South Florida boasts a rich variety of kosher and kosher-style dining options, from restaurants to bakeries and even ice cream shops. However, many patrons may find themselves questioning the true kosher status of these establishments.
Understanding kosher food can be quite complex, as there are numerous standards, philosophies, rules, and types of rabbinic supervision that contribute to what is classified as kosher. With several certifying agencies offering their own guidelines, consumers may become easily confused about which foods are permissible and which are not.
Interestingly, it’s not just Jewish individuals who pursue kosher products. According to Star-K, an international kosher certification organization, a range of Americans with specific dietary needs—including those with celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and even Muslims—often seek out kosher food. The halal certification system that Muslims follow shares similarities with kosher regulations.
In this article, we have gathered a selection of kosher certification agencies operating in South Florida, each with their respective descriptions and services.
Glossary of Terms
Before we delve deeper, it’s essential to familiarize ourselves with some key terms relevant to the kosher landscape.
Kosher: The Hebrew term “kosher,” meaning “fit” or “proper,” refers to foods that align with the dietary laws laid out in the biblical texts of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. These laws specify which animals are permissible to eat (such as cows and lambs) and which are prohibited (such as pigs and shellfish). Over time, these rules have been interpreted and adjusted by rabbis. Animals must be slaughtered according to specific regulations, and meat and dairy should not be consumed together.
Kashrut: Also known as “kashrus,” this encompasses the body of Jewish dietary laws defining what foods can be eaten and how they should be processed.
Mashgiach: A mashgiach is a kosher supervisor tasked with ensuring that food is prepared in accordance with kashrut rules. As per the Kosher Institute of America, “The role is hands-on and detail-oriented, requiring knowledge in verifying kosher symbols, inspecting produce, and ensuring proper equipment usage.”
Hechsher: This seal indicates that an establishment or food product has successfully passed inspection for kosher standards.
Glatt: The term “glatt,” which means “smooth” in Hebrew, refers to meat from an animal whose lungs are free from adhesions. According to the OU Kosher Certification Service, “glatt kosher” is increasingly used as a general term indicating that a product is unquestionably kosher.
Pareve: This term describes foods that can be consumed with either meat or dairy, such as eggs, kosher fish, vegetables, and coffee.
Shochet: A Jewish ritual slaughterer.
“Jewish” or “Kosher Style”: These terms are more flexible, referring to the cultural heritage of the food rather than its adherence to kashrut. Numerous non-kosher restaurants in South Florida celebrate their cultural roots, such as Poppies, a Delray Beach deli featuring “Jewish deli favorites.” Likewise, Bagel Snack in Pompano Beach presents a “classic Jewish breakfast scramble” made with lox, eggs, and onions.
Several restaurants highlight their “kosher style” menu offerings. For instance, at Cafe Landwer in Hallandale Beach and Boca Raton, the meat served is kosher, yet cheese is also available from the same kitchen, a practice not typically followed by observant Jews who maintain separation between meat and dairy.
Similarly, at Motek Mediterranean restaurants, known as “kosher style,” the chicken, beef, and lamb served are glatt kosher. However, these establishments do not operate separate kitchens or cooking utensils for dairy. Motek restaurants remain open on Saturdays, and lack rabbinical supervision.
Motek spokeswoman Michela DellaMonica explained, “This approach shows a respect for the spirit of kashrut, especially in sourcing ingredients, while not fully adhering to the rigorous requirements needed for official kosher certification.”
Kosher Certification Agencies
Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties; orbkosher.com
Established 26 years ago, the ORB is one of South Florida’s leading kosher certifiers, overseeing over 235 locations including caterers, bakeries, restaurants, senior living centers, and schools. Rabbi Sholey Klein, executive director, elaborates that the board’s staff monitors some of the region’s largest kosher supermarkets, such as KC Market (with three locations in Broward and Palm Beach counties) and Aroma Market & Catering (two locations).
Aroma describes its meat on its website as having to come from approved animals and slaughtered humanely by a trained shochet, with inspections performed to ensure no imperfections. Rabbi Klein mentioned that the ORB employs over 400 kosher supervisors, with full-time monitors in restaurants and markets serving meat, while part-time supervisors and surprise inspections cover establishments without meat.
Kosher Miami; koshermiami.org
Founded in 2002, Kosher Miami follows the strictest kashrut standards, supervising over 150 sites including restaurants, cafes, frozen yogurt outlets, bakeries, grocery stores, and candy shops. Notable members include Kosher Kingdom (Miami), 3 Scoops (Hollywood), and Holy Toast (Surfside, Wynwood). Many sites have full-time supervisors, and Kosher Miami utilizes additional oversight methods, like video surveillance, to maintain standards.
Sephardic Kosher Supervision; Facebook.com
Rabbi Moshe Otero leads Sephardic Kosher Supervision, overseeing 10 South Florida sites, primarily manufacturers. He also collaborates with Latin American food producers seeking kosher certification. One of the manufacturers under his supervision is NOSHY, a Pompano Beach plant-based snack kitchen.
Co-owner Lindsay Perez states, “They oversee our ingredient sourcing and production process to ensure compliance with kosher standards, including ingredient verification and ongoing facility supervision.”
Sunshine State Kosher; sunshinestatekosher.org
Starting with just one client in 2018, Sunshine State Kosher has now expanded to 50 clients. Co-founders Rabbi Allen Saks and Rabbi Moshe Berger aim to simplify the kosher certification process for businesses, offering easy access for inquiries and visits.
This agency generally certifies establishments that do not need full-time supervision, such as ice cream shops. They oversee four Jeremiah’s Italian Ice locations and seven Playa Bowls (acai bowls and smoothies), along with various home bakeries, and also supervise The Lucky Dip (kosher pizza) and The Lucky Dog (chicken, hot dogs, burgers) in Hollywood.
Rabbi Paul Plotkin, overseer of Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen, Restaurant & Caterer (located in Boca Raton and New York)
Rabbi Plotkin supervises Ben’s restaurants, having previously led Temple Beth Am, a Conservative congregation in Margate, for 33 years. While Ben’s is recognized as kosher, it is not classified as “glatt” kosher. The restaurants exclusively serve pareve and meat products. Supervisors are present six days a week on an unpredictable schedule, with Rabbi Plotkin also conducting surprise checks and monitoring video cameras.
Unusually, Ben’s operates on Saturdays—a practice many kosher establishments forgo since it is generally believed that food should not be prepared on the Sabbath. Nevertheless, Rabbi Plotkin explained that Ben’s can do so because ownership temporarily transfers to a non-Jew each week: “The store is leased to a gentile before Shabbat and then taken back after dark on Saturday.”
RAM Kosher Vegan & Vegetarian; ramkoshervegan.com
Rabbi Andre Malek, the founder, supervises vegan and vegetarian restaurants and products. He oversees several establishments in South Florida, including True Vegan in Delray Beach, Origamy Gelato Weston in Sunrise, and Maoz Vegetarian, a falafel spot in the Town Center at Boca Raton.
Living in Aventura, Rabbi Malek, a pescatarian, manages vegan and vegetarian eateries that do not necessitate full-time oversight. He and a team of supervisors perform surprise inspections and monitor security footage to ensure the restaurants consistently use kosher ingredients.
