Deadline for kashrut deal
Rabbi Yossi Feldman has committed to creating a rabbinic board of governors to oversee an alternative to the Kashrut Authority (KA) if the current kashrut crisis is not resolved by Australia Day, January 26.
Rabbi Feldman, who has given a hechsher to new caterer Amaze In Taste (AIT), said he only accepted the position as sole supervisor as an interim solution.
“It is my view that any kashrut supervision should have a rabbinic board of governors that the supervising rabbi reports to,” Rabbi Feldman told The AJN.
“If there is no deal between the KA and AIT by January 26, 2014, then I plan to only continue my supervision of AIT with the oversight of a rabbinic board consisting of at least two other communal rabbis.”
Last month, the Rabbinical Council of NSW (RCNSW) voted 18-3 against Rabbi Feldman giving a hechsher to AIT, prompting him to resign from the organisation.
However, he has said he is confident that by Australia Day he will have at least two other rabbis who support him to join a rabbinic board.
The announcement was welcomed by AIT spokesperson Hilton Cohn.
“We are happy to have Rabbi Yossi Feldman on board,” Cohn said.
“A community-based hechsher is far better than a private hechsher in any form, and we hope that as
many rabbis come on board as possible for the benefit of the entire community.”
In late October AIT and the KA failed to come to an agreement that would see AIT work under the supervision of the KA.
For the last two months communal leaders, including the JCA, Board of Deputies and the Rabbinic Council of NSW (RCNSW), have been working to try and find a solution that would see AIT and the KA work together.
A solution was not found and earlier this month Rabbi Feldman offered to provide kosher supervision to AIT as an interim solution so that the religious community could attend AIT functions and be assured that the food is kosher.
JOSHUA LEVI
comments