Update on the sad state of Kashrus in the BMG’s KCL, Lakewood, NJ

May the following issues be at least a contributing factor to the explosive drug and OTD problem in Lakewood?

I had shimush in Kashrus and Halacha by Reb Moshe Feinstein, Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky, Rav Neuschloss, The Debreciner Rav, Rav Pam, Rav Eliyashev, Reb Shlomo Zalman, Rav Shmuel Wosner, Z”L. I was appointed by Reb Shnuer Kotler as the kitchen Mashgiach in Bais Medrash Govoha (BMG).

We will IY”H address also the following items at length in following articles: NOTE: Be aware  that the KCL and Star-K, does threaten publications that allow the truth to be written about KCL and Star-K kashrus issues. 

Some history is in order; A Lakewood kashrus organization (LKO) opened under the guidance of Rabbi Yitzchak Abadi( who doesn’t see eye to eye with BMG’s higherups.) Therefore, the BMG Rosh Yeshiva called in R’ Zeev Rothchild to immediately start a kashrus Organization in Lakewood. As the saying goes “an Organization that is formed for an illegitimate purpose can only produce an illegitimate result”. Let us see how BMG’S  KCL, has done in their many years pretending to be a reliable kosher agency!

NOTE: It may very well be that the catastrophe of the Lakewood kashrus or lack of it, is BMG’s fault, but it’s still your problem.

 BMG’s KCL certified Caterers have served Milchig ice-cream after fleishig meal, while being kosher certified.  We don’t know if there was a Mashgiach at those affairs.   At some Shabbos Kiddush’s, Milchig Danishes were at the fleishig (cholent) Kiddush", while being kosher certified by the BMG’S  KCL.   

KCL commonly use waiters' that are michalelei Shabbos  and  driving to the jobs on Shabbos (parking 2 blocks away-of course), The KCL Mashgichim often are get drunk on the job. BMG’s KCL often does not have any Mashgiach on Shabbos and Yom Tov jobs in houses, shuls & catering halls. Many times, the KCL claims it’s only a “drop-off” job, so the host is responsible from when it’s dropped off. The truth being that it’s the caterers utensils, their waiters, etc. So, it’s not a “drop-off” job. BMG’s KCL allows for the Caterers to arrange for their own mashgichim, we are not surprised.  BMG’s KCL caterers were observed unplugging crock-pot on Shabbos & plugging in elsewhere.  

    BMG’s KCL had no problem giving a hashgocha to Foremost caterers, who is a mechalel Shabbos that married a shiksa (therefore he doesn’t have to toivel his utensils).

BMG’s KCL’s Kashrus Administrator wanted to borrow crock-pots from one of their certified fleishig takeout for his own son’s Bar Mitzvah. The take-out said, "sorry Rabbi, they are all rented out to private people for a Kiddush in their homes". Were the kashrus of those pots compromised?

BMG’s KCL insisted that a certain restaurant utilize “high bar-stools” for their customers (a shiksa volt zich ge-shemt). The manager's wife rightfully threw them out for even suggesting such pritzus. The KCL’s acceptability of the hangouts & the pritzus of  bar stools etc. has been the cause of numerous incidents. (Lakewood, unfortunately, experienced the inevitable from relationships that originated there.)

The KCL’s certified Sub-station eatery and other hangouts are ruining our youth, By OTD youth, Drugs, Smoking on Shabbos, Alcohol, etc.    

The Capitol Hotel (which is closed now) scenarios was factually caused by the " hang-out" and by drawing the Jewish clients to the hotel & lobby thereby mingling with undesirables clientele for years, but they were  protected as long as they were under the BMG’S  KCL.

A BMG’s KCL caterer doing a kosher affair in a in a non-kosher facility was observed putting their boiling hot pots on treif grease on the floor, they were also observed allowing the caterer to be cooking on stove next to treif pots cooking.

KCL often allows after hours the goyim access to the kashrus seals & tape, and they allow them to take rolls into their cars under the seat.   

BMG’ KCL  commonly allows (after hours) goyim access to items that require seals, e.g. fish, dairy, etc.  and to do their own cooking without any yid being around. BMG’s KCL set up for Pizza stores, restaurants, chadorim, Yeshivas, etc. deliveries are by Goiyim that keep rolls of tape in their car, so they affix the kosher tape when they arrive at the delivery address, all of those are Bossur sheh’nisalem and milchig with no required seals. BMG’s KCL supervised Supermarkets, stores, etc. the Goiyim have acess (and actually use) to as many rolls of KCL kashrus tape, They have offered to sell rolls of kashrus tape for $5.00 a roll. BMG’s KCL is rarely makpid on issues of Bossur sheh’nisalem min Ha’ayin.

 

BMG’s KCL, after being told that their certified bakery is using the same knives for dairy and parve cakes, KCL keeps ignoring the facts, & that some of the cake decorations they are using aren't kosher.

BMG’s KCL, not only they aren’t makpid on Israeli produce that is “Yivul-Nochri”, and their head mashgiach doesn’t even know what yivul-nochri is.  For over 3 years it has been a well established fact the Nori wrap (green/blackish) used for Sushi is heavily infested with copepods, yet BMG’s KCL allowed it to be used. BMG’s KCL allowed a caterer to use a Reform “Li’hachis” Michalel Shabbos chef for his cooking even for Sfardi “Bishul Yisroel”. BMG’s KCL was aware that one of their chefs was caught on video being a “mechalet Shabbos”, they had him fired for a few weeks, then he was back at another KCL restaurant, they allowed him to have the keys, they allowed him to work without a mashgiach, they allowed him to check his produce for infestation.

BMG’s KCL allows Goyim to put in cheese blintzes to heat up in the un-kashered fleishig oven, and they allow Goyim to put in fleishig in un-kashered dairy ovens.  There are numerous BMG’s KCL certified food service establishments where not all pilots are working and the Goi’yim are turning on the fires thereby making the food Bishul akum, LeMehadrin.

 Non-mevushal wine being wine served at BMG’s KCL certified affairs with goiyish waiters and help.

Beef products What Hebrew National’s Hashgocha would not use because of serious kashrus issues, BMG’s KCL allows. Poultry that Reb Moshe Feinstein told Reb Shnuer not to use, BMG’s KCL allows their foodservice establishments to use. BMG’s KCL allows establishment to take fresh herbs that are known to be infested, or fruits that are known to be infested, and rinse them, put into a blender for a spin and use those infested products.

BMG’s KCL doesn’t allow host’s to have private knowledgeable mashgichim at their affairs, the Mashgichim might see the working of the Fake, bluff of BMG’s KCL. Yoshon book says, BMG’s KCL says Lakewood Oilum is not makpid on Yoshon.

A Lakewood family claimed that some 6 months ago they purchased  tongues through Westside kosher (an OU certified distributor), when they removed it from their freezer (6 months later), they did not see any “seals” on the packages. It was actually in one box that had proper seals on the outside of the box. BMG’s KCL decided that Westside kosher delivered 6 months ago non-kosher tongues to this family, so they banned Westside from delivering to Lakewood establishments . Two years later the KCL relented, we will have someone the goods on every truck of Westside coming to Lakewood, and Westside will be charged $50.00 for every-time.

Last week KCL put out a letter that there were 2 serious episodes of Frum distributors delivering non-kosher items to camps, but they did not stop accepting from those distributors any other deliveries. 

At the Exxon gas-station they had a kosher concession certified by BMG’s KCL, where I had pictures of non-kosher being served, KCL sent me a message that they spoke to Exxon and they will sue me if I publicize those pictures.

I went to wedding of a BMG’s KCL certified caterer, I stepped into the kitchen, many of the lights were not working. I see a mashgiach at the sink ding something in very poor lighting, I observe him checking “Leek” which is known to be very infested. I asked him, you can’t see anything with this light, and you don’t even have a light-box how could you check it? He said that’s what I have to work under. The KCL only said that I should rinse the leek. I said they are under the membrane and at the seam. He just shrugged his shoulder.

It's well known in the industry that one of the biggest experts in infestation is Reb Ari Green, yet when I told a chef to order the herbs from Ari Green, he Ari Green is not yet approved by the KCL. Ari Green found infestation in KCL certified goods, that’s why.

The Lakewood Roshei Yeshiva “forced” Greenwald caterers to drop the hashgocha of Rabbi Gornish and take the KCL. The KCL has been ripping him off financially big time. KCL does not approve of the Hashgocha of the world’s expert in insects “Reb Moshe Vaye”, because Rav Vaye spoke to Reb Moshe re: Anisakis in fish, Reb Moshe told him they are permitted. KCL decided that Mivakshei Kashrus, Rabbi Bess, Feingold group, etc. who’s opinion is that “only” the hashgochas that “just say” that they adhere to the anisakis issue are acceptable (no matter how unreliable they are in general). BTW- Rav Shternbuch, writes that the Eidah does not “asser” the fish with anisakis.

BJ’s near Lakewood wanted to open a bakery Cholov Yisroel under the Kof-K Hashgocha not KCL , BMG’s KCL threatened them they will make sure no one patronizes BJ’s, BJ buckled to their threats.

As soon as Rev Yechiel Babad took over the Hashgocha at Empire and he invited the unknowledgeable KCL Administrator and his co-hort to tour the plant, it was a great honor as they were the “only ones invited for the personal tour”, so they approved Empire poultry. Note: Reb Moshe told Reb Shnuer Kotler,  “Empire is not for Bnei-Torah”. I have a letter Reb Moshe Shternbuch that one should not rely on any hashgocha from Yechiel Babad or the Star-K.   

BMG’s KCL kashrus administrator receives some $250,000.00+ per year for “protection-money” from the establishments, and there is no reliable kashrus for the Lakewood consumers. BMG’s KCL Administrator gets “baksheesh” from some purveyors as protection money.

BMG’s KCL Administrator is of the opinion that he can make caterers, food service makes weddings, bar-mitzvas without paying for them, it’s an “entitlement”. We are not surprised.    BMG’s KCL are comfortable that some of thei “so called frum” caterers (the ones that don’t need a mashgiach) talk on their cell phones on shabbos to bring the deserts, or other items. Of interest that indicates that some goiyim are in the commissary on Shabbos without any yid at all. See the article in Kashrus Magazine re: A caterers kosher catastrophe  under the KCL.

Note: There are many more episodes, but we don’t want to overwhelm your conscious.

The Lakewood Bnei Torah would be served best if they are closed up completely.

R' Shraga Feivel Mendelowitz Z"L, writes - I ACCUSE  the very great Rabbis. Roshei Yeshiva, Rabei-im,  don't you see what has become of your youth? Don’t you know that Jewish children have become tramps, gamblers, gangsters, candidates for the electric chair, etc. only because they have been raised on neveilos & treifus R"I..." Attributable to BMG’s KCL

R' Shraga Feivel Mendelowitz Z"L, writes - Fellow Jews, have you no fear for the great and terrible Day of Judgment? In that day you will no longer be able to come up with excuses (e.g. "oh! 1 didn't know") or with a   "s-h-r-u-g  of the shoulder".

If you don’t condemn, you condone R”L- “Un min shemt-zach, -guhr-nisht.”

In other words, every agency, organization, and individual out there giving hashgocha should be doing a proper job.
Unfortunately, many are not, even to the point that one cannot eat at establishments that they certify or eat the products that they certify unless the kashrus system is independently verified.
Ubiquitous underperformance, even in bastions of holiness, does not make it more acceptable to do a sub-standard job, but it allows us to be more kind in considering that a deficient agency, organization, or individual is not a standout, but one of many.
The reasons vary: lack of expertise in kashrus systems, lack of management skills, lack of budget, lack of the community’s willingness to properly fund a top-notch, or even Halachically acceptable, kashrus program, misplaced compassion towards unqualified staff, turf wars, negligence, and sometimes even avarice and lack of yiras Shamayim.
But the consequences are the same:

A community unknowingly eats that which is Halachically prohibited, as they are left with no good options. Is that a “shogeg’, or a maizid”?

You decide! In Lakewood, most (including Rabbonim) get some sort of stipend or other benefits from BMG, therefore there is the “herd mentality”, no one will stand up to challenge!