Kashrut authorities hold ‘unique’ meeting after meat scandal in Liverpool
Agencies come together at the United Synagogue following communal tragedy last month in wake of two delis having licences revoked
London’s kashrut agencies have held a “unique” meeting after a kosher food scandal rocked the city of Liverpool last month, leading to the suicide of a well-known retailer.
Meeting at the United Synagogue this week were leading figures from the capital’s Kashrut agencies, including the Federation, Kedassia, Kosher London Beth Din (KLBD), London Board for Shechita and the Sephardi Kashrut Authority (SKA).
It follows a communal tragedy last month when two kosher delis in Manchester and Liverpool under the same ownership had their kashrut licences suspended after authorities raised concerns about selling non-kosher meat and poultry.
In the space of two days, “serious breaches of kashrut” were reported at Roseman’s Delicatessen in Childwall, Liverpool, and Gough’s Deli in Prestwich, Manchester. They were part or wholly owned by Robert Kaye, who committed suicide a day later.
Liverpool’s kashrut authorities told Jewish residents that the sale of non-kosher products had been “ongoing for a considerable amount of time,” adding: “Many people will need to return their kitchens and their utensils to kosher status.”
Experts from Manchester have since been called in to help re-kosher kitchens at the city’s Jewish care homes, schools and synagogues.
This week’s meeting of London agencies was “to establish a joint policy of minimum requirements for all meaty restaurants and manufacturing premises” and “to consider how best to utilise technological advances, particularly in CCTV,” to assist them in their work. CCTV would be in addition to the shomer, or supervisor, they said. CCTV experts addressed the meeting.
In a joint statement, participants said: “The meeting took place in a spirit of harmony and achdut (communal unity) with the sole aim of learning from one another and improving kashrut standards. We hope that this unprecedented gathering will be a forerunner of future collaboration and cooperation for the benefit of the entire Jewish community of London.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
