The striped Jerusalemite garb, long beards, and flowing peyos are in stark contrast to the cutting-edge technology of the gadgets they oversee. A trip to the offices of the Vaad HaKashrus of the Badatz Eida HaChareidis, Israel’s largest private kashrus agency, whose logo is one of the most easily identified kashrus symbols in the world, revealed a surprising combination of age-old Yerushalmi values with twenty-first century technology.
Down below demonstrators were clashing with police. Nu a normal scene in these parts. While the Eida leaders eschew violence over the past year many zealots have ignored their declarations for peaceful demonstrations and taken action on their own. The kashrus coordinator himself a member of one of Jerusalem’s most extreme subgroups looked on in dread. We’re all going to pay for this he thought.
Yet despite his fears – and despite a boycott campaign spearheaded by Nachum Barnea a leading secular columnist in the Israeli daily Yediot Achronot — the Badatz’s kashrus operations have continued full force. Even in a tumultuous year when many associated the image of the uncompromising Badatz with demonstrations and intolerance the ornate Badatz kashrus symbol maintained its unquestioned respect throughout Israeli society – and the world.
Between Zealotry and Kashrus
On the first floor of the Eida headquarters in Jerusalem’s Zupnik building kana’us zealous fervor is disseminated. But although the ideological leadership of the Eida is inseparably linked to its kashrus certification arm that kashrus department stays conspicuously out of politics.
Even if every grave in Ashkelon will chalilah be dug up and Eida HaChareidis rabbis will be arrested in Yaffo the Kashrus Committee will continue to produce kashrus not kana’us. “We are a kashrus agency only in the full sense of the word ” the Eida heads are careful to tell potential mashgichim who might think the job has more action than work. Zealotry they say must be reserved for other venues.
Create a free account to keep reading.
