OK Kosher Certification
| Hechsher of Organized Kashrut Laboratories | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Certifying agency | Organized Kashrut Laboratories |
| Founded | 1935 |
| Headquarters | 391 Troy Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213 U.S. |
| Key People |
|
| Website | ok.org |
OK Kosher Certificationis a majorkosher certification agencybased out ofBrooklyn, NY.It is one of the "Big Five," the five largest kosher certifying agencies in the United States. OK also has a large kosher presence in Asia.
Early history[edit]
In 1935, Abraham Goldstein foundedOrganized Kashrut Laboratories(OK Labs) to meet the AmericanJewishcommunity's need forKosher foodproducts.
In 1968, RabbiBernard Levypurchased OK Labs. He was already involved in kosher certification several years prior to the purchase. At the time, it was certifying a relatively small number of companies, but under his leadership, the organization began to grow, certifying companies internationally. Rabbi Levy instituted several improvements in the methods employed by kosher certifying agencies to verify the nature of products. Until then, many ingredients of products were assumed to be kosher, without visiting the company of each one. His policy was to travel to each company to see how the production was done first-hand. This led him to further investigate other companies, as many ingredients were composed of other sub-ingredients. As the organization grew, and the workload increased, Rabbi Levy's son, Rabbi Don Yoel Levy,[1]joined the OK to help expand the organization.[2]
Today[edit]
After the death ofRabbi Bernard Levyin 1987, his son Rabbi Don Yoel Levy assumed leadership of the organization.[3]Upon Rabbi Don Yoel Levy’s death in 2020, the Executive Rabbinical Council took responsibility of the OK.[4]
With more than 10 million consumers seeking kosher products in the United States alone, the kosher food industry has seen rapid growth in the past two decades, with sales reaching $165 billion in 2002.[5]Today the OK Certifies over 140,000 products, produced by over 1500 companies worldwide, including food giants such asKraft,Snapple,andConAgra.It employs over 350 Rabbis worldwide.[6]
Besides giving Kosher Certification, the OK actively promotes education and observance of kosher laws and attitudes. There are many books written on the subject, while most popular are the Kosher approved recipes.[7]
Its headquarters are inBrooklyn, New York,with offices inEuropeandIsrael.[8]The OK holds an annualMashgichimconference at theJewish Children's Museum.[9]In 2014, OK Kosher won the rights to the.kosherdomain name.[10]In 2015, Kehilla Kosher from Los Angeles merged with OK Kosher.[11]The agency often expands its supervision of restaurants, mainly located in New York.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Leadership Archive - OK Kosher Certification".OK Kosher Certification.Retrieved2018-04-27.
- ^"Corporate Profile".Retrieved2018-04-27.
- ^Don Yoel Levy."Rabbi Don Yoel Levy".www.torahcafe.com.Retrieved2018-04-27.
- ^"Our Ongoing Success Story - OK Kosher Certification History".OK Kosher Certification.Retrieved2022-06-19.
- ^Sherri Day."You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Eat Kosher".The New York Times.Retrieved2018-04-27.
- ^"Values & Mission - OK Kosher Certification".Retrieved2018-04-27.
- ^Kosher Challah – Bread Recipes.Zomick's Bakery. 2013-10-09.ISBN978-1-365-35568-4.
- ^"Our Global Offices and Regional Representatives".OK Kosher Certification.Retrieved2022-06-19.
- ^"OK Mashgichim Conference Recognizes Special Mashgichim".Kosher Today.2013-11-18.Retrieved2019-10-29.
- ^Lauren Rothman; Helen Chernikoff (2014-02-04)."Rivalry Between Kosher Certifiers Heats Up".The Jewish Week/The Times of Israel.Retrieved2018-04-27.
- ^"KEHILLA KOSHER MERGES WITH OK KOSHER - Kosherquest.org - Online Kashrus Information".2015-11-06.Retrieved2018-04-27.
- ^Dani Klein (2015-08-11)."NYC's Great American Health Bar Now Under" OK "Kosher Supervision".Retrieved2018-04-27.