In a remarkable and meaningful ceremony, senior executives of Apple Bank met with Harav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, together with distinguished members of the KFI rabbinical board, to formally receive KFI kosher certification.
The event marked the culmination of extensive collaboration and careful coordination, as Apple Bank officially adopted a Heter Iska at the highest standard. As part of this initiative, the bank implemented both a Heter Iska Prati, available to individual customers, and a Heter Iska Kloli as an added safeguard—ensuring full accessibility and compliance.
Rabbanim present at the ceremony emphasized the significance of this milestone, noting that until recently, the idea that a regulated U.S. bank would adopt such a comprehensive and high-standard Heter Iska was considered highly unlikely.
Apple Bank now joins a rapidly growing list of major banks and mortgage companies across the United States that have become KFI kosher certified, expanding access to halachically compliant financial services. Today, there are already over 400 branches nationwide where customers can benefit from a KFI-certified Heter Iska.
The atmosphere at the ceremony reflected both a sense of accomplishment and forward momentum, as rabbinic leadership and financial executives came together around a shared goal—making kosher-compliant banking more accessible to the broader Jewish community.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
