Milk Street Cafe loses kosher certification
In a startling development this morning, the Kosher Blog has been informed that the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of Greater Boston has pulled its kashrus certification of Milk Street Cafe, “effective immediately, and until further notice,” according to notices published on several area listservers.
I know I’ve been a bit critical in the past about a couple of their dishes, but that was only because of the high standards to which I’ve always held MSC. It not only plays a critical role feeding the observant men and women who work downtown, but its catering, delivered far and wide to offices throughout Boston, is frequently the only exposure some non-Jewish or non-observant people have to kosher food.
Here’s hoping that whatever kashrus issues caused this turn of events can be quickly turned around, and a dean of Boston kosher restaurants can be restored to its proper place!
UPDATE: Word from Milk Street Cafe is that they are changing certifying agents and said they will remain kosher under new supervision. (Thanks to Deb for the e-mail!)
UPDATE: Area Orthodox rabbis are working urgently with Milk Street Cafe to see that it ultimately remains under kosher supervision.
I can not believe it!
Hopefully this was some misunderstanding.
Its hard to believe that there is not one kosher place in the whole Boston proper now
Without naming names, there have been instances of kashrus organizations in issuing highly unprofessional announcements when a business has dropped their hashgacha. This case is one of them. The announcement, like others in the past, implies that the certification was revoked, based on its tone.
In the future, I would suggest kashrus certifiers simply say: “Effective , will no longer be under the certification of .”
If the case is that they are now under new certification then who’s certification are they under? If they are switching certifications wouldn’t it be prudent to have the new one lined up before getting rid of the old one?
Sounds a bit like a protection racket. Presumably, this certification is not charged for, elsewise there could be a pretty serious conflict of interest.
Here’s hoping that whatever kashrus issues caused this turn of events can be quickly turned around
The “loss of certification” annoucement did not indicate that there were any kashut issues. It could also be because of a business dispute. (Given the updates, that seems ever more likely).
Let’s hope they get a more universally accepted hasgocho than the ORC.
Who is the ORC? Relatively new?
Kosher Dude: from what I understand the ORC is generally more universally accepted then the vaad.
Disclaimer: I eat both.
Ex-Bostonian: The ORC is the Orhtodox Rabbinical Council headed by Rabbi Nochum Cywiak. They’re not new at all but you might not have heard of them as their hasgacha isn’t on too many things.
No kosher business drops one hashgacha without first having another in place. It seems to me that they were simply dropped for failure to comply with kashrut direction. Clearly Mik Street Cafe is doing some serious damage control, and who can blame them? I hope they either make the ORC happy and win them back or get another acceptable hechsher.
No kosher business drops one hashgacha without first having another in place.
Hogwash.
It seems to me that they were simply dropped for failure to comply with kashrut direction.
You need to stop spreading rechilut. You have no evidence to back up this accusation. It’s simply outrageous to make claims like this with zero evidence to back them up.
Everyone I’ve spoken to about this, including several area rabbis, has confirmed that there was no kashrut violation on the part of Milk Street Cafe.
They are in talks with the Va’ad to restore their hashgacha. The Va’ad has a strict policy of not offering hashgacha to businesses whose hashgacha has been revoked by another agency for cause. There is no way in hell the Va’ad would be talking to them if they had compromised their kashrut.
Clearly Mik Street Cafe is doing some serious damage control,
I heard the fact that they did not break any kashrut rules from a rabbi who is on the Va’ad’s kashrut committee.
I heard there were major kashrus issues that compelled the orc to drop the hashgocha. I also heard rabbi cywiac was out of the country.
As they say ‘when the cat’s away…….
Mr kamens, word in ny is the va’ad of mass. can’t run their own show so, how would they know the inner workings of another kashrus org?!
I suggest there is much more here than meets the eye. I look forward to a statement from the orc.
please do not trash the Va’ad. It’s inappropriate and your comments are doing nothing but spreading gossip. “The word in NY?” So now we’re listening to rumors rather than looking at the facts? Nice.
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to trash the va’ad. If milk st is foolish enough not to comply with the orc my hope is another equally accepted hashgocha fills the void. If not, I like many others will start brown-bagging lunches in from ny. Perhaps this will open the door for competition and downtown boston will finally have kosher options.
I heard there were major kashrus issues that compelled the orc to drop the hashgocha.
Really? From whom did you hear that? Are you just trafficking in unsubstantiated rumors, or did you actually hear it from someone you are willing to identify who is in a position to know the facts of the case?
I heard from a friend who heard it directly from Rabbi Benjamin Samuels, who is on the Va’ad’s kashrut committee, that there was no kashrut issue leading to the severing of the relationship between Milk Street Cafe and the ORC.
Furthermore, my own Rabbi, Azriel Blumberg, sent an announcement to our shul mailing list which read, and I quote, “This was a decision made by the owners of Milk Street Cafe, and should not be viewed as a statement regarding their integrity.”
Considering that the head of the Va’ad, Rabbi Abraham Halbfinger, is the rabbi emeritus of my synagogue and attends minyan daily with Rabbi Blumberg, I would assume that Rabbi Blumberg is in a position to know the facts of the situation.
I also heard rabbi cywiac was out of the country.
As they say ‘when the cat’s away…….
Every time I ate at Milk Street Cafe, the ORC mashgiach was there. I assume that he was a mashgiach tamidi. With a mashgiach always on the premises, I can’t imagine how Rabbi Cywiac being out of the country could be in any way relevant. Unless you’re implying that in your opinion the ORC mashgichim can’t be trusted without Rabbi Cywiac breathing down their necks?
Mr kamens, word in ny is the va’ad of mass. can’t run their own show so,
More groundless, baseless lashon hara. Shame on you.
how would they know the inner workings of another kashrus org?!
They would ask, of course. The Va’ad trusts the determinations of other Orthodox kashrut certifiers in the Boston area (it is unfortunate that many of them do not extend to the Va’ad the same courtesy). If the ORC had revoked Milk Street Cafe’s hashgacha because of kashrut violations, then the Va’ad would have found that out by asking the ORC about it and would have refused to do business with Milk Street Cafe as a result.
I suggest there is much more here than meets the eye. I look forward to a statement from the orc.
I hope that the ORC is better at holding their tongue from evil speech than you are.