FAQs

Q: Is one who is temporarily living in Eretz Yisroel permitted to eat imported grain foods such as Cheerios, Granola Bars, etc. without checking into their production dates to ascertain whether they may be chodosh? Assuming that one is lenient in the USA, is he permitted to do so in Eretz Yisroel, or is there no lenient minhag in Eretz Yisroel to rely on?

A: The letter of the law is that chodosh is determined by where the grain was grown and not where it was eaten. Accordingly, people who are lenient regarding chodosh in the United States have the same reason to be lenient when eating American-produced food sold in Israel. However, you may want to ask a local Rov if there is a special Israeli minhag to be machmir and whether you are required to adopt that minhag.