Passover kashrut certificate on pet food at S
Passover kashrut certificate on pet food at SIsrael news photo: Hana Levi Julian

Even the dogs in Israel's army are being fed with “kosher for Passover” food this week.

The Chief Rabbinate of the Israel Defense Forces has supplied special “kosher for Passover” food for the animals in the army of the Jewish State.

The IDF uses dogs in the “Oketz” canine special forces unit. The unit uses other animals in its service as well – included llamas. The food is produced from corn, which under Jewish law is considered to be “kitniyot," a non-wheat item that is permitted during Passover to Sephardic Jews.

The food has also been tested to ensure that it meets the nutritional needs of the animals.

Pet shops throughout the country have extended themselves to obtain supplies of dog and cat food that complies with the Jewish dietary laws of Passover.

In the northern Negev town of Arad, population 27,000, the "Sharon's Jungle" pet shop sold 230,000 kg of kosher-for-passover cat food and a similar quantity of kosher-for-passover dog food in the week prior to the holiday. The proprietor, Sharon Aloush, went to the trouble of obtaining a special certificate of kashrut from a rabbi to document for his customers the product was acceptable to those who are observant of Passover kashrut.