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Apr 2, 2014
Proposed Law: get rid of Rabbanut kashrut
MKs Aliza Lavie, Adi Kol and Ofer Shelach (Yesh Atid) want to change the kashrut laws of Israel.
The current kashrut laws require the Rabbanut to give basic kashrut certification to anybody who wants it, as long as they adhere to a basic set of standards, at minimum. As well, no institution (store, restaurant, etc) is allowed to take private certification without first having Rabbanut certification. If they do, they will have transgressed the kashrut fraud laws. This law basically ensures that even private kashrut organizations are sticking to at least the same basic standards, and unexpectedly improving on them, as the Rabbanut - but not going less than that. Any private kashrut certification can only be employed above and beyond the Rabbanut certification - and not instead of the Rabbanut certification.
The new law proposal that would amend this law has two parts to it:
1. it sets some sort of uniformity in kashrut rules, such as the method of employment of mashgichim (to get rid of any conflict of interests) as well as publicizing on the internet details about the certification.
2. it would recognize private kashrut organizations as valid service providers as alternatives to the Rabbanut - one would be able to employ the private organization instead of the Rabbanut, rather than in addition to the Rabbanut.
This law, if it passes, would break the monopoly of the Rabbanut on kashrut. That might seem like a good thing, as competition is always better for the consumer. In this case though, it opens up kashrut to a system of no standards at all. It might give great upside, but on the downside anybody will be able to say "kosher" with no minimal standards.
And that's basically why some rabbis have come out against this law proposal. They are worried that this will open the door for Reform or Conservative kashrut organizations to get their feet in the door, without using halachic standards of kashrut.
As well, taking kashrut out of the hands of the Rabbanut is another nail in the coffin of the Rabbanut. With all the authority being taken out of their hands, the government might as well just shut the Rabbanut down.
Another problem if the law will pass will be that there will be no system of fraud reporting. If anybody can give any level of kashrut they want, who is going to be able to stop any kashrut fraud - it will be institutionalized as acceptable instead of deemed as fraud!
source: NRG and Srugim
The current kashrut laws require the Rabbanut to give basic kashrut certification to anybody who wants it, as long as they adhere to a basic set of standards, at minimum. As well, no institution (store, restaurant, etc) is allowed to take private certification without first having Rabbanut certification. If they do, they will have transgressed the kashrut fraud laws. This law basically ensures that even private kashrut organizations are sticking to at least the same basic standards, and unexpectedly improving on them, as the Rabbanut - but not going less than that. Any private kashrut certification can only be employed above and beyond the Rabbanut certification - and not instead of the Rabbanut certification.
The new law proposal that would amend this law has two parts to it:
1. it sets some sort of uniformity in kashrut rules, such as the method of employment of mashgichim (to get rid of any conflict of interests) as well as publicizing on the internet details about the certification.
2. it would recognize private kashrut organizations as valid service providers as alternatives to the Rabbanut - one would be able to employ the private organization instead of the Rabbanut, rather than in addition to the Rabbanut.
This law, if it passes, would break the monopoly of the Rabbanut on kashrut. That might seem like a good thing, as competition is always better for the consumer. In this case though, it opens up kashrut to a system of no standards at all. It might give great upside, but on the downside anybody will be able to say "kosher" with no minimal standards.
And that's basically why some rabbis have come out against this law proposal. They are worried that this will open the door for Reform or Conservative kashrut organizations to get their feet in the door, without using halachic standards of kashrut.
As well, taking kashrut out of the hands of the Rabbanut is another nail in the coffin of the Rabbanut. With all the authority being taken out of their hands, the government might as well just shut the Rabbanut down.
Another problem if the law will pass will be that there will be no system of fraud reporting. If anybody can give any level of kashrut they want, who is going to be able to stop any kashrut fraud - it will be institutionalized as acceptable instead of deemed as fraud!
source: NRG and Srugim
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Labels:
kashrut,
proposed law,
Rabbanut
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Is it fair that any institution that wants badatz or equivilent supervision needs to pay for two mashgichim? With the ever-increasing demand for badatz supervision, instituions are forced to pay twice in order to meet that demand, and the cost is ultimately passed on to the consumer.
ReplyDeleteAs to the downsides mentioned, is it too much to ask that consumers be responsible for ascertaining the reliability of the instituion giving the hekscher? This seems to work well enough outside of Israel.
In a world where the overwhelming majority accepts Rabbinute supervision, the Rabbinute monopoly made sense, but that is no longer the world we live in, and the law should be changed to recognize that fact.
Even I must give some credit to Bayit Yehudi. All of this is already being handled by Rav Ben Dahan. In one of the standard press conferences, he announced that the whole system is being revamped into a three star system. One star regular certification, 2 - mehadrin, 3 - ultra mehadrin. Theoretically, this would weaken the private badatzes a bit, perhaps many restaurants would buy rabanut super-mehadrin instead of one of the extra badatzes. I assume it would hurt the smaller badatzes like you see around Jerusalem that offer restaurants owners fancy mehadrin certificates.
ReplyDeleteThe Yesh Atid trio would actually be strengthening the Haredi badatzes with a law like this, without the need to pay for the duplicate certification, a restaurant might go straight to the Haredi badatz. The trio assumes that many restaurants would go to the lenient reform and conservative certification who allow Shabbat work? Maybe in Tel Aviv that would work, but with some good coordinated publicity campaign and brand building, the Haredi badatzes could reduce the credibility of those.
Well, gosh, how do people keep kosher outside of Israel?
ReplyDeletea new gadol
ReplyDeletehttp://thepartialview.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-making-of-new-gadol.html