The first stage of the kashrus reforms advanced by Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana went into effect on Sunday morning, allowing food establishments to be certified by any religious council throughout Israel rather than only by local councils.

HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen, Nasi of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, issued a call warning Rabbanim not to cooperate with the reforms, in a letter also signed by HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kaniesvky, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, and HaGaon HaRav Shimon Badani.

Regarding kashrus, HaRav Cohen warned of the destruction the reform will cause as “in a place that the kashrus certification was removed by the Mara D’Asra for halachic reasons, someone else will come and certify the establishment – and this will lead to the complete destruction of the entire kashrus system in Eretz HaKodesh.”

“Therefore we hereby are revealing our opinion, daas Torah – not to cooperate with them at all regarding both giyur, rachmana litzlan, and kashrus. No Rav should oversee kashrus [in an establishment] that is not located in his area and be masig the gevul by supervising kashrus in another city in any shape or form.”

“And those who are poreish from the kehal Hashem and transgress His will, his kashrus certification will be banned.”

Kahana and his supporters claim that allowing food establishments to be certified by any Rabbanim throughout Israel will open up competition and lower prices but this claim has been challenged by those familiar with the system, with the Koshrot organization saying that businesses that sought alternative kashrus supervision in the past did not do so due to lower prices or better service but because they were not willing to comply with the standards set by the Rabbanut.

Dozens of municipal Rabbanim published a letter a few weeks ago stating that they will not change their kashrus supervision when the reforms go into effect and will continue supervising only local establishments.

Source: (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)