kashrus in Israel#3

Tuesday, February 17, 200923 Tevet 5769

Hi folks,Baruch Hashem, the feedback that I continue to receive signals theowner of Mitz Pri in Geula has received the message, that [former]patrons demand a legitimate kosher hechsher if he expects them toreturn.To my dismay, a number of readers shared their experiences with me,and it appears the gentleman who owns the Mitz Pri fruit juice storeis easily agitated and did become verbally abusive. In a number ofcases, he threw objects are patrons to dared to question thelegitimacy of the photocopied meaningless Badatz Chatam Sofer letterhanging on both sides of his store, ordering them to leave.This brings me to my first point of clarification.

I am not stating the Badatz Chatam Sofer [and there are two, Petach Tikvah and BneiBrak for those who are unfamiliar] is good or bad. That is for each of you to decide on your own or to ask your spiritual mentor, rav or expert. What I am saying however is that you must acquaint yourself with a hechsher, and know the difference between that and a meaningless photocopy.In this case, Mitz Pri, the photocopy states that good manufactured in a certain factory are under the Chatam Sofer supervision. While this may be the case, we are not guaranteed that the goods from this factory are used in his store, or if they are, if they are exclusive or are other items used in addition.We as consumers must learn to differentiate between a legitimate kosher certificate and a piece of paper with Hebrew writing that does not have bearing on an establishment’s kashrut.

SECOND POINT I feel a need to remind you that the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has determined there are many ‘unauthorized’ agencies posing as legitimate kosher certifying agencies. They have inundated the capital and are also operating elsewhere, including but not limited to Tel Aviv and Tiveria.This IS NOT my subjective opinion but the ruling of the Chief Rabbinate. I will however add that the Rabbinate for legal and other considerations opts to use the word ‘unauthorized’ but I will say they are outright bogus. After two years of walking the streets and reporting on Jerusalem eateries, as well as other cities, I can tell you they DO NOT have supervision.

The kashrut consists of a certificate and a monthly visitto collect money.They use buzz words like “Beit Yosef”, “mehadrin”, “glatt”, and so-forth. The group website contains many many articles that can substantiate the statements such as some during the past shmitah year claiming ‘shmitah l’chumra’ while they used pre-bought chips (Frenchfries) that were heter mechira. This is one very small example. In another case, in Malcha Mall, one “mehadrin” store claiming Beit Yosef meat was using other meat, as per the mashgiach of the Jerusalem Rabbinate.

Anyway, the list of ‘unauthorized’ agencies includes but is notlimited to:

1. Nachlat Yitzchak

2. Keter Kashrut

3. Keter Mehadrin

4. Hidur Mehadrin

5. Mor Levona

6. Ichud Yisrael

7. Mishmar HaKodesh

8. Nezer Hidur

9. Rav Yaakov Landau (Beersheva)To see most of the actual teudot, visit our website at http://tinyurl.com/crt2rbNot on the list and relatively new to the marketplace are:

1. Kisei Eliyahu (http://tinyurl.com/awo7md) not a great photo2. Tiferet Kashrut, which is exactly the same looking as Kisei Eliyahu This means if an establishment has a Jerusalem Rabbinate regular certification and one of the bogus mehadrin ones, it is really NOT mehadrin.

Yes, I know, how can this be and so-forth, it must be good since it is out in the open, but sorry folks, it is not the case. For those of your following the list, I have given example after example of many of these agencies not fulfilling the most basic requirements of mehadrin supervision, especially for a meat restaurant.Please pass this along and encourage a friend to sign up, for free, to assist in getting the word out to as many people as possible.

Thanks for listeningYechiel SpiraJerusalem Kosher Newsjerusalemkn@gmail.comTo join the Jerusalem Kosher News list, visit: http://groups.google.com/group/jerusalemkosher--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~You received this message because you are subscribed to the GoogleGroups "Jerusalem Kosher News" group.To contact the list manger and editor-in-chief, please send an email to jerusalemkn@gmail.com.To unsubscribe from this group, send email tojerusalemkosher-unsubscribe@googlegroups.comFor more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/jerusalemkosher-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---