The Tzohar rabbinical organization has broken its silence and taken a public stance against the Chief Rabbinate and in favor of reforms to Israel's system of kashrut certification.
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In a position paper obtained by Israel Hayom, Tzohar points out a series of problems with how food vendors currently obtain kashrut certificates.
The reform proposed by Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana would form associations that would provide kashrut supervision for businesses, as opposed to the current supervisors, who work for local religious councils and therefore for the Chief Rabbinate.
If Kahana's reform is enacted, the Tzohar kashrut supervision, which is currently in use but forbidden to feature the word "kosher," will be able to supply its services to thousands of businesses.
Haredi MKs have claimed that Tzohar is actually behind the proposed reform.
"The system of kosher certification in its current form has problems that harm government kashrut certification in Israel," the Tzohar paper claims. The paper goes on to note the state comptroller's findings about the problems with the national system, and states that "the reform will save government-provided kosher certification, and allow those who keep kosher to feel more confident about the food they consume."
One of the problems with the current state of kosher certification Tzohar cited was the lack of oversight of the supervisors themselves: "In many of the larger cities, there is no rabbi who has the job, or any rabbinical oversight. The current state of the kashrut system creates a situation in which each local rabbinate sets its own demands and the practices of supervision. This reality does not allow businesses and customers transparency and a clear understanding of the standard of kashrut."
The Tzohar paper went on to note that businesses paid the salaries of kashrut supervisors, which Tzohar says violates Jewish law. In addition, the organization claims that "As the years have passed, the current system of kosher supervision has created a sense of loathing, distance, and lack of trust among the public. Many businesses are forgoing kosher certification, or reaching out to non-halachic groups to replace the rabbinate."
"The root of the problem lies with the structure of kosher certification in Israel, which operates as local monopolies: every city or council rabbi has the exclusive authority to confer kosher status in his jurisdiction, according to standards and practices that he has decided on, with nearly no external oversight," Tzohar claims.
"The monopolies create a lack of unity it terms of Jewish law, a lack of unity in pricing, corruption, nepotism, and a lack of control over the national system that is wrongs business owners. The reform is a golden opportunity to restore the public's faith and build support in the world of kashrut and tradition, while strengthening the Chief Rabbinate," Tzohar wrote.
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