Dear Matzav,
I was surprised to hear the shock and alarm over the revelation yesterday about a certain Chinese restaurant in New Jersey. Sorry if I don’t share such deep sympathy. Anyone with half an ounce of kashrus sensitivity knew that this store, owned by an aino Yehudi, was trouble. Only sleeping people were surprised. It wasn’t a scandal. A scandal indicates outrage and shock. This was an obvious problem. It was right under people’s noses. But people tuned out.
But…
Let me tell you, though, about 3 kashrus scandals taking place right under your noses that you may be oblivious to:
1) Check your local vaad hakashrus. I don’t care how many years it’s been around or that it calls itself a “vaad hakashrus.” Check it out thoroughly. You may be in for a rude awakening. Find out when the kashrus office is open. If you can’t reach anyone at the vaad hakashrus for a significant part of the day, it’s a red flag. If they don’t answer your questions straightforwardly, it’s a red flag, no matter how many stores they certify. Walk into any store they certify and ask the owner: When does the mashgiach come? (If they know the day and time, it’s a red flag.) How many times does the mashgiach come each week? What does he do when he comes? Who has the keys to the store? How often are aino Yehudim left alone in the store kitchen?
Wait till people find out what’s really doing. Then you’ll know what a scandal is.
2) Party planning is big money and big business, but do you know that virtually not one party planner of note has a hashgacha? Yep, that means that that parlor meeting/reception/dinner/fundraiser/siyum/tournament/hookah gathering for that mosad/yeshiva/organization arranged by ABC Party Planner that took place last night was held with no supervision. No one knows where the food came from, who delivered it, who prepared it, or who is taking achrayus for the kashrus. You shouldn’t care if the party planner is a supposedly ehrliche man or woman. He or she needs a hashgacha, period.
Remember that treife sushi story with the party planner? It’s not the only one.
The party planners are wonderful and Hashem should bless them. But there’s no control and no supervision and all these events taking place without a hashgacha can make that Chinese restaurant debacle look like child’s play.
When that party planner scandal breaks, don’t say you weren’t warned.
If you go to an event arranged by a party planner who doesn’t have a hashgacha, and he is the sole person responsible for the kashrus at the event, you should be asking the host, hostess and everyone connected to the event what the kashrus situation is. And don’t eat until there is a hashgacha.
I am willing to pay money to advertise and publicize right here any party planner that gets a hashgacha. I’m sure Matzav.com will accept my money for those ads.
3) The home-based businesses. How wonderful. She makes sourdough. She makes cakes and cookies and all good things. He makes meat platters and herring and fish platters and sushi and kishke and kugel and chulent and everything a Jewish stomach savors. But who’s supervising? Anyone? And if the local vaad hakashrus gives a hashgacha on a home-based operation in Mrs. Klein’s kitchen, do they visit more than twice a year to pick up the check?
The home-based business situation is so out of control and yet the same people who were crying yesterday about the Chinese restaurant story went last night to some parlor meeting and ate home-prepared food that underwent no scrutiny, no supervision, with no accountability, nothing. And no, the owner, having negius as the business proprietor, has no ne’emanus. There’s something called a hashgacha for a reason. I don’t care how many followers a person has on Instagram or how popular they are. If they are a home-based business without a reliable hashgacha, employ your proverbial ten-foot pole and stay away. And don’t cry later when someone finds out the truth.
Want a kashrus scandal?
Start with these three. Start digging. Just try not to faint when you see what you find.
Sincerely,
A Kashrus Jew