Israel – Possible Kashrut Licensing Crisis Looming Due To Metzger Investigation

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    Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger, suspected of bribery, money-laundering and fraud allegations, seen outside his home on July 08, 2013. Photo by FLASH90Jerusalem – Jerusalem is facing a possible kashrut crisis due to the investigation into Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and his decision to recuse himself from all official duties until the investigation is concluded.

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    As first reported by Army Radio, Metzger is the legally designated official for authorizing kashrut licenses in Jerusalem since there is currently no chief municipal rabbi for the city.

    This presents a potential problem for any new establishments seeking to gain a kashrut license due to Metzger’s recusal from his duties as chief rabbi.

    The Council of the Chief Rabbinate was supposed to convene on Monday in order to discuss various issues, including the appointment of someone who could replace Metzger as the kashrut license authority for Jerusalem.

    The meeting did not take place however as at least eight of the 15 members of the council said they could not attend, meaning that it was impossible to form the majority required to take decisions.

    The rabbinate said that the meeting was called off due to requests by several council members to postpone owing to personal reasons.

    Reports in the haredi media however, accused Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar of seeking to make several appointments within the rabbinate that were opposed by some of the council members who therefore refused to attend a meeting.

    The rabbinate said that such claims were completely false.

    The rabbinate also stated that Metzger is still able to authorize kashrut licenses for new establishments if the situation arises.

    What is more problematic is the situation after July 24 when the new chief rabbis will be elected because of the upcoming expiry date of all currently valid kashrut licenses immediately before Rosh Hashana on September 4.

    The Council of the Chief Rabbinate is the only body authorized to designate a kashrut licensing authority for Jerusalem, but owing to the politically charged nature of the current election campaign for the incoming chief rabbis, the rabbinate is concerned that if, as is possible, legal proceedings are opened up by a losing candidate against the election process, or if civil rights activist groups file High Court petitions against a winning candidate for past misdemeanors, a new official for kashrut licensing will not be appointed in time before Rosh Hashana.

    This could possible create chaos for the hundreds of kosher establishments throughout the city.

    One possibility could be for the Rabbinate’s Department for National Kashrut to renew the licenses but this is not necessarily legally possible.

    Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post


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    3 Comments
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    BigMasmid
    BigMasmid
    10 years ago

    כשנשאל ר’ יששכר דוב רוקח זצ”ל על מי צריך לכוון בברכת ולמלשינים, הוא ענה כי יש לכוון על הציונים ועל המזרחים. וכמה שהוא צדק !!! כמובן שיש הרבה מה להרחיב בנושא, אך לא כאן המקום

    רק אציין עוד עניין אחד – ר’ אלחנן וואסרמן הי”ד טען כי אלו הלוקחים כסף מן הציונים כפופים ומשועבדים להם לעשות

    האלה רשעים, אין להם יראת שמים, לא מקנא בגיהנום שלהם על החילול השם שהם עושים כל הזמן רצונם