Article 2

What does State Certification mean?

The Authoritative New York City Kosher Dining Guide does not judge the kashrus of any particular group or restaurant. It is the Guide’s objective to include all those restaurants that are called kosher, who advertise as kosher, and who are regarded as kosher.

To ensure truth in kosher advertising, guidelines, which are “in accordance with Orthodox Hebrew religious requirements,” were established in 1879, by NY State and are under the jurisdiction of the Board of Agriculture and Markets, Dept. of Kosher Law Enforcement. As any other food purveyor (supermarket, butcher, slaughterhouse, grocery, wholesaler, caterer, take home food store, hotel, etc.) any restaurant wishing to affix the word kosher (or parve) to its name or advertise itself as being kosher (or parve), must adhere to these guidelines or face stiff penalties and public exposure. Within these criteria is the requirement that the restaurant must submit to inspections by state agents, whose duty it is to report any kashrus transgressions they may witness as defined by state law.

Restaurants can lose the right to call themselves kosher and are subject to fines in the event any kashrus violations are found. Inspections may take place 4-6 times per year depending on the restaurant’s location: the more remote the location the fewer number of visits it receives. Violations can include use of non-kosher ingredients, improper handling or lack of separation of meat and milk products, lack of 3 years of documentation verifying that meat is procured solely from kosher sources, etc. A restaurant’s history and the seriousness of its transgressions determine fines or criminal charges which include misdemeanors and possibly a felony.

As a result of this law, all restaurants within the NYC guide are subject to and have the state certification that is required for them to represent themselves as kosher within New York State. Beyond that, many restaurants choose to solicit the services of one or more independent rabbis or rabbinical organizations to further certify their kashrus and any additional stringincies the restaurant chooses to impose on itself beyond the law.

Some restaurants within The Guide do not have additional supervision, but maintain that they adhere strictly to the kosher laws and guidelines as set forth by New York State. Although it is implicit that all the restaurants are state certified, it is stated The Guide for some restaurants, because that is their sole kashrus qualification.

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