Pas Yisroel during Aseres Yimei Teshuva

אלול — Guidance for Aseres Yimei Teshuva: Pas Akum, Pas Yisroel, and Rosh Hashana

By Rabbi Eliezer Eidlitz

Pas Akum & the Minhag of Pas Yisroel

During the Aseres Yimei Teshuva, there is a longstanding tradition—based on the Tur and Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, Siman 603) from the Yerushalmi—to be especially careful with consuming Pas Yisroel when bread (etc.) contains wheat, barley, rye, spelt, or oats. The custom is to eat exclusively Pas Yisroel during this period, reflecting heightened stringency and mindfulness.

To understand this minhag, consider the background: with cooked food by a non-Jew (Bishul Akum), it is not permitted unless a Jew participates in the cooking—an enactment to remain cordial yet avoid overly close relationships. Originally, Chazal wished to apply a similar distinction to bread (Avodah Zarah opening). Since bread is a staple (about 80% of the world consumes bread; the average American eats over 64 pounds per year), Chazal sought a solution and distinguished between categories:

• Pas Yisroel — Bread baked or finished by a Jew (many allow even in a non–Shomer Shabbos Jew’s home).
• Pas Akum — Bread baked by a non-Jew in a private home, which may foster closeness (concern of intermarriage).
• Pas Palter — Bakery bread (commercial/anonymous baker), which does not engender a close relationship.

Most of the year, if equal-quality Pas Yisroel is not available, one may consume Pas Palter from a company or bakery. However, during Aseres Yemei Teshuva we demonstrate our desire to keep Pas Yisroel year-round by going out of our way to eat only Pas Yisroel. Many are also careful on Shabbos and Yom Tov.

Pas Yisroel Rolls & Breads: Certified Brands & Products

Kof-K
The following are certified as Pas Yisroel—note the exceptions and label requirements indicated:

• Anthony & Sons: All products except Pullman style breads (bag or wax paper).
• Automatic Rolls of Baltimore: All except English Muffins.
• Automatic Rolls of NJ: All except English Muffins.
• Bake Rite Rolls: All except English Muffins.
• Bread Alone: Only breads and rolls; pastries/sweet goods are not certified by Kof-K.
• Canada Bread: Certified only when lot code includes letters PY.
• Crispy Bagel: All products.
• Food For Life: All except pita (“Prophet Pockets”) and flake cereals.
• Gabillas Food Products: All products.
• H&S Bakery: All except English Muffins.
• Hauswald's: All products.
• JJ Cassones: Only breads and rolls; pastries/sweet goods are not Kof-K; bagels are kosher but not Pas Yisroel.
• Kerry Ingredient Co.: Select items; contact Kof-K.
• Mid Atlantic Baking: All products.
• Nanas Cookie Co.: All products.
• Oberlander Bakery: All products.
• Orthodox Bakery: All products.
• Schmidt Baking: All except English Muffins.
• Scottos: All products.
• Streits: All products.
• Tofutti Brands: All products.
• Tristate Buns: Certified only when letters TSB appear in the lot code.

OU Pas Yisroel List
Always check labels for details (Pas Yisroel/Yoshon) and symbols. Sample entries include:

• Loacker: All products are Pas Yisroel.
• Abadi Bakery: All items.
• Acme [Albertson’s] (FSE): Milltown, NJ & Narberth, PA fresh baked products.
• Aladdin Bakers: Bagels, pizza bagels, rolls, breads, pitas, baguettes, wraps, breadsticks (with Pas Yisroel sticker).
• Amnon’s Kosher Pizza: Frozen pizza (cholov yisroel).
• Angel’s Bakery: All products (bearing OU).
• Barry’s Bakery: Café/French Twists (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Barth: Crackers.
• Barton’s: Chocolate covered matza.
• Blinzi: Calzones, pizzas, bagels, bread sticks, pretzels.
• Bloom’s: All cookies.
• Bloom’s/Temptatatious: All cookies.
• Boundbrook Shoprite (FSE): All in-house prepared foods are Pas Yisroel and Yoshon.
• Brian’s All Natural: Calzones.
• Brickfire Bakery: Plain sliced mini bagels.
• Burnt Offerings – Las Vegas (FSE): All products.
• Burry Foodservice: NY-style boiled bagels (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Busco Bagels: All bagels.
• Carr’s: Crackers produced in Carlisle, UK.
• Ceor: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Chef’s Wonder: Bread crumbs and matzo meal.
• Chow & Ciao: All products.
• Continental Pastry: Cakes and cookies.
• Coppenrath: Assorted baked goods (with lot-specific letter).
• Dagim: All products.
• Daily Pita: All pita bread.
• Dame Blanche: Chocolate/Vanilla biscuits.
• David Elliot: Breaded chicken.
• David’s Cookies: All pareve products.
• David’s Gluten Free: All products.
• Delacre: Cookies.
• DIJAS: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Diplomat Catering (FSE): All products.
• Dream Pretzels: Pressels/Pretzel chips.
• East Brunswick Shoprite (FSE): All in-house prepared foods Pas Yisroel & Yoshon.
• East Windsor Shoprite (FSE): Same as above.
• Einat: Breadcrumbs, croutons.
• Elite: Biscuits.
• Elsa’s Story: Cookies, crackers, pastries (not cholov yisroel).
• Falafel Tanami (FSE): All products.
• Fat Badger Bakery: Assorted baked goods (lot letter or label states Pas Yisroel).
• Fischer Brothers & Leslie (FSE): Challah/rolls; chicken nuggets; fried breast meat.
• Fourre Sandwich: Chocolate/Lemon/Strawberry/Vanilla biscuits.
• Fresh (Amazon Brand): Bagels.
• Friedman’s: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Gafnit: Challah and bread.
• Gefen: Crackers; cookies; whole-wheat bread crumbs (yoshon); matzoh (yoshon); ice cream cones.
• Gelbstein’s Bakery: All products.
• Glatt Kosher Wholesalers/Bingo: All products.
• Golden Fluff: Pretzels; cookies; animal crackers (also yoshon).
• Grandpa’s “Old Southern” Coffee Cake: All baked items.
• Grandpa’s International Bakery: Breads.
• Green Ribbon: Cookies.
• Guiltless Gourmet: Wraps.
• Hadar: Assorted biscuits.
• Haddar: All products.
• Hamotzi: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Heaven Food: All products.
• Holiday Brand: Chocolate covered matza.
• Horowitz Margartetn: Matzah products.
• Howie and Sally’s: Biscotti.
• J & P: Pita bread.
• Jack Bates: All products.
• Jake’s Bakes: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Jason: Breadcrumbs.
• Jeff Nathan: Panko bread crumbs.
• Jerusalem Sweets: Baklava, Bazrazek, Gariba, Haressa, Mamoul, Nabulse (bearing Pas Yisroel on label).
• Jewel-Osco [Albertson’s] (FSE): Bread and kosher cakes (Evanston & Highland Park, IL).
• Just Bagels: All bagels (bearing OU).
• Katz’s Gluten Free: Oat challah rolls.
• Kedem: Cookies; cereal bars; tea biscuits (also yoshon); crackers (also yoshon).
• Kem Kem: Crackers.
• Kemach Food Products: Pas Yisroel & Yoshon when indicated.
• KJ Poultry: Breaded chicken nuggets.
• Kola Farangi (FSE): All products.
• Koopmans Foodcoatings: Breadcrumbs only.
• Kosherific: Fish stick.
• L’Esti Desserts: Cakes and pastries.
• La Gondola (FSE): All products.
• La Marguerite & Co.: All products.
• Lachmi: All products.
• Lago Group SPA: In Israel with lot-specific LOC & special label.
• Lakewood Kollel: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Lang’s: Breads, rolls, and bagels.
• Laromme: All pareve products.
• Laurieri: In Israel with lot-specific LOC & special label.
• Maadanot: Bourekas, malawah, pizza squares.
• Macabee: Pizza Bagel (cholov yisroel).
• Maison Valero: All products.
• Manischewitz Co.: Tam tams (yoshon); Italian coating crumbs (yoshon); cake mixes; all matzah products (yoshon).
• Mansura: When on the label.
• Marlboro Shoprite (FSE): All in-house prepared foods are Pas Yisroel & Yoshon.
• Masbia: All products.
• Matzot Carmel: Matzah.
• McVities: In Israel with lot-specific LOC or when written on label.
• Meal Mart: All products.
• Meat Cafe (FSE): All products.
• Mendelson’s Pizza: Pizza (cholov yisroel) and breads.
• Miami Onion Rolls: All products.
• Milk ‘N Honey (FSE): All products.
• Mishpacha: All products.
• Mother’s: Matzah products.
• Mountain Fruit: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Mrs. Adler’s: Matzah products.
• Mrs. Pure’s Gold Label: Coconut Crisp Cookies (bearing Pas Yisroel).
• Natural Coffee: Coffee cakes.
• Natural Ovens: White wheat bread; keto friendly bread.
• Navaz Catering (FSE): All products.
• Neptune Shoprite (FSE): All in-house prepared foods Pas Yisroel & Yoshon.
• Neri’s: Breads & bagels.
• NES Catering (FSE): All products.
• NY Brooklyn Bread: All products.
• Of Tov: Chicken breast nuggets.
• Only Oats: Cookies.
• Orion: Plain/cinnamon raisin par-baked “Hot Stuff” bagels.
• Osem: All products.
• Ostreicher’s: All products.
• Pat’s (FSE): All products.
• Patis Bakery: Wholesale/retail—all products (yoshon; cholov yisroel).
• PF Bakeries: Pita; pita chips; challahs.
• Pita Express: Pita bread.
• Prime Events by Mindel (FSE): All products.
• Quality Food Industries: Croutons.
• Raft Foods: Croutons.
• Ralph’s Grocery – Sherman Oaks (FSE): All fresh products from the Kosher bakery.
• Ralph’s Grocery – LA – South La Brea (FSE): Same.
• Reisman Bros. Bakery: Cakes, cookies, rugalach.
• Riviera: All products.
• Rokeach: Hamentashen (Pareve & Pas Yisroel only); cookies; soup nuts.
• Royal Bakery House: Bread (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• S. Rosen: Multi-grain; 9-grain; sourdough; county white; Hawaiian rolls.
• Sadaf: Wafers.
• Saffron Culinary East Rockaway (FSE): All products.
• Shapiro’s: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).
• Shefa Foods: All products.
• Shibolim: Biscotti and cracker sticks.
• ShopRite of Aberdeen (FSE): All in-house prepared foods Pas Yisroel & Yoshon.
• ShopRite of Lawrenceville (FSE): Same.
• Short Cake: Friesengold biscuits.
• Smashhouse (FSE): All products.
• Smilowitz: Pas Yisroel rolls, cookies, cakes, breads.
• Snyders of Hanover Israeli Products Only: All pretzels imported to Israel.
• Tabernacle (FSE): All products.
• Table d’Hôte: All rolls and baguettes.
• The Korner (FSE): All products.
• Tierra Sur (FSE): All products.
• Tovli: Blintzes, pizza, knishes (frozen packaged).
• Trader Joe’s: Challah; chocolate babka; mango babka; pumpkin spice babka; half-moon cookies; raspberry rugelach.
• Trastevere Restaurant (FSE): All products.
• Universal Foods: Breadcrumbs.
• Vicenzi: In Israel with lot-specific LOC and special label.
• Voortman Cookies: Sugar-free cookies in Israel with lot-specific LOC.
• Wednesday: All products.
• Wein’s: All products.
• Yumi’s: All products (when label states Pas Yisroel).

For specific product certification, always check labels for Pas Yisroel, Yoshon, or other kosher designations as noted.

STAR-K Pas Yisroel List

• Accents: All except saltine crackers.
• Ateres Elka: All except hot dog buns.
• Candy Store: All products.
• Caramel’s Pizza: All products.
• Cocoaccinos/Pie 18: All except saltine crackers.
• Croustille Bakery: All products.
• A David Chu’s China Bistro: Inquire in store.
• Delightfully Sweet: Upon request, all products.
• Goldberg’s Kosher Bagels: All except saltine crackers.
• Ikonic Confections: All products.
• Knish Shop: All products.
• Kosher Bite/KB Szechuan: Upon request; all except crackers.
• Mama Leah’s Gourmet Pizza: All except saltine crackers.
• Mangal Food Truck: All products.
• Market Maven: All products (Bakery, Fish, Sushi & Takeout).
• Milk and Honey Bistro: Pizza, pasta, blintzes, and soups are Yoshon; others upon request.
• O’Fishel Caterers: Challah, rolls, cholent; inquire for others.
• Pariser’s Bakery: All products.
• Playa Bowls: Granola and oatmeal are not Yoshon; not considered pas items.
• Pretty Sweet Confections: All products.
• Pride of the Farm (Cookie Dough Ice Cream): All products.
• Rosendorff’s: All products; check label for status.
• Royal Restaurant: Upon request; inquire about specific items.
• Serengeti: All except some breads and saltine crackers.
• Seven Mile Market: Items made in Dairy, Deli, and Fish departments—including sushi—are all Pas Yisroel.
• Sion’s Bakery: All products.
• Sweet and Good Catering: Upon request, all products.
• Taam Thai: All except some desserts.
• The Club: All products.
• Yesh: All products.
• Yossi’s Lafa Milia: All products.

Rosh Hashana Simanim: Customs & Halachic Details

The Gemaras in Horios and Kerisus (6a) highlight the significance of symbolism on Rosh Hashana. Abaye teaches סימנא מילתא היא; we set out Simanim (symbolic foods) to express our desire for a good year granted by Hashem.

Traditional Simanim include gourd, fenugreek, leek, beets, dates, and the head of an animal or fish. Rashi explains these are chosen because they grow quickly and are sweet—symbolizing a year of growth and sweetness. According to the Gra, Rashi means the fruits are either quick-growing or sweet—both desired blessings.

The Tur notes that the names of these foods allude to good things—for example, Rubia (fenugreek) suggesting an increase in merits (Yirbu Zechuyosainu) and Tamri (dates) hinting at the end of adversaries (Yitamu Sonosainu). Some poskim add that any food whose name can be read as a positive omen may serve as a valid Siman.

Timing & Practice of Simanim

• Maharil: Eat Simanim immediately after Kiddush; make Borei Pri Ha’etz on the apple.
• Magen Avraham, Taz, Mishnah Berurah: Recite the brachos after Hamotzi.
• Elya Rabbah, Sha’arei Teshuva, Mateh Ephraim, Ben Ish Chai, Kaf HaChaim: Observe Simanim on both nights of Rosh Hashana.
• Magen Avraham, Taz, Elya Rabbah, Mishnah Berurah: First make the bracha on the fruit, eat a portion, then recite Yehi Ratzon. Elya Rabbah notes that b’diavad, reciting Yehi Ratzon is not a hefsek.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה