Rumors have been swirling on social media the past few days regarding the sudden closure of the “Jin Glatt Kosher Chinese & Sushi Restaurant” in Passaic, NJ. Many people were claiming that non-Kosher food was used by the establishment, while others claimed the store was closed just due to a health violation.
Sadly, it appears that this is more than a “health violation”.
The following is an official statement from “PCK = Passaic Clifton Kashrus”, which was giving the Kosher certification to the store:
“The mashgichim at Jin restaurant, located at 227 Main Avenue in Passaic, recently raised questions regarding certain procedures at the restaurant. PCK has determined that these matters merit investigation and, effective January 8, 2018, suspended its supervision of the restaurant pending completion of the investigation, which is being undertaken in consultation with leading kashrus and other experts. At this time, PCK has not concluded that any non-kosher food entered the establishment.
PCK is committed to maintaining the highest standards of kashrus in the Passaic-Clifton community. Following completion of its investigation, PCK intends to report on the results of the investigation as well as any policy changes that may be put in place to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.”
Jin has been in business for at least 15 years. The store has had more than one owner over that time.
YWN will continue to bring our readers any additional updates on the outcome of this investigation.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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66 Responses
the statement seems like a stement the OU would make a non-statement sounding all politically correct, TREIF is being served in a “kosher” restaurant.!!!!
You guys are talking in circles. Either they were selling/serving non kosher or they weren’t.?
Nowecant,
Did you verify the Treif offerings?
Even the tabloid headline didn’t go that far.
Why are you spreading rumors before any determination has been reached?
1.
Nothing to do with PC at all. Probably a lot more to do with hilchos loshon hora and r’chilus. Taking them at face value, if they don’t know IF there was tarfus, why should they say it was? Just to satisfy you and the yenta blabbermouths here? It doesn’t work that way.
“Jin has been in business for at least 15 years. ”
NO THEY HAVE NOT!
The big question is are the owners Jewish or not?
If not, this raises the issue of expanding the issur given by most of the American Rabonim from 60+ years ago against giving a hechsher to Non-Jewish owned meat slaughterhouses to meat restaurants as well.
YW moderator – if it is only a rumor and te place has lost its supervision – why put this on your site????
My friends in northern NJ say they had a very solid reputation and those who were very yeshivish and machmir eat there and take out. This includes yidden who are makpid on cholov yisroel, yoshon, pas yisrael etc. They catered events in NYC as well. Would be a shame if they were deceived by the ownership but stuff like this happens. Its a big inconvenience for those who have purchased take out foods and may have to kasher stuff at home….time for you local rav/posek to provide some guidance.
If this is found to be untrue and just a rumor they should sue big time. If its true, fire the mashgichim forever and thier names should be published. Is the owner jewish?
Maybe the owners or managers of the Establishment were harassing the Mashgiach physically or verbally every time he told them to do something they didn’t like. Let them complete the investigation & we will find out. I am myself a mashgiach for one the local vaadim & I see what goes on.
I knew this day would come. Whenever people who have no idea how to run a kashrut agency decide to open one “litoeles” (money) this is what happens.
According to a mashgiach that quit 2 MONTHS AGO because his higher ups wouldn’t listen to problems that he said were happening, the food there is 100% treif
Why is everyone getting all bent out of shape about the headline/article?
TREIF is being served in a “kosher” restaurant.!!!!
Why would they say that if they don’t know?
Either they were selling/serving non kosher or they weren’t.
That is 100% correct
Agreed with #4. The headlines make it sound malicious, which would destroy the reputation of the restaurant and its employees. If they had to bring in kashrus experts then that means the situation isn’t so simple. It is very unethical and likely assur to smear the establishment the way this headline does. The desire by YWN to be the first to report shouldn’t override the chiyuv to get all the facts lined up and report this situation in a muttar way. Very disappointing.
To everyone questioning whether or not the owners are Jewish or not, let me remind you that there have been numerous cases involving similar situations where the owners were alleged ehrlich yidden with nice long beards and peyes.
On manta.com the manager is listed as Vicky Tang. Doesn’t sound Jewish to me. The practice of giving a hechsher to a Non-Jewish owned meat establishment must end!!!
here we go again…we lived thru the Finkel from Monsey episode….
I had to kasher/buy NEW pots, dishes, and dinnerware for me and all my married children…..
If this story is true, I have a lot of rachmonos on the people living there.
“The practice of giving a hechsher to a Non-Jewish owned meat establishment must end!!!”
Yet, another “enlightened” knee jerk reaction.
Uncle Ben,
Manager does not always = owner.
Could very well be a silent Jewish owner or partner.
apdsvys ” I had to kasher/buy NEW pots, dishes, and dinnerware for me and all my married children…..”
And your unmarried children who purchased take out from Finkel’s did not have to kasher their kitchens?? What does their marital status have to do with the treifus??
Its a big inconvenience for those who have purchased take out foods and may have to kasher stuff at home….time for you local rav/posek to provide some guidance.”
Is the “inconvenience ” the only issue here? How about you were r”l eating nevelos mamash for years. Who knows what spiritual effect it could have had on your soul!
I live in Passaic and I’ve eaten their food a number of times. Their food is decent and well priced, and I look forward to the restaurant re-opening so I can buy there again. The owners are not jewish and very nice and I dont believe they did anything wrong. I know the mashgichim as well, and they were essentially workers at the restaurant who doubled as mashgichim. If there were any issues, they were probably minor, maybe the camera was not always working or possibly a worker bringing in outside food. No big deal!.
On Yelp there is a comment left 01/04/18 as the following:
Moshe F.
Teaneck, NJ
“I’m a good friend with the head mashgiach at jin Glatt Kosher. He was there for over a year and recently left with the other mashgiach. He told me they left because the Chinese where caught sneaking in non kosher chicken without invoices and because of many other kashrus violations. They brought this to the attention of the head rabbi and the other rabbi that checks the premises daily representing PCK (Passaic Clifton Kashrus) over a month ago and nothing was done. I don’t know why the hashgacha is covering this up. Don’t eat there. It is completely treif.:
Gadol: Finkel didn’t sell any takeout…he was a butcher shop that sold only raw meat…
Very irresponsible to have a misleading and possibly slanderous headline.
Finkel / Shevach, Doheny, Flatbush & Borogh park treif violations were by Jewish owners.
I would like to hear from the mashgichim first hand the issues they claim happened that were not addressed properly.
I gave hashgochas to 4 Chinese Restaurants over the years. With proper planning B”H there were no incidents of any violations.
There are certain big hashgachas that won’t give non Jewish owned Chinese restaurants hashgacha, as they have brought in non kosher. The same thing happened around 10 year ago in Florida. The hashgacha set up the restaurant and owners fell for it and the hashgacha was taken away. The Rabbi that I talked to said that locks on freezers are for honest people, but unfortunately for these people it’s part of business for them. You can’t give a hashgacha to people that are looking to deceive.
I heard from a Bobov chossid, Reb Shloima once said that one can only trust the kashrus of a store if he trusts the man standing behind the counter.
apdsvys: My shulchan aruch says treifus i treifus whether raw meat from a butcher selling chazerfieish or treif hindll witha phony plumba or in take out food made from that treif meat. Not sure if they had “take-out” Chinese food at the time of thw shulchan aruch but if they did, I suspect you would have been required to kasher your MARRIED kids’ kitchens (and probably the single kids’ kitchens as well since their is no heter to use treife dishes until after kiddushi).
@ Gadol: non married kids ate from her kitchen..didnt have own kitchen to kasher.. Duh!
Feter Ben, the owner was jewish.
thecommissioner, i have to say you’re a real male donkey because you have no idea what you’re talking about. The people running the agency have will over 100 years of kashrus experience between them. I’ll bet you don’t even compare to a pimple on an ant’s posterior!
The real “SHOCK!” is that a website presenting itself as Torah-based would publish a rumor which they know nothing about, in a city they don’t live in. There is no toeles for anyone since the store is closed in the meantime and no one is going there to eat. Where is common decency and Loshon Hora?!
yyy01, what’s your point? The place was owned by a Shomer Torah u’Mitzvos.
yudel, yes, you’re the greatest.
“The real “SHOCK!” is that a website presenting itself as Torah-based would publish a rumor which they know nothing about,”
Is this your 1st time on this website?
Yehuda Shain of Lakewood,(a kashrus consultant over 40 years) would like to hear first hand from the former mashgichim what are their allegations.
This story broke on a Thursday… gives us all weekend to talk talk and talk some more. Because who knows how many days it will take to investigate…. Please refrain from Loshon Hara over the course of Shabbos. I think I read somewhere that a great sage (maybe the VG) says this halacha is very important especially on Shabbos. Possibly beacuase of all the time we have sitting around at home and at Kiddush in Shul. Perhaps beacuse of the Kedusha of Shabbos. I don’t recall the reason exactly. Remember we may think we know everything but actually we know nothing. We may think we may understand everything but actually we don’t understand anything. Klall Yisroel ,hold your tounge and ears and eyes as reading is also Loshon Hora. Have a great Shabbos!
According to what GAON found on Yelp dated 1/4/18 the Mashgichim did their job and brought it to the attention of the hashgacha over a month ago when they found this questionable chicken. These 2 Mashgichim should be praised and thanked for doing their jobs. The post says they left when nothing was done. They are taking a financial loss for the Jewish community. The hashgacha is at fault for not closing the Chinese restaurant down immediately when there was a safek (doubt) as to the kashrut. They could have done their investigation with the restaurant closed. They apparently don’t care if non-kosher meat is being sold. I question their motives and won’t eat in any restaurant that gets their kosher certification from PCK – Passaic Clifton Kashrus.
I looked up the owner. I am told she has other restaurants in New York. I won’t eat there either. The owner can’t be trusted. There is no way she couldn’t have known what was going on.
Thank you The Yeshiva World for posting this article and keeping the Jewish world informed.
I shudder to think what hell awaits these evil people at Yeshivaworld for posting slander and moitzee shem rah and allowing bashmutzing of a Kashrus organization without anyone knowing all the facts.
If the mashgichim found tarfus a month ago and Left because of it , then why did it take over a month for this to hit the fan. Meaning why didnt the mashgichim come out publicly and say what they saw. They cant possibly think anyone would find out about what they saw unless they told the public. Why did the mashgichim wait over a th? After arent they concerned about the jewish community? I think there is more to This story thsy is not being publicised. Besides if they did find tarfus then this article would not be beating around the bush!
People, the place is closed while PCK is investigating. So, while they’re giving the usual double-talk while accusations are being verified, they are NOT risking anyone eating treif over this. They did indeed close as soon as accusations were made. Perhaps it’s “only” because they had no mashgichim, but there is no way to prove PCK wouldn’t have done so anyway.
(josh1, you’re running away with unverified assumptions. But looking at the comment chain, you are far from alone.)
The bigger question to me, as a Passaic resident, is that PCK is a comparatively young hechsher. Is this an issue anyone would have taken as long to detect, or should I rethink relying on PCK?
Josh 1; Where did you find the owner’s name?
“I looked up the owner. I am told she has other restaurants in New York. I won’t eat there either. The owner can’t be trusted. There is no way she couldn’t have known what was going on..”
According to El Rushbo, the Chinses woman owner is a shomer torah umitzvos so one of you is wrong. Perhaps she was megayer but kept her ethnic name. Too many rumors and innuendos here with very few facts. The only winners are those stores who sell cheap pots and dishes for yidden of modest means…business should be booming if this article is true (unless some creative posek comes up with a shitah on why just toiveling in mikvah might be sufficient). Meantime, back at the Ranch (or beis medrash) question for hundreds or thousands of ehrliche yidden this eruv Shabbos is do we eat from our dishes we might have previously used for take-out from the Jin restaurant while we await the next new flash here on YWN motzi Shabbos.
Uncle Ben,
The article is on the jinglatt . com website. Click the Press tab located up top. There is a Herald News article titled “A kosher take on Chinese” in the third column at the top it state “…owner Tova Ackerman, 33.” The article was probably printed over 10 years ago. I tried to post her name before but it was edited out. Perhaps, for legal reasons. But, this time I am stating the source and where to find the article. It is in the public domain. There should be no reason to not post her name since all have access to it.
There is another person that keeps attacking the credibility of the 2 Mashgichim. They did us a service and it is obvious they were telling people about what they found. The proof is the yelp post dated 1/4/18 and the google reviews post.
The so called “silent” owner I hear was a no show (was never there). I don’t know, but that’s what one of my sources told me. The chinese workers did all of the ordering etc. An owner of a Chinese restaurant that is no show is perhaps just a front for the Chine$e real owners to claim “the owner is Jewi$h”. The Hashgocha may have been fooled.
A little while back the Hashgocha was told by the Mashgichim that they are questioning the reliability of some of the meat n poultry sources.
The hashgocha did make some changes, lo and behold the quantities of meat n poultry from the kosher sources increased substantially. Gevald!
Others in the surrounding area were advising people for quite some time not to trust the kashrus there.
YWN should be very ashamed of all the Lushen Hura they are posting on this site.
If you went into a “kosher” Chinese Restaurant whose owner was an ehrliche looking “yiddel mit a beardl” and sat by the door all the tie but the two mashgichim in the kitchen were both Chinese guys weaing Streimlach (rather than those cut yamulkas with a tassel) , it wouldn’t take a talmid chacham to question whether the food was apprrpriate for a makpid in kashruth…..all the top of the line chassieshe hashgachos require that anything (other than fresh produce) coming into the restauanrt must be packaged in sealed containers from known kosher soucces. If the rav hamachshir is doing his job, any mashgiach under his supervision would rigorously enforce that rule includin protocols to assure nothing illicit is brought in during non-business hours. Yet the article implies the treifus had been suspected “for some time” but nothing was done after the complaints so they eventually left.
R’ Yudel, with all due respect, please do everyone a favor stay out of this. Go back to where you live find a chain market that’s gahfabid selling Cholov Stamm or someplace that heaven forbid has seating on Motzai Shabbos. Enough tumiling in North Jersey.
You have NO idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know who you’re talking to but your “facts” are not emes.
R’ Micha,
I am very surprised at you and your public post. I’m told you’re “ah shtikil” ben torah but your post questioning the organization doesn’t come along with a torah’dika hashkofa.
The name of the agency “might” be young but the people running the agency have over a century of kashrus experience between them. Don’t come posting publicly with such narishkeit because it makes you look bad.
So based on your comment, when are you moving ?
Al pi halacha no one had any right to jump to any conclusions and to actively (with their mouth or other means) cause a loss of business to this company. The Rabbonim very clearly stated, “At this time, PCK has not concluded that any non-kosher food entered the establishment.“ It is still under investigation and to spread untruths is Mozti Shem Ra. Protect yourself from a serious Din V’Cheshbin in the Beis Din Shel Maalah!
A customer that eats in Chinese restaurants was very surprised when he ordered “Spare-Ribs”, that were large, meaty, etc not like in all of the other Chinese restaurants. He wondered to himself, how could they serve such beautiful spare-ribs so cheap?
He never went back there.
Reading some of the comments here, I couldn’t help notice the Am Haratzos of some, how can one compare relying eating from a non-religious Jew or a goy to any observant Jew.
Theortically speaking, we have the klal of עד אחד נאמן האיסורים and as well as all have a חזקת כשרות which will help מדאורייתא. Why we need a Hecsher is because when it comes to business the above is sort of not 100%, and also the complexity of knowing what and how of the layman owner in terms of Halacha in kashrut etc.
However, but eating from a goy one needs to rely that the Hashgacha is 100% efficient, and there is no cracks in any whatsoever case. Otherwise, you are eating 100% non-kosher מדאורייתא.
Yes, there has been a few cases where Yiden were Machel Treifos, but how many? I don’t think it can take away the fact that the overall observant Jew will never try to do that, and that there is any question in the very Chazkos Kashros.
The few cases to that occurred is really out of the ordinary. Whereas, relying on a goy is by far worse.
Bottom line, if you want to be diligent in kashrut, you should really think twice before eating from any Goyish owned restaurant.
Yudel questions: “He wondered to himself, how could they serve such beautiful spare-ribs so cheap?”
Bottom line….owners should be yidden and you can never (well almost never) go wrong with a good chassideshe hashgacha. Otherwise, if you want to be machmir and makpid seventeen times over, rely upon the best hashgacha in the world,….home cooking from your wife. If she can make a mean chulent, than General Tszo’s chicken or delicious spare ribs (aka roasted flanken with duck sauce) is easy.
We can’t call this as Jewish owned and to rely on that for “eid-echad”, the facts just are not there.
There has been numerous red-flags at the facility that should have raised serious overview.
Numerous locals were not comfortable with the kashrus reliability at this restaurant.
From their website: Jin Glatt Kosher, located in Passaic, NJ, is a Shomer Shabbos Eat-in and Take-out Restaurant serving both Chinese food and Sushi. We are under the supervision of PCK Passaic-Clifton Kashrus . All meals are prepared to order without MSG. In addition to our restaurant’s menu, we welcome corporate special orders and also, catered events. Our knowledgable staff stands ready to help you plan your next event.
“all meals prepared without MSG”, I would question the validity of that statement.
“We can’t call this as Jewish owned and to rely on that for “eid-echad”, the facts just are not there.”
Yudel,
My point was not to actually go on and “rely” on Eid-echod as a kulah. I was using it as a Chumra, meaning, that one should avoid eating from any non-observant/Jewish establishment, unless he can say the Hashgacha is really 1000% effective.
I don’t know the facts in this case, but it sounds like the current owner was not Jewish. The website means nothing as the very info is again coming from the non reliable ownership.
“Gadolhatorah”, A good chasidishe hashgocha? No way! They say that a frum yid owns the place you don’t need a mashgiach, that’s exactly where all the treyf problems came about.
R’ Ydel doubts something. Woohoo big news. He’s probably wrong here too.
Yuddele….hundreds or thousands of ehrliche yidden in northern NJ are waiting anxiously to find out weather they have to kasher or toivel their kitchenware or possibly replace everything that might have come into contact with Jin’s take out food and you are kvetching about them possibly using MSG in the chow mein???
Gadolhadorah,
“hundreds or thousands of ehrliche yidden in northern NJ are waiting anxiously to find out weather they have to kasher or toivel their kitchen”
Please please don’t exaggerate! If it’s more than 20 that’s probably too much and those people (SHOULD) have already been in touch with their LOR for a psak which would be that they do not have to kasher.
And by the way, toiviling keylim has nothing to do with anything here. Different ballgame. Totally.
Reb Yudel paskins that, “if a frum yid owns the place you don’t need a mashgiach”!!
Such wonderful news. We can fire hundreds of mashgichim from all the heimeshe kosher places owned by frum yidden and the owners can take the $$ savings and lower prices on kishka and chulent. As I noted in a prior post, all we need is a “yiddel mit a beardl” sitting by the front door…no need for those pesky mashgichim who only make trouble
Ask your Ruv if you have to kasher your keilim.
Gadolbatorah, you misread my comment. The heimish chasidish hashgochas say they don’t need a m ashgiach in a restaurant / caterer if it’s a frum owner.
BTW- The “orginitzatzia hashguchas” OU does require a mashgiach even by a frum owner
Jersey jew….I guess my rav is machmir…he “suggested” we toivel lots of the new stuff we purchased years ago when we had to replace all our kitchenware
Gadolhadorah ,
Im sorry but you may have missed something here and I would like to clarify it for you.
There is a difference between “toyviling” and kashering.
You kasher something that was non kosher to make it kosher.
You Toyvil something purchased from an ayno yehudi that is used directly with food. If you purchased something previously used, you kasher and then toyvil.
If you accidentally mess up in your kitchen and make a spoon treif, if that spoon was toyviled already, you dont have to re-toyvil after you kasher it.
So yes, you PURCHASED NEW stuff which is why you had to toyvil but because it was new, you didnt have to kasher it.
All the best,
JJ
r’ yudel,
NO Rov in Passaic/Clifton has paskened like that which tell us something.
What happens if we be’H find out that this was a bunch of GMG and the baal ha’bus is out THOUSANDS for no reason whatsoever other than a few people that decided לא תלך רכיל בעמיך wasn’t for them?
If one combines 5 diffent “sfaikos” (a Chinese dish) and therefore cocludes that one does not have to kasher the keilim, he may have a point in theory, but in fact he should kasher his utensils. Even for the “timtum – haleiv”.
What’s going to happen when we are told there were no major kashrus violations here?
Jersey Jew stated “What’s going to happen when we are told there were no major kashrus violations here?”
Answer: Then we will know not to trust PCK – Passaic Clifton Kashrus!
If PCK is here to serve the community, they need to be responsible and apologize to the community for not closing the restaurant immediately after the 2 mashgichim told them about the non-kosher chicken. I think their only concern is the $$$$MONEY$$$$.
People seem more concerned about the baal habayis then the customers. The owner only cares about the money not us.