Kosher Terms Explained
Glatt, cholov yisroel, mehadrin, badatz: the labels on a kosher certification carry real meaning, and they differ. Here is what each term on our listings actually means, in plain language, so you can choose to your own standard.
Certification basics
Hechsher
The kosher certification itself: the seal or approval given by a rabbinic agency confirming that a restaurant or product meets kosher standards. Different agencies apply different standards, which is why KosherAtlas shows the certifying agency on every listing.
Teudah (kosher certificate)
The physical certificate a certified restaurant displays on its wall, naming the certifying agency and its expiry date. The in-date teudah on site is the ultimate proof of kosher status; databases and directories, including ours, can lag behind reality, so it is always worth a glance.
Mashgiach
The kosher supervisor appointed by the certifying agency to oversee a restaurant's kitchen. Stricter certifications require a mashgiach to be present at all times (mashgiach temidi); lighter ones require periodic visits.
Meat, dairy and pareve
Meat, dairy and pareve
Kosher kitchens are strictly separated: a restaurant is either meat (bassari), dairy (chalavi), or pareve (neither meat nor dairy, such as fish and vegetables). Because meat and dairy can never be mixed, this is usually the first thing a kosher diner checks, so every KosherAtlas listing shows it as a colored badge.
Glatt
Literally 'smooth' in Yiddish. Meat from an animal whose lungs were free of adhesions after slaughter, a stricter standard than regular kosher meat. In practice, 'glatt kosher' has come to signal a generally higher standard of meat supervision, and many observant diners will only eat meat in glatt-certified restaurants.
Halak (Beit Yosef)
The Sephardic equivalent of glatt, following the stricter ruling of Rabbi Yosef Karo (the Beit Yosef). Meat labeled halak Beit Yosef meets the standard that Sephardic communities require. Where a restaurant serves halak meat, our listing marks it.
Cholov Yisroel
Dairy produced under Jewish supervision from milking onward. Many stricter communities only eat cholov yisroel dairy. Restaurants that are not cholov yisroel rely on the more lenient 'cholov stam' position, which accepts government-regulated commercial milk.
Cholov Stam
Commercial dairy that is kosher but not supervised from milking. This follows the widely accepted ruling of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein that government dairy regulation is sufficient assurance. Perfectly kosher for many communities, not accepted by those who keep strictly cholov yisroel.
Kitchen standards
Pas Yisroel
Bread and baked goods where a Jew participated in the baking, for example by lighting the oven. Some communities require pas yisroel year-round; many more prefer it during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Bishul Yisroel
Cooked food where a Jew participated in the cooking process. Certifying agencies differ on exactly what participation is required (Sephardic rulings are stricter than Ashkenazi ones), which is one of the practical differences between certification standards.
Shomer Shabbat
A business that closes for Shabbat, from Friday afternoon until Saturday night, and for Jewish holidays. Many certifying agencies require it; for travelers it also explains why most kosher restaurants are closed on Friday night and Saturday.
Certification tiers (especially in Israel)
Rabbanut (Rabbinate)
In Israel, kosher certification is anchored by the Chief Rabbinate and each city's religious council, which issue the standard teudah. A large share of Israeli restaurants hold at least this baseline certification, so in Israel the meaningful question is usually which tier and which supervising body, not simply whether a place is kosher.
Mehadrin
A stricter tier of certification, literally 'embellished'. In Israel, 'Rabbanut Mehadrin' means the city rabbinate supervises the restaurant to a higher standard: stricter meat sourcing, closer supervision, and more careful checking of produce for insects. Standards vary somewhat from city to city.
Badatz
Short for Beit Din Tzedek, a private rabbinical court that certifies to a strict standard, layered on top of (not instead of) the Rabbanut teudah. Well-known badatzim include the Eda Haredit, Beit Yosef, and Rav Rubin. For stricter communities the badatz name is the real trust signal, so we show it on Israeli listings whenever we can confirm it.
Put the terms to work
Every listing on KosherAtlas shows its certifying agency and these attributes as badges, and you can filter each city by them.
These are practical summaries, not halachic rulings. Standards differ between communities and agencies; when in doubt, ask your rabbi and check the teudah on site.