Los Angeles Market in Kosher Meat Scandal Gets New Ownership
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Local businessman Shlomo Rechnitz has bought a scandal-plagued kosher supermarket in Los Angeles from its former owner, who is suspected of mislabeling its meat.
The Rabbinical Council of California, a kashrut certifier, on Wednesday announced the troubled Doheny Market will undergo a serious makeover after Rechnitz purchased the store from Mike Engleman at its behest.
“The store will reopen in the coming days under RCC supervision, after undergoing a thorough restocking and will feature mehadrin kashrus standards,” the RCC said in a statement. “The previous owner has no financial or operational interest in the store.” Mehadrin is an especially stringent kosher ceritification,
Scandal erupted on March 24, the day before the first night of Passover, when evidence gathered by a detective showed Engleman smuggling meat from an unknown source into Dohney Market while the rabbinic supervisor was away.
The Rabbinical Council of California immediately revoked the kosher certification of the popular meat store but worry spread over the Jewish legal status of products sold to unsuspecting customers, casting a pall over the Passover plans of hundreds of families in the area.
Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, a well-respected religious arbiter, ruled all meat sold prior to March 24 was considered kosher, even if a minority of it was not.
The Rabbinical Council of California said it asked Rechnitz, who is Belsky’s son-in-law, to buy the store to ensure the observant community in central Los Angeles had a reliable source of kosher food.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
