With the news that the hechsher of Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau was removed from Strauss mehadrin dairy products, some consumers were not pleased, including members of the Chabad community, COL.org.il reports.
Rabbi Yitzchak Yehuda Yeruslavsky, the rav of the Chabad community in Kiryat Malachi and the secretary of the Chabad beis din in Israel appears unwilling to accept the new reality.
He called on Chabad chassidim not to bring Strauss mehadrin products into their homes since Rabbi Landau’s hechsher no longer appears on the product.
In the letter published on COL, Rabbi Yeruslavsky is full of words of praise for Rabbi Landau, and his mesirus nefesh in the kashrus industry, mentioning the care he takes never to infringe on the livelihood of others.
Therefore, the rav calls on those who value R’ Landau and his kashrus to boycott Strauss mehadrin “not to assist chas v’sholom those who had a hand in the new situation”.
It appears that Chabad rabbonim have contacted the appropriate people at Strauss, but were met with laconic responses.
Strauss mehadrin products are now under the supervision of Badatz of Rabbi Rubin.
The boycott began in Bnei Brak and it appears to be rapidly spreading.
Reports from Kfar Chabad indicate Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi has instructed local stores to remove the Strauss products from their shelves.
The growing boycott even earned a prominent slot on the Channel 10 evening news.
1) Rav Landa does not take one agora over his expenses for kashrus supervision. He is unshakable and incorruptible and does not care about popularity (remember the whisky issue?) 2) Strauss is not a brand we who care about shleimus haaretz should use anyway. The Strauss family are anti-religious leftists. They have always have been supporters of the “piece” process and of the Peres Center for Piece. In EY it is hard to avoid them (and it was right for Rav Landa to supervise them because it gave klal Yisroel the zechus of easy to get mehadrin dairy) but those… Read more »
rabbi landau is wonderful and very understanding and thoughtful he also knows cokes recipe and he is non judgmental and caring
whoever accuses Rabbi Landau to drop a Hechsher for monetary reasons just doesn’t know Rabbi Landa so b/4 you shees tracht merrer un shrieb veiniger.
The More Strict the Hechsher-the more expenses are involved I.E. the more expensive it will be for the manufacture,
so if every company will just settle for a Cheaper Hechsher, you do the math.
In order to maintain good Hechsheirim like Rabbi Landau’s, it is important not to let competitors take over the business, especially when it is done in a unjust way.
This is not an ordinary rav, not someone with a good head, not a yerai shomayim, not a community leader etc. he is all of them and leads the biggest Litvisher city in the world (as a lubavitcher that is truly amazing). He has a hechsher that is known for not playing any monkey business and being very careful with halacha. He is not know for giving in under pressure and is known for sticking to his guns. If rav landau removes his hechsher from a product, I would stay far away from it.
this is not a Lubavitch issue! it is a business / money issue!
the heading is misleading: “Chabad Bans Strauss Dairy”
what actually is tru is that a chabad rav wrote to HIS community not to use it.
but as #9 wrote – the Kfar Chabad magazine printed an advertisement from Strauss mehadrin products under the supervision of Badatz of Rabbi Rubin!
so it’s not a Chabad Ban.
interesting that this weeks Kfar Chabad magazine printed an advertisement from Strauss mehadrin products under the supervision of Badatz of Rabbi Rubin.
so you see, there are those that will use the product under the new Hechsher.
As someone whose husband works in the food industry,, and therefore has to deal with hechsherim all the time, it is easy for strauss to say that they stopped Rabbi Landau to take on a cheaper hechsher.. I dont buy it. Kashrus costs get amortized to pennies per product. I cant imagine that Strauss who is a HUGE company with all their subsidiaries, (They were the original buyer of 50% of Sabra for the small amount of 9 MILLION dollars.) is suddenly being cheap.. This smells like spoiled milk to me…
Is this just a business / money issue? So who cares? This has nothing to do with a Lubavitch situation!
Why would Strauss change hechsher???
There has to be a reason…
It’s easy to start speculating about the “personal agenda” behind these kinds of things – but for me I think we’re so quick to rely on the achrayus of these Rabbonim when it’s in our favor. We don’t ask what personal agenda is behind their hechsher being ON there. Suddenly when the hechsher is OFF and it works against us, we start questioning their motives. Shouldn’t it be the other way around if anything? I’m sure there are many out there who are more “in the loop” on the behind the scenes, but me personally – I don’t hold myself… Read more »
What is meant by Rabbi Yitzchak Yehuda Yeruslavsky appears unwilling to accept the new reality? He sounds quite supportive of it!
this is not about Kashrus – but rather business.
shtraus took a different Hechsher.
What’s this all about?