Israeli Rabbinate Threatens To Fine Zionist Rabbinical Group

In Israel yesterday, the Chief Rabbinate's legal counsel said he would press to have the Rabbinate impose fines on Tzohar, the organization of Zionist rabbis that is moving to implement an alternative certification process for produce grown in Israel during the current sabbatical year. Today's Jerusalem Post quotes Chief Rabbinate Legal Advisor Shimon Ulman: "We can't allow every Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde to open his own kosher supervision outfit." However the director general of the Chief Rabbinate was more cautious, saying that technically the Tzohar rabbis are not violating the Kashrut Fraud Law. If implemented by the Chief Rabbinate, an order of the Israeli Supreme Court issued last week will moot the controversy. The court ordered the Chief Rabbinate to override local rabbis and certify as kosher produce grown on land technically "sold" to a non-Jew during the sabbatical year (heter mechira). (See prior posting.) [Thanks to Joel Katz for the lead.]