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Fermentation in the Tzohar Council: "We did not update the rabbis on support for the kosher reform" | Israel today

2021-10-28T14:09:16.970Z


Members of the Tzohar Rabbinical Council expressed resentment that they did not consult with them before publishing the organization's announcement of support for the reform. "Tzohar Council supports opening training for competition"


Unrest has been registered in recent weeks among the rabbis of the Tzohar Council, following the organization's decision to unequivocally support the kosher reform of Minister of Religions Matan Kahana.

Israel Today has learned that a number of rabbis have expressed displeasure at the fact that in the afternoon they published an official position paper in which they supported the reform without consulting the council, in order to obtain a position that is acceptable to a wider variety of members.

Kosher certificate at the entrance to the restaurant (archive), Photo: Yehoshua Yosef


A few weeks ago, a position paper was published in "Israel Today" in which Tzohar expressed unreserved support for the kosher reform.

"The kashrut system in its current format is run with failures that harm the state kashrut in the State of Israel," the position paper said.

"In a significant number of large cities, there is no incumbent rabbi, and in any case there is no rabbinical supervision. The current structure of the kashrut system creates a situation in which each local rabbinate sets its own requirements and supervision procedures.

They clarified that in their eyes, "the root of the problem is the kashrut structure in Israel, which operates in a model of local monopolies."

They concluded that the reform is "a golden opportunity to restore public trust and build sympathy for the world of kashrut and tradition, while strengthening the power of the Chief Rabbinate."

But the position paper provoked resentment among a long line of rabbis in the organization, eight hundred rabbis.

According to the hierarchical structure of Tzohar, there is a management of a small number of rabbis headed by the organization's chairman, Rabbi David Satyu, then the Tzohar Rabbinical Council, eight about 40 rabbis who consult on explosive issues, and finally hundreds of rabbis dealing with various issues. At their center is the theme of weddings.

Minister of Religions Matan Kahana, Photo: Arik Sultan

Rabbis who are members of the Tzohar council expressed resentment at not consulting with them before the position paper was issued.

"This is an issue whose implications are very broad, and the issue should have been discussed in the council. Although Tzohar's statement does not bind the hundreds of rabbis who are members of the organization, but comes from the management, but at the same time it was worth consulting with us. "Therefore, they preferred not to raise the issue at all. It should be said clearly - the fact that the organization's management supports the reform does not mean that all rabbis support it."

Thus, absurdly, some of the rabbis of the Tzohar Council have found themselves among the most staunch opponents of the kosher reform, while the organization of which they are key members officially supports that reform.

Some people call this a real rebellion, but others calm the tone and make it clear that just as they did not support Tzohar when the organization's training body was established, so nothing dramatic will happen within Tzohar even now, other than anger in the organization's corridors.

"As far as I know, no one intends to resign after this decision, but it is a pity that they did not do things more democratically, on behalf of the hundreds of rabbis who have been members of the organization for years," said one of the rabbis.

Mitzhar responded: "There is no unrest and no rebellion. The Tzohar Rabbinical Council has established the Kashrut Corporation and it supports the opening of kashrut to competition."

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2021-10-28

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