A Mini-Rant L'kovod Pesach Making

Every year the major kashrut organizations put out booklets that list which of their products are kosher for Pesach. Some also list such information on their web sites: many do not. Why isn't this information available online? Those communities that assur the Internet and using computers are also generally not communities that are looking to the OU and the Chaf K etc. for the hashgacha on their Pesach products. Why not accomodate those of us who do use the Internet?

Just when is it that the people who run most of these organizations think that people are going to start making Pesach? Two weeks before yom tov? The week before? Must be the case as two major publications--that of Rabbi Blumenkrantz (being published by his son now I would imagine) and that of the Chaf K are first coming available in our area this week for the Chaf K and next week, hopefully, for the Blumenkrantz book. The reason that these two publications are important is because they itemize medications and cosmetic and personal care items.

One excuse I got for the lateness of the books is that "it takes a while to get everything put in the works." Have these people ever heard of computers? Do they know how to use them to advantage? My daughter works for a major publishing house as a senior editor; she laughed when she heard this excuse. "Someone doesn't know what they are doing," was her answer.

Kudos go to the OU, which had its listing of Kosher for Passover products out two weeks ago. And a slap on the wrist to the OU for having produced a truly frustrating booklet this year. Categories overlap, some items are put under their manufacturer while others are not, and the booklet is nowhere near as useful as it was in past years. Again, with computers available there is truly no excuse for the disorganization. As my husband always says: "Computers don't make mistakes--people do." Someone goofed.

And here is the really strange part. The Pathmark supermarket chain always puts out a pamphlet or flyer, available at their customer service desk, of items carrying the Pathmark brand that are Kosher for Passover. That flyer was available weeks ago and has already gone to a second printing. That means that the companies giving the hashgochah already knew which brands were going to be kosher for Passover. So why aren't their booklets already available?

Stores are already packed with Passover items, if you only knew where to look. In one major supermarket chain the obvious kosher producer items are in a special Passover section. Their own brands with hashgocha for Pesach are in the individual sections where you would normally find them. Domino sugar with the OUP and their own brand with the OUP are in the sugar section. But without the booklets you don't even know to look for these items.

And here is another pet peeve. The OU booklet is free of charge. The Chaf K booklet is only sold in Jewish book stores. Yet another example of a kosher organization holding up consumers for Ransom before yom tov.

Here we are, all getting organized before Pesach, and our major kashrut organizations cannot seem to get their acts together. Maybe they need to consult some women about when the best time to have the booklets out would be.