THE KOSHER CUT | Shechita Training

Shechita Training Long Description

Interested in learning kosher slaughter? Want to become a certified shochet? You’ve come to right place! Through guided text study, expert hands-on instruction, and well-tested training methods, we teach novices how to shecht and sharpen to high professional standards, quickly and effectively.

In order to learn you must be able to be in the NY/NJ area or Baltimore area for at least a few weeks time. Training costs $100 per hour for up to 8 students. Full course prices range from $3,000 for a single person, to $2,200 for 2-3 people, and less for groups of 4 or more students. Special pricing and payment plans may be available for Yeshiva bachurim. Full details on pricing and the course can be found below.

Please note that shechita training takes significant time, commitment, and money to undertake. Please read through the course description carefully, in its entirety and only fill out the registration form if you are sure you might be interested in taking the course in the near future, are able to pay for it, and can spend the necessary time in NJ or Baltimore to complete hands on training.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Our shechita training and certification course consist of 2 essential components, hands on training and halachik learning. We currently only provide a shechita certification course in the slaughter of birds.

Hands On Training – Our hands-on course requires 2 full days of shechita training and approximately 20-30 hours of knife sharpening work. It is prefferable for this to be done over a 1-2 month period, though it can be completed over as little as 2 weeks, or even 1 week in some limited instances. We usually provide hands-on training in or around Long Branch NJ or in Baltimore MD, but arrangements can sometimes be made for other locations.

Halachik Study Program – This self paced online learning program takes students through the relevant portions of Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 1-28. The course makes use of over 14 hours of video lectures and quizzes hosted on a top online learning platform[1]. To receive certification from our Rabbis this online learning is also paired with a percise study schedule, ongoing guidance from our instructors, and 6 halachik tutoring sessions. This program can be finished over the course of anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months.

TESTING AND CERTIFICATION

Once both portions of the course are completed students are eligible to take their final tests. Those who pass these tests and meet all necessary religious criteria will be eligible for hoda’a (recommendation for certification). Hoda’a recipients are then referred to one of our rabbinic partners or a rabbi their choice to test for kabbalah (final certification).[2]

PRICING

Single Student Rate

$100 per hour or $2500 for the entire hands on course
$500 for the self guided halacha course

2-3 Student Rate

$50 per hour (per student) or $1500 per student for the entire hands on course
$500 per student for the self guided halacha course

4+ Students

If you have a group of 4 or more students interested in a course please contact us for group pricing

Pricing Details

All listed prices are per student.
Discounts for Kollel and Yeshiva students available. Payment plans and financial aid available on a case by case basis.
Prices do not include sharpening equipment and a student shechita knife, these must be purchased for $200 for the hands on program
As a part of a course most students will also want to purchase a professional shechita knife. A professional knife is required in the long term and your student knife may not be suitable for regular shechita use.
If you’re interested in a course outside of our normal training areas (NYC/NJ or Baltimore MD) additional travel and set up fees may be required.
Prices do not include the cost of any animals you shecht

COURSE FOCUS AREAS

Expert Knife Work – While making and sharpening the chalif is the most difficult part of kosher slaughter, it is also the area where many shechita teachers most often fall short. Not so at The Kosher Cut™! Our shita, passed down to us over the generations from our shechita teachers, was further refined by Rabbi Dovid Shaffier, our senior shechita instructor and expert shechita knife maker. This shita allows for consistent results that can be understood and reproduced with ease.

Professional Shechita Skills – We don’t just instruct students on how to make a cut that abides by the laws of shechita. We teach participants to develop the sensitivity, hands-on skills, and anatomical knowledge required to shecht with care, confidence, and competence.

Expert Halachic Training – Our instruction focuses on helping you understand the methodology behind the laws of shechita. Students learn what to do and also gain an understanding of the halachic framework and its processes.

Humane Handling and Slaughter – Unlike most shechita training courses, during our program, you’ll receive expert training on humane animal handling during shechita from an instructor who has closely studied the subject.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that while we do our best to get our students certified, we cannot guarantee certification.[3] Our ability to give hoda’a depends on the participant’s success in performing the necessary tasks and in passing the requisite tests. While we provide top-quality training, a student’s success ultimately hinges on the work they put in as well as their natural coordination, dexterity, competence, sensitivity, and halachic reasoning. Getting certified takes work and determination. We can help, but we can’t do it for you.

INSTRUCTORS

At The Kosher Cut™, students work with two highly-skilled instructors who bring a combined 16 years of shechita experience to the classroom. Rather than giving students a haphazard explanation and letting them figure it out on their own, our instructors offer logical halachic guidance and reproducible methods for sharpening and shechita. This helps students to understand every step in the process, giving them the ability to achieve the desired results.

YADIDYA GREENBERG, FOUNDER OF THE KOSHER CUT™, SHOCHET, EDUCATOR

Yadidya is an Israeli born shochet and shechita educator. In his twenties, Yadidya studied at Yeshivas Bas Ayin for three years, where he became interested in animal-related mitzvos. A few years after leaving Yeshiva, Yadidya decided to train in shechita, receiving his kabbalah from the honorable Rabbi Yisroel Landsman, Z”L, in the fall of 2011. After learning shechita, Yadidya went on to work in a kosher beef slaughter plant for several years. During this time, Yadidya studied humane animal handling techniques and began teaching about shechita and animal wellbeing in myriad venues throughout the United States. Today, Yadidya, who founded The Kosher Cut™ in 2018, is working on starting a farm while continuing to provide shechita training and educational seminars on kosher slaughter.

RABBI DOVID SHAFFIER – SENIOR SHECHITA INSTRUCTOR, KNIFESMITH

Born in California, Dovid studied at Los Angeles’s Yeshivas Ohr Elchonon and Kollel Ohr Tzaddikim in Tsfas. He later became the Menahal Ruchani and Halacha instructor at Tsfas’s Yeshivas Teferres Moshe and taught at Yeshivat Yushuat Mordechai in Nachliel. In the fall of 2011 Dovid became certified in shechita with Rabbi Yisroel Landsman, Z”L. After receiving kabbalah, Dovid worked in a kosher beef plant, eventually serving as the head shochet and bodek sakinim there. During this time, he learned how to make chalofim (available in our shop) and began teaching students shechita. This eventually led Dovid to write his ground-breaking book, Esek HaShechita, A Practical Guide for Preparing a Challif. Along with his work for The Kosher Cut™, Dovid now runs Shaffier Knives™, where he makes custom blades and provides precision sharpening services.

Shechita Training

Shechita training requires a significant amount of time and commitment. In order to become a certified shochet, Jewish law also mandates that you be an observant Jewish male, at least 18 years of age, and able to learn halacha (Jewish law) in its original Hebrew with good proficiency.¹ If you meet the above criteria or are looking for less intensive training for reasons other than certification please read the training description and fill out the inquiry form below to discuss your options.

Training Cost

Hilchos Shechita Course: $100-$300
Knife Sharpening: $100 per hour for 1 student +$20 for more students
Slaughter Training: $250 per day per student
Halacha Tutoring: $100 per hour for 1 student +$20 for more students
Non-Professional Zoom Training/Seminar: $150+
Discounts may be available in some cases

Training Description

The halachik study portion of our training requires an intermediate to advanced level of Hebrew comprehension and an ability to learn shulchan aruch well. This may be completed in as little as 6-12 weeks by way of a self guided study program that can be purchased in our online store. Price per student for this course ranges from $100-$300, with additional tutoring and certification tests available for an added fee.

In most cases our hands on training course requires 2 slaughter sessions and approximately 10-15 hours of knife sharpening instruction.¹ To complete this training with us you must undertake in person instruction in Lakewood NJ, Pemberton NJ, or Baltimore MD. Alternatively, an instructor may be able to travel to your location for hands on training if adequate funds are provided.

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Shechita Training

Shechita Training Long Description

GENERAL OVERVIEW

TESTING AND CERTIFICATION

PRICING

COURSE FOCUS AREAS

DISCLAIMER

INSTRUCTORS

YADIDYA GREENBERG, FOUNDER OF THE KOSHER CUT™, SHOCHET, EDUCATOR

RABBI DOVID SHAFFIER – SENIOR SHECHITA INSTRUCTOR, KNIFESMITH

Shechita Training

Training Cost

Training Description

PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

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