In response to reports Israeli hoteliers are working with Tzohar Rabbonim to provide kashrus supervision in the nation’s hotels instead of local rabbinates, Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Yaakov Ariel Shlita insists one cannot be part of such a move if one respects the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Rabbi Ariel questions how rabbonim affiliated with Tzohar can speak out against the Chief Rabbinate and call for privatizing kashrus. He decries how these calls are coming from persons who wear kippot and carry the title “rav”.

He rejects the words of “other rabbonim” [not affiliated with Tzohar] who have spoken out against the “Chief Rabbinate’s monopoly on kashrus”, explaining “monopoly is a strong commercial word, one that has no connection to halacha”. He explains the Chief Rabbinate is the body responsible for the nation’s kashrus, the overseer, for hotels and other institutions as well.

Rav Ariel rejects the Tzohar idea of making the Chief Rabbinate the regulator over kashrus that it undertakes, stating the cost of setting up a new system would be prohibitive and there is no reason whatsoever to dismantle the system that is in place as opposed of making order of today’s system and a more standardized system from city to city.

The rabbi adds that from the hotel’s perspective, they are simply looking to cut expenses and they are taking advantage of the current situation.

Rav Ariel is not hiding his head in the sand, rather he is well-aware of the problems. He points out that when it comes to bringing the matter to Knesset, to give the Chief Rabbinate the authority and means to enforce the kashrus as it should, then things stop and this is a critical component of the problem.

He concludes “There is a tzibur that views itself as being religious and it is working to destroy kashrus, which is the basis for normative life for Am Yisrael living together in Israel. The correct way is to strengthen the Chief Rabbinate. A religious person, especially one calling himself ‘rav’, cannot be part of an effort to destroy the Chief Rabbinate, which is the best available as well as most qualified. Yes, there is a need for improvement, to become more efficient, to improve, but this requires empowering the Chief Rabbinate with the required tools”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)