Sunday, May 24, 2009

Queens Kosher Nostra rejects Streit's matzo

From the Queens Tribune:

“The Kosher Nostra, led by rabbinical organizations in Queens and the Five Towns, saw a shakedown opportunity with an icon of the Lower East Side and a rabbi from the most famously independent minded Modern Orthodox family in America. So they waited four weeks before Pesach, unzipped, urinated all over them, and declared something shmekt nit frish [smells funky].”

This year, less than a month before Passover, when Streit’s was filling orders for their peak season, the Vaad HaRabbonim of Queens removed Streit’s Matzo from the list of products that they consider fit for kosher consumption. The Vaad HaKashrus of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway followed. So days before the holiday, Streit’s was taken by surprise. Some stores, like the kosher supermarket Brach’s, pulled the matzo from the shelves. People were confused about the kosher status of Streit’s products. Adding insult to injury, VHQ did not, and still has not, made it clear what the company’s offense was, and how they can get back on the approved list.


Who knew the world of matzo-making was so cutthroat?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

If they feel the product is not appropriate, they have that right, but Jews have the right to know what the problem was so they can distinguish between a violation of Jewish law and a trade dispute.

If there was no violation of Jewish law, this qualifies as a vicious and possibly illegal act, i.e. restraint of trade, defamation of character, extortion...

Anonymous said...

'Jewish law, Gods law, answers to a higher authority' it's all totally 'BS', when even the USDA, can be bought to not even look at all.

I remember working in Kosher catering many years ago, where any dairy product was 'verboten', but the cockroaches were 'ok', just make sure to pick them out of the string beans first. Oh, and never ever, think about, ever eating the fruit cup appetizer at your next Bar/Bat Mitzvah, never, unless you need the protein.

When will humans get wise. When?

Anonymous said...

It is not unusual for a kashering agecny to demand that its seal be used on a product instead of someone else's seal.

While the Queens Vaad has its seal on a number of reputable restaurants, nursing homes, and products, some local kosger restaurants, such as Ben's, are inspeacted by an individual rabbi.

Usually, it is because of stringencies, and prices.

Anonymous said...

Get Heidi Chain on this pronto!

Anonymous said...

A pack of bearded, black clothed hoodlums, using God as their enforcer. If they had to get a REAL job, they would all starve to death.