Jonathan Waldstreicher '05, one of five Brandeis alumni who recently founded an online kosher meat market, said that among other things he has learned from the business, he now knows what South Africans crave most. "The South Africans more than anyone else go crazy for the sausages . it's the American equivalent of the hot dog," said Waldstreicher, who lives in Brookline.

Kosherheaven.com, the first project of Deis Ventures LLC, sells strictly kosher jerky and sausages, though the already successful company plans on expanding to offer other meats, such as hard salami.

Waldstreicher, Allan Sternberg '05, Benji Gober '05, Jonathan Koplow '05 and Andy Fruchter '06 always discussed going into business together when they studied economics in college.

"After looking at a hundred different opportunities, we realized there was a huge desire to commercialize [kosher] beef jerky. It was a lucrative market," Waldstreicher said.

The company, based in Atlanta, has brought in thousands of dollars in profits this year, Sternberg said.

In addition to being supervised by the Atlanta Kashruth Commission, an agency subcontracted by the Orthodox Union, Kosher Heaven offers the only USDA-approved kosher jerky in the world, an item Sternberg said is in high demand.

Despite using "very minimal" advertising (they started a group on The Facebook and promoted the company at the Salute to Israel Parade in June), Waldstreicher said the demand for glatt kosher, or strictly kosher sausage and jerky, products normally not thought of as available certified-kosher, have made them a hit in Jewish communities worldwide.

Carrying the Atlanta Kashruth Commission's stamp of approval, a smaller and less well-known agency than the Orthodox Union, has made it difficult to "get into some of the more observant New York markets," Waldstreicher said.

However, the USDA approval, meaning an inspector visits their site every production day, allows them to ship their products across state lines.

Kosher Heaven even attracts non-Jews because kosher meat is of higher quality, Sternberg said.

"Kosher's in because it's healthier."

The company prides itself on its customer service (e-mails are generally answered within an hour) and ability to accommodate customers' needs.

"We had a guy who . wanted us to ship the sausages with two-day shipping, which cost $150. We were flexible enough to do that," Waldstreicher said.

In addition to their healthy business, they say their friendships are equally thriving.

"We were friends for four-and-a-half years," Sternberg said. "The reason why we started it is to enhance our friendship . we still hang out together.