Tav HaYosher facts for kids

The Tav HaYosher is a special seal or mark that helps you know if a Kosher restaurant or food place treats its workers fairly. It's given for free by an organization called Uri L'Tzedek. If a place has the Tav HaYosher seal, it means they pay their workers at least the minimum wage. They also pay extra for overtime work (more than 40 hours a week). Plus, they make sure workers get proper breaks and have a safe place to work, free from bad treatment.

What is Kosher Food?

You might have seen "Kosher" labels on food. These labels are called a Hechsher in Hebrew. They show that food follows special Jewish dietary laws. Many groups, like the Orthodox Union and Star-K, give out these kosher certifications.

Some people, both Jewish and non-Jewish, buy kosher food because they think it means the food was made in a very good way, not just following religious rules. However, a big event showed that this wasn't always true.

Why Tav HaYosher Was Created

In 2009, a large kosher meat company called Agriprocessors had some serious problems. Government officials found that the company was not treating its workers fairly. There were issues with how employees were paid and even concerns about child labor.

This news shocked many people who bought kosher food. They realized that a kosher label didn't always mean workers were treated well. Because of this, the organization Uri L'Tzedek created the Tav HaYosher. It was a way for the Orthodox Jewish community to show that ethical treatment of workers is very important.

How Tav HaYosher Works

When a restaurant wants to get the Tav HaYosher seal, volunteers from Uri L'Tzedek check things out. About 60 volunteers look at the company's records. They also talk to the workers to make sure everyone is being treated fairly.

The Tav HaYosher makes sure that workers get all their rights. This includes following both state and federal laws, as well as general ethical standards. After a restaurant gets the first certification, inspectors visit again. They come every two or three months without warning. This helps make sure the restaurant keeps treating its workers well all the time.

Where You Can Find Tav HaYosher

The Tav HaYosher started small but grew quickly. In May 2009, five restaurants in New York City had the seal. By January 2010, over 70 dining places had earned the Tav HaYosher certification.

These restaurants were in many different places. You could find them in states like Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio, Missouri, and Texas. There was even one in Montreal, Canada.

Many restaurant owners liked the idea. For example, Noam Sokolow, who owns Noah's Ark restaurants in Manhattan and Teaneck, New Jersey, supported it. He said he wanted his restaurants to be places where "everyone feels comfortable." He felt that Tav HaYosher helped supervise this important part of his business. He also mentioned that he didn't need to change anything in his restaurants to meet the standards.