Portions of the article in the Jerusalem Post:
RABBI AVINER: RABBINATE’S KASHRUT IS STILL RELIABLE
Among some of the worst
findings of the State Comptroller’s Report were “heavy suspicions” that
significant numbers of Kashrut supervisors do not perform their supervision
services; a conflict of interests inherent in the fact that Kashrut inspectors
also serve as Kashrut supervisors; and 65% of Kashrut supervisors not having
obtained a Kashrut supervision qualification.
Speaking to the Post, [Rav] Aviner expressed confidence that the rabbinate has tackled and will continue to tackle deficiencies in the Kashrut system, which he said are a natural occurrence in any large enterprise.
The Rabbi said that
although he acknowledges the flaws and forms of malpractice highlighted in the
report, the rabbinate’s Kashrut can still be relied on since the majority of
supervisors and food businesses are still trustworthy.
Despite his confidence
in the rabbinate’s Kashrut, [Rav] Aviner declined to answer whether he would
eat in a restaurant under rabbinate supervision, saying his personal decisions
are not relevant to the issue.
[Rav] Aviner also rejected the idea of allowing independent
Kashrut authorities to operate, which he said would create mass confusion among
consumers.
“There are deficiencies
in the IDF and the police as well, but we would not privatize them – and the
same applies to Kashrut,” said the Rabbi.
“We would see
fraudulent Kashrut organizations saying they are Kosher when they are not, we
would have Reform Kashrut, and in the end, consumers won’t have the tools to
discern which authorities are reliable and which are not.”
He also rejected the idea of turning the Chief Rabbinate into a Kashrut regulator overseeing independent Kashrut authorities, saying that every process and step of Kashrut supervision had to be under the authority of a single body.
