Last summer a kosher supervisor at a New York restaurant confided in me that he was quite appalled by the filth in the kitchen he was paid to supervise. He said that the owner who “only showed up from time to time” seemed to make light of the situation when he complained and that he was seriously contemplating quitting. I was reminded of my conversation with the mashgiach when I read about Robert Frank, an OU mashgiach at Montefiore Medical Center, who was fired for revealing the filthy state of the kitchen, evidenced by roaches, and the appearance of non-kosher foods and other taboo practices in the kitchen at the Weiler Division.
I have frequently showered accolades at mashgichim who are involved in the thankless job of assuring that a kosher certified facility is indeed kosher. But mashgichim like Frank and the supervisor I met function in a busy and active kitchen. Anyone who has ever been inside a busy kitchen at a restaurant, hospital, or hotel knows that the pace of activity is dizzying. Mashgichim literally have to have 1000 eyes, which is why Frank was part of a team of three mashgichim and a support staff back at the headquarters of the OU. While I don’t know the details of Mr. Frank’s charges, it is clear that mashgichim cannot ignore blatantly unsafe or unhealthy conditions despite the argument that their role is restricted to kashrus. They certainly should not fare any worse than any other worker who is entitled to a safe and healthy work environment.
Mashgichim are notorious for a “hear nothing, see nothing” approach so long as the kashrus is assured. The hospital, of course, denies the charges, but if Mr. Frank is correct, Montifiore is guilty of both being unclean and unkosher, which no kashrus agency can accept.
Written by Menachem Lubinsky – The founder and co-producer of Kosherfest, the annual trade event for the kosher food & beverage industry and is the editor-in-chief of KosherToday.
(Source: Kosher Today)
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15 Responses
So…Anyone interested in going out to eat tonight?
I didn’t think so.
I beg for people to comment on this story. Pleeaaase, show that you care about something that is actually important!! (I believe that the kashrus scandal in monsey was Hashems way of telling us: don’t just look at the hechsher- know what is going on as much as you can. Of course just my own feelings, I don’t claim to actually have any form of ruach hakodesh or nevuah.)
For many years I ran an exterminating company and serviced several kosher eating establishments.
I thought it quite “funny” (NOT ha-ha funny) that we are all so worried about microscopic bugs (which we SHOULD be concerned about too) but don’t seem to be so concerned with visible bugs like roaches.
Not only are they disgusting and a health hazard, but they too can (and do) get into food and are an even more real kashrus problem.
Moral of the story… don’t just check the hashgacha certificate at the places you eat, ask to check the exterminating certificate and be sure the place has service AT LEAST once per week!
Why would anyone eat in a restaurant, period? Many low wage employees come from countries where personal hygiene is taken lightly, to say the least. No diner can be certain any of the kitchen staff, or even the waiter, has meticulously washed his or her hands with hot water and soap after visiting the restroom. At home, at least, I have that much control over hygiene without the worries of kashrus violations. Germs and bacteria are one thing. Issurim are far worse.
Is anyone really concerned about Kashrus? Deep Deep down …………….NO!
Proof: Lamarais Restaurant in Manhattan. That place is thriving despite the accusations of the ON SITE mashgiach. The mashgiach was fired, the OU stuck up for the establishment and everyone is living happily every after.
Proof: Mezonos Maven. They were caught with Chilul Shabbos and they’re merrily back in business.
Proof: Stern’s/Korn’s Bakery. They were caught with unauthorized operations world wide and they’re thriving as if nothing happned.
Proof: Montefiore fires the Mashgiach; HEADLINE NEWS, right? Where’s the OU backing their Mashgiach who they themselves put in place to be their eyes and ears?
If they don’t stick up for him NOW, no mashgiach worth his money is going to say poops when they see transgressions for fear of being fired and not having the backing of their BOSSES!
Most Mashgichim nowadays are plain mouthpieces for the companies they work and not for the Kashrus organization. Why? See above !
I agree. This is a big problem which needs to be addressed.
I have worked as a mashgiach for 4 years and ended up quiting 2 of the jobs because no one listened to me and I didn’t feel comfortable signing off that the food was Kosher when I wouldn’t eat it. The hygeine was also pretty terrible in a lot of restaurants and food establishments.
Mashgichim only have power if the kashrus agency backs them up and allows them the authority that is needed. I have worked for 3 different agencies and seen a world of a difference between the hashgahcha in all of them even though they all have similar names of reliability. To this day, I won’t eat certain products from ome hashgacha I worked for. A person needs to be his own mashgiach. If you go into a restuarant and don’t see a suitable mashgiach (and you ask and there is no one in the kitchen) don’t eat there. If the mashgiach doenst know whats flying, thats a bad sign, etc.
5, zamilenger
So are you planting, harvesting, and milling your own wheat?
Are you buying cows so you have your own milk, cheese, etc.???
You people think the OU will wash the laundry in public but they wont! Get over it.
#7 — You miss the points raised. A restaurant is a huge maze of kashrus problems, both actual and potential. Today, processed food items are largely untouched by human hands. I believe it’s a valid statement to make that kashrus certification agencies pick and choose their battles, asking in each instance, “Is this hill worth dying for?” — Is it enough of an issue to withdraw their hashgacha? Gedolei Yisroel are seldom seen in restaurants, and it’s not because they don’t want the patrons to stand up upon their arrival. Sefer Peleh Yoetz advises it’s better to avoid one-hundred heterim than be nichshul in one issur. All true y’rei Shomayim adhere to that dictum.
#8 – “All true y’rei Shomayim adhere to that dictum.”
It’s pretty funny when someone claims to have identified a halacha, minhag, nihug, habit, approach, mindset, etc. that “all true y’rei Shomayim” or “every erliche yid” or “whoever will be zoche to olam habah” does or thinks or says or what have you.
Of course you know that there are people who would laugh at your comment, since as it was posted on the internet, you must have BEEN on the internet, making you, in their eyes, the antithesis of a yorei shomayim. I don’t get how people like you can say things like that, so broad, so general, and such an opinion, and present it as absolute truth. Yes, I agree, it sounds like a very good idea you cite from the Peleh Yo’etz, but seriously? If someone doesn’t “adhere to that dictum” they cannot be a true yorei shamayim? How, exactly, do you know this?
Fascinating, Mr. Lubinsky.
So, it’s the mashgiach’s job to raise the alarm when he sees issues that technically have nothing to do with kashrus, but impact on worker health and safety.
Interesting to hear you say that, because when it came to Agriprocessors, you and the heimishe commentators on this very blog felt very differently.
Aside from the immigration issue, which I agree was irrelevant, wasn’t the concern there about worker health and safety?
Yet, everyone applauded when the OU and the Rubashkin spokespeople (weren’t you one of them, Mr Lubinsky?), said that health and safety were government issues, not the hashgocha’s?
7, locknload,
I didnt miss any point. I think #5 was pointing out that he doesnt really trust anyone in kashrus thus I asked the pertinent questions that I did.
Knowing a thing or two about kashrus in restaurants, not every location is a maze of kashrus problems. Most, in fact, are not.
I worked for a kashrus organization for many years and you are not being fair. In many of the larger organizations, the mashgichim are employees of the kashrus organization. If a mashgiach at a restaurant loses his job due to a kashrus issue, the kosher organization that is supervising almost always finds that particular mashgiach another job. I personally have witnessed this.
locknload is certainly right.
One very important rav I’m in touch with also told me that one should stay away from restaurants. Restaurants are for people who can’t cook, he said. It’s against Yiddishkeit.
It may be ok for someone who is far away on a trip and doesn’t have the possibility to cook – but then, I’d still prefer buying falafel or pizza for a couple of days, because then at least you have some view on what the place looks like. In a real restaurant, you don’t see what is actually going on.
TO#13 CAN U SEE THE LETTUCE IN YOUR FALAFEL BEING CHECKED?the fact remains that the times have changed&nowadays snackbars need the same open eyes as a restaurant if not more veggie checking is more a task than anything else try to avoid various types of lettuce[falafel] cole slaw [deli]when one travels abroad your still best off taking pre packed food from home and hashem should give us S’D’.
A whole different concern: Can you trust the mashgiach?? a family member worked a few years ago for a large food establishment. The masgiach, a man with a long white beard coaxed him into an office one afterfnoon and closed the door behind them. He began making advances at him resulting in the family member running out of the room very traumatized. When he complained, his workload became tenfold and eventually he was forced to quit. Do you trust mashgichim??? I know our family NEVER will. The organization he worked for apparently was a non-organization. He was hired as a “private” for show. The owners stood by him and denied the allegation. Further research into this “masgiach” revelaed that he had done this previously, ONCE BEFORE at this establishment also.