Rabbi Bernard (Berel) Levy was a pioneer of Kosher certification in the United States.
Most significant of all was his accessibility to the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn and the fact that he was able to go into private audience with him.
On the outbreak of World War II, he returned to America and in 1940 he was among the first students who sat down to learn in the Lubavitcher Yeshiva in 770 Eastern Parkway.
[citation needed] In 1944, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn sent Levy to New Haven and worked tirelessly establishing the day yeshiva.
His spiritual leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson would speak to him for hours concerning educational issues in America.
He started out with eleven or twelve hechsherim, and because of his personality and drive, companies kept coming to him applying for certification.
Today in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, Japan and China the OK is the primary kosher organization in that part of the world.
He pioneered giving certifications, only after totally familiarizing himself with all the mechanical and chemical components of the food industry.