ShuferSal Deal Givat Shaul - Jerusalem
ShuferSal Deal – Givat Shaul
On May 13, 2009, I released an update regarding Shufersal Deal on Kanfei Nesharim Street in the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Yerushalayim, situated between two shomer shabbat neighborhoods, Har Nof and Kiryat Moshe. Unfortunately, since that time, the store has not managed to get its kashrut act together. The following notification is being released at the behest of HaRav Yaakov Warhaftig Shlita of Har Nof.
The store’s hechsher for fruits and vegetables is from Belz Machzikei Hadas.
The problem, most people see the hechsher and do not bother reading it. It only covers some of the items sold. There is no hecsher for the remaining items found in the produce section. I reported on May 20th that I spoke with Rav Hoffman of Belz, and he confirms the hechsher is for certain items only. Nothing has changed. He adds and stresses the hechsher is for trumot and ma’asrot only, and in no way absolves one of one’s responsibility to check for and remove insects where applicable.
Belz Hechsher ShuferSal Deal Givat Shaul
Rav Warhaftig checked into the matter and in theory, trumot and ma’asrot are taken from the produce in Rishon L’Tzion but the law does not permit the Rishon Rabbinate to give a hechsher in Jerusalem. In addition, one cannot really be absolutely certain that other items are not brought in since there is no hechsher on much of what is sold. Therefore, Rav Warhaftig urges shoppers not to but there until the matter is corrected. He added that those who already bought may eat what is in their home.
The Rav also spoke with Rav Eliyahu Schlesinger Shlita, the rav/posek for the Jerusalem Rabbinate, and he explained that legal action is being taken against ShuferSal for having a hechsher without having Rabbinate supervision as required by law. Belz is also in violation for granting supervision without a Rabbinate hechsher.
Rav Warhaftig also warns shoppers that there is absolutely no hechsher in the stores bakery and the same hold true for Chamutzim, pickles, olives and the like. He did say that he found out that challah is taken on the dough delivered to the bakery, but there is no supervision on the other ingredients, baking and anything taking place – so in essence, you are buying in a bakery without a hechsher.
Time does not permit me to run around too much this week so I wish to add that those of you shopping in health food stores, you must check each and every item. The hechsherim in health food stores, if one is present at all, only cover certain items generally speaking. I have found many an item in health food stores without any kashrut supervision.
By the way, ditto for supermarkets – one must check every item going into one’s shopping cart. Unfortunately, many products without hechsherim are sold in Israel.
3 Comments
As I reported previously with photographs, the same Belz heksher appears in the ShuferSal Deal store on Pierre Koenig, in Talpiot, also without any other sign from the Rabbinate. Two weeks ago I was in the store and there was still no other sign. (I pay attention because I check against the Belz list in red every time when deciding which produce we may buy there.) I would assume that the same situation applies to that store, too.
Thanks to your warning, we will be buying our produce from the nearby Rami Levi, instead.
BTW – I looked it up in a dictionary, and the name is correctly ShuferSal, not SuperSol. It comes from Shufra – plenty, and Sal – basket, i.e., a basket of plenty (or “cornucopia”), and NOT from the modern word “super” from “supermarket.” As further proof, the supermarket’s website is at http://www.shufersal.co.il.
My wife asks the question regarding vegetables: If the trumoht and ma`asroth of the vegetables are handled, what other issue is there? With fruits of course there is orlah, and there are also still a few shmittah issues, but what about pri adomah like tomatoes or watermelons? If we are unsure of this demai, then we can take our own for the sofek; what is the problem with buying this produce?
Is this just a jurisdictional dispute, or are there other kashruth issues to snare the kosher vegetable consumer?
Of course, we are staying clear of the bakery and pri ha`etz fruits, and we always buy only the sealed, “insect free” bags of greens, cabbages, etc., (which I assume are still okay from this store, since they are sealed at the factory,) but for potatoes, tomatoes, onions, carrots, peppers, and melons, what other issue should cause us to avoid this store’s vegetables besides taking T & M?