Counterfeit Mezuzah Factory Uncovered by the Rabbanut & Police

4 Adar II 5774
March 6, 2014
Baruch Hashem police and agents of the Chief Rabbinate Kashrus Enforcement Unit have uncovered a counterfeit mezuzah operation. According to agents involved in the investigation and raid, the counterfeiting operation used a new and sophisticated method to create very high quality counterfeit mezuzos. The Chief Rabbinate has released a proclamation regarding these mezuzos, which are manufactured using this method. (See attached ruling from the CR).

The printing plates were created using special software that allows modifying letters in a mezuzah. To date, the identity of the letters was a primary vehicle to determine if a mezuzah was printed rather than written by a sofer (scribe) because if they were printed, all the letters would be identical since they are created by machine, not man.

There is a law in Israel that permits the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to oversee the mezuzah industry to avoid counterfeit mezuzos. Following the uncovering of the sophisticated counterfeit operation, Chief Rabbi David Lau has contacted Justice Minister Tzipi Livni to map out a strategy towards monitoring the industry amid the realization that today’s technology enables alarming high quality counterfeits in the STaM (Sifrei Torah, Tefilin and Mezuzos) industry.

Attached are photographs of the counterfeit factory as well as the media release from Israel Police and the Halachic ruling from the Chief Rabbinate.

JKN ADDS:

I cannot stress enough the need to only purchase STaM products from a reputable sofer. Many if not most stores selling mezuzos in tourist and religious areas alike do not check the source of the STaM products they buy. It is best to buy these items in a store with a hashgacha.

Chief R proclamation

Israel Police statement