17 Shvat 5770
Monday, February 01, 2010
It has been about two years since the Jerusalem Kosher News email list was launched, significantly less since the birth of the website. Frankly, there were no expectations, only seeking to spread the word regarding kashrus in Eretz Yisrael as I see it, not really giving much thought as to how this might develop.

Well today, 25 months later, I can say JKN has indeed extended its reach far beyond anything I could have imagined, having become a reliable source of information for many seeking to learn more regarding the complexities and intricacies of the kashrus system in Israel.

Many of you question what is next and quite honestly, I cannot say with certainty. I can say I would love to tour additional hotels, outside of Jerusalem too, as well as presenting more reports on hospitals, restaurants and in-depth interviews opening the doors of kashrut agencies to readers. There is the same old problem of time and the need to earn a living. 

Anyway, it is infinitely more enlightening to look as what was accomplished and how much we have all shared and learned. The lectures to yeshivot and seminaries are well-accepted, as are walking tours of Machane Yehuda, and rarely does a day pass without phone calls from students who now understand more and care enough to question.

I will continue working toward seeing what I perceive must be a higher level of transparency from kashrut organizations. While some are stiff-lipped when asked to explain their standard, the ins-and-outs of a place under its supervision, most will respond is one knows who and how to ask, and that is where the major problem exists.

I feel the agencies should present us, the kosher consumer, with a statement, one that defines the agency’s standard regarding all the major issues, and the list is indeed a long one. This might include but for certain not limited to the schita of meat used, poultry, brand of insect-free greens, the name and phone number of a mashgiach, when he should be expected to be on location, pat yisrael, bishul yisrael, chalav yisrael, for ashkenazim only or perhaps for sephardim as well, level of shmitah observance, heter mechira accepted or not, who serves the wine, and so and so forth.

The point is, the agencies seek to put as little in writing as possible, for once it exists in print, the consumer is empowered. There can be no more double talking and side-stepping.

If we all understood the level of the various local Rabbanut hechsherim in the cities, the mehadrin, the legitimate badatz agencies, we could then decide where our kashrut comfort zone is. We need to know a minimum standard, what we can and must expect.

This would permit us to know if we wish to rely on agency ‘a’ or ‘b’, since they do indeed maintain different standards. Too much guesswork involved and too often, people rely on an agency based on assumptions.

I for one feel that you, the aware kosher consumer can do more and you must begin making demands. The painful truth is that we are all too eager to have the option of an array of eateries and restaurants, but we can use our consumer strength to set new standards, letting stores know if they opt for a higher standard, you and other would be pleased to patronize them. Most subscribers to this list are not willing to just eat anywhere, but you must understand to scrutinize takes a bit of work, at times chutzpah, and being a nudnik to protect ourselves from stumbling is not necessarily unacceptable.

Much needs to be done regarding the vacation industry as I choose to call it, the cruises, hotels and whatever, that advertise “glatt”, “mehadrin”, “strictly kosher” and so-forth, using all the required buzz words to put us at ease. This is especially visible today with Pesach rapidly approaching, promising “no gebrochs”, “hand and machine shmura matzah” and whatever it takes to get us to give our credit card numbers. To my amazement, what is missing all too often is the name of a reputable kosher supervising agency in the ad – and in many cases, at best, the name of an unknown rabbi appears, or a scholar in residence who has absolutely nothing to do with guaranteeing the kashrus of a hotel of cruise line.

The hotels don’t just give away room and full board to scholars in residence [and their families] for nothing. They are well aware these names are a draw, bringing in the business. I have questioned a number of scholars in residence and some were simply clueless as to the hechsher of the hotel and not even enough in the know to respond to the most elementary kashrut questions regarding the establishment!

In one recent case I was asked by a reader who does not speak Hebrew to get additional details about a hotel after he was told by the travel agent “don’t worry, Rabbi so and so will be here for shabbos too”. It lands out the very prominent rabbi did appear on shabbos to speak, but he did not stay in the hotel, yet alone eat there. The mashgiach told me the travel agent can advertise as he feels but the hotel is not mehadrin and a “ben Torah” should not eat there. The examples are many unfortunately. Baruch Hashem in this case, the potential victim was warned and he canceled his planned shabbos in the hotel, paying extra for the mehadrin option that was quite a different option than advertised.

I use this forum to urge you to please get tough. Demand an explanation. Don’t accept vague and ambiguous advertisements which lack the name of a reputable kashrut agency. Never take the word or the travel agent, the caterer booking the job or someone looking to make a sale. You must speak to the kashrut agency representative, the mashgiach.

The word “rabbi” alone is not sufficient, for not everyone presenting himself as a rabbi really is, not all rabbonim are kashrut experts, and not all those who possess the knowledge are out there in the kitchen getting the job done. The legitimate rabbanim doing the job are the first who will verify this.

The title alone is no more a guarantee than seeing someone dressed in Orthodox garb eating in a restaurant with an unauthorized hechsher, or no hechsher at all. Ignorance has many faces, and the less scrupulous are willing to use our naiveté to their advantage.

Thanks for being part of this project and thanks to the growing number of readers who send photos, information and assist in providing updates to the readers, now situated around the world.

With Hashem’s assistance, we can effect change, as has been the case, and we must push our embarrassment aside and make demands.

Remember, the kashrut agencies are making big bucks and at the end of the day, they need our trust for without it, they are out of the game.

Respectfully,
Yechiel Spira
Jerusalem Kosher News

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 00:00 and is filed under General Interest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.