17 Sivan 5770
May 30, 2010

I can say with all honesty that if I earned an income based on emails pertaining to the anisakis worm and fish, I would be smiling over the creation and existence of this wormy character.

Many have questioned by the prominent JKN has not addressed the issue which has pushed other kashrut matters aside, as if the worm is a new find, which it is not. Yes, articles from prominent rabbonim and kosher agencies appear on chareidi and other news sites in Hebrew and English, yet JKN remains silent. Baruch Hashem, I felt compelled to discuss this with a number of the rabbonim involved, and I opted to remain far away.

In retrospect, good call, for JKN is not party to the unwelcome comments addressed at talmidei chachamim, none of which contributing an iota to resolving this complex halachic issue or swaying rabbis to change their view. I can boast that in some cases, I could have ‘been first’ but in this case, I am proud that JKN remained silent, making its significant contribution to the ongoing controversy.

Anyway, I have tried and continue to remain focused, to distance myself from the politics of kashrus, seeking to educate and pass credible information to you, readers and subscribers. I know the recent article concerning Tnuva and the kibbutz was borderline, and admittedly, I think posting it was a mistake. That said, I am not planning to use this forum to host anisakis articles right now, but I remind readers before the issue became the front page reading that it has become, I did post two viewpoints, the OU and the RCC, reputable organizations adopting different halachic positions.

I will state my opinion here, not one of halachic expertise, but one of a kosher investigative journalist. Nothing here is changed from other kashrus issues. Following the same hechsherim that you have come to trust and your problem may be solved. If you wish to enhance your education, there is a wealth of information on the wormy little guy, as well as recent halachic views posted, albeit in many cases against the wishes of rabbonim whose names appear on the halachic works, and you can become increasingly confused and perhaps frustrated. It is not our job to ‘take sides’ or make such decisions. I believe this is what we have the kosher experts for, as defined by each of us in the form of the kosher agencies we rely on and trust.

There is no shortage of reputable kosher organizations in Eretz Yisrael, N. America, Europe and elsewhere, so this issue, the anisakis, should be no more difficult to navigate than other kosher issues that impact what we eat and the agencies that we have come to rely on.

For those of you disappointed with my one-man policy decision, please accept my sincerest apology, but I remain of the belief that my decision in this case was a good one.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 30th, 2010 at 18:15 and is filed under JKN Alerts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.