Comments on: Caraville Restaurant In Flatbush Has Hechsher Pulled – New Hechsher Put In Place

By: llevine

llevine — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:03:19 +0000

Clarification of Caraville Restaurant sign

I should have been more precise in what I posted regarding the sign that my friend saw on the Caraville Restaurant on Ave M.

The sign says that “the hashgocho was changed due to difficulties with the prior hashgocho (whom the sign identified and thanked for the past two years of service), but that the closing was anticipated and is now being advanced due to financial issues.” It then gives a cell phone number for the owner.

This is probably not a direct quote but reflects, I believe, fairly accurately what the owner wrote.

Yitzchok Levine

By: llevine

llevine — Mon, 17 May 2010 11:28:47 +0000

A friend of mine told me this morning that yesterday he saw a sign on Caraville saying that it is closed due to (to paraphrase) “kashrus and financial problems.”

Yitzchok Levine

By: llevine

llevine — Sun, 16 May 2010 13:13:26 +0000

shuali says:

“Regardless of the qualifications of either Rav HaMachshir, their certifying agency, or their standards, the questions to ask are: (1) Is there a mashgiach temidi?, (2) If so, is he/she paid by the restaurant or by the certifying agency? And (3) Does he/she have any connection with the ownership or management of the establishment?, (4) Who has keys to the restaurant?, (5) Is there always a shomer Shabbos on the premises?, (6) Who is responsible for accepting and approving any and all products and ingredients that are delivered?, and (7) Who decides which hashgachos are accepted and which are not?, (8) Who checks the fresh vegetables for infestation?, and (9) Whose standards are used for this inspection?, and (10) Is the mashgiach familiar with issues of bishul Yisroel and how today’s equipment impact on it? These are the basics and even so don’t cover even the surface of all the areas a mashgiach and his/her certifying agency must be concerned with.”

One get presumably get the answers to many of these questions by calling Caraville at (718) 339-2540.

BTW, I think that it is good idea to call any place one is considered eating at or buying food from and asking these questions before eating from it. Far too many rely on Rav Ale “Ale essen du.

Yitzchok Levine

By: Sacrilege

Sacrilege — Sun, 16 May 2010 07:12:26 +0000

$$$$$$$

By: shuali

shuali — Sun, 16 May 2010 04:10:27 +0000

# 12: “The meshugaas about bishul yisroel”? Please explain. As far as I know, bishul Yisroel is a takonas Chazal that requires every yid to have any food item that is worthy/fitting for “a king’s table” (practically speaking that means a Yiddishe chasunah or perhaps a proper Shabbos se’udah), and which is not eaten raw by the average person (at least in that locale) to be cooked by a Yid. How that is accomplished is a machlokes Maran Beit Yosef and Rav Moshe ben Yisroel (Isserle’s) – the Rama. The former REQUIRES the Yid be involved in the cooking itself either by placing the food on the fire or in the stove or stirring the food. Anyone who has ever been in Kosher Delight (Avenue J – Flatbush not “willy”) can hear very “simple” Yidden (not meshugeneh “greasy” kollel people) asking for a # ?? “Shomer Shabbos” meaning he wants the mashgiach to put the food on the fire. Often I have seen the petitioner proceed to put on his kipah and prepare to eat. The later only requires that the fire be initially lit by a Yid. Either way you look at it, all eateries I am aware of address the issue – apparently it is not a “meshugaas” and not found in one felafel store. I routinely ask these questions and have usually received very satisfactory answers.

By: Gadolhadorah

Gadolhadorah — Sun, 16 May 2010 02:59:09 +0000

To No. 11.

You outline a very idealistic set of questions regarding hashgacha but if every ehrlcih yid were to ask all these questions, I think the only remaining kosher restaurant left in all of NYC would be a certain felaffel stand in willy and a scharma stand in BP. The meshugaas about bishul yisroel would proably close about 2/3 of the sit down restaurants almost immediately.

By: shuali

shuali — Sun, 16 May 2010 02:39:42 +0000

Regardless of the qualifications of either Rav HaMachshir, their certifying agency, or their standards, the questions to ask are: (1) Is there a mashgiach temidi?, (2) If so, is he/she paid by the restaurant or by the certifying agency? And (3) Does he/she have any connection with the ownership or management of the establishment?, (4) Who has keys to the restaurant?, (5) Is there always a shomer Shabbos on the premises?, (6) Who is responsible for accepting and approving any and all products and ingredients that are delivered?, and (7) Who decides which hashgachos are accepted and which are not?, (8) Who checks the fresh vegetables for infestation?, and (9) Whose standards are used for this inspection?, and (10) Is the mashgiach familiar with issues of bishul Yisroel and how today’s equipment impact on it? These are the basics and even so don’t cover even the surface of all the areas a mashgaich and his/her certifying agency must be concerned with.

By: Gadolhadorah

Gadolhadorah — Sun, 16 May 2010 00:31:26 +0000

This is not the first time the Tartikov have pulled this kind of stunt. It is irresponsible to “pull your hechsher” at 1:00 AM Eruv Shabbos without offering any reason or leaving the implication, c’vl, there was some issue with treifus even you don’t say it directly. Given that some yidden will assume the worst, this type of behavior is disappointing from Rav Babad and will cause long-term financial damage to this fine restaurant whose kashruth record is top of the line.

By: mw13

mw13 — Fri, 14 May 2010 22:08:31 +0000

#8 – “I would like to hear why R’ Mendelsohn, if he is in fact certifying, gives a hechsher without consulting the previous Rav”
Who says he didn’t?

By: who_me

who_me — Fri, 14 May 2010 20:29:55 +0000

Moderators Note: Since Rabbi Babad did not tell YWN the reasons, we won't allow you to post any. You then wrote: "I would like to hear why R' Mendelsohn, if he is in fact certifying, gives a hechsher without consulting the previous Rav?" CALL HIM.