Israeli City’s Chief Rabbi: Caterers Aren’t Kosher If Ethiopians Make The Food
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Rabbi Moshe Havlin, the chief rabbi of the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat, reportedly said he would withdraw kosher certification from a local catering company if Ethiopian women continued to prepare the food there, unless they could prove their Jewishness.
Under Orthodox Jewish law, certain foods which were completely cooked by a non-Jew, known as bishul akum, may not be eaten, even if the ingredients are kosher and are cooked in a kosher kitchen.
Political officials charged that the rabbi’s motives are racist, not religious.
Ilan Gilon of the left-wing Meretz Party called on the country’s attorney general investigate, saying, according to the Kan public broadcaster, that “if there is truth to the report, the rabbi acted contrary to his public and moral authority and is not worthy of continuing to serve in his position. It should also be examined whether discrimination has been committed under the Equal Employment Opportunities Law. The words spoken by Rabbi Havlin certainly do not correspond to the values of Judaism that we all know and cherish, and certainly do not correspond to the values and behavior expected of a majority in Israel.”
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO