In recent weeks, Australia has enjoyed two rabbinical visits
to Melbourne to give hechsherim for local products
that will be carried by large kosher firms. Next Monday we
expect a virtual visit from an important rav.
HaRav Rubin from Rechovot visited a few factories and has
given a hechsher to a dairy product to be used by a
major firm in Israel. At a melave malka held in the
house of the rosh hakollel HaRav Dovid Nojowitz, HaRav
Rubin remarked that it is easier to give a hechsher in
Israel where factories at least consider the kashrus
aspect when building their manufacturing plants. This is
not the case in Chutz La'aretz where kashrus
plays no role in the planning and construction of their
facilities. It is therefore more difficult to give a
hechsher and ensure that the kashrus is
100%.
HaRav Chanoch Ehrentreu of London also visited Melbourne and
will give the hechsher for the Carmel wines which will
be produced in Melbourne with the joint supervision of HaRav
Yonoson Abraham the rav of Caulfield shul. Just
recently Kedem Wine Company also made a batch of wine in
Australia. Representatives of Tnuva, the large Israeli food
company, were here too, looking at the feasibility of
exporting kosher items. Australia has large dairy
farms which make hashgocho much easier when producing
in large quantities. It also produces high quality wine.
The entrepreneur behind these endeavors is Mr. Pesach
Zuravin, who says that many products can be produced in
Australia for half the cost of production anywhere else. He
has made many products for the local Australian market, from
grape juice to pizza to ice cream.
The Melbourne community also benefited from a stirring
shiur and dvar Torah on Shabbos afternoon at
Kollel Beis Hatalmud delivered by HaRav Chanoch Ehrentreu.
The packed beis hamedrash heard a shiur on
private additions to tefilla, considering whether they
are separate from the tefilla or become part of the
tefilla, and along with the ramifications of each
alternative.
HaRav Ehrentreu also praised the kollel members for
their mesiras nefesh in coming from Lakewood to
Melbourne to start a mokom Torah and blessed them with
further hatzlocho.
This coming Monday, the 22nd of March, HaRav Y. Dunner the
dayan of Kedassia in London, will be giving a shiur on
hilchos Pesach in the Kollel -- but he won't be there
in person. HaRav Dunner will speak from London but, via ISDN
videoconferencing, he will be "present" at the Kollel and
will even answer direct questions from the audience! A real
hi-tech shiur for Pesach.
