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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

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Question 6.2:
How can I learn about Kashrut? Is there a "Kosher" FAQ?

Answer:

The Union of Orthodox Congregations maintains a FAQ at http://www.ou.org/kosher/primer.html, which would be a good starting point. For Pesach, another good source is the Official Rabbinical Assembly Pesach Kashrut Guide at http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/info/pesahguide/index.html. Some other good sites include:

Another way to learn is to read some of the books in the reading list (Part 2, "Traditional"), and subscribe to some of the periodicals. In particular, we recommend the following books:

[Dre59]
Dresner, Samuel H; Siegel, Seymour. The Jewish Dietary Laws. Burning Bush Press, New York. 1959. United Synagogue Book Service; 1980. Paperback. ISBN 0-838121-05-5.[Conservative authorship. The book presents liberal positions on ingredients, wine, cheese, gelatin, swordfish. Among Conservative rabbis, the book reflects more lenient views.]
[Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838121055/socculturejewish/]

[ForXX]
Forst, Binyomin. The Laws Of Kashrus. Artscroll Mesorah. Hardcover. [A comprehensive exposition of their underlying concepts and application]
[Buy at Artscroll: http://www.artscroll.com/linker/socculturejewish/ASIN/LOKH]

[Gre85]
Greenberg, Blu. How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household Paperback reprint edition (September 1985) Simon & Schuster (Paper); 1985; ISBN 0-671602-70-5. Jason Aronson (Hardcover); 1989; ISBN 0-876688-82-2.
Paperback: [Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671602705/socculturejewish]; Hardback: [Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0876688822/socculturejewish]

[Lip88]
Lipschutz, Yacov. Kashruth: A Comprehensive Background and Reference Guide to the Principles of Kashruth (The Artscroll Series). Mesorah Publications Ltd.; 1988. Hardcover. ISBN 0-899065-58-9.
[Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0899065589/socculturejewish/][Buy at Artscroll: http://www.artscroll.com/linker/socculturejewish/ASIN/KASH]

[Lub89]
Lubavitch Women's Organization. Body and Soul: A Handbook for Kosher Living, Lubavitch Women's Cookbook Pub, NY. 1989. Bloch Pub Co; 1997.Paperback. ISBN 0-826602-39-8. [Short introduction to kosher basics.]
[Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0826602398/socculturejewish/]

[Lub90]
Lubavitch Women's Organization: Blau, Esther; Deitsch, Tzirrel; Light, Cherna. Spice and Spirit: Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook. Lubavitch Women's Cookbook Pub, NY, 1990, 1997. Hardcover. Reprint edition. ISBN 0-826602-38-X. [Contains detailed information about the laws of kashrut and holidays from the Lubavitch point of view and thus follows Lubavitch customs regarding Kashrut; for non-Lubavitch, use in conjunction with other Kashrut references. Lots of traditional recipes that tend not to fail, if followed. Good section on Passover baking.]
[Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/082660238X/socculturejewish/]

[Wag00]
Wagschal, S. The Practical Guide to Kashruth. Philipp Feldheim; 2000. Hardcover. ISBN 0-873065-61-1.
[Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0873065611/socculturejewish/]

Also, every Jewish household, if you're at all interested in Kashrus, should subscribe to Kashrus Magazine, published by Yeshiva Birkas Reuven. For information, contact Kashrus at P.O. Box 204, Brooklyn NY 11204. You can call (718) 336-8544 for Visa/Mastercard Orders. Email: kashrus@aol.com. You can also visit the Kashrus website at http://www.kashrusmagazine.com/.

There are also a large number of Kosher Shopping Opportunities on the web, including Kosher.com [http://www.kosher.com/], MyKosherMarket.com [http://www.mykoshermarket.com/], Kosher Cornucopia [http://www.koshercornucopia.com/], Kosher Club [http://www.kosherclub.com], Hamkor Judaica [http://www.jewishsource.com], and Kosher Fest [http://www.kosherfest.com/].


The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.

[Got Questions?]Hopefully, the FAQ will provide the answer to your questions. If it doesn't, please drop Email to questions@scjfaq.org. The FAQ maintainer will endeavor to direct your query to an appropriate individual that can answer it. If you would like to be part of the group to which the maintainer directs questions, please drop a note to the FAQ maintainer at maintainer@scjfaq.org.

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