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!
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