The Inaugural Edition Of KosherSquared
Background on the KosherSquared newsletter and the inaugural edition discussing Israel travel, bagel-themed Nike's, kosher vs. non-kosher beef, the "Torah-teacher aesthetic, and pareve steak.
Welcome to the inaugural issue of KosherSquared.
Some Background
This is the first edition of KosherSquared, a newsletter published by KosherSquared.com. At some point in the previous months, you signed up for the newsletter via KosherSquared.com, and we are now excited to launch the inaugural edition.
What You Can Expect Us To Cover
KosherSquared will cover the latest on kosher and Jewish news, including as it relates to kosher restaurants, Jewish lifestyle, and travel, as well as other related topics.
While we publish original articles on KosherSquared.com, this newsletter will include articles and news that will sometimes be exclusively published on KosherSquared.com but, in most instances, link to other publications. The goal, though, is to provide several exciting or uniquely interesting topics or developments in the broader arena of kosher news to keep our readers up-to-date in the exciting kosher space while not being overwhelmed with so much content that reading is unfeasible.
How Often Will We Publish New Editions
At the outset, we will publish a new edition once every four weeks or so. Our goal with each edition is not to discuss every new restaurant opening but to cover the most notable or interesting news in the worlds of kosher and Jewish travel and lifestyle.
1. Another Arab Country Agrees To Open Its Airspace To Israeli Airlines
#JewishTravel
Starting with the announcement of the Abraham Accords in August 2020, diplomatic and broader relations between Israel and Arab countries (as well as some Muslim-majority countries such as Kosovo) have come a long way. Now, we see a continuation of that trend with the announcement that Oman will open its airspace to flights from Israel.
The Bottom Line
Just as the Abraham Accords brought a plethora of exciting new kosher travel options, such as several kosher restaurants in Dubai and miles and points partnership between ElAl and one of the best airlines in the world, Etihad, Oman opening its skies will further cement the growing trend of Arab countries opening up to the Jewish traveler. In addition, Oman’s announcement means that flights from Israel to certain destinations will take considerably less time. For example, as DansDeals notes, a flight from Tel Aviv to Bangkok will now take 7+ hours instead of the former 10+ hours. And perhaps most importantly, shorter flight times should translate into cheaper flights. The context of Oman “opening its skies” comes in addition to Saudi Arabia, “the heavyweight” and trendsetter in the region, doing the same in July 2022, though without a formal peace agreement in contrast to its neighbors, the UAE and Bahrain.
2. Nike Models A Sneaker After Quintessentially “Jewish Food”: The Bagel
#JewishCulture
Imagining a more universally loved and famous Jewish food than the bagel is hard. Granted, there are close contenders, such as the staple kosher deli menu items, but the bagel, in our view, takes the prize. Still, we did not have our bets on Nike debuting a sneaker that is an ode to bagels. What is more surprising, though, is that the sneaker is called the “Montreal Bagel!" No, not the well-known New York variety of bagels but its northern cousin, the sweeter Montreal bagel.
Garnished with sesame seed graphics and finished with a gum-colored sole, it's satisfyingly easy to style—'cause everything goes better on top of a bagel.
- Nike’s Description of the Dunk Low Montreal Bagel Sneaker
The Bottom Line
While sneakers and bagels are not the most obvious of combinations, they do have something in common. Both are extremely popular, especially among a core subculture. “Sneakerheads” are a growing contingent of sneaker lovers who collect unique and special edition drops. We would argue that bagel lovers are equally as passionate about the perfect bagel with their spread of choice. Lox or cream cheese, anyone? We’ll take both.
3. Interesting Findings From An Academic Study Examining Differences Between Kosher & Non-Kosher Beef
#KosherNews
A pair of academic papers out of Poland (an increasingly large producer of kosher beef for European Jews) delves into the qualitative differences between kosher and non-kosher beef. The study examined 20 male and 20 female cows slaughtered according to Jewish custom (including the salting and soaking components), and the same number were killed without adherence to kosher laws. The findings were that kosher slaughter resulted in a “darkening of beef and lowered the share of color” and “lower levels of adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness.” At the same time, kosher beef “showed a favorable effect on the tenderness… and better juiciness.”
The Bottom Line
While most adhere to eating kosher beef because of religious motivations, it is interesting to see that while the kosher slaughtering process might have a negative effect on color and certain aspects of texture, it has a positive effect on “tenderness” and “juiciness,” arguably some of the most positive attributes of beef.
4. Vogue On The “Torah Teacher Aesthetic.”
#JewishStyle
Fashion and trends, in general, have cycles. So it was probably inevitable then that fashion trends, which for the last few decades were arguably the opposite of “modesty,” would eventually revert to an era where “modest fashion” would be en vogue. The Vogue’s Mattie Kohn takes an artful and comedic approach to the phenomenon of the growing popularity, including among celebrities, of modest dress, which she terms the “Torah Teacher Aesthetic.”
The last time I saw a skirt like that, I was being quizzed on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…What is Torah-teacher aesthetic? Its component parts include, but are not limited to: knee-covering skirts, elbow-covering tops, leggings under dresses, neutral colors, minimal accessorizing, sneakers with tights…Torah-teacher aesthetic is not a trend so much as a puzzle: How can it be channeled without making its wearer look like someone who is running a few minutes late to Talmud class?
The Bottom Line
While “modest fashion” is a fad that is almost certain to give way with time to some other fashion trend, it is a bit surreal and perhaps even a bit validating for those who grew up in a world where modest dress was viewed as “religious” and even at times “close-minded” to see celebrities and major fashion houses adopting the style.
5. The Israeli Company On The Cusp Of Bringing “Real Steak” That Is Pareve
#KosherNews
Many are familiar with “fake meat” products that are made to taste at least somewhat similar to “real meat.” From the Impossible Burger to Beyond Meat, some agree, and some strongly disagree about whether it compares to “the real stuff.” Now though, we are about to enter a new paradigm. Numerous companies have been working on “real steak” that is lab grown. Aleph Farms, a company out of Israel, is a leader in the field and is on the cusp of bringing its innovation to the mass market. The creation is wholly different from meat substitutes since cultivated meat offerings such as Aleph’s have the same cellular makeup and hence little to no difference in taste or texture.
The Bottom Line
While innovations like the Impossible Burger were a novelty that excited the kosher consumer and also raised questions for rabbinical authorities and kosher certification agencies, such as that of Maris Ayin, where a restaurant offered a “kosher cheeseburger,” cultivated steak takes the complexity and these questions to a whole other level. For example, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Lau, stated that the process which Aleph uses is not only kosher but that it is pareve. Illustrating the nuance and complexity in the space and corresponding laws of kosher, not all lab-grown meat would be kosher and pareve. Specifically, Rabbi Lau’s ruling was based on the fact that Aleph’s process uses stem cells taken from a fertilized egg rather than from cells of muscle tissue. In contrast, utilizing the cells from the muscle tissue would potentially yield different treatments in the kosher context and, therefore, may not be considered pareve.