The unique holiday of Passover brings families together around the Seder table with singing and celebration. But we all know that a lot of preparation is needed to make this special occasion a success.
Since the purchase of new utensils is quite common before Passover, OU Israel decided to open its Passover education campaign with a short, educational and quite entertaining video about the halachic laws of immersing utensils in a mikveh before using them for the first time.
This video was produced and made through the OU Israel Gustave and Carol Jacobs Center for Kashrut Education. Headed by rabbi Ezra Friedman, the center has had tremendous success in educating English-speaking olim, both newcomers and longtime residents, about navigating the maze of kashrut in Israel.
Through a round-the-clock hotline, in-depth articles and guides, and seminars all over Israel, thousands of people are receiving the knowledge and tools they need to keep kosher in Israel.
In the video, rabbi Friedman begins by explaining the source and reasoning behind the mitzvah of immersing utensils and goes on to discuss which types of utensils require immersion.
The video also clarifies the proper method of dealing with electric and digital appliances with regard to immersion and shows a quick, four-step process for immersing such utensils correctly.
“There is nothing more satisfying than teaching real, authentic Torah in such an engaging fashion,” said rabbi Friedman.
Rabbi Avi Berman, CEO of OU Israel, added, “The unique way the Gustave and Carol Jacobs Center is able to take the simplest halachot and present them in such a dynamic and fun fashion is the reason why we have tens of thousands of views for these videos. It’s an honor to be putting out these videos, and we hope to produce many more in the future.”