Yielding to pressure: Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef ordered the closure of a school for slaughtering studies

May 31, 2022   

Three months ago, the Ministry of Religious Services and the Chief Rabbinate launched a 'Kosher Slaughter School' - a reform estimated to cost millions and was supposed to open the market to competition and thus lower meat prices. However, according to a report by Omri Maniv on Hadashot 12, the one who has stopped this reform in recent days is the Chief Rabbinate, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef. It all started when the Ministry of Religious Services and the Chief Rabbinate decided to fight the high price of meat, which was caused, among other things, by the lack of competition in the field of kashrut. Almost all the meat we eat is imported from abroad, and the Chief Rabbinate does not allow overseas kosher institutions to grant kosher certification for slaughter. As a result, there are few slaughterers, and the price is rising accordingly. Three months ago, they decided to establish a school for slaughterers that was supposed to train thousands of new slaughterers. The meaning: opening the market to competition and a real reduction in prices. The Ministry of Finance has already allocated millions to establish the school and put out a tender, and even the first course has already been opened, after a winner was chosen. However, then the veteran slaughterers realized that the new reform was going to harm their livelihood, and some began to exert heavy pressure to cancel it. According to the report, a few days ago, the Chief Rabbinate shelved everything: He fired everyone responsible. On the course, he canceled the school and all planned training - and buried the reform. The Chief Rabbinate refused to comment to Hadashot 12 on the matter.