There is currently a big Kashrus scandal brewing. For personal reasons I am not at liberty to comment on it (hamevin yavin). I do however have a lot to say on the matter. What I will say is this. If you push people too far eventually the pitch forks come out and this might be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I will be monitoring comments, if you know what my connections are please do not post them because they will be deleted immediately.
I will be monitoring comments, if you know what my connections are please do not post them because they will be deleted immediately.
15 comments:
for those of us outside the heilegeh tri-state area, you need to give us something more. I have no idea whats going on other than a pissing match between rabbis and kashrus orgs.
is there really more to the scandal, like actual kashrus issues? or just some VHQ/V5T crap?
all i can say is there is more
A "scandal"? Really? Come on. This whole thing sounds circumstantial at best. The quotes in the Jewish Star article seem pretty ambiguous, with some mention of "oversight" problems, whatever that means, and the fact that R' Soloveitchik doesn't swim in the world of Kashrus (and who could blame him; that pool is probably filled with mikva water and beard hair). I think this thing is gonna blow over way before it becomes a "scandal". Streit's will probably take on a national hashgacha (maybe the Chof-K again) in order to appease everyone, and all will be well. The bottom line is, those who never ate Streit's still won't and those who did probably will. Also, why are you not at liberty to comment on this? Just because you know someone doesn't mean that you are intmately involved.
Having read the post at HaEmtza first...
I used to be friends with one of the Soloveitchik's while he was a teacher in the local (now-closed) yeshiva. I once asked him about the hechsher on the Streits matzah, why there wasn't a symbol but it just said "Supervised by Rav Ahron Soloveitchik" and he said "When you've got our name you don't need a symbol".
Bottom line: people who trust the Soloveitchiks and their piety will continue to buy Streits. Those who will insist on some national symbols which, incidentally, is far more anonymous!, will not.
As for the waters of Kashrus, all this incident will prove is that kosher supervision has nothing to do with qualified people and everything to do with companies paying the big symbols for protection.
"no one wants to mess with the Soloveichiks in general". i dont know any details about this "scandal". what i do know though is that the person quoted saying these words does not speak that way, if he feels there is something wrong he is very clear about it. sounds like a misquote at best.
From what I know of the situation it looks like Schonfeld was looking to make a name for himself and Eisen was looking to jump on to another chumrah. It is an attack on YU and R. Aaron Soloveitchik by the Yeshivish. There has been no change in the way that Streit’s has done business over the last 50 years but now all of a sudden a week before Pesach these goons decide that they are frummer than the world and they should be pulling the hashgacha on Streit’s, without talking to them, causing the company hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in business losses. If I was Streit’s I would drag these two clowns into a din torah then sue them in court for libel. Eisen and Schonfeld should be fired for this egregious action. HF, I know you said you don't want to comment because of personal connections, I don't know what they are but this thing stinks of more charedi propaganda against the MO community. As a resident of the 5 Towns I have to say Eisen has crossed the line one final time. There is nothing he can now say, post haste that will make up for his causing these financial losses to Streit’s. He was trying to "look frum" and that is all there is to it. His claim that he always "follows the lead of the Queens Vaad" is a copout. Who is the more experienced kashrus professional, him or Schonfeld who is 28 years old. ALL the rabbis in the 5 Towns should be up in arms about this.
Logo Yid, I didn't say I was intimately involved I said that I would rather not make further comments on the issue due to personal reasons, which if you knew what they were you would most likely understand.
Anon 9:06: Is this the pervasive feeling throughout the 5 towns? Are people that angry about this?
I heard that one of the Rabbis in one of the shuls in Woodmere (I do not daven there) said that people should let the Vaad know how upset they are and tell them that they were out of line. I did not hear if any of the other rabbonim said anything but I think a lot of people in town were taken back at how this whole thing was handled and many people who are already not happy with the vaad were pushed over the cliff by this one.
Asking the community to express their displeasure with the Vaad's actions is taking the coward's way out.
All of the Rabbanim in the community belong to the Vaad. Where were they when these actions were being taken? When did it become acceptable for the community to dictate policy to the Vaad?
It is the job of the member Rabbanim to steer the Vaad in the direction they believe benefits the community at large.
The fact that this happened at all, indicates that there was tacit approval by the members of the Vaad.
Bringing up the issue in shul on Achron Shel Pesach is less than useless, it is insulting.
I heard what the Rabbi said, (I was in his shul for the speech) and I will try and remain neutral on this issue but the question I had for him is shouldn't the Rabbonim in town have some say into major decisions that the Vaad Hakashrus makes and if they do not is this not your own fault for not demanding that all decisions such as this one be brought before the community before they are enacted? If you give the head of the Vaad cart Blanch to do as he wishes how can you now complain and call him out when he does what seemingly is what he thinks is correct that you do not agree with?
It is my understanding that in other local vaadim, the decision as to whether a certain hashgacha is acceptable is made by the rabbonim who are members of the vaad and not by the person who is hired to oversee hashgachos for the vaad. One would think that status quo would not change without the mashgiach going before the vaad by whom he is employed to discuss the issue, particularly one that would be of some sensitivity.
Anon 11:36. I think that what the Rabbi did was the right thing. This whole thing came to light so close to Yom Tov that by the time all the supposed facts were known it was too late to do anything. Now people need to let the Vaad know that they are not pleased with these actions. As a community organization the people have a right to voice their opinions.
HF:
I was sitting near you and I heard the Rav's speech too.
There has never been an occasion when the Rav has advocated that the community express its displeasure to the Vaad.
Quite the opposite. The Rav has always maintained that the community support the Vaad as it is privy to information the tzibur at large is not and having one community-wide Kashrus Standard outweighs any other issue.
I agree wholeheartedly with the Rav on the importance of maintaining a single standard.
That being said, I reiterate: If the member Rabbanim don't agree with Vaad actions, it is incumbent upon these same Rabbanim to correct the policies, not ask for a community-wide letter writing campaign.
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