The term Kashrut refers to the Jewish religious dietary laws derived from the Torah. The term kashrut is derived from the Hebrew word kasher meaning fit or acceptable. From the word kasher, we derive the word kosher in its anglicized form. But before we discuss what kosher is, let’s discuss some ideas as to “why” kosher exists. Why after all, would a religious faith be concerned about what people eat? Answering this may seem complicated at first, but it’s important to understand the “whys” before the “hows”. This course is intended to provide the student an introduction to the laws of Kashrut and some of the complexities that are found in this fascinating topic.
Your Instructor
Rabbi Dr. Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas where he earned a bachelor of science in electrical engineering. He studied at the Siegal College of Judaic Studies in Cleveland and received a Master of Arts Degree in Judaic Studies. He completed his doctoral studies at the Spertus Institute in Chicago in 2015. He studied at the American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism and received rabbinic ordination in 2011 from Yeshiva Mesilat Yesharim.
Rabbi Dr. Bejarano Gutierrez was a board member of the Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies from 2011-2013. He has published various articles in HaLapid, The Journal for Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian Crypto-Jews, and Apuntes-Theological Reflections from a Hispanic-Latino Context. He is the author of twenty books including What is Kosher?and What is Jewish Prayer?, Who is a Jew?, Secret Jews: The Complex Identity of Crypto-Jews and Crypto-Judaism, and Against the Greeks, He is currently the director of the B’nai Anusim Center for Education at CryptoJewishEducation.com.
Course Curriculum
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StartTheoretical Scenarios (7:39)
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StartTypes of Mitzvot (5:02)
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StartAcceptable Animals (2:37)
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StartDairy (1:03)
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StartFish and Sea Creatures (2:36)
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StartPermitted Foul (1:15)
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StartBlood and Forbidden Fats (6:21)
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StartSheratzim (1:17)
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StartShechitah (4:45)
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StartGelatin (2:07)
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StartFruits and Vegetables (0:55)
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StartOvens and Dishwashers (1:20)
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StartKashering Utensils (1:50)
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StartPractical Scenarios (1:06)
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StartSources (0:52)