Welcome to our incredible shrinking world. Not only can we zip around speedily in planes, highspeed trains and automobiles, but wherever you go you are almost certain to bump into someone you know, or who knows your grandmother! The Jewish world is a very connected place and a very welcoming one. Every traveller has stories about walking into an overseas synagogue and being invited home for a meal (does this happen in London?), offered hospitality for the night, or even someone’s unmarried niece’s telephone number.
Kosher restaurants open up everywhere, and can sometimes even be found where the guidebook says they are. Websites are a boon here. Not only are they easily updated, but many incorporate review sections where travelling diners can be honest about the food and service they encountered there. Useful websites include:
www.chabad.org/centers
www.kosherinfrance.com (kosher facilities in France)
www.123cacher.com/index_en.php (restaurants in France with reviews, English version)
NB: KLBD cannot endorse the kashrut of the establishments listed on these websites. Travellers should consult the local Rabbinate or kashrut authority for guidance on restaurants and hechsherim. See our list of Kashrut Contacts Worldwide below.
1) Check online for the nearest synagogue and Jewish communal organisations to your destination.
2) Phone the local Rabbi and ask for his help – reasonable requests only.
3) Pack food which will last without refrigeration until you reach your hotel room mini-bar (eg vacuum packed meat, cheese etc), and don’t forget your tin opener!
4) Ask the airline for kosher food in-flight (Eurostar also offers this service).
5) And one piece of advice from Jewish mothers everywhere: always take food for the journey.
Technology in hotels can raise issues of Shabbat observance. When staying at a hotel over Shabbat, prepare to deal with the following issues.
1) Automatic sliding doors
2) Lifts – It may be worth requesting a room on a low floor and locating the emergency stairs for Shabbat.
3) Electronic room keys.
4) Energy-saving systems – eg bedroom lights and air conditioning systems which may come on automatically when you enter your room.
If you are travelling in a country where there is no kosher food available, the following guidelines may be helpful:
- Cold drinks are mostly no problem apart from grape juice, or drinks containing grape juice.
- Plain coffee or tea etc in a disposable cup may be purchased from establishments where the hot water is heated in separate machinery to the other drinks.
- Plain, unflavoured, cold smoked salmon is generally acceptable.
- Tinned vegetables are usually fine – but check that they are pure vegetables in water or brine and there are no added ingredients other than salt and preservatives.
- Look for tinned tuna in brine or vegetable oils.
- Buy fresh fruit and vegetables which do not require checking, eg tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado.
- Look for kosher matzos and crackers eg Ryvita or Jacobs.
- Ice cream – a number of international brands are supervised.
- Cereals – look for Kellogg’s cereals and other imported brands listed on www.isitkosher.uk.
- American brands often have a discreet hechsher printed on the packaging.
- Disposable barbecues can be used to cook fresh fish.
- Kosher takeaway food can often be ordered from restaurants and caterers in the cities with kosher facilities or by arrangement with specialist companies.
- Warburtons bread – available frozen in some countries. Click here for a list of regular and gluten free products covered by KLBD certification without the logo.
Kosher Fish Around the World
Fresh and frozen kosher species of fish, either whole or filleted, are permitted provided that some skin (bearing easily detachable scales) is attached. All minced fish and products containing fish require Rabbinical supervision. Click here to download a list of commonly available kosher fish in 21 countries. For lists of kosher fish in other countries, email [email protected].
Kashrut Contacts Worldwide
While KLBD does not endorse overseas products and establishments, the following contacts may be helpful for travellers.
AUSTRALIA
Victoria
Kosher Australia
Tel: + 613 8317 2500
[email protected]
www.kosher.org.au
New South Wales
The Kashrut Authority of Australia & New Zealand
Tel: + 612 9365 2933
[email protected]
www.ka.org.au
AUSTRIA
Vienna
Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde Wien
Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister
Tel: +43 664 303 2926
[email protected]
www.ikg-wien.at
BELGIUM
Antwerp
Shomre Hadas
Tel: + 32 3232 0187
[email protected]
www.shomre-hadas.be
CANADA
Montreal
MK: Canada’s Kosher Certifier
Tel: + 514 739 6363
[email protected]
www.mk.ca
Toronto
Kashruth Council of Canada
Tel: + 416 635 9550
[email protected]
www.cor.ca
CHINA
Shanghai
Shanghai Jewish Centre
Rabbi Shalom Greenberg
Tel: + 8621 6278 0225
Mob: +86 135 0183 7044
[email protected]
www.chinajewish.org
Wechat ID: ChabadShanghai
CZECH REPUBLIC
The Jewish Community of Prague
Rabbi Menachem Kalchheim
Tel: + 420 224 800 804
[email protected]
www.kehilaprag.cz
FRANCE
Paris
Consistoire de Paris
Tel: + 331 4082 2676
[email protected]
www.consistoire.org
Rav Mordekhai Rottenberg
Grand Rabbin de la Communaute
Israelite Orthodoxe de Paris
Tel: +331 4277 8151
GERMANY
Berlin
Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin
Rabbi Yitshak Ehrenberg
Tel: + 4930 211 2273
[email protected]
www.jg-berlin.org
Jewish Community Chabad Berlin
Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal
Tel: + 4930 2128 0830
[email protected]
www.jgemeinde.de
Frankfurt
Jüdische Gemeinde Frankfurt am Main
Rabbi Avichai Apel
Tel: +4969 768 036 400
[email protected]
www.jg-ffm.de
Munich
Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde München und Oberbayern
Rabbi Shmuel Aharon Brodman
Tel: + 4989 202 400 220
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.ikg-m.de
HOLLAND
Amsterdam
Joodse Gemeente Amsterdam
Tel: + 3120 646 0046
[email protected]
https://www.nik.nl/
HONG KONG
Chabad of Hong Kong
Rabbi Mordechai Avtzon
Tel: + 852 2523 9770
www.chabadhongkong.org
Jewish Community Centre
Tel: + 852 2801 5440
[email protected]
www.jcc.org.hk
IRELAND
Dublin
Kashruth Commission of Ireland
Rav HaMachshir: Rabbi Yoni Wieder
[email protected]
Tel: +353 83 207 6415
[email protected]
www.dublinhebrew.org
Chabad Ireland
Rabbi Zalman Lent
Tel: + 353 (1) 430 6984
[email protected]
www.chabad.ie
ITALY
Milan
Comunità Ebraica di Milano
Chief Rabbi Alfonso Arbib
Tel: +39 02 5412 4043
[email protected]
www.rabbinato-milano.it
Euro Kosher
Rav Avrohom Hazan
Tel: +3902 2941 4170
[email protected]
www.eurokosher.it
Rome
Chief Rabbinate of Rome
Tel: + 39 06 6840 0651/2
[email protected]
www.romaebraica.it
RUSSIA & CIS
Chief Rabbi of Russia
Rabbi Berel Lazar
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
Tel: +7495 737 8275
[email protected]
www.fjc-fsu.org
Kashrut
Tel: +7495 631 2500
[email protected]
www.kosher.ru
SINGAPORE
Jewish Welfare Board
Rabbi Mordechai Abergel
Tel: + 65 6737 9112
[email protected]
www.singaporejews.com
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg
Beth Din of Johannesburg & Cape Town
Tel: + 2710 214 2600
WhatsApp Hotline: +2763 693 9417
[email protected]
www.uos.co.za
SPAIN
Barcelona
Comunidad Israelita de Barcelona
Tel: + 3493 200 8513
www.cib.cat
Jabad Lubavitch Barcelona
Rabbi Libersohn
Tel: + 3493 410 0685
[email protected]
www.chabadbarcelona.org
Madrid
Rabbi Yitzchok Goldstein
Tel: + 3491 029 1269
[email protected]
SWITZERLAND
Basel
Israelitische Gemeinde Basel
Tel: + 4161 279 9850
[email protected]
www.igb.ch
Zurich
Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft
Adas Jeshurun
Tel: +4144 241 8057
[email protected]
www.irgz.ch
THAILAND
Rabbi Moshe Hadad
Office:+66 2 106 4932 Ext.102
Mobile: +6681 870 2249
[email protected]
www.ThiKashrut.com
www.jewishthailand.com
USA
Kashrus Magazine
www.kashrusmagazine.com
www.kashrut.com
Kof-K Kosher Supervision
[email protected]
www.kof-k.org
Kosher Quest
Rabbi Eidlitz
www.kosherquest.org
OK Kosher Certification
[email protected]
www.ok.org
Star-K Kosher Certification
[email protected]
www.star-k.org
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations (OU)
[email protected]
www.oukosher.org