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Jul 2, 2015

Hotels come out swinging against new Rabbanut law

The organization of hotels in Israel is now complaining about the expense of kashrut via the Rabbanut monopoly over the kashrut systems in Israel. They are complaining about the new proposed law that would make it illegal to have any display of Judaism that might indicate kashrut, without a Rabbanut hechsher.

In a letter sent to the Knesset, they ask for the ability to choose a supervising body for kashrut and not be forced to use the Rabbanut monopoly. According to them, the monopoly the Rabbanut holds on kashrut causes prices to be 3% higher. Tourism in Israel is considered very expensive, and one of the reasons, they say, is kashrut. The proposed law would strengthen the Rabbanut monopoly, rather than open the market and make things cheaper.
source: Kikar

I am not sure what direction they are trying to go... Are they looking to get the hechsher of private organizations instead of the Rabbanut? The private hechshers are generally significantly more expensive than the Rabbanut, so what will they have gained? How will they have brought prices down?
Are they looking to use some model of Hashgacha Pratit in the hotels? I don't know that that would work. Hotels seem far more complicated than restaurants.
If they want to use no hechsher at all now, they already can do that. They just cannot claim kashrut without it.

The Rabbanut is a monopoly, but it is not a business. It is a government service provided by a government body. Perhaps it might be open to discussion whether the government should be involved in this, but it is a monopoly on kashrut just like the government is a monopoly on foreign affairs, on defense issues, on legislation and on every other service the State provides.

I guess they won't need two hechshers - such as Rabbanut + Badatz or Rabbanut + Mahfoud, or whatever other combination is common in hotels...  If kashrut increases the costs by 3%, it does not mean they will save 3% by getting rid of the Rabbanut, as they will mostly still want kashrut from some other organization. Are the 1%-2% savings so significant, that they blame the expensive tourism on kashrut?





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14 comments:

  1. I take issue with your (and everybody else's) use of the term "badatz," instead of saying Eida Haredis.

    RAV Mahpud, Rav Rubin, Belz are also "bada"tz."

    Please take the opportunity to education your fellow [more likely than not ANGLO] {Jews, instead of enabling their bizu'i harabbanim and/or ignorance.

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point - just might be better to say "to educate" instead of "to education" when castigating another for ignorance... :-)

      Delete
    2. Esser Agaroth, what is difference between 'badatz" & Eida Haredit?

      and where is the bizui harrabbanim when it comes to the hechsher of Rabbanim Mahpud, Rubin & Belz.

      Delete
    3. Esser Agaroth, what is difference between 'badatz" & Eida Haredit?

      and where is the bizui harrabbanim when it comes to the hechsher of Rabbanim Mahpud, Rubin & Belz.

      Delete
    4. Many people refer to the Eidah Haredit as "Badatz," even though there are many Badatzim, which stands for Bet Din Tzedeq. As Anonymous below points out the various Rabbanim associated with most heksherim are also Badatzim.

      My point is that by referring to one heksher as badatz, and the others not as badatz, that is a bizui, albeit mostly unintentional.

      I do not tolerate heksher snobs. Customs yes. But, just being frumer than thou for the sake of being frum than thou, I ain't got time for that.

      I'm still waiting to find out what "generic badatz" means.

      Delete
  2. I actually meant the generic Badatz because how many hotels are under the hechsher of the eida chareidis? I dont know how many are under mahfoud, but I know there arent many under the Eida. Maybe 1, if any,.
    I meant the generic badatzes, including all the common ones...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Badatz = Beit Din Tzedek,anyone can use the title.
    Badatz Mehadrin = Rubin
    Badatz Yore Deah = Machfoud
    etc.etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Once again, what is your point? Got me, I am part of the clueless club.

      Delete
    2. Once again, what is your point? Got me, I am part of the clueless club.

      Delete
  4. Find it strange that the hotels are against having the hechsher of the Rabbanut, because, they say, it will cost them 3% more. I think it's part of some plan to start the undoing of the Rabbanut; sinister. Maybe it's not, but all this doesn't make any sense.

    ReplyDelete
  5. They will lose customers.
    I was horrified at Mizpe Ramon when on Friday night the hotel had live music, and the hotel was full of religious people who ate there.

    ReplyDelete

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