OU Staff
Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, the OU’s late Halachic decisor had for years advocated finding uncompromised solutions for the use of modern refrigerators on Shabbos.
In response to interest from Jewish consumers, GE Appliances (working together with Rabbi Tzvi Ortner, director of OU Kosher’s Division of Halacha and Technology) has developed the Shabbos Keeper, an add-on device which interfaces with over 100 models of GE’s French Door refrigerator line.
The Shabbos Keeper is preprogrammed with Shabbos and Yom Tov dates for the next 30 years, and is designed to completely disengage any of the technology that creates Shabbos concerns. There is no need to cover switches, unscrew light bulbs or even activate a Shabbat mode. The Shabbos Keeper also disconnects compressor function from door opening, resolving the concerns of even the most strict opinions, and unlike previous devices such as refrigerator timers, the refrigerator can be used throughout the entire Shabbat.
OU Kosher favorably endorses this product, which completely resolves all Shabbat and Yom Tov issues associated with refrigerator use according to even the most stringent halachic opinions, and is a 100% solution for Shabbos use.
Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO of OU Kosher stated: “GE’s Shabbos Keeper is likely to revolutionize the use of refrigerators on Shabbos”.
“With this device, we are able to meet the needs of the Jewish community in a way I don’t think anyone has been able to do before,” says GE CEO Kevin Nolan. “This technology works seamlessly and takes the worry out of refrigerator use.”
OU Kosher will be hosting a webinar with more information about this on Monday, March 19 at 2 p.m. EDT.
The webinar can be accessed at facebook.com/kosher. We will take your questions live or you can send your questions to Rabbi Tzvi Ortner at ortnert@ou.org
For more information call OU hotline at 212.613.8241 or visit www.zmantechnologies.com