In case you couldn't tell, Passover is starting, meaning Chosen People across the city are attempting to keep a kosher home and lifestyle. And according to news sources around the city, they're doing that in many different ways. First off: Passover apps!
Many Jews follow the practice of "chametz," in which any non-kosher-for-Passover food is removed from the home. Often this food is just thrown out, but some people realize that can be kind of wasteful. Rabbi Baruch Herzfeld created the "iSellChametz" app for that purpose. The app allows observant Jews to "sell" their chametz food to non-Jews for the holiday, then "buy" it back once Passover is done. Rabbi Herzfeld will sign off on all the transactions. We'd also like to point out that the stock name on the app is "Moshe Cohen," because we're guessing John Doe isn't really in the market for this.
For those who want to be really thorough about the removal of chametz, iPhones may not be enough. Some restaurants are turning to Rabbi Naftali Marrus of OK Kosher Certification, who, prepared with a three-and-a-half-foot-long propane torch, made sure every last crumb was destroyed at the UWS restaurant My Most Favorite Food. Of course, that's after everything was scrubbed with soap and ammonia. Restaurant owner Doris Schechter said, "To me it is a renewal, you start over again."
But remember, keeping kosher isn't just for Jews! Financiers Henry Stimler and Menachem Senderowicz will be bringing a "hip" new kosher restaurant to 323 West Broadway. One source told the Post, "It's a novel concept. Usually, Kosher restaurants are boring, with mediocre food and decor. We want to do something different—fun, hip, young and dynamic—to attract an audience that had no interest in kosher food before." But can a year-round kosher restaurant compete in a city so obsessed with bacon? For that, stick to Traif.
