New hechsher for Sydney
Sydney will have a new hechsher in operation shortly following the arrival next week of its certifying rabbi.The recently formed Community Kashrut Ltd, under the auspices of the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of NSW (COS) and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has appointed Rabbi Yedidya Krauthammer as the Rav Hamachshir (Certifying Rabbi) of the new hechsher.
A statement issued by Community Kashrut states that “Rabbi Krauthammer was appointed after a global search and brings a wealth of experience to the position.”
Rabbi Krauthammer was the Chief Supervisor for kashrut in Petach Tikvah ,Israel, working as the deputy to the Chief Rabbi of the city, Rabbi Micha Halevi.
He served in this role for over three years and was responsible for supervising all areas of kashrut across some 500 establishments both within Israel and abroad, including managing a team of over 200 mashgichim (kosher supervisors) as well as their nine managers.
The Board of Directors of Community Kashrut has also been confirmed, bringing together a wealth of experience and commitment from across the community. The Board will be chaired by Macquarie Bank executive David Sandler. He will be joined by board members including Nicolas Meer, Bryan Sher, Dana Korn, Dale Carr, Rosana Tyler, Mervyn Stein and Robert Goldberg.
Sandler stated that “I am deeply committed to ensuring the community has a hechsher which is truly representative, whilst maintaining the highest standards of kashrut and corporate governance.”
Rabbi Krauthammer added: “This is a wonderful opportunity to bring years of experience, knowledge and skills gained working for one of Israel’s most respected Hechsherim to this important endeavour for the NSW Jewish Community.”
A diverse Va’ad HaRabbonim (Rabbinic Panel) has been established, comprising a number of communal Rabbis, who will assist in overseeing the Halachic standards of the hechsher and work with the Board to establish a robust and effective organisation.
An advisory council will also be appointed, consisting of Robert Gavshon, Yair Miller, Geoff Levy and Bruce Fink.
The new authority is expected to start operations within the next few weeks.
Let’s hope prices do come down!
Bensi-could you expand on your comment re: treif??
Yes Benseon Apple, seems you are in touch with reality.
Poor Rabbi being brought into this.! I bet he’s the nicest young guy ever.!
Who nominated all these commities and who gave anyone permission to spend community money by the $hundreds of thousands, looking so forward to seeing prices dropping! Let’s give them a chance….
about time .if the cost of kosher food becomes affordable .it will be supported .
the majority of us are want kosher not pilpul kosher
ben
What a shame,
What a waste of Community $$$’s,
What an absolute farce.
How blind are these stupid people who have supported this retrograde step ?
I would be keen to know who the rabbanim are; their names are conspicuously absent.
This can only be described as a retrogade step and will undoubtedly return Sydney to the type of controversies not seen since the early 1990s when there were two hechsherim in Sydney, with rabbi pitted against rabbi, and questions about who can eat what and where.
NSWJBD and others have strong criticisms of the KA. However, this really is no reason to divert $200,000+ of community funds towards setting up an alternate agency that will do nothing towards improving the cost of kosher or standards of kashrus (concerning the latter, an existing caterer under the new hechsher also catering treif says it all in this regard…).