The questions worth asking before you eat anywhere you haven't kashered yourself.
Ask three specific things: who the hechsher is, which hechsherim they accept on incoming products, and whether the kitchen is under supervision for the duration of your stay. A place that can answer all three immediately and in writing is telling you something. Vagueness is the warning sign, not strictness.
The kitchen operates under Rabbi Lewin's Mehadrin Hechsher. The full list of hechsherim accepted on products coming into the kitchen is published on the kashrus page rather than summarised — so you can check it against your own standards before you book, instead of asking on arrival.
Badatz Eidah Chareidis, Badatz Mehadrin (Rav Rubin), Sheiris Yisroel, Landau, Kehilos for meat and chicken only, Vaadat Mehadrin of Tenuva for dairy, Beefland meats under Rav Shmuel Aryeh Levine, and chicken under Rav Mordechai Gross. The kashrus page lists each one with its specific note.
Ask before you book rather than after. Standards vary legitimately between families, and the honest answer is that no single kitchen matches everybody. It's a short conversation and far better had in advance — we'd rather tell you plainly than have you arrive and find it doesn't work for you.
Yes — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most other requirements are accommodated. Put them in the registration form clearly rather than mentioning them on arrival, so the kitchen can plan properly. Being catered for without having to negotiate it at every meal is a large part of what makes the break restful.
Because if you're checking, asking or quietly worrying about the food, you aren't resting — you're working. For most frum women the kitchen is one of the heaviest ongoing mental loads. Handing it over completely, without reservations, is the difference between a holiday and an actual break.
Yes. If you have a specific question about the kitchen setup, keilim or a particular product, ask us directly and you'll get a straight answer rather than a reassurance.
Yes, and you should. It's all published openly on the kashrus page, with the certifications shown. Anywhere reluctant to put this in front of you before you've paid is worth reconsidering.
EXHALE
Two nights, women only, and nothing asked of you.
The kashrus, the food and the accommodation are handled. There is no programme you have to attend.
See the retreat