Dozens of rabbonim affiliated with the dati leumi community have signed a petition calling on public officials to act to strengthen the state kashrus, the kashrus of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. They acknowledge there are those seeking to harm the state kashrus system and their efforts must be blocked.

“Recently we have witnessed voices seeking to abolish the ‘law prohibiting kashrus fraud’, to privatize the system and remove it from the authority of the Chief Rabbinate. These voices are trying to create a disconnect between the laws of the country to the values ​​of the Torah and thereby render meaningless the word State of Israel being a Jewish state” the rabbis wrote in the petition organized by the Kosharot organization headed by Rabbi Elyakim Levanon Shlita.

Kosharot adds that “kashrus has been a vital component of the Jewish people throughout the generations, and the need to be vigilant to maintain kashrus has been handed down by father to son throughout the generations. This was anchored into law with the 5743 kashrus law.

The petition calls on public officials to work towards strengthening the state kashrus apparatus.

Among the rabbonim signing the petition are Rav Levanon Shlita (Rav of Elon Moreh and the Elon Moreh Hesder Yeshiva), Rabbi Yehuda Amichai (Machon HaTorah V’Haaretz), Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzsky (Rav of Gush Katif and head of מרכז תורה ומדינה), Rabbi Yerachmiel Weiss (Rosh Yeshivat Yashlatz), Rabbi Yaakov Varhaftig Shlita (Kehillas N’vei Nof, Har Nof), Rabbi Prof. Neria Gutel (President of Orot Yisrael College), Rabbi Gideon Binyamin (Rav of Yishuv Nof Ayalon), Rabbi Yehuda Kroizer (Rav of Mitzpei Yericho), Rabbi Elchanan Bin-Nun (Rav of Yishuv Shilo), Rabbi Yoel Katan and Rabbi Netanel Yosifun of Netanya.

The petition follows reports the Chief Rabbinate of Israel is contemplating semi-privatizing its kashrus, signing deals with private hechsherim to carry out the kashrus supervision in the field for the Chief Rabbinate.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)