This was bound to happen, and I am a bit surprised it has taken so long.
The Dati Leumi community has started it's own private mehadrin hechsher at the level of any haredi Badatz.
I suspect the reason they have not done so until now is because of a concern that opening a private hechsher might have been viewed as a rejection of the Rabbanut and it's authority. Perhaps the way has been paved now due to the increase of haredi control over the Rabbanut, which is seen as being the cause of many of the Rabbanut's failings in recent years (they have gotten much better in some areas, but in others they are having problems).
A family magazine called Maayanei Hayeshua (page 11 if you are looking for it) ran an article (HatTip to A Mother in Israel) about the new mehadrin Dati Leumi founded Badatz hechsher called Orot Eliyahu. The hechsher is under the auspices of Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, rav of Tzfat, and under the management of Rav Ezra Sheinberg. Orot Eliyahu operates under guidelines from Rav Mordechai Eliyahu' zt"l and it is Rav Mordechai Eliyahu's personal mashgiach and shochet, Rav Giat, that directs them in policy.
Orot Eliyahu has a slaughterhouse in tzfat in which they shecht chickens. They currently sell directly, via a phone number (you can get it from their website), and deliver to the house. It has started as a small operation but they deliver all over the country. They claim to be at the same kashrus level of any haredi Badatz, and, unlike any of the haredi hechshers, they actually publicize what their policy is on the various kashrus issues involving chicken.
Their goal, they say, is to provide high level kashrus of chickens at reasonable prices. According to their price list, they seem to be 20% to 40% cheaper than most of the haredi badatz hecshers.
They say what prompted them to open the hechsher is that the people among the Dati Leumi community who were looking for better hechshers ended up "in other people's fields". Furthermore, communities often unify around the issue of kashrus. They point to Belz, the Eida, Aguda, etc. where the community runs its own hechsher and that is what those within eat. The Dati Leumi can do that as well and have a hechsher that can unify the community.
FINALLY the DL community has awoken and realize that their standards are not below the Badat"z..just different.
ReplyDeleteOh, so that is why they were yelling "schnitzel" at the girls from Orot Banot. Now it all makes sense.
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ReplyDeleteJust be grateful that you have a plethora of hechsherim and and even greater choice of sources for your kosher meat in Israel.
ReplyDeleteHere in Jersey (the original one in the English Channel - not that imitation next door to New York!) we have to get our meat flown in from London. This "importation" of kosher meat is also true of many other Jewish communities, small and not so small, in mainland Britain too.
Contrary to common belief, we are not all multi-billionaires here in the Channel Islands, so maintain a kosher home does not come cheap.
But כל הכבוד to the דתיים לאומיים. I wish them much success in their new venture.
There are always 2 issues with hashgachot. 1. What are the policies. 2. Can they really enforce, guarantee, etc. adherence to those.
ReplyDeleteGood that they published, but it remains to be seen if they can actually abide by them.
Also, best to wait a few months and see what happens to the prices.