A major change in the production of kugel under the supervision of Badatz Eidah Hachareidis has stirred discussion in the chareidi community after the kashrus committee announced that following Pesach it will no longer grant certification for kugel prepared in reusable aluminum pots. The decision comes amid concerns that the pots circulate without supervision. Rabbonim have given manufacturers time to prepare for the transition and have pointed to a producer who has already developed a suitable disposable pot solution.
For many years, members of the kashrus committee of Badatz Eidah Hachareidis have grappled with the issue of the well-known kugel pots used to prepare Yerushalmi kugel served at kiddushim and simchos throughout the community.
These pots are regularly delivered to kiddushim and events on weekends and later returned to the manufacturer. However, the pots often circulate widely before being retrieved, raising concern that they may be used in kitchens that are not under proper supervision. Such use, rabbonim warned, could create serious kashrus concerns.
In recent months, the kashrus committee of Eidah Hachareidis announced an end to the use of aluminum pots. A kugel manufacturer has since developed a new solution in the form of specially designed disposable pots intended for kugel production.
Kugel producers have welcomed the move, as it eliminates the logistical challenge of collecting pots from shuls and removes the need to employ workers to wash them. The main technical difficulty that had to be overcome was ensuring that heat reaches the upper portion of the pot. If the top of the kugel does not cook properly, it can spoil, raising the question of whether a disposable pot could provide adequate heat distribution.
Matzav.com has learned that a letter sent to manufacturers during the month of Kislev by the kashrus committee of Eidah Hachareidis explained the issue in detail. The letter addressed all producers and distributors of Yerushalmi kugel and discussed the ongoing problem of kugel pots remaining behind at event venues.
The letter explained that for several years the kashrus concerns surrounding these pots had repeatedly been discussed by rabbonim. After events, the pots are often left behind in various places, creating ongoing concerns about their handling and use.
Over the years, rabbonim together with the leadership of the kashrus committee attempted numerous solutions, but these ultimately proved impractical. In recent years, Rabbi Aharon Moshe Kubitschek of the Maadentchik company agreed to take on the challenge. After considerable investment and several trials, he succeeded in developing a disposable pot capable of baking an entire kugel, which rabbonim determined to be a workable solution.
Following an examination of the costs involved in development, production, and import, an agreement was reached to sell the pots to kugel manufacturers for 10.5 shekels per pot for a full kugel, with the hope that larger production volumes in the future would reduce the price.
As a result, rabbonim ruled that all kugel producers must stop purchasing reusable pots and instead order only disposable ones. Pots currently in use may still be used after the fact until the upcoming Shavuos, but after that date kugel may no longer be sold in reusable pots.
During the transition period, manufacturers were instructed to continue following the previous guidelines when using remaining reusable pots. These include making an effort to collect the pots immediately after use and checking returned pots to ensure they were not used for other purposes and were not washed improperly.
The directive stresses that the rule applies in every case, whether the kugel is being delivered to a shul, a simcha hall, a public venue, or a private home. Any deviation from these instructions, even if it occurred unintentionally, must be reported to the supervising mashgiach for further guidance.
{Matzav.com}
A special women’s gathering will take place this evening, March 10, at Tiferes Bais Yaakov Hall on Oak Street in Lakewood, bringing together women interested in learning more about life in out-of-town kollel communities.
The event, organized under the auspices of Ichud Hakollelim, will provide an opportunity for attendees to hear firsthand from women who moved beyond the Lakewood area to help build Torah communities across the country.
The keynote address will be delivered by Rav Sholom Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Philadelphia. Rav Kamenetsky will address the importance of strengthening Torah communities throughout the United States and spoke about the growing need for families willing to relocate in order to establish and support kollelim in developing communities.
The event will also feature an address from Rav Kamenetsky’s daughter, Mrs. Rochel Baum, principal of I.S. Kosloff Torah Academy High School in Philadelphia. Mrs. Baum will share personal reflections from the years she spent living in Berlin, Germany, together with her husband, the rosh kollel, Rav Yaakov Baum.
A live panel discussion will follow, featuring women currently living in out-of-town kollel communities. Panelists will discuss their experiences adjusting to new cities, building supportive networks, and helping establish vibrant Torah homes far from the major centers of the Torah world.
The evening will include time for networking, allowing participants to connect with representatives and families from a number of out-of-town communities, including Cleveland, Denver, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Waterbury, Baltimore, Dallas, and Miami.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed Tuesday that its latest missile barrage targeted American military staging areas in the Gulf as well as what it described as “hidden missile launchers in Bnei Brak.”
The unusual allegation was reported by Kan News Middle East correspondent Roi Kais and appeared in the IRGC’s official summary of what it described as the 34th missile barrage carried out during the current war.
According to the statement, Iran launched a range of missiles during the attack, including Ghadr, Emad, and Fattah missiles, along with hypersonic Kheibar missiles.
The IRGC asserted that the strikes were directed at what it called “staging areas for American soldiers” at Al Dhafra Airbase in the United Arab Emirates and the Al Juffair naval base in Bahrain. The statement also listed Israeli targets, including Ramat David Airbase and the civilian airport in Haifa.
Kais said the Iranian claim about Bnei Brak appeared to be part of an attempt to rationalize attacks that have struck civilian population centers in Israel. According to his analysis, the reference to supposed military targets inside the city was likely meant to justify the regime’s missile fire toward heavily populated areas.
{Matzav.com}
Defense Minister Yisroel Katz disclosed during a cabinet meeting Tuesday that security officials have begun investigating how the date of Israel’s opening strike against Iran was leaked to Channel 12.
The issue surfaced after ministers raised concerns about the apparent disclosure of sensitive operational information, questioning how details surrounding the timing of the attack became public.
Journalist Moti Kastel reported on Channel 14 that several ministers pressed the matter during the meeting, expressing alarm that such a serious breach had not been publicly addressed sooner.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch voiced particular frustration over the situation.
“I don’t understand how it could be that someone leaked the exact date of the attack to Channel 12 and it’s passing by in silence? How could this be?”
Kisch warned that the leak could have created significant risks for Israel’s military operation.
He added, “The presenters and production team were in the studio, made up and ready. This could have leaked and endangered the State of Israel and the entire campaign.”
Responding to the concerns, Katz told the ministers that the matter is already under investigation by the defense establishment.
“This is not passing by in silence. The head of security in the defense establishment has opened an investigation, and it is currently underway.”
{Matzav.com}
A dramatic development unfolded Tuesday in Bnei Brak when an inspector from Israel’s Ministry of Education arrived at Ponovezh Yeshiva L’Tzeirim on Rechov Harav Meltzer and delivered an immediate closure order, claiming that operating the yeshiva during wartime places the talmidim at risk. The yeshiva administration is expected to appeal the decision.
According to reports, the inspector came to the yeshiva building earlier in the day carrying an official order directing that the institution cease operating. The action was taken after authorities determined that the yeshiva continued functioning despite wartime restrictions issued by the government.
The order states that the closure was issued under the authority granted by Section 35(a) of the law governing unique cultural educational institutions. It instructs that Ponovezh Yeshiva, located at 5 Rechov Harav Meltzer in Bnei Brak and operated by the Ponovezh Yeshiva organization, must be shut down.
Officials explained that the order follows emergency measures declared at the start of the war. On February 28, 2026, the Defense Minister declared a special emergency situation on the home front, and that declaration went into effect the same day. As a result, Home Front Command issued national defensive guidelines that included a ban on gatherings throughout Israel as well as an explicit prohibition on educational activities.
Authorities wrote that failure to comply with those directives creates a real danger to the safety of students and staff. Operating an educational institution during wartime in violation of the Civil Defense Law of 1951 and against official instructions, the notice states, puts those present in danger.
The order also notes that on March 5, 2026, representatives from the enforcement division of the Ministry of Education conducted an inspection and found that the yeshiva was operating despite the wartime directives. Officials wrote that the continued activity was taking place contrary to the guidelines and posed a risk to the safety and security of both talmidim and employees.
According to the document, the closure order took effect immediately upon being delivered. The decision was issued in Yerushalayim, and those affected have the right to file an administrative appeal with the Yerushalayim District Court sitting as a court for administrative matters.
The notice further states that the closure will remain in force unless it is revoked either by the ministry’s director-general or by the court.
Leaders at the yeshiva reacted angrily to the move, claiming that religious institutions are being singled out for enforcement. They pointed out that shopping malls and other public venues continue operating as usual while yeshivos are being shut down, arguing that the decision reflects selective enforcement directed against Torah institutions.
{Matzav.com}
As Israeli and American forces continue targeting key sites across Iran under Operation Roaring Lion and Operation Epic Fury, Israeli government officials believe the aerial assault phase of the campaign may conclude in the near future. However, they say the broader effort to topple the Iranian regime could take much longer and will ultimately depend on action from within Iran itself.
Senior ministers told Kan News that although the joint Israeli-American strikes are expected to wind down soon, the next phase will largely depend on internal developments inside Iran. “It may take about a year for the Iranian regime to fall,” ministers told Kan News. According to the officials, the joint Israeli-US strikes are expected to conclude soon, and then the center of gravity will move to the civilian sphere. “The work afterwards will be that of the Iranian people. Iran is a big country, and changing a regime that murders its protesters is a very complex task.”
Officials also pointed to several obstacles that could hinder internal opposition efforts, chief among them the Iranian regime’s sweeping restrictions on internet access.
The near-complete shutdown of online connectivity imposed since the start of the war has severely limited the ability of observers to assess conditions on the ground and has also made it far more difficult for protesters to organize and communicate.
Security officials said that at present, the circumstances necessary for a large-scale uprising have not yet fully developed. As a result, they indicated that military operations will continue in the coming days in an effort to further weaken the regime’s key institutions and centers of authority.
{Matzav.com}
