OU OUT – the Mehadrin standard of OU canceled. Exposure

Drama in the Kashrus array in Israel: the Chief Rabbinate Bureau sent a letter about a week ago to the Jerusalem Rabbinate, from which it stems that OU will lose its ranking as a Mehadrin Kashrus – a ranking which it enjoyed over the last years.

The letter which is published here for the first time, was sent from the bureau of the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Hagaon Harav Yona Metzger, signed by the head of bureau, Harav Chaim Hamdinger, "We would like to hereby inform you on behalf of the Chief Rabbi of Israel Hagaon R' Yonah Metzger shlit"a, that any business which would like to present itself with a Mehadrin Kashrus for Pesach in Jerusalem, will have to bear one of the following certificates only," says the letter.

Attached to the letter is a list of eight Kashrus bodies, who are recognized as bodies who answer the requirements of Mehadrin: Mehadrin Beis Din of Yerushalayim, Eda Chareidis, Harav Rubin, Belza, Harav Machpud, Beis Yosef, Beis Din Agudas Yisroel and Chassam Sofer.

The letter was sent to Hagaon Harav Eliyahu Schlezinger, Rav Posek in the Kashrus department of the Jerusalem Rabbinate, and Harav Yaakov Ruchamkin, head of the Kashrus department in Jerusalem,

But an in-depth delving into the letter raises a pondering question: why was the OU Kashrus array, which enjoyed over the last years, in the framework of its activity in Israel, receiving a Mehadrin level Kashrus, removed from the list?

Is the Mehadrin era of OU over in Israel, or is it the case of a mistake?

"A more in-depth check will be done"

In a primary inspection which the Behadrey Haredim writer held in the Chief Rabbinate, he was told that this is no mistake.

A factor in the Rabbinate added and explained in a talk with Behadrey Haredim:
"After hearsay which ran back and forth during the last period that the head of the Kashrus array of the OU, Harav Yosef Minsky is no longer maintaining the array at the same level in Israel as he did during the last years, it was decided to check the matter, and at the end of the check to send the letter which you mentioned."

The factor added: "In the next few weeks, a more in-depth clarification will be done regarding the placing of Harav Minsky in the OU array in Israel, and according to that, decisions will be made regarding the future of the Mehadrin certificate which is given at this stage".

As known, around the world the OU Hechsher is considered a Hechsher with the level of Rabbinate alone, without Mehadrin, and only in Israel the Hechsher enjoys the level of Mehadrin.

It became known to Behadrey Haredim that in a pamphlet which the OU array published in Israel towards Pesach, the name of Harav Yosef Minsky was omitted as the head of the Kashrus array in Israel, and instead the name of Harav Yisachar Dov Karkovsky was placed.

A factor in OU says that over the last days, certain disputes occurred between Harav Minsky and the heads of the OU Hechsher, and most probably in the near future the issue will be decided in one way or another.

The OU's response to Behadrey Haredim was: "The Kashrus and halachic standards are fixed by our Rabbonim. We will continue according to these Psakim throughout the world, the special standards in Israel will continue without connection to this Rav or another, and we will continue to be Makpid about what we were until today, and to be a Mehadrin Min Ha'mehadrin Kashrus at the highest level".

Harav Minsky responded to Behadrey Haredim: "At this stage I cannot respond to the matter".

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!