Charedi Hashgochas in the U.S.
Question
Dear Rav Abadi. Yelamdenu rabenu. Asa native Yiddish reader I am a regular reader of the Satmar Yiddish weeklies in Brooklyn, DER YID and Der Blatt. Both are filled to say the least with venomous articles full of hate and bitterness against the state of Israel. Yet I see a new development in Kashruth in the U.S. numerous hechsherim wher the Orthodox Union gives a Hechsher together with the Hisachdus Ho-rabbonim or individual Hungarian Charedi Rabbis known to be close to Satmar or even to their right in regards Zionsim. Do you believe that the mainstraem kashruth groups should give hechsherim on products with these hechsherim . In most cases the National hechsherim serve as a basis for these products to gain institutionalized acceptance and national acceptance outside of New York. As few people in St Louis know the Oyvarer rav or few Jews in S. Dieg have heard of the Zelemer rav. Thus the ou is essentially providing much needed coverage to these Anti-Zionist rabbis and financial support to their anti-Israel causes (lav milta zutresa) I would very much value your opinion on this matter. PS Although Dr. David Berger has called for a partial boycott against "Messianic" Lubavitch hechsherim, in my opinion the Satmar anti-Israel hechsherim offer financial support to vocal and active opponents of the State of Israel. Thank you, Zalman Alpert
Answer
Answered by Aaron AbadiNo such thing as a Hechsher. In a restaurant, you get an observant Jew to keep an eye on the place, under the direction of a qualified Rabbi, or better yet, buy from restaurants owned and run by observant Jews, and you don't need anything. Hechsher is just business. AA