Woodburn, IN – Ever notice the kosher label on some foods at the grocery store? Ever wonder how it got that title?
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Eight Orthodox Rabbis from New York spent Tuesday in Woodburn harvesting wheat crops that will be used to make matza – a kosher staple during the Jewish holiday, Passover.
Every year the group of Rabbis travel more than ten hours to purchase wheat from local farmer, Rex Coomer. This year, they’re buying seven semi-truck loads full of the grain to take back to New York.
To make the crops kosher the Rabbis first inspect the grain and equipment to make sure they measure up to their strict standards.
New York Rabbi Jacob Tyrnauer says, “To cut, to harvest the wheat it should be dry. It should not be damaged. It should not be sprouted. No water is allowed to be with the wheat, because it could grow.”
Its nice to know that there yidden who have the time and resources to do this kind of stuff. While I’m sure they believe its a big mitzvah to have “wheat for mehadrim”, I suspect this explains how some balabattim justify spending 25 bucks for a piece of shmurah matzah.
They look pretty cool…
“VaYehi bimei k’tzir chitim…”
Thank you, Rabbi Tyrnauer and company for undertaking this essential task. The rest of us, for whom bread, meat, etc. are Nolad from a plastic bag, owe a tremendous Hakaras HaTov.
Rabbi Jacob Tyrnauwer is the son of Rabbi Eliyuhe David Tyrnauer who used to help Great Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum zts”l with the Wheat for Pesach. I remember when he was driving a small bus to the Satmar cheder on Boerom Street 50 Years ago.