About two months ago, the Haifa Rabbinate removed kashrut from a factory that produces pastries and breads for two chains of restaurants and cafes.
Among the reasons for the unusual decision: the oven being turned on by a non-Jew, infestations of various insects and flying creatures in the gluten-free department, lack of separation in the molds between fur and meat - and finding molds of both types in the bakery and confectionery, lack of discipline among employees regarding separation and kashrut procedures, as well as flours found in storage boxes at the end of the workday that were not put into storage.
In addition to the Haifa Rabbinate, the Badatz Beit Yosef, headed by the rabbi Moshe Yosef, also grants kashrut to the establishment. However, while the Rabbinate announced with great fanfare that the kashrut certificate had been withdrawn, the Badatz Beit Yosef filled its mouth with water (or borax), and did not at all warn consumers that there were serious kashrut problems at the place.
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Only a day later, after the factory owner agreed to address the deficiencies and meet the agreed obligations, was the certification reinstated.
This conduct led us to try to understand: what the supervisors of Badatz Beit Yosef did in the weeks before the kashrut certificate was taken from the factory, and why no warning notice was issued at all.
We asked Rabbi Michael Deri, head of the kashrut department at the Badatz Beit Yosef factory: Why didn't they issue a notice removing the kashrut?
""Apply to the Badatz," he replied. "There is a secretariat at the Badatz, they will answer you.".
You are responsible for kashrut, they removed kashrut and you did nothing.
""So they brought it back, you think so, of course we did. We were there throughout the process and, God bless, they brought back the kashrut.".
They restored the kashrut, but when they removed the kashrut, you didn't issue a statement at all.
""There is a Badatz, they should issue the statement, not me.".
Ephraim is a kashrut supervisor for Badatz Beit Yosef. We also asked him: The Haifa Rabbinate removed the kashrut from the factory and then restored it, but you didn't issue a statement on the matter at all. Why?
""Write down a phone number and ask him what they think.".
Don't you know how to tell me?
""I don't talk to anyone I don't know. You can say whoever you want to be, I don't know you, I'm not talking to you.".
Can you tell me what the problems were at the factory?
“"Tell me, are you Ashkenazi, is that why you are difficult to understand? Take the number, it's Rabbi Michael Deri.".
I talked to him. He, just like you, is not interested in talking. You are not willing to talk either. Do you have something to hide from the public?
The overseer replied disdainfully: "Dear Mr. Ashkenazi, we are not afraid of anyone.".
We heeded the advice of the head of the factory's kashrut department, and turned to Badatz Beit Yosef. But even there, all attempts to extract an answer as to why consumers did not receive notification of the removal of kashrut were in vain.
For about a week and a half, we collected a host of excuses from the Badatz Beit Yosef secretariat as to why we could not receive an answer to the simple question.
Margalit, the director of the office, claimed in her first contact with us that the directors of the Badatz and the supervisors were on a field seminar - and she had no one to check with.
We spoke to her again the next day. This time too, she replied that she hadn't had time to check yet. In our next contact, she said that she had forwarded the question and was waiting for an answer. We haven't heard from her since.
In the following days, despite attempts to reach her, we were told that she had "just left" or was not there. After that, they stopped answering inquiries.
It's hard to believe, but this is how Badatz operates in Israel, where a large public consumes the kosher certification it provides.
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The rabbi of Nesher, a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, and a favorite disciple of the Rishon LeZion, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Rabbi Levi is the rabbi who signs the kashrut certificates for hundreds of stores and businesses in Haifa on behalf of the Chief Rabbinate.
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In a conversation with Haredim 10, Rabbi Levy explains what led to the removal of kashrut from the factory: "There was a list of kashrut requirements that the Rabbinate had and they didn't meet them, they weren't ready. They dragged us out for a while, until it was decided to remove the kashrut because we didn't see it progressing. Only when we removed the kashrut did they implement all the requirements.".
How long did this last?
""For a certain period of time, a few weeks, something like that. They said: Take the certificate, Matan Kahana will take care of another certificate for us and all that kind of talk. As soon as the certificate came down, they saw that they couldn't manage without the rabbinate's kosher - God bless the rabbinate, it has meaning.".
There is another kosher authority besides the Rabbinate - Badatz Beit Yosef. They did nothing all these weeks, even though they knew about the kashrut shortcomings?
""I am not responsible for 'Beit Yosef', I am not..."'
After you removed the 'Beit Yosef' kashrut, you did not issue a statement about it.
“"I don't think, I don't think 'Beit Yosef' supported them while we were removing their kashrut.".
Why did you restore kashrut within a day after weeks of kashrut problems?
""I'll give you an example, they make both dairy and parva there. They had separations between the parva and dairy molds. Several times when we asked them for clear separations, they tested us, tried to buy time. As soon as we stopped the kashrut, they immediately stopped working and focused on doing it.
""Another thing, we demanded that there be a close supervisor who would light the fire in all the ovens, they refused that. As soon as we lowered the kashrut, they agreed.".
""We asked for pest control. There was a problem with flies in the flour, it's both a hygiene problem but also a kosher problem. As soon as we removed the kosher, they brought an exterminator.".
All this time you didn't remove the kosher certification, were the products kosher?
""In retrospect, in retrospect. In retrospect it was kosher. These are things that in retrospect you can rely on all kinds of voices. But initially, because this is a place that wants kosher according to Mehadrin. Initially, it was impossible to conduct business like this.".
The Rabbi brings me back to the question - where are the 'Badatz Beit Yosef' in this whole story?
""I don't know their considerations, I don't know what the Badatz's calculations are. It's possible that he trusted us to do the work. I don't want to say things on their behalf, because I don't sit in the Badatz. I do our work towards the public and towards Shayya, I can't do the calculations of others.".
You don't know how to say whether the moment you denied kashrut, Badatz Beit Yosef didn't act in the same way?
""I don't believe he didn't deny. I don't know of any precedent where the Badatz gave kashrut where there is no rabbinical kashrut. It's possible that they trusted us in managing this crisis, and therefore they weren't the front, I don't believe they would have continued to back them up.".
