[PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
This story is being published to stress a simple point. Not everything in Jerusalem or Israel is kosher and visitors and residents alike must ascertain if there is kashrus and if the level is commensurate with one’s lifestyle. This can only be done by seeing a valid teudat kashrus. Experience shows one is wise to not rely on statements from vendors, but to insist on seeing a valid teudat kashrus including in stores in which workers appear religious.
Inspectors of the Chief Rabbinate Kashrus Enforcement Unit working with health inspectors operating in the Talpiot area of the capital found hundreds of kilograms of tainted meat in a catering hall that was suspected of being treif. The inspection was carried out on Monday, 11 Teves, and the report states that in addition to being suspected of being treif, the meats were not stored in compliance with health regulations. It is also added the businesses advertised as being kosher but in actuality, do not have kashrus supervision from any agency.
The hall in question if Gidi Yavan, formerly Leilot Casablanca
“גידי יון” (לשעבר “לילות קזבלנקה”).
The hall also uses the names Shara, Teiman and Tuamin (See accompanying photos).
They offer catering services along with a restaurant, and take home foods, dairy and meat, advertising as kosher.
Inspectors were acting on an intelligence tip, which panned out in this case. The district veterinary officer gave the order to destroy the meats confiscated during the operation which amount to over 350kg (771 LBS)
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
This stuff happens like once every 10 yrs globally even with a good hechsher. For sure with a questionable hechsher
Once I learned in a kollel next to a wedding hall with the eida charada heksher. In the kollel the mashkiach learnt often.
During the time that wedding do NOT take place, the mashkiach decided to drop in and see what was going on. He told us that the owners were cooking lamb (there wass NO kosher lamb available then).
The owners were shocked and did not expect him to drop in at that time since no weddings were performed.
Anyway, he was embroiled in a big dispute between him and the hall and the eida. He eventually left haskacha.
Moral: even the best hecksherim have problems.
It is essential to get ISRAELI Kashrut under a supervised control board so that these treif items do not get sold, prepared or eaten by unknowing individuals.
These stories only affirm the view held by most yidden that reliance a good chassidishe shechita is the safest way to avoid such problems with treifus. While its not 100 percent perfect, its by far the gold standard of kashruth for shomrei torah u’mitvos.