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Kosher Dietary Laws

Rabbi: Tehina cooked by non-Jews is not kosher
By Itim

Thousands of Israelis who observe kosher dietary laws have been avoiding tehina recently due to a halakhic decision issued by former Sephardi chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu against consuming food cooked by non-Jews. Sesame seeds, from which tehina is made, are often toasted in factories owned by non-Jews.

The decision affects all foods containing sesame seeds, including cakes, various salads, and halva, and some people are even avoiding the national food hummus, since it is often served with tehina.
Ref. https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=583729

Laws Dietary Kosher

I didn't think that something wasn't kosher simply because it wasn't prepared by Jews.

The article ddoesn'tsay that the food being prepared wasn't conforming to dietary laws. It appears as though its no kosher just because it was prepared by a none Jew, unless I missed something.

Kosher Dietary Laws Judaism Studies

I heard about that decision against non-Jew food, but I don't agree with it. It will narrow down the choice of food by a lot, because all parts of kosher food, even seeds, will have to be made by Jews. But the sesame seeds will probably not be made differently by Jews than by others, unless the sesame seeds are somehow toasted in a way which does not conform to dietary laws, which I find improbable.

Laws Dietary Kosher

I was just thinking that this means a devotee cannot walk into McDonalds for example and order a meal simply because it is not Kosher. That must be tough unless you live in a large Jewish Community where the restaurant owner and employees are likely to be Jewish. Then again I can see activists saying that eating Kosher food affects their belief system. Smudge you do have it hard.

Offtopic but, In Trinidad the Muslims have something similar called 'Halal' and there are many business that make their food in this way to cater for them.

Laws Dietary Kosher

Lebanon claims new hummus record

Lebanon claims the latest victory in the battle with Israel over which country can make the largest serving of hummus. Ref. Source 2