Advocate Correspondent

Don’t assume that Kosher means Kosher for Passover, says Rabbi Avrohom Brashevitzky.

In the Victory Supermarket in Norwell on the Hingham and Weymouth lines, a curious sight is to be beheld. Next to displays of common, popular food and household items which are Kosher, the Rabbi disseminates advice and gefilte fish, horseradish and dill pickles as part of an international Chabad project entitled "Kosher Awareness Week." Simultaneous displays are taking place in other Chabad centers around the world.

"It’s interesting to see the Irish people tasting the gefilte fish," the Rabbi says. "Kippers it isn’t".

6 months ago, Rabbi Brashevitzky moved to Weymouth from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, with his wife Zelda and their daughters Malka and Chaya, to form a new Chabad center in the greater Hingham area.

The Chabad (or Lubavitcher movement), known for their giant menorahs and Mitzvah Mobiles, holds Kosher Awareness the week before Passover, because there is a heightened awareness at this time. "It’s a good time," the Rabbi says, "to explain that buying Kosher products is not drastically changing your lifestyle."

Various common products people eat, which are kosher, fill the Rabbi’s table. "This breaks the misconception," he explains, "that in order for one to keep Kosher, they must only shop at Kosher butcher shops and Kosher food markets."

"Even at a truck stop in Montana, where you wouldn’t expect to get any Kosher food, you can buy a bag of chips with an OU (U with circle) and a Coca-Cola as opposed to items that don’t have them, and here you are, observing Kashruth."

Developing Kosher awareness can be a solid first step towards Koshering one’s home for Passover. Many supermarkets put all of the Manischevitz matzahs together, assuming that all kosher foods are kosher for Passover. The greater community doesn’t realize this either and the misconception widens.

The Rabbi gives Jews he meets there a real Shmura matzah in a box with an explanatory letter. This is in tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe Schneerson, whose birthday (11 Nisan) actually falls a few days before Passover (eve of 14 Nisan). This year, his 99^th birthday, marks the beginning of the 100^th year since his birth.

Kosher Awareness Week is geared towards non-Jews as well as Jews. "Just in the past two and a half days, I have been regularly approached by non-Jews interested in knowing more about Kosher practices."

Why this interest? "Most of them imply," continues Brashevitzky, "that they associate Kosher with purity, wholeness and a high quality of life." The Rabbi maintains that he cannot vouch for the benefits of some of the ingredients in, say, Coca-Cola, Oreos or Pringles. "However, on the whole, if you have a product that is labeled Kosher, you know that it was closely supervised by a Rabbi, and all ingredients have been disclosed."

"At least you know what you’re getting."

Gentiles tell the Rabbi that their roots come from Judaism; therefore they have an interest in knowing what it’s all about. One woman said that she usually prefers Kosher because she is not into junk food laden with animal fat, and she has children who are allergic to milk products. "I’ve heard from many non Jews," says Brashevitzky, "that they buy only Kosher products labeled Pareve — nondairy may have some residue; some children might have allergic reactions."

An intermarried woman, due with child, asks "Rabbi, how realistic is this?" "Look," he responds, "the point of us being here is to show you that you can be Jewish at any given time and actually feel very Jewish without even making any changes to your kitchen or your lifestyle."

One elderly woman comes over and says she has been married to an Irish man for 60 years, and has strayed far from Judaism. However, when she tastes the gefilte fish, she closes her eyes and says "wow, this reminds me of my bubbe’s food." She stresses, however, that her bubbe’s homemade fish was far superior.

Todd Pluta, the manager of the store, who is not Jewish, said he has gotten very positive feedback from some of his customers. When he was approached with the idea, he was very receptive. He helped them set up and provided the gefilte fish, horseradish and pickles.

Why is Kosher Food not Kosher for Passover?

According to Exodus 12:15, "for a seven day period you shall eat matzah, but on the first day you should eliminate leaven from your homes. For anyone who eats leavened food, that soul shall be cut off from Israel from the first day to the seventh day."

Further on (12:19): "For a seven day period [in the Diaspora, this occurs for 8 days, dating back to the time of the Temple when Jews who lived outside the Temple couldn’t be notified in time as to when the holiday began, so they kept an extra day just in case], leaven shall not be found in your homes."

The laws of Kashrut, cautions Rabbi Brashevitzky, were not formulated solely due to concerns over cleanliness and health. In fact, it is a mitzvah to observe them. "Mitzvah," he clarifies, "does not mean good deed, as is commonly perceived, but rather, "connection."

"If one owns a Cadillac and a big truck," he relates, "the truck requires diesel fuel, and the car requires unleaded gas. Not that there is anything wrong with diesel fuel per se, but you can’t mix the two or the engine won’t run properly. Like so is the Jewish body, which is ‘powered’ by a spiritual soul which requires a more refined, divinely dictated spiritual diet."