<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

http://www.oatmatzos.org has a discussion about oat matzah including an
lab analysis of the oats which states that there is NO gluten in this
matzah.

This website also includes information on how to obtain oat matzah
worldwide. It should be updated by Thursday 13 March 2003. I do know
there are incountry sources in the US, Canada, Australia, UK and Israel
which will be listed on the website. Plus it has ordering information
for other countries. An online source of Oat matzah is
http://www.kosher.com   phone: 1-866-KOSHER-X (1-866-567-4379)
Fax:1-866-456-8877. Currently they are finding that it takes about 2
weeks for orders to arrive overseas

Rabbi Kestenbaum can be reached at [log in to unmask] or
44-208-455-9476 or Fax 444-208-455-3212.

For those that don't know anything about how the availability of oat
matzah came about, it all started as a desire by Rabbi kestenbaum to
have his daughter, who has celiac, be able to participate in the mitzvah
of eating matzah at the seder. In the past Rabbi Kestenbaum was always
looking for a strain of oats with the lowest gluten content. One day he
saw a field of oats that looked different and was told it was not a
commercially desirable strain because it had too much non usable parts
(I am not a farmer and don't remember the correct term). He had it
tested and the results are now posted on the above website. This is what
he is now using to make the oat matzahs.

The process to make the matzah is truly an international endeavor. The
oats are grown on a dedicated field in Scotland, Rabbi Kestenbaum
personally drives the combine for harvesting, it is ground in Scotland
and then the hand made matzahs are made in Lakewood NJ USA while the
machine matzah is made in Israel.

Although oat matzah is not cheap much of the effort to get it to us is
actually volunteer help. Rabbi Kestenbaum and his family (all his
children are or have helped in the distribution of the matzah even to
the point of having people come to their homes to pickup the matzah
which was sitting in the saloon waiting for pickup while the family is
trying to get ready for Pesach) do not receive any remuneration for this
work. I know that in the past they have even had people take the matzah
in their luggage to other countries to try to hold down costs and ensure
it arrived prior to Passover.

I have personally used this matzah since 1989 and don't find it
unpalatable. The first year I had it was like eating oatmeal(which I
have never liked) however today it is more like a real matzah--dry &
crunchy. However it is not like wheat matzah (ie it does have a strong
taste) plus it is higher in roughage than regular wheat matzah so be
careful how much you eat of the matzah. I personally only eat the
minimum amount required for the mitzvah of eating matzah (which is still
alot) and only use it for seder & seudahs (ie I don't eat extra and
don't eat it on Chol Hamoed). This way I don't seem to have problems
(after all even if the gluten level is below 50 if you eat enough of it
the quantity could go to a level where it caused problems especially if
you were very sensitive to gluten or it was just too much roughage for
your system).

Betsey Carus
Baltimore, MD

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *