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Last year, I was at our IKECA board re-treat as a newly elected board mem-ber. During one of our casual lunch breaks at which we informally discuss matters of our association, one of my fellow board members saw I was eat-ing different prepackaged food than what was being offered to all the other board members. Although their food looked better than mine, I informed my fellow board members that I eat

strictly kosher food. Following the ooohs and ahhhhs, every-one began to share his or her respective exposure to the world of kosher. One had a friend who was kosher and told a tidbit about him, but many had a story about a kosher restaurant or catering facility that they service or had once serviced. The col-lective opinion of this fine consensus body was that when it came to duct cleaning in a kosher kitchen it was a pain in the tuchas (Yiddish for one’s behind).

As a result of this, our esteemed association director, Sarah Hagy, asked if I would be willing to write an article about how an IKECA member can best approach and manage the ongo-ing KEC maintenance of a kosher kitchen with all of its unique rules and special requirements having nothing to do with fire safety. The truth is that I believe I can give you the five com-mandments (or truths) of how to win over and retain the ko-sher client as a loyal customer. (Note: I tried to come up with 10 for theme’s sake, but there really aren’t that many. You can always read the article twice for biblical consistency.) They are not so much commandments as they are truths about kosher kitchen compliance, but given the topic, let’s assume the words are synonymous.

If you follow these truths, the kosher customer will become so loyal that you might score a good bowl of matzo ball soup in the process. The first commandment you must accept is that for many who only eat kosher food the rules are mandated to these people by God, and because, in their eyes, the good Lord who places thine ductwork over thy head says it has to be that way, that’s the way it’s going to be! I guess another way to put it is that it is a religious matter, and the belief is that by observ-ing kosher dietary laws, God will serve as the best suppression system the world can offer.

This is best exemplified by the famous old Hebrew National commercial. Back in the early 1970s, Hebrew National ran this funny commercial that started out with a close up of an actor playing Uncle Sam. This actor was holding a delicious-looking, juicy hot dog on a bun, looking as if he cannot wait to treat his taste buds to the delectability of it all. A narrator’s voice is heard, making various value statements about the tastiness and healthiness of the product, and with each tag line, Uncle Sam would make these animated facial expressions of glee and wonderment. But just then, the voiceover reveals, “We’re ko-

sher.” Uncle Sam turns curious and takes a big bite of the hot dog. The camera rises above him to a blue and cloudy Heaven, a thunderous lightning bolt flashes across the screen, and the big tag line appears: “Hebrew National—we answer to a higher authority.”

The fact is that there are at least 10 organizations that provide kosher food supervisory services in the United States, and some groups, particularly the ortho-dox, do not agree with the methods and thorough-ness of all of them. Hebrew National, for instance, does not receive a ko-sher certification from the most stringent of the associations that provide them and, as such, may not be kosher enough for some subgroups of the kosher-eating popula-tion. These people would opt for a different brand if they had a craving for a good kosher dog, and they might not even feel I’m kosher enough to come within reach of their BBQ. Therefore, the first commandment (or fact) for us KEC companies to understand is that kosher means dif-ferent things to different people, and if you want to service a kosher kitchen, you should adhere to the highest standard. (Note: The same goes for my Muslim cousins when it comes to Halal kitchens—of which I service several—in peace and in harmony.)

I recommend you find out who the local authority is that over-sees the kosher standard in your territory and ask the rabbi to give you some guidelines. As with NFPA, IKECA, and even the AHJ, there are local and national standards kosher kitchens re-quire in order to be considered trustworthy. Without them, the kosher kitchen does not have any customers to feed. As in any situation in which standards exist, some authorities are stricter than others, but there is a certain baseline all must follow. A good place to start is the Orthodox Union (www.oukosher.org), which is the most widely used agency that is generally accept-ed. It may be able to point you in the direction of the local indi-vidual overseeing your territory (often referred to as the Vaad HaKashrus, the local kosher AHJ). If you impress them with your interest and desire for compliance for your customer, they may provide you with further leads as well. Once they give you the procedures you should follow, advertise that fact when pitch-ing your business to the kosher establishment. It will impress them that you are familiar with and sensitive to their rules. The rabbi may even require that you pay their kosher “monitor” to

KEC Maintenance: When Having to Answer to a Higher AuthorityBy Reuben Levine, CECS

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TITLEbe present while you perform the KEC work to ensure you do not disturb anything that should not be handled. They call this guy a mashgiach (don’t try to pronounce the “ch”). Of course, these costs should be passed through as part of your service.

Now that we have established the first commandment, the second commandment is that you ain’t gonna understand it; you just need to deal with it. If you try and understand the ex-tensive kosher laws, you’re going to have to grow a long beard and sideburns and look something like Charlton Heston in the movie The Ten Commandments (if you can remember that far back). It would literally take years to wrap your head around it. Therefore, don’t try to make all kinds of creative suggestions about how to manage your presence in a proprietor’s kosher kitchen unmonitored. As in any KEC situation, follow the rules set forth by the customer regarding his special requirements for cleanliness and not disturbing anything unrelated to your immediate work area.

This leads us to the next extremely important truth: the third commandment. Kosher kitchens are exclusively concerned that the food in the kitchen should not be touched by anyone. This includes anyone touching the pots, pans, and cutlery used and any cooking surface with which food is in direct contact (like a griddle). Tell the proprietor about how you expect to cover every-thing with plastic and seal the refrigerators with tape or a pad-lock. Tell them you’ll do it, and take before and after pictures of the protection provided so that none of your crewmen can touch anything. This is really all they are concerned about. No one should be able to un-kosher-ify their food or the things that con-tact the food. Assure the proprietor that none of your workers will bring outside food into the kitchen or even eat in the estab-lishment—not so much as a mere beverage that, in your belief, is kosher. If the proprietor suspects that any of the food or items that come in contact with the food were, in any way, touched or handled, the costs they will have to incur to recertify the place would be astronomical—many a hood cleaning…

The fourth commandment is that customers who try to skirt code requirements and our IKECA standards come in all shapes,

sizes, colors, and religious beliefs. This is irrelevant. If anyone says our standard does not apply to them for financial gain, religious belief, or otherwise, they should be avoided. That is called dishonesty, and it places another person’s life in danger, which is very non-kosher in anyone’s book. Any savvy restau-rateur is seeking the best and most economical arrangement, kosher or not. Therefore, if you can’t give them an acceptable quality standard of results and safety, walk away.

The fifth commandment (or, again, fact) is that a strictly kosher restaurant has a somewhat unique window for their hours of operation. The Sabbath starts Friday night and ends Saturday night. Strictly kosher restaurants typically close earlier than sundown on Friday (and sometimes are not open Friday at all), and if they open for Saturday night, it is a good hour and a half after sunset. Therefore, if you leave a message about plans to service the restaurant sometime during the following week, do not assume the right person got the message. In addition, there are Jewish holidays that fall during the week at various times throughout the year that also receive this same Sabbath treat-ment. There is also a specific week here or there (e.g., Passover) during which the establishment is likely closed altogether.

One way you can get familiar with some of those key dates is by checking https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2016-2017. This listing may not be all-inclusive, and every year, these dates change because the Jewish calendar runs on a lunar year, not on the solar year to which we are most accustomed. Last, some restaurants are referred to as “kosher style,” which means they may serve some kosher food, but they may not adhere to the strictest of these Sabbath and holiday rules and, in fact, may desire service on a Saturday. It is always a good idea to check with the customer regarding any holiday conflicts you need to be aware of and follow their lead.

Although not a commandment or truth, per se—just a recom-mendation—is when the New Year is rolling around don’t send your kosher customer a ham or a non-kosher box of chocolates or non-kosher wine in gratitude for your business relationship. They may not appreciate it as much as some of your other cus-tomers. Also, the Jewish New Year is usually around Labor Day, and in December, you might want to send a “Happy Hanukkah” card or a generic “Seasons Greetings” card as that will resonate more than Santa (although he would look quite rabbinic in a black hat and black coat).

When it comes to finding an appropriate gift or gesture for a ko-sher customer, type “kosher gift ideas” into Google, and it will give you more than a million items in your search result. How-ever, as stated above, don’t trust anyone’s say-so on whether it really is kosher. Be sure to check the certification; an “O” with

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TITLEa “u” in the middle of it is a safe bet (the symbol for the Orthodox Union). There are also specific holidays throughout the year that have certain customary foods and sal-utations associated with them. Showing the customer you are aware of these holi-days by even just calling to wish them well

is a fast way to find your way into their heart. I actually have an Indian fellow who has been a customer for years. I get two cards from him and his wife every Jewish New Year and again at Passover. Don’t think for a minute I don’t jump to take his call. I remember, and it goes both ways.

I hope you all find these five commandments useful when en-gaging in KEC services with kosher establishments. If not, I at least hope you got a decent chuckle or two out of my attempt at Kosher KEC code drafting and biblical thematics. On a per-sonal note, I would like to sincerely thank the IKECA manage-ment team and my fellow board members for ensuring my partner and I can attend the semiannual IKECA meetings with such convenience and care.

Weeks prior to every conference, we get calls from IKECA’s meeting manager telling us they found a local food purveyor who is kosher so that we have food to eat during all the vari-ous meals and breaks we indulge in. They make sure it is ac-ceptable to our personal standard, and even if the food is not as good as back home, the concern they show in their efforts is all that really matters to us. We also know that when the conference committee is planning the events well in advance, they give great consideration in checking the Jewish calendar to ensure we won’t have a conflict in attending and at least be able to attend the important elements of each conference. I think this mindset is extremely kosher, and it is a good busi-ness model to follow in any business we pursue. That’s plain old Customer Satisfaction 101. This is not exclusive either. As a board member, if anyone else requires special “higher author-

ity” accommodations that we can fulfill within reason, please do not hesitate to contact any of the board members with your request. We aim to please and make our conferences as accom-modating as possible for all of our members and attendees.

To conclude, kosher kitchens are not much different from other venues in that they have their own unique set of special re-quirements. For example, hospitals place a greater emphasis on cleanliness and disease control. Prisons, banks, law firms, power plants, stadiums, and the Empire State Building all place stringent rules on vetting our manpower before we can gain entry. We are constantly adapting our service models to our customers’ higher authorities. Kosher kitchens are no different.

Any and all are invited to reach out to me at reuben@scientific-fire.com (718.433.3880) if I can be of assistance in helping you bid work or better adapt to the needs of a kosher kitchen. If you have that covered, I’m also available for consultation on gift-giving ideas as well for your kosher kitchen customer (although I would not consider myself the highest of authorities in the gift-giving department—ask my wife...).

Reuben Levine, CECS, is President of Scientific Fire Prevention Company. Reuben has been an active member on IKECA’s Finance Committee, recently assumed the role of Chair on IKECA’s new Education Committee, and his company is a long-time member. Following more than a decade in finance and bank operations, Reuben became an independent entrepreneur. After launching and spinning off several enterprises, Reuben settled in for the long-term as a co-owner and President of Scientific Fire Preven-tion in 2007, a company focused primarily on serving commer-cial kitchen exhaust, air ventilation and grease waste manage-ment markets.

A graduate of Yeshiva University, Reuben resides in Long Island City, NY with his wife Renee and three children.

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