By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Itzhak Dayan, Rabbi of the Jewish community of Geneva in Switzerland, has bemoaned recent statements that questioned the kosher status of the Grey Goose vodka which he says he has been certifying.
“I hereby come to clarify unequivocally in an unambiguous way that all the alcohol that is brought to the Grey Goose factory is produced from wheat which grows in the Picardie region in France (and not grapes),” Rabbi Dayan wrote in a letter to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
Rabbi Dayan said that “damage was done” following a 29th of Kislev 5782 notice of Rabbi Asher Eckstein, Chairman of Vaad Hakashrus Belz USA, which said Grey Goose contains grape alcohol in their unflavored beverage. Rabbi Eckstein has since backtracked his letter.
“It is a pity that they didn’t call me (to verify that status),” Rabbi Dayan wrote in the letter dated Tuesday, 3 Teves 5782 – December 7, 2021. He asked that the kosher division of Israel’s Rabbinate put out a notice that Grey Goose is indeed allowed.
He said the DVO-Tereos factory which produces the alcohol for Grey Goose in the French town of Origny-Sainte-Benoite is under the supervision of Rabbi Shmuel Schlesinger, Rabbi of the Jewish community in Strasbourg, France.
According to a document provided to COLlive.com, Rabbi Schlesinger’s certificate of the DVO-Tereos factory is valid until December 21, 2021. Rabbi Dayan’s certificate is valid until May 21, 2022 and will be subject to renewal at that time.
Alcoholic beverages don’t typically carry kosher symbols even when they are certified by a rabbi or kashrus agency. Beverages that include ingredients from grapes require special hashgacha to avoid the concern of stam yeinam or yayin nesech – wine produced by non-observant Jews or gentiles.
In a statement last week, the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc) confirmed that there is a kosher production of Grey Goose for the Israeli market and that the general production line of unflavored Grey Goose, which is also shipped to America, is solely grain-based. Nevertheless, the cRc doesn’t include Grey Goose on their kosher liquor list since “this same company does produce a non-kosher version of vodka which contains grape-based alcohol.”
The Star-K Kosher Certification, also known as the Vaad Hakashrut of Baltimore, includes the original unflavored Grey Goose as an “Approved” beverage. They do note that Assorted Flavors and VX Vodka of Grey Goose are “Not Approved.”
On Tuesday, workers of Wine by the Case, a kosher liquor store in Crown Heights, were photographed restocking their shelves with plain Grey Goose bottles. The drink was also available on their website, kosherwinedirect.com.
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