SHATNEZ TESTING: The Monsey Shatnez Test Center does testing in Monsey, Queens, Englewood & other areas as well.
While testing in Queens, there arose some questions by some of the Queens "Rabonim" as to the expertise of the tester. The Rabonim had garments that the Monsey tester labeled as non-Shatnez was re-tested by the National Shatnez Testing laboratory & found that they did in fact contain Shatnez.
The Rabonim confronted the Monsey tester, & was told that these garments contain Shatnez, yet he was unable to identify the places that contained the Shatnez. Other tests were prepared for the tester to ascertain his degree of expertise. After the conclusion of the testing of his expertise he was advised not to return to Queens.
We followed up with approaching Rabonim in Monsey, NY to advise them to follow up on the serious concerns of the conclusion of the Queens Rabonim. The Monsey Rabonim sent garments to the Monsey test center & had the same results; the National Shatnez The Monsey Shatnez Test Center does testing in Monsey, Englewood & other areas as well. The Monsey Shatnez Test Center used to go to Queens to do shatnez testing in Rabbi Friedman’s Shul & David’s Cleaners on Main Street every Sunday morning.
In June ’01-Sivan ‘61, some of the Queens "Rabbonim" (Rabbis Yigal Haimoff ,Shlomo Teitelbaum) began to suspect the validity of the Monsey tester. Therefore the Rabbonim acquired three garments that contained shatnez and sent them to the Monsey tester for testing via David Cleaners in Queens. All three garments the Monsey tester labeled as non-Shatnez. These garments were re-tested by the Directors of the National Association of Professional Shatnez Testers & Researchers (Lakewood) who confirmed that they did indeed contain Shatnez in obvious places, that any qualified tester should be able to find easily.
Rabbis Yigal Haimoff, Teitelbaum, Peretz Steinberg confronted the Monsey tester (June17’01-26 Sivan’61 in Rabbi Friedmans Shul), & they informed him that these garments contain Shatnez, yet he was unable to identify the places of the Shatnez.(?)
Another test was prepared for the Monsey tester to ascertain his degree of his expertise that took place on June 20th ’01 in front of Rabbis Oelbaum,Teitelbaum, Peretz Steinberg, Savitsky. They concluded by advising him not to return to Queens.
On July 17 ’01-26 Tamuz,’61 Rabbi Shain together with the Directors of the NAPSTAR met with Rabbis Yisroel Hager, Weissmandel, Schnebalg, Neiman to discuss the seriousness of the problem concerning the Monsey Shatnez Test Center.
The Directors of the NAPSTAR were asked to come to Monsey and demonstrate to the Rabbonim where was the shatnez in the garments that was certified as non–shatnez by the Monsey Test Center. The Directors of the NAPSTAR clearly showed Rabbis Yisroel Hager, Weissmandel, Schnebalg, Neiman the Shatnez, by use of Microscopes. The Rabbonim were shocked and dismayed how the shatnez was missed and that they all had labels non-Shatnez labels affixed to them by the Monsey tester.
Rabbis Yisroel Hager, Weissmandel, Schnebalg, Rottenberg, Neiman confronted the Monsey Shatnez Center with the facts on July 26th ’01-5 Av,’61 where he confessed that he is lacking the knowledge to be able to test properly & the Rabonim concluded that he is not qualified to test for Shatnez unless he attends extensive shatnez training sessions. (which the Monsey tester didn’t follow up)
Thereafter he went to the "Bnai-Brak" & Yerushlaim Shatnez laboratories to attempt to obtain a certification (August 12th- 15th). Rabbi Shain advised them to test his Shatnez knowledge.They interviewed him & advised him that he will require a least whole year of training in their Laboratory before they can consider certification. The Monsey tester informed them that he is leaving the Shatnez testing field altogether. Upon his return to Monsey he decided nonetheless to continue Shatnez testing.
A meeting of Rabbis Yisroel Hager,Weissmandel, Schnebalg, Rottenberg & the Belzer Dayan took place in Monsey on August 30th ’01-11Elul,’61 on how to proceed. Monday September 3rd ’01-15 Elul,’61 a comprehensive meeting took place. Rabbonim with the Bodkim of Lakewood, Williamsburg & Monsey. The purpose of the meeting was to try to get everyone to work as a unit.
Rabbonim attending were: Rabbis Yisroel Hager, Weissmandel, Schnebalg, Neiman, Rottenberg, Belzer Dayan , Satmar Dayan Also present were Rabbis Shain, Yeshaya Dovid Feier, and the Director’s of NAPSTAR R’ Yoel Schockett & R’Yosef Sayagh, & the Director of Lee Ave Shatnez Lab. R’ Yitzchok Gluestien and
R’ Yakov Kreitman the Monsey tester. The conclusion of the meeting was that R’ Yakov Kreitman was going to be trained by R’ Yoel Schockett.
On Sept ’01-13 Elul,’61 Rabbi Schnebalg asked of R’ Schockett to please send R’ Yakov Kreitman the Monsey tester a garment that contains shatnez to see if he will find it, the shatnez was unfortunately missed. After Succos, by Nov 1st ’01-15 Cheshvan, ‘62 a total of nine garments were sent to the Monsey tester and all were certified as Non –Shatnez. All this was done under the auspices of Rabbi Schnebalg. On Nov 7th ’01-21 Cheshvan, ‘62 NAPSTAR were asked to come to Monsey & demonstrate to Rabbis Yisroel Hager, Weissmandel, Schnebalg, Neiman, Rottenberg where was the shatnez that was certified as non–shatnez by the Monsey Test Center.
Rabbi Rottenberg wrote everything that was said by the Directors of the NAPSTAR as to where the shatnez in every garment was, and then he sent the garments to WLSBG & Boro Park for further clarification. The Rabbonim met with the Monsey Tester and asked him to resign. Thereafter he obtained the certification of Bais Din "Mishpat-Sholom" in Brooklyn, NY despite “Mishpat Shalom” being advised by the Monsey Rabonim of the serious situation &; “mich’shol li’rabim”.
"Mishpat-Sholom" also certifies Lee Ave Laboratory. "Mishpat-Sholom Rabonim" admit that they don’t know the practical aspects of shatnez testing nor do they have a qualified expert in the practical testing of Shatnez in the Bais-Din. Lee Ave Brooklyn lab claims that they have retrained the Monsey tester. The fact remains that after retraining, we are confronted with the same problems, Shatnez garments having labels non-Shatnez.
Please Note: The writer, R' Yehuda Shain was trained in Shatnez testing under R' Yosef Rosenberger OB"M 45 +- years ago, and worked under his personal guidance. A meeting was called by Mishpat-Sholom Bais-Din (WLSBG) to update them of the findings of the Queens & Monsey Rabbonim as far as the Monsey tester.
The meeting took place in Wlsbg on Jan 16th ’02-3 Shevat, ‘62, Rabbi Shain & the Director of the NAPSTAR were present together with representatives of the Lee Ave Shatnez center. Why wasn’t the most important individual present, "the Monsey tester"?.
Some prominent Rabonim advised against going to the meeting called by the Bais-Din Mishpat Shalom as their intentions are to cover up & to make the accusers look foolish. We were not ready (at the time) to accept that a Bais-Din will be using such tactics. Also at the meeting was a CPA who brought some suits of his (purchased at the “British-American House” NYC) that were tested by the Lee Ave Shatnez center & labeled as Non-Shatnez. After retesting them at the Flatbush Lab (not affiliated with Lee Ave. Lab) they were found to contain obvious Shatnez.
Also present was a prominent Flatbush Rov, Rav Eliezer Ginsburg & a Flatbush askan. At first the Lee Ave. Lab told all of us & the Bais-Din that their tester has not been going to the British American House in NYC for 3 years (which was not true). The owner of the suits called the store from the Bais-Din & they said that the Lee Ave. Labs tester comes every 2 weeks to do Shatnez testing. The Bais-Din Mishpat Shalom was in a bind by certifying Shatnez garments as non-Shatnez.
Mishpat Shalom decided on a new tactic & wanted to know one thing only “why we brought this new problem to them"? This questions the qualifications of the current Lee Ave Laboratory as well. The current head of Lee Av Lab is the son in law of Mr. Rosenberger, OB"M who never let him get involved in Shatnez testing. (He obviously realized that he wasn’t qualified).
The CPA & Rav Eliezer Ginsburg asked the Mishpat-Sholom Bais-Din how they intend to deal with this additional serious problem. The Bais-Din responded that it's of utmost importance to know why I told the Flatbush group about this meeting & thereby putting them in a corner. And till they do not get a satisfactory response they will not address any real Shatnez issues.
Then one of the Judges said a long story about him eating a hot piece of Gefilte fish & going to the hospital, & it's hard for him to talk; yet all the Mishpat Shalom Judges had him do all of the talking.
We saw that the Monsey tester was not present & Lee Ave Lab was there, we realized the "set-up". At that point it was useless to remain any longer (2 + hours) at the meeting. We must confess that the Rabonim that advised us against going to the meeting, were regretfully right, as this is the outcome they foretold.
The facts as they are today, the Monsey Shatnez Center & the Lee Ave Lab. are certifying clothing containing Shatnez as "non-Shatnez", under Mishpat-Sholom Certification. The "Right Place" in Borough Park was advised that their tester is unqualified & is certifying suits containing Shatnez as "non-Shatnez", the Right Place refuses to stop deceiving the public and buyer beware.
All of the "Right Place" suits require re-testing by a qualified lab, which excludes the following labs: Lee Ave Lab & their affiliates, Monsey Test Center. They claim to be guided by a Psak of a Rov. The Shatnez testing fee is a fraud. We verified that the Rov was given wrong and misleading information.
There have been surfacing some fraudulent letters about Shatnez & other related issues. The Rabonim signed authentic letters that certain Shatnez testers are not to be relied upon. The fraudulent letters are known as the "Weinberg-letters". The Copy Express on Lee Ave. in Williamsburg is more than happy to provide anybody with copies of the fraudulent "Weinberg-letters".
Pps. Rabbis, among others were invited to the Shatnez meetings & turned it down as he is an” Erliche responsible tester” (e.g. Erlicher butcher) .This information is current.
CONCLUSION! YOU MUST RECHECK ALL YOUR CLOTHING!
For reliable Shatnez test centers in your area call 732–905–2628 or 732-364-7056
or
http://home.comcast.net/~shatnez/testing_labs.html
Since this past Rosh Hashonah, Lakewood "Kreitman" branch also is unqualified & misses shatnez.
