Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Most Kosher: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg will be teaching free kosher cooking workshops at Noah's Bagels on Lincoln Avenue. He conducts 60-70 surprise inspections per year on kosher kitchens in restaurants to make sure everything is, well, kosher.
Kosher food: It's no blessing
Rabbi Zvi Goldberg brings the secret of kosher dietary laws to Willow Glen eatery
By Moryt Milo
What is kosher? For those who don't know, it may be best to start by defining it by what it isn't. "It is not blessing the food," says Campbell resident Rabbi Zvi Goldberg. "This is a mistake that many people unfamiliar with kosher think." To "keep kosher" means following specific requirements, which involve ingredients and preparation.
To help demystify the meaning, Goldberg will offer two Wednesday evening classes at Noah's Bagels in Willow Glen on "The ABC's of kosher." The free classes will delve into the why, what and how-to's of kosher dietary laws.
Through special arrangement with Noah's manager Laurie Keel, classes will be offered after hours and free bagels will be provided to those attending. During these sessions, Goldberg will discuss the various facets of keeping kosher. He will cover "the concept that some foods are more spiritually helpful then others," how a consumer can discern what products are kosher when going to a store, the ancillary health benefits of eating kosher, and what's involved in maintaining a kosher lifestyle.
Goldberg, who at one time considered a career in medicine, but chose, instead, to pursue a career in spiritual healing, graduated in 1993, with a master's in Talmudic law from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore.
During his years at the rabbinical college, Goldberg also studied computer science at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. In 1993, the same year he received his degree in Talmudic law, he also received a master's in computer science.
Rabbi Goldberg says that both disciplines require an analytical mind and his computer skills fit seamlessly into Silicon Valley. He has been able to help congregants decide what computers to purchase and offer assistance in administering the synagogue's website (www.ahava.org), which he says, are two examples of the practical ways in which a rabbi might work.
Goldberg, 36, who grew up in Brooklyn, says, "I'm the first rabbi in a couple of generations. My father and grandfathers were all businessmen."
Yet he felt the calling and dedicated himself to 15 years of study, which included a two-year position as rabbinical assistant for a large congregation in Baltimore. From there he moved west where he accepted the rabbinical position at Ahavas Torah Synagogue (a Jewish Orthodox Temple) in Willow Glen on Meridian Avenue.
For some, studying 15 years before actively practicing a profession may seem unusual. But Goldberg explains being a rabbi is not like other professions where students complete their education, get a degree and find a job. The path toward becoming a rabbi is not quite as linear.
He points around his living room to the bookshelves filled with hundreds of books and says, "There is constant studying to do. There is no end to it. There is always more to learn, to delve further into God's word, into the Torah and so on."
Since moving to Campbell two years ago, Goldberg, his wife Rivky, and their three young children, have found that, although the Orthodox Jewish community is small in numbers--about 40 families belong to Ahavas Torah Synagogue--it is also big in enthusiasm, strong in a sense of community, and eager to learn.
For a rabbi, teaching is an integral part of reaching out into the Jewish community.
"We try to touch as many people as possible," Goldberg says. "This is one of the rabbi's basic jobs"
To realize this goal the rabbi has started an organization called Jewish Studies Program, which is "like the arm of my synagogue where I reach out to people that aren't affiliated with my synagogue," Goldberg says.
There are currently 13 classes available that range from beginner to advance on a diversity of subjects, from the basics of Judaism to the complexities in Jewish law. The rabbi says he welcomes students of "all stripes and colors," whether they are married, unmarried, or have converted. The classes are taught in different synagogues, in the rabbi's home or at community centers.
The program also includes special seminars. One event, a lecture on anti-Semitism, was held at the Campbell Community Center and presented by guest speaker Rabbi Deyo from Los Angeles.
Campbell resident Chana Smith, one of the rabbi's congregants who attended the lecture, said there was a great show of interest. The lecture drew about 100 people.
Furthering the theme of community outreach is why Goldberg will be offering "The ABC's of kosher," as part of the Jewish studies program. "A basic tenet of Judaism is that we eat kosher," says Rabbi Goldberg. And he is looking forward to helping "set the record straight" about what keeping kosher means.
Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Rabbi Rules: Rabbi Goldberg conducts an inspection at Noah's Bagels on Lincoln Avenue to make sure the kitchen meets kosher criteria. Kosher kitchens must keep dairy and nondairy products separate; at Noah's this means that separate trays must be used for the bagels (nondairy) and the pizzas (dairy).
Rabbi Goldberg also gave classes to the staff at Noah's in Willow Glen. Educating the staff as to what is involved in keeping a kosher store is critical in Noah's ability to retain its kosher status. The rabbi spent 20 minutes to a half-hour discussing the ingredients that go into the products, how they are made, what kinds of utensils are used and the difference between kosher and nonkosher ovens.
He explains that one of the most important conditions in keeping an eatery kosher is learning which products are allowed in the store and which are not.
Says Noah's manager Laurie Keel: "If we run out of cheese we can't just go to Safeway and buy any old cheese. We have to make sure it is an approved kosher product."
Approved kosher products carry a certain label. Some have an OU (Union of Orthodox Congregations), which represents the largest certifying agency in the world. Others may have a K inside a star, or the word Parve. But they all mean the same thing: that the product conforms to kosher guidelines.
Goldberg is an executive board member of Vaad Hakashrus (the kosher supervising agency) of Northern California and is also a "mashgiach" (hands-on supervisor) for the agency.
Goldberg says when he comes to inspect Noah's (he always arrives unannounced) his intent is never to be sneaky, but rather to be vigilant and make sure that the rules are not misunderstood or misinterpreted. "If I find something wrong I explain to the staff that I am not criticizing," says the rabbi. "But I work for the kosher consumer who expects me to come in and check."
Keel acknowledges that there are a lot of rules to follow but "maintaining the rules are really important because people have certain expectations when they come here to eat."
For example according to Jewish dietary law, one cannot mix dairy products (milk, eggs, cheese) with nondairy products such as meats. So dairy bagels must be baked on separate equipment and be kept separate from the nondairy bagels. If a person following kosher dietary laws buys a bagel and wants to bring it home and prepare a meat sandwich, they need to know it has not been produced on dairy equipment.
It's also why customers are not permitted to bring their own sandwiches into Noah's and have them heated in the store. Doing so "would compromise the kosher status of the ovens," Goldberg says.
For someone unfamiliar with all the rules it can seem very complicated, but Goldberg says it is not unlike driving a car. In the beginning there is the brake, the gas, the steering wheel, the mirrors and the blinkers to contend with, but "once you have driven for some time its easy. You can talk on the cell phone, listen to the radio and watch out for the cops behind you," Goldberg says. "The same thing with kosher. Once you get used to it, it's simple."
Keel adds, " I didn't know anything about kosher until I came to this store. Learning all the rules is difficult--but it's an interesting way of life and something I wouldn't have know otherwise."
For Goldberg, keeping kosher is "because God said so." And, he adds, "There are certain explanations that can help us understand what it's about."
He offers one such explanation from the ancient text of the kabbala, a body of ancient Jewish mystical teachings, that we still hear today: "You are what you eat."
Anyone interested in attending the "ABC's of kosher" please contact Rabbi Goldberg at 269-8500. The class, which is a two part course will be held on Feb. 21 and Feb. 28, at the Noah's Bagels on Lincoln Ave in Willow Glen from 7:45pm-8:45pm. You are welcome to just come, but letting them know ahead of time allows for better planning.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
