A new 7-11 store opened in Lakewood yesterday, but R’ Yudel Shain tells TLS the community should be aware of several Kashrus issues involving their ‘Kosher’ products. The following is the contents of an email sent from R’ Shain: 1-They have Cholov Akum milk and Cholov Yisroel “pride of the farm”. Once the container is opened, there is no Choisim- Shulchan Oruch Yoreh Dayah 118 states milk needs a Choisim. If they would use the Golden flow single serve it may be fine.
2-The coffee utensils, are they washed with other non kosher items or non kosher brushes, etc?
3- The soda from the fountain, one must be certain that it’s a syrup that has an acceptable Hashgocha, so, every time you must check the syrup container-A Goy is not Nehman.
4- Slurpee is a bigger problem, it’s a finished item & you can’t know what they have used for the various flavors.
5- Microwave, you have an issue of Treif & Bishul Akum. Being practical, you can’t Kasher it. You need Ainoi Ben Yomoi, plastic-Reb Moshe says is not Kasherable (Minchas Yitzchok says it can), etc unless you put it in double wrapped and none of the wrapping bursts-you need 2 wrappers. TLS.
maybe Yudel doesn’t always know what he is talking about.
http://www.crcweb.org/slurpee_list.php
R’ Yudel Shain knows a lot about kashrus and I don’t, but the tone of this article is over the top.
A few dumb questions: You need a choisem for milk under what circumstances? Is the proprietor really going to pour the other milk into the POTF container while people walk in and out of the store? And even if he really will, on occasion, risk this, it’s STILL only cholov stam.
Re: Washing – what sort of treife food will they sell, and how will it get on their utensils? If a glass coffee pot is washed with soapy water and sponge that was used to clean a treife pot, is that coffee pot now treif?
Re: The soda – A goy is not neeman for what? Are there knock-off brands that are regularly substituted to save money? Are those brands likely to be non-kosher, or just not to have a hechsher?
Re: Slurpee – How is this different from soda? And why can’t you know what they have used? Don’t the OU and Star-K release lists of approved flavors? And don’t they know how these lists are utilized?
There are two certificates regarding the kosher items. The certificates were put out by the Lakewood Kashrus Organization whose administrator is Rabbi Yosef Tesler. And the organization is overseen by Rabbi Yitzchok Abadi.
The Lakewood 7-Eleven has hechsherim on all slurpees sold in the store, as well as hechsherim on coffee, iced coffee, baked goods and more posted throughout the store. Tasty Express sandwiches and Gelbsteins and Reismans pastries are also being sold.
This is misleading. Although one may choose to be machmir on his own, there are no halachic issues for most of the problems because of these far fetched chashashos.
1. We are not choshesh the milk was switched (btw even if it was there are about ten tzirufim here to be matir i.e. the pri chadash and r’ moshe)
2. In the case that non kosher items are also used in the store they were not necessarily washed together, even if they were the water is almost certainly not yad soledes (unless they have a dishwasher) and even if it were the soap is poigem it. etc.
3.Its not a matter of nemanus there is no chiyuv to have an eid. One can assume that they are using the product that is stated (additionally there is government regulation & soda does not require r’ moshes chiddush of cholov stam)
4. ibid. The process here is always the same.
5. Its a machlokes, ask your local Rav.
6. Don’t pasken from articles on the net.
what about the problem of giluy mashkim? the problem exsists in all batei midrashim where you can get a coffee , when people dont cover the milk after using it. to ask them to put it in the fridge is way too much to ask for.
5 most people are not makpid on these extra special chumros.
Why dont you worry about what comes out of your mouths as much as what goes in. Lashanon Hora and lack of Ahavat Yisrael is much more of a concern than this.
When you sell an item out of a fountain and “brand” it as coca cola and but the label on the machine, you are held to certain standards by the CocaCola company. They will randomly go around to make sure that you are using their syrup and mix to their specifications. This applies to slurpee as well. If they do it differently, they may lose the ability to sell that brand as well as the product they will be selling will not taste like the one they are presenting it as. As far of the milk issue, to each as he is comfortable. The owner knows he has a lot at stake if he were to start messing with the milk.
other then the kashrus of the food , will they display objectionable publications in full view of the customers? (the 7-11 in jackson displays these by the register)
What About the less obvious concerns of the potential spiritual damage associated with 7-11. As members of other Torah communities can attest to the pitfalls that are found in a seemingly innocent store. Aside from the magazines and movies available in all 7-11 locations. The fact that 7-11 has become “hangout” in all communities is very concerning!
We must unite as a kehila and relay to the ownership/management of the new 7-11 that Lakewood will not tolerate the degredation and breakdown in our midst.
Thank you for the link. Just clarifies that naysayers should do their homework before they slander.
I went into the store today and spoke to the owner. He is making every effort to do everything according to our standards.
I wish him the best of luck. I think he will do great.
what about exxon, they do the same!!!
Whats with Pina Colada the cRc says its not kosher and the hechsher in this seven 11 says all the slurpees sold in Store are Kosher. Is it kosher or not?
and an article that explains it
http://www.crcweb.org/kosher_articles/slurpees.php
Are you people such piglets (yes, piglets) that you can’t survive without a lousy slurpee?
I read the above article with disbelief. Rabbi Shain is a very spiritual person and I dont deny that his intentions are good, however I must mention that it upsets me greatly how a single person can decide for all of us on what is kosher and what we are to accept. I am very familiar with 7-11 and I spent a good few minutes this morning talking to the owner who explained to me that he has and will continue doing everything in his power to make life easy for us, the Kosher consumer.
Did you know that 7-11 do not normally allow ‘outside’ products, and the fight this franchisee had to get Kosher food in?? Did you know the amount of time Rabbi Tessler as well as others put in to ensure that we dont CV’S get misled and buy something that we cant eat?
Why wasnt this article written positively (even with the inclusions of the above ‘problems’, why didnt Rabbi Shain feel the need to congratulate the new 7-11 on their efforts to the Yiden – plus the amount of charity that I am SURE will be asked off them in the future – plus the fact that on the open day party which will be in 2 weeks the owner specifically made sure that Tasty Express will be giving out free food (as to not make us Yiden feel silly standing around while the Goyim eat the free food 7-11 are offering).
We are so quick to criticise and to ban things that we personally do not agree with, however Rabbi Shain is not the hired spokesperson for Lakewood Yiden and his voice can only be HIS voice.
I wish the new 7-11 much success and I pray that we only make a Kiddush Hashem to the staff and the owner, and I hope he does not read the above comment, because I’m certain he’d feel that the negativity is nothing but a slap in the face.
A Kiddush Hashem is worth more than slurpees, coffees and pride of the farm milk without a chasima.
#14 – Are you such a birdbrain (yes birdbrain) that cares if i like a Geshmaka slurpee!
no, but i can’t stand it when someone represents something as fact when it is untrue.
is the owner Jewish
Where is this 7-11 located so we can all get together for a slurpee summit (except for those who are makpid on not having them for kashrus reasons, they will have to use good old bottled coke to get their “brainfeeze”).
is it open yet? I want to go and use my coupons?Anzone know
Re Pina Colada Kosher? What does rabbi Tessler rely upon?
Who cares who the owner is ? R Shain has his own website with a long list of things which are assur which many of u don’t agree to. Rabbi Abadi is un questionably a tremendous talnid chacham so…..Congrats 7-11
Dear #15 Yes i LOVE slurpees so so much that i cant go without them. But why should that bother you? And if your such a poiresh what are you doing on internet in the first place??
Where is this new 7-11 located?
We spoke to the owner/manager and he said that he got the ou certification for the slurpies. He also said that he’s working with a Rabbi Tessar/Tessler.( I couldn’t make out the difference.)
#16 you got it right. Bravo!
To “Slurpie #1 Fan,
There is a sign on top of the “Pina Colada” slurpee, that says it is not kosher!
The Exxon among others were seen refilling the cholov yisroel containers. By suedas Achash’virosh the yiden took part & ate with the goyim, albeit kosher food we had the terrible gezairah. It’s ossur to be there for opening day and fress the kosher food R”L.
Interesting comments Re: choisomois, switching, keilim, etc In theory they may be right, but in fact yudel is right, sorry-facts are better than theories. There is nothing like years of experience.
I would like to make everyone aware that the cholov akum milk can easily be mixed with the cholov yisroel milk. Also, regarding the slurpees- if you are dying for a slurpee why not purchase one at Delta where you know the hechsher is trustworthy?
Rabbi Shain is not telling anyone what to do. He is reporting the facts of what problems exist. What you choose to do, is your decision. His information, heavily researched, makes us aware of these problems, and holds everybody to a higher standard. I think that is commendable.
well i eat o u d and other kosher symbols that are on products, so this doesn’t really concern me. but i don’t order fountain sodas or their ready made foods. just store items and whatever else.
What’s wrong with supporting “amcha” ?
Yismach yisroel, delta station, gingerbread house, bonkey’s etc… All sell slurpee too. That in my humble opinion is a real Shaila too !!
were all asking where this 7/11 is , can someone post .
A guuten Erev shabbos to all.
The new 7/11 is located right next door to s.s.s.s.
That is on route 9 between central and pine street. Right by the tracks. Accross from john street. The store used to be welsh farms. Do u also need directions?!
I have seen a worker in 7-11 store in Monsey pour a little cholev yisroel milk into a cholov stam container as he was cleaning the counter. I am sure it could happen in reverse
I am amazed that bnei torah have such a need for a slurpee or a coffee on the road that they can’t go to a yiddishe place that is certainly kosher without shailos. The attitude that we must have everything is very dangerous and causes people to be nichshal in a lot of issurim sometimes with hetairim mentioned above. And then there is Rita’s the same thing.
Just shop at WAWA if you have an issue..why make everything a kosher menu for the town..there are non kosher people that still live in lakewood.
Cholov akum or as others misidentify it as cholov stam, is really “cholov-Treif”. Because of the veterinarian procedures which is common by cows they are treif.
There is no shishim in any of the farms. The ratio is between 3-7%.