Chief Rabbinate of Israel
Fraud Division
Kashrut Alert – 16
8 Nissan 5770
March 23, 2010
HAND SHMURA MATZA ALERT – “Matzot Mehadrin”
In a raid that took place on Monday, March 22nd, involving police and Chief Rabbinate Kashrut Enforcement Unit officials, a relatively large quantity of hand shmura matzot were found in a facility in the Be’er Tuvia industrial zone. Some of the matzot were packed and others yet unpacked. The packaging states the matzah are under the supervision of Kiryat Arba Chief Rabbi Dov Lior Shlita, Be’er Tuvia Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Ambrabi Shlita, Badatz Yoreh Deah and Badatz Beit Yosef.
A probe revealed that Eyal Azoulai, Levi Matuf and Hayani Nuhurai did not receive kosher certification from any of the above-mentioned kashrut agencies this year.
There are serious concerns that used regular non-Pesach flour was used; that th flour was not sifted to filter out insects; challah was not separated; the machines were not cleaned as required; and the matzot are pat (pas) akum (non-Jewish bread) in addition to being outright chametz.
These matzot have already been distributed around the country, in some cases being sold too inexpensively [and this alone should be cause for suspicion]. In other cases however, they are being sold to assist non-profit and Torah organizations [unaware of the reality of the matzot].
It is incumbent upon people in communities to print and circulate this warning and to place it in shuls and elsewhere to warn the general public.
In an effort not to confuse the general public and to besmirch the honest vendors, we have decided to publicize the fraudulent matzot only. Please understand this alert applies only to these specific matzot found in the Be’er Tuvia facility.
Link to original Hebrew document from the Chief Rabbiante.