(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Shortly following the recent High Court of Justice decision, which delivered a blow to the state kashrus network, Tzohar Rabbis signaled it was going to move ahead with its own kashrus network.

With Sukkos on the horizon Tzohar has begun, giving a hechsher to arba minim. Tzohar is providing sets of arba minim to kibbutzim and communities in areas of the country.

While Tzohar has spoken about it in the past, it has not actually begun until now. When asked to comment, Tzohar Chairman Rav David Stav explains that there is no connection between the High Court ruling and kashrus on arba minim, which has been in the planning for a long time. He explains in an interview with the Kippa website the organization decided it was going to do what it can to reduce the cost of arba minim and that is why it is providing kashrus on arba minim. He added state kashrus laws don’t apply to arba minim and there is nothing preventing the organization from giving its kosher seal of approval on arba minim as is the case with items such as tefilin and tzitzis.

Regarding kashrus and the state finding business advertising as kosher with local Rabbinate hashgacha, Rav Stav feels the Rabbinate cannot go against the will of the people and they have spoken, and it is a reality today that the tzibur wants kashrus that is unaffiliated with the current Chief Rabbinate system.

Tzohar arba minim are being sold in Petach Tikvah, Ashdod, Rishon L’tzion, Ohr Akiva and in other areas, with the organization hoping to keep prices down as they are selling sets at cost price. The kehilla he adds will sell the sets at a small profit to infuse money back into the kehilla.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)