Transformation: The Kosher Certification of 'Ein Harod' Kibbutz Dining Hall

"I came here just to thank you for transforming the kibbutz kitchen into a kosher kitchen. Since I started eating kosher and separating meat and dairy, I feel a profound change in my life," said Avi, a 50-year-old resident of 'Ein Harod' Kibbutz, as he stood in the home of Rabbi Asher Gabay during a celebration for his grandson Meir's *sheva brachot*.

A true transformation has taken place at 'Ein Harod' Kibbutz in the north, a kibbutz once known for non-kosher practices, whose dining hall now adheres strictly to Jewish law, becoming a kosher kitchen and observing Shabbat, thanks to Rabbi Asher Gabay.

If the pioneering founders who dreamed of creating a new Jewish identity could see a kosher supervisor in the dining hall, ensuring strict meat-dairy separation with kosher utensils and a dedicated *Shabbat* urn and candle-lighting area, in the formerly secular kibbutz, they would be astonished.

Rabbi Asher Gabay, leader of the regional council and a proponent of Torah and Jewish tradition, has worked for nearly four decades to foster mutual respect and harmony, bringing different communities within the kibbutz together. Nevertheless, the decision to make the dining hall kosher was met with significant resistance from kibbutz founders.

Dining Hall

The eventual decision came through a communal vote, where members decided by majority to switch to kosher, concluding a lengthy five-year struggle.

A detailed conversion process was outlined, involving expert inspections to approve or discard items according to Jewish dietary law. Each step was meticulously documented to ensure full compliance.

An agreement sealed between Rabbi Gabay and the kibbutz included expert supervisor-assisted conversion, the replacement of non-kosher items with certified ones, and the establishment of clear protocols for new equipment.

During Shabbat, specific measures like covering and disconnecting the coffee machine, and installing *Shabbat* timers, were enacted to maintain observance, along with signage reinforcing food and utensil restrictions.

In addition to its kosher dining hall, the kibbutz now features a synagogue and *eruv*, with plans for a *mikvah* becoming more realistic. Rabbi Gabay expressed his deep respect for the kibbutz members' commitment to Jewish values and Shabbat observance.

Last week, Rabbi Gabay visited the dining hall, presenting the management with a silver *kiddush* cup and an ornate candle-lighting set, reinforcing the importance of their role in sanctifying God’s name richly.