Newark, NJ – The chief rabbi of a kosher food giant has filed a lawsuit just days before Pesach charging that the company’s kashrus standards have been slipping over the years and accusing the agency that certifies the products as kosher with ignoring the problem.
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Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, a long time mashgiach at the Orthodox Union and Manischewitz’s official rabbi for 20 years, said that he was roundly criticized and forced out of his job after after speaking out about issues that he felt were halachically problematic.
According to The NY Daily News, Rabbi Horowitz said that trouble began brewing as far back as 2009 when Manischewitz allegedly started to become more lax in its kashrus standards. In the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday, Rabbi Horowitz charged the Orthodox Union with ignoring his concerns in order to make sure that they didn’t lose a large account.
A New York Post report said that Rabbi Horowitz took an extended medical leave from his position at the Orthodox Union saying that the kashrus agency made it impossible for him to do his job. According to the complaint, Rabbi Horowitz was told to “do everything in his power to keep Manischewitz happy, even if this meant compromising his personal religious principles.”
Just one year ago, Rabbi Horowitz sang Manischewitz’s praises in an exclusive 2015 VIN News video interview where he described Manischewitz’s matza plant in Newark, New Jersey as the “most efficient and halachically advanced line in the world.”
The Orthodox Union denied Rabbi Horowitz’s claims, calling the timing suspicious and categorizing the suit as baseless.
“We certify that the kashrut of Manischewitz is today, and has always been, at the highest level,” said a statement released by the Orthodox Union. “Consumers can confidently rely upon the integrity of the kashrut this Passover and throughout the year.”
Kashrus became such an industry today that its ard to know who is lying and who is honest
sounds like extortion to me. First of all he sang their praises last year. second of all anyone who knows Rav Belsky zt”L knows he could care less about any account. If it had any validity back n 2009 Rav Belsky zt’L would have dealt with it. Me thinks someone wants a quick buck here !
Some thing smells here. A large company introduced a new product (Grape Juice) for which there essentially is no competition and all of a sudden Kashrus problems appear!!
for all those who claim that OU is a better hecsher then CRC or other local rabunim here goes the proof (accusation) that its not better.
OU is an organization with Thousands of products which they give a hechsher on and it is impossible to not have problems along the road . There are many who argue that many heimishe hecshers rely on OU for certifying many products but that is only for many ingredients which need chemistry science and OU is knowledgeable in every ingredient but the actual process like Bishil Yisroel, or Chulev Yisroel where OU has many killes which they certify as OU is not acceptable in all chareidishe circles.
Anyhow wishing every one a KUSHERN pesach and we should all be nitzel from a Mashee chumetz.
Why did the ruv decide to wait until 1 day before Pesach to make these very serious allegations? Es Postnisht.
I know Rabbi Horowitz to be a very honorable man. I would take seriously anything he says. You won’t find any Manischewitz products on my table this year.
How can the OU state unequivocally that the kashrus is proper if THEIR guy at the scene says it isn’t. Perhaps he is right and perhaps he is fabricating an issue, but how can they say it’s good if their personal knowledge can only be based upon the Mashgiach at the plant, specifically, Rabbi Horowitz.
It would be ironic if a rabbi in charge of keeping others honest is lying.
I could tell you so many of the stories one big business in salesforce
Does the health department require a hair net
… on a shaitel?
It says in the article ““do everything in his power to keep Manischewitz happy, even if this meant compromising his personal religious principles.” One way to translate this under the OU (his boss) it IS OK. But for Rabbi Horowitz it would not fit his PERSONAL chumras.
At the end of the day if the boss (which includes many Rabboinim) say it’s OK then you do what the boss says. The article gives no specifics as to what the issues are. I think this is a shakedown by the Mashgiach or he is front man for something worse.
The kashruth problems in America is 150 years old
To #16 Either way where there is smoke there is fire!!
Something is VERY fishy here with the claim. It doesn’t add up. Extended medical leave (refuah shlaima!!) sounds serious. “Issues” since 2009 yet a glowing video last year?
Like I said, SOMETHING isn’t adding up. If there’s a Kashrus problem, why not go to a din Torah? Why run to goyisha courts?