Jerusalem – President Shimon Peres’s chief of staff Efrat Duvdevani has sent a letter to Chief Rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar calling on them to thoroughly investigate the catering company Pri Haaretz, which allegedly served non-kosher meat at the president’s Independence Day party at his Jerusalem residence.
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First reported by Ma’ariv, the company that catered the festivities had a large consignment of meat intended for the party which was spoiled. Panicked, one of Pri Haaretz’s chefs allegedly purchased a new batch of meat for the event at a non-kosher butcher in Abu Ghosh outside Jerusalem.
Rafi Yohai, head of the Chief Rabbinate’s division for the enforcement of kashrut laws, said that an investigation has been opened into the matter and that the rabbinate requested on Tuesday a court order for Pri Haaretz to hand over documents relating to the incident.
Yohai also said that it is 100 percent certain that one of Pri Haaretz’s chefs purchased 80 kg. of meat from the non-kosher butcher in Abu Ghosh. Pri Haaretz’s kashrut license has been revoked as a result.
Duvdevani explained the series of events in her letter to the Chief Rabbinate. She said that the catering company had presented a kashrut certificate from the Chief Rabbinate and the regional religious council of Emek Hefer, and brought along a kashrut supervisor for the duration of the event.
Pri Haaretz admitted that the original consignment of meat was spoiled but claimed that they had replaced it with kosher meat from their central kitchen.
However, one of the catering company’s chefs was identified on security camera video footage from the butcher in question buying a large quantity of meat.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
What exactly did the Mashgiach do at this affair, walk around looking important. Did he not check the meat delivery and make sure where it came from? Was he there only for show?
And since when does Perez eat kosher food?
What happened in Monsey with the respected Rov selling treif meat to thousands and thousands of Yidden who still are spitting was a million times worse!
Big news the president of a country who steps on every value frum jews have had non kosher meat in his house…….
if he really cares about kosher it wouldnt happened in the first place there were have been more carefull i guess he doesnt care about kosher
Big fat joke…doing kol aveiros shebetora, then making investigation why treif was served, that story is nothing more than a publicity for religious zionism…
Was this a non supervised kashroot certification? And if there was a mashgiach, he should be fired for failing to prevent non kosher meat slipping into the kitchen.
Why is everyone dumping on Perez the government hired a supposedly KOSHER caterer and either blame the caterer or the mashgiach but in this case the government is not libel. All government events are supposed to be Kosher according to Israeli law as well as those held overseas. that a presidential event was held on Yom Ha’Atzmaut that was found not to be kosher was entierly the fault of the caterer. It was so important that even the non religious Haaretz newspaper was shocked enough to report it.
Big news the president of a country who steps on every value frum jews have had non kosher meat in his house…….
Anti Halal incitement!
Peres’s wife actually became kosher and SHabbos observant and bought her groceries in Machane Yehudah while also buying groceries for the poor.
“It is known that the wife of Peres keeps a kosher kitchen and she goes to rebbes for berachos.”
Is that so, Yovel? Are you absolutely sure of that?
Perhaps you should know Sonia Peres ע”ה died on 20 January 2011, aged 87, from heart failure at her apartment in Tel Aviv.
Through the years Sonia chose to stay away from the media and keep her privacy and the privacy of her family, despite her husband’s extensive political career. With the election of Peres for president, Sonya Peres, who had not wanted her husband to accept the position, announced that she would stay in the couple’s apartment in Tel Aviv and not join her husband in Jerusalem. The couple thereafter lived separately.
So Sonia Peres is in no position to “keep a kosher kitchen and go to rebbes for berachos.”
Do remember to check your facts before you rush into print, Yovel.
Dear Vosizneias Moderator:
Please remove #4 as it is Halachikly incorrect to say that Halal is only an issur d’rabbanan. I am afraid that someone will be mor’eh heter one day based on “I don’t remember where I saw it but I once saw from a reliable source that Halal meat is mutar d’orriasa”.
This is a real danger!
#26 ,
AM HA’ARETZ!!!!!
Hil. Avos HaTumos, 2:10
Perez hired the caterer in good faith. He’s no more at fault for this than someone who bought treif food marked with a reliable hesher. The caterer should and will pay for this. The guests should shrug their shoulders and get on with their life. They had no intention of breaking kashrut.