one is not a
given to the other it doesn't you're or
your sh makes you into a dentist you
know you have to actually go learn
Dentistry so because you're sh doesn't
make you necessarily into a very good
okay so they should discount when they
see that that glad kosher and that
doesn't really mean anything okay it
doesn't I'm not saying it doesn't mean
anything it means the foods that they're
buying on certain right it does mean
something what about when it says sh mat
only you know is that it means something
in the sense that usually I have to tell
you that usually someone is only
offering sh mat and non
gab usually will be a more which means
more of a of a of a fmer type of of of
of crowd because because if they're if
they're being particular not to serve
gabro and and no and not to serve any
Machin matah things like that that means
you're the the people that are coming
demand that they demand ngab they demand
only mat usually going to find a
more or you know more from type of of
crowd and so with with the matah should
the person um ask which matzas are being
served is that should he go to that
level we would
right it's a person in his home right
when he goes out to buy matah he doesn't
go buy any matah he finds out from his
Rabbi or whatever which are the
acceptable Matas and those are the ones
that he uses he doesn't just use any
brand so why if he's just going to a
hotel should it be any different right
you should really want to know what
brand of Mattis am I going to be correct
so I mean yes and uh I'm telling you but
Derek CL I explained to you before
that's pretty much consistent that way
if they're serving machine matzas if
they're serving G Brook it's a more of a
the whole thing is a little you get you
get a sense of get a sense who's going
to be there who's going to be there
right it doesn't tell you the level of
of um okay let's take some of the
questions here um
what what should we know about how large
boilers are cered for PES at hotels is
that really the pro that's not really
one of the major issues that you need
how how do they how did they cauer the
boilers which boilers is he referring to
where I guess he means the kettles the
kettles I guess okay I'm not going to go
right now into just no but that's not is
that really one of the is that a major
it's not a major difficulty if they're
if they're a competent Rabbi they know
how to c c you have you have to know how
to
cerer the individual consumer doesn't
have to be worried so much that it
wasn't if it's if it's a competent Rabbi
then you figure that he he's done it
correctly okay can you speak a bit about
the issue surrounding the question of
serving serving quinoa at these programs
do you know what was behind the O's
recent change in policy of consumption
of kinw during P we can we can
definitely not speak to the u's change
that you'll have to go why they Chang
their um I can tell you that um that uh
that's part of my department it's the
quinoa Department over here and we are
uh the quinoa Market this year was very
difficult just I'm not going to speak
about for long for length but just it
was very difficult because the prices
went up the the market went through the
roof the the availability was very
difficult but we did finalize a um a a a
source of um of Passover quinoa um of
retail Passover quinoa at settin farms
this is the first announcement right
because it just happened yesterday it
happened yesterday at settin Farm well
for our listeners we give them the uh
you have the the scoop right the scoop
at set far set Farms it's it's a famous
um they pack in these little um consumer
packs consumer packs plastic containers
um and they're going to have the star KP
and um yes at our hotels we do serve
right they do
and I do want to add that you know just
to say the facts that Rahim in the r was
the first r that I'm aware of like 15
years I've been here 30 years was the
first one that who came out with that
that quinoa is allowed to be used on PES
off and I remember it was in the
beginning there was a tremendous
resistance to it right because it it is
that type of M that resembles rice and
the sense the way it reacts and the way
everything there was a tremendous
resistance to that pck now we take it
for granted but I remember when it first
came out it was it was a major major big
big uh big talk about it hman kept
pushing it and now it's now even though
you I don't think you can almost uh find
a hotel that doesn't serve right it's
standard now standard yeah the rub was
the first one that that that that pin
that right behind was I want to add take
another question it's something very
important I want just the the consumers
to know about when when I say about
making sure that you pick a Raa Mak that
first of all is qualify
competent and universally known
throughout the year not just for this
one little seven days he's known to be a
Bucky in an expert in in the uh uh
running of hotels and the kering and Cas
and casers in general because let me
tell you one of the things that I this
is one of my personal things that I
always lecture on that bothers me
personally is that I know what we go
through in the training of
masim just for the yearr round business
it takes time to train Mas in the en
weekly policies the shabas policies the
what they need to know for shabas
remember there's no phone
for but one of the most sensitive things
is and and it takes time it's not
something you can read in a book and
that is Buck checking and I know what I
go through for checking bugs just for
130 people and I know there are
properties that are 600 700,00 1,600
people and one of my biggest questions I
always ask my colleagues in the ronam is
how do you take
B it's always a b they don't want to pay
for married people because it takes too
much you know many they don't want to
hire Mash who's married right then it
his wife they can put four in one room
how do you have a Mas who yesterday was
in Yesa learning a of gor and literally
the next day he's coming already the
next day when they're having to when
they having to do with no preparation
nothing when I used to take Yeshiva guys
from from yiva with me there were either
people who work with me all year round
to make extra money we had a lot of
Iranians who needed the extra money they
didn't have their parents here so they
would work on shabos and K or I would
train them in advance of everything
we're going
to see and everything they're going to
need to know for this particular event
now I only take Mas that work with me
all year round so that's a given and
they know the policies and it's already
repetitive right they know the policies
they know the policies they know shabis
they know they just have to add a little
bit for for for PES so therefore you
have to really make sure that you find a
he who feels the same way good as good
as the Mas right there in the field
right there moment to moment to moment
now this is not something really any
person can really find out who is going
to be the individual but they have to
make that's just a reason to make why
you have to make sure it's very
reputable right very good um let me just
take the time out for a minute and uh
remind everybody that you're listening
to the star k monthly webinar here at
the s offices we're here the last
Wednesday of every month at noon at uh
at the website learn kosher click
webinar.com
koser and RAB rley could you put up the
the web address for next month's special
webinar on February 26 at at uh noon
it's going to we're gonna have RAB sham
tendler going to go through and show
videos and pictures and discuss how you
check we're just talking about checking
for bugs so you to become an expert
because you eat vegetables at home and
you want to make sure they're bug free
uh it's Torah uh. click webinar.com
bugs so we look forward to seeing you
then and we're going to send out the
emails and if you're on our email list
uh feel free that you will get notified
about that if you have any further
questions after we finish the webinar
which we're not done yet but when we
finish you can reach us at
4110 or you can email us at info
stark. org and we look forward to to
speaking with you then okay I just add
with the vegetabl the star k
offers um actual Hands-On presentations
for anyone whoever needs that you can
arrange that with the star k that we
actually go out either myself or tendler
to teach group you know cities and it's
people very much appreciate it when they
actually see it
okay what is the Stark policy regarding
hotels which allow mix swimming or non-
cautious related activities which viol
our policy is that we don't certify
hotels that allow mixed swimming because
um those that Li in the star would not
uh that's ra that we don't certify we we
in general our policy is that the star k
kosher symbol means that in general the
environment
is a kosher environment as much as
humanly possible you want to make sure
that you come there and you have a
kosher environment not just that the
food is kosher but everything else is
whatever and the won't even allow it
even if you make available separate swim
okay even though you give an option to
have separate swimming if there's mixed
swimming available there would be no
right and the rub also covers not just
the swimming but all the entertainment
everything that's going on in the hotel
that it's that it's that it's you know
there's no woman fingers or anything
right so that's something not every
Rabbi or agency has that policy so you
want to know you know you definitely
want to look into that what's the story
with the with the uh
activities
um and uh and the a the a is also an
issue right the AR around the hotel you
want to be able to make sure that you
can carry correct you don't stuck in
they make a proper a they AR and they
know how to do that is there an AR and
in um in in in my article I also point
out a couple of things um that you also
need to be aware of like the electronic
locks and doors how do you how do you
deal with that we have we do have a way
of dealing with that of asking the um
the the non-jewish staff to open the
door for you and so on but you have to
know how how you're going to deal with
that with that issue uh the sensors for
the for the lights and the heating and
air know in some hotels now um if you if
you have the air conditioning on or
on PES would be air conditioning or heat
depend depends where you are depends
where you are exactly and depends if
it's a leap year or not right so
whatever it is if you open the one thing
is if you open the uh door to the
balcony to save energy they they're
going off and then when you close it
it's going on obviously you can't you're
not allowed to do that is that is that
something that the that the rabbi who's
running the hotel is that something he
would be aware of not necessarily is he
looking into that that may be something
you want to check into uh and and you
know and when you open the door
sometimes it goes on you know you have
to look into these it's interesting here
at the star cave if we ever did any of
those properties in Mexico I went down
there we did five properties in Mexico
yes over five years really we did five
different properties in in caban Lucas
and you know different places and and I
would go in advance myself with the with
the person who's the the vendor and we'd
actually go literally room by room no
the whole idea
it first of all the RV never allowed
most of these places in Mexico the pools
are outside so we were never able to
take a building that was higher than two
three floors so that was the first thing
it was higher than two three floors you
could see into the pool we would then we
of course we have Nas around the pool
all the way 12 feet high and I don't
want to go whole detail but the main
thing was this this concept that
Goldberg just mentioned of going in
advance and me as the RAB maker not not
uh just the vendor and just accepting
what he tells me to go down there and
analyze make sure that whatever I needed
or or requested it's very difficult to
do it now when you're right at the 11th
hour I mean you come the day before it's
too late it's not happening it's not
happening and this way I knew exactly
what what I'm up against and management
knew what what the expectations of the
there was there was but before you
mention about the checking the ruls I
just want to add you also have to find
out a lot of these hotels have many
kitchens in your in your room so you
have to find out most place most do not
K as many kit so beware of that also as
another item that you need to think the
microwaves the mini kitchens the sinks
right whatever whatever there something
let's say they have a fridge we say that
all you have to do is for fridge just to
clean it out clean it out but uh you
know the microwave and the oven and
everything that needs exactly and it may
be too late already by the time you're
there that's true it may be too late to
do some of this cering because you know
there's limit and also I looked was what
you mentioned before electronic now now
all hotels are changing over to
electronic bathrooms toilets right it's
a big issue we're having that just
generally not necessarily PES we're
having that issue with the shabas that
people are are are renting these places
the the the the party people you know
the theal Sim the host and the hostess
both thought about these electronic
bathrooms and this is a major problem
now because they're all going that way
there no more the manual flushing well a
lot of times even if in the public areas
they'll have the electronic and in the
rooms they will still have the the
manual that's true but it's something
that you need to know you big problem
it's a big problem it's something that
not every Rabbi would even if he's
normally reliable for kasas that would
think about to go
look so it's something that you may want
to look into you can call the hotel
directly and talk to some of these
things can you can talk to the hotel
directly okay let's let's take some of
these questions um if T is star k or the
you well I guess he means any of the
major agencies shouldn't we be able to
rely on it um if you normally rely on
those major agencies then I think the
answer is yes what obviously you can
rely on them now we're talking about
when it's not so obvious to you what
we're talking about when it's not so
obvious right okay usually if a vendor
has a star k the OU I promise you
they're not going to write in their a
under strict ritical supervision they
put they'll put they'll put the OU
they'll put the star k you're not gonna
have someone hiding it that way I
understood involves only poultry and
involves pulling out the feathers into
the sight of
the it's not it's not this is not this
is not correct and there's it's true
what he says it's true what he says that
they do that that they do um you know
pull out feathers of the neck um which
by the Wayman says he's not happy with
but let's put that on the side right now
but um it's theer is the that I could be
pulling out feathers and I may not even
though I come from by the way my
father's a g one side and my mother's a
b your beard is not long and when I used
to but um getting back to that uh not
enough just what didn't we ever do a
webinar didn't we ever didn't we ever do
a webinar about about about slaughtering
I think we must have are you sure we
could do it at one time you yeah okay
what is the star opinion about Chia and
PES is a kidney or not star k has not
taken a position uh on Chia we we um we
pushed the the kinoa and that was our
that's what we uh we but R behind has
not said either way we just haven't
taken the position or not um
isn't always required on P the answer is
no no
many not even not even
one many many but let me say also let me
add it's not the amount of mas from our
experience it is the quality of the mash
first and it's the way you set it up you
can do the same work with four that
others are doing with eight Mas it all
depends again the quality of the Mas how
well they are trained and educated in
hash and how much they know from year
round and how well you set up the
logistics of the whole system between
milic fix par and so on and so forth I
once had someone call me and ask okay so
I want to go away I think it was a
cruise or something but how many should
I how many I'm gonna find out how many
there are how many do there need to be I
said I couldn't possibly tell you how
many because I don't know what the setup
is we don't know how many that's not
what's going on what does it look like
right there's no number that you could
give it's impossible right but would you
say let's say a
um you what would you be surprised to
here let's say there's a hotel program
with 300 people what would you be
surprised at what number would you be
surprised less than less than I I can't
imagine a hotel of of 300 doing it with
less
than five four five it all depends it
all depends how big is dep it all
depends how far you can have again 300
people but the distance from the kitchen
to where the ballroom is is a mile I'm
exaggerating of course but the con what
I mean he has to walk through the hole
the food has got to travel or you can
have the kitchen right next to the
ballroom and it's and it's easy it all
depends again everything depends on the
analysis of the facility right of course
we can't say for sure what's good right
um does starel have kosher and non
kosher non kosher kosher for Passover
and non- kosher no we said we discussed
that before no uh we we don't allow that
um
okay um why are chickens dirtiest before
yam
toin is that I never noticed that they
are I never noticed that they are I
guess elain notic but for some reason if
Elaine is noticing it maybe it's because
they they have a lot of orders and they
have to push it as quickly as possible
if it's true I don't know if it is true
what is dir you mean anyway feathers I
don't know she said full of feathers
maybe maybe she maybe she can send back
a message what she means by Dirty uhhuh
okay all right RAB cell we I think we um
we covered uh basically all the things
that we were trying to cover yeah um I
think we gave I think a person now if
they're going away for Passover uh has a
good idea better idea at least of what
they need to into correct things that
they need to to talk about and think
about again we repeat the disclaimer
that we're not pushing anybody to go or
not to go uh one thing I will say though
I do want to make an editorial comment
and that is a lot of time you see names
of rabbis or reiton on on the Ed who are
going to that hotel so Scotland
residence so you say to yourself well if
Rabbi so and so is going then a the
kosher must be okay corre and B it must
be all right you know to go to this
hotel and uh I think that a is incorrect
that the rabbi who's going there you
know simply
PA right so so the rabbis who are going
re the Ritson not that they're
compromising themselves but you have to
understand they work very hard all year
they don't get paid much and now they
have an offer to go away to a hotel for
for h for Passover all expenses paid and
um and for the family they go for you
know the family there's a big pressure
to go for you for for your wife for your
kids uh who may not see you all all PES
this is a little bit of a perk so their
decision to go doesn't necessarily mean
that that's an endorsement that
everybody should go do I do PES
programming myself and I can't you know
say anything bad about it because I
benefit from it myself my family comes
matter of fact I got the biggest benefit
I got is that my daughter met her
husband there oh really so yes that's
great in one of the P hotels so
therefore I can't complain I have
benefit you know as far as that's
concerned and it does give me I work
hard like I said again all in all it is
a difficult thing even year round to do
hotels as you'll read the articles it's
very difficult to do hotels and K and
and definitely when you come to PES
hotels and therefore it behooves you and
us everyone to find a good Ash that
knows how to properly set up hotels and
to run the hotels the Casher properly
clean it Casher properly run it you know
throughout the whole program and that
the management is well also well
educated management makes a bigger
difference and management should be well
also informed in advance what they're
going to expect and how we make sure
that your workers because they play a
big role if the employees are not well
trained in pesak and kasas it's not
going to work work I don't care how many
you can't keep running around after each
worker so we have a we by us also do the
same thing bring all the waiters Chef
everybody together to have a clear
understanding of what is going to be
happening so so is that something a
person could look into whether or not
the management that when running the
program is a reliable person how do you
look into that I don't know I'm just
telling you the facts again getting back
to the raksh it's you it's really in his
hands to make sure that all this is done
properly in the training of the masim
and the training of the hotel staff that
they they should um be well informed the
better they informed they are the more
smoother the cautious is going to be
okay it's very well said um elain
answered back about the feathers yeah
and I answer again if that's true that
she's finding more feathers and the and
the eat sides are not cleaned
appropriately Elaine I have no other
answer that maybe they're simply the
orders are numerous and they're pushing
it the machine a a little faster I don't
I don't know that's just a speculation I
don't
know okay I do want to mention here at
the end that we can see on the map all
the people join us we have number of
people in Israel in Artis um uh we have
Canada we have the West Coast uh we have
east coast so we want to thank everyone
for joining us again this webinar will
be um will be uh archived it's it's been
recorded and it's archived at kosher
class.org uh or on our YouTube uh
Channel hopefully soon enough and you
can find it there we look forward to
seeing you next month last Wednesday for
our special bug webinar bug checking
webinar and c I think it was very
informative thank you very much much I
appreciate thank you very much for
joining us thank you for joining us we
want to wish you all a happy and kosher
porm and then and
pass thank you very much take care