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- This topic has 24 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 8 months ago by popa_bar_abba.
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April 8, 2013 8:44 pm at 8:44 pm #608900RuchiParticipant
Does anyone know if Shield Star K hashgacha is good? They were not listed on the CRC list of Kosher Certifying Agencies and their website does not give any information about who their Rabbinic Administrator is. No names whatsoever are listed. Their mailing address is in Philadelphia and telephone calls are greeted by voice mail. Has anyone ever heard about them? Where can I look for further information?
April 8, 2013 8:58 pm at 8:58 pm #998910yeshivaguy45ParticipantIf you google shield star k you’ll get a forum from imamother discussing whether it’s good. It’s npt on the Kosherquest site either which makes it seem that it’s not recommended.
April 9, 2013 12:16 am at 12:16 am #998912rebdonielMemberRabbi Silver is a talmid chacham, a yirei shamayim, and a gaon b’torah u’middos. I use Sriracha sauce and Greek cheeses with his hashgacha without compunction (if you keep halav yisrael, you wouldn’t be able to use cheese he supervises).
April 9, 2013 4:05 am at 4:05 am #998913RuchiParticipantYeshivaGuy45 –
With all due resepct for ‘Rabbi Silver’, but why isn’t he recognised or listed anywhere? I am open to the fact that he is everything and more what you say about him, but we can’t trust him if we don’t know him. Why wouldn’t he list his credentials on his own website? This would not only be a responsible move like all other agencies, but it would remove any questions people like me would have.
April 9, 2013 4:09 am at 4:09 am #998914☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantRuchi, it wasn’t YeshivaGuy45 who gave accolades to “Rabbi Silver”. It was rebdoniel, who has given such accolades to many who clearly don’t deserve it.
April 9, 2013 4:13 am at 4:13 am #998915yeshivaguy45ParticipantRuchi I didn’t say anything about Rabbi Silver.I said that I don’t think the hechsher is reliable. I think you should direct your comment at rebdoniel.
April 9, 2013 10:14 am at 10:14 am #998916apushatayidParticipantI don’t know the hechsher in question. Never heard of it and have no opinion or comment about its reliability one way or the other. However, the very idea that ones “credentials” are not listed on a website anywhere makes it unreliable is utterly ridiculous. There is a telephhone number and other contact info available to the public and one can certainly contact those responsible for this supervision. They are not hiding. As an aside, exactly what crfedentials would you like posted and how will that make you feel more comfortable about the supervision? You want a copy of his smicha? A list of rabbeim whose shiurim he attended? His practical field work? Using this standard, would you have enrolled at jts because a former head was a musmach of rav ruderman and a chassid of the belzer rerebbe in europe? If you don’t know anything, don’t say anything. A closed mouth never gggathers a foot.
April 9, 2013 3:28 pm at 3:28 pm #998917yeshivaguy45Participantapushatayid, a kashrus agency that’s reliable that’s under strict rabbinical supervision would want to make sure that everyone knows that they’re reliable. They want to have connections with the frum world. They would want to work with other kashrus agencies. If they want to do that, they would want to have (and need) to have credentials listed for everyone to know that they’re reliable. If they wouldn’t want that listed, then nobody would think they’re reliable. If they don’t want to work with other agencies in one way or another, (although they may disagree but they’ll respect other agencies) then they’re not reliable.
April 9, 2013 4:39 pm at 4:39 pm #998918apushatayidParticipantGo to the website of any hechsher that you consider reliable and tell us what, if any, of the criteria you listed are met by those sites.
Do you know if any assertions you made are fact? You cite no listing on kosherquest as an indication of its unreliablity, are you aware that kosherquest is not a complete list of all reliable hechsherim that are operating? It does not even list all reliable hechsherim in the state of Pennsylvania. Are you aware that numerous hechsherim cited as reliable by kosherquest also dont provide any “credentials” on their website that you state are necessary components of reliaility? Again, I have no idea who this hechsher is, who is behind it and if it meets the standards of kashrus I wish to keep in my home. I dont however see the chiyuv to unilaterally declare them unreliable simply because I know nothing about them. You can apply whatever standards you wish for yourself and your home, just remember to apply them uniformly to all certifying agencies. So, when will you be calling Rav Heineman Shlita or Rav Belsky Shlita for a copy of their “credentials”? What about Rabbi Eidlitz of Kosherquest, what are his credentials to list someone as reliable or unreliable? He has as much info regarding his reliability as the hechsher under discussion.
April 9, 2013 4:41 pm at 4:41 pm #998919apushatayidParticipantDY. Do you know that this particular person is not deserving of these accolades?
April 9, 2013 5:51 pm at 5:51 pm #998920yeshivaguy45Participantapushatayid, calm down. No need to yell at me.
FYI- Who mentioned anything about kosherquest? I didn’t. In any case, I don’t think that’s a reliable list anyways. There are several unreliable hechsherim on there.
Rabbi Belsky and Rabbi Heineman are credentials already. You don’t need credentials for the credentials. They’re chashuva well known Rabbonim.
And that goes with all the other reliable kashrus agencies. They work with one another and they all respect each other.
If you look at other reliable kashrus agencies, they usually say why their reliable, either they have a beis din, or a rav, a posek etc. who tells them what to do.
April 9, 2013 7:07 pm at 7:07 pm #998921apushatayidParticipantthere you go again with “the credentials”. you assert yet again that this particular agency doesnt work with other agencies and is not reliable because they dont publicize their relationship with other agencies or name their posek on their website. I have news for you, neither do most kashrus organizations. these people are not hiding. you can call them up and ask them for whatever credentials you feel are appropriate and if you like their answers, buy products they supervise. if not, dont.
April 9, 2013 7:40 pm at 7:40 pm #998922yeshivaguy45Participantapashatayid, are you making assumptions? The star-k has a cereal list and they trust other organizations on the kashrus. The crc has a list of reliable organizations, they worked with the star-k on the quinoa issue, they work with the other organizations when it comes to posting kashrus alerts on their websites. There are other examples as well. My point is that kashrus organizations that are reliable want to be known as reliable. They want people to use their hashgacha.
April 9, 2013 7:54 pm at 7:54 pm #998923yitayningwutParticipantapushatayid –
The OP is certainly asking a fair question. She has done her due diligence and called the number and she got no answer. She doesn’t know who this rabbi is, so it is quite responsible of her to ask the question on a public forum which can help produce facts. Anyone giving a hechsher should be real about how well-known they are in the community, and if they are not, and they expect to be accepted by responsible people, they should make their credentials accessible one way or another.
April 9, 2013 8:02 pm at 8:02 pm #998924charliehallParticipant“a kashrus agency that’s reliable that’s under strict rabbinical supervision would want to make sure that everyone knows that they’re reliable.”
That isn’t necessarily true. There are many reliable local rabbis whose main interest is supporting their own communities and for them it is not worth a marketing campaign to spread their word. Many actually ARE well-respected and work with the national kashrut agencies.
April 9, 2013 8:31 pm at 8:31 pm #998925Kosher HamMemberThe Kosher symbol in question does not appear on the /cRc web site nor its app because the /cRc has not accepted it as a reliable hechsher. Call the /cRc offices for yourself @ their telephone number 1(773)465-3900. I work p/t for them and have had to explain to one of the restaurants under the supervision of the /cRc that had a product from that hechsher in question that it is an unacceptable hechsher as far as the /cRc is concerned.
April 9, 2013 8:50 pm at 8:50 pm #998926apushatayidParticipantAgain with the assumptions. Not all those who certify products or establishments arre into marketing campaigns. Those who need to know who they are, they make sure they know. As for the op, perhaps she got a call back and all her questions were answered and alll accusations about secrecy can go out the window. As for the crc list not being listed is no proof of reliability. Is every reliable hechsher in america in “the list” or in “the app”. It means further investigation is required. I’m wondering how someone who is apparantly so strict about everything that goes into his mouth is so flippant with the comments that come out of it?
April 9, 2013 9:42 pm at 9:42 pm #998927Kosher HamMember@apushatayid: Chill out & take a deep breath before further posting. And then think thrice before clicking the “Send Post” button.
I always take a photo of the item in question with my iPod Touch & e-mail it to my Rav HaMachsher, who shall remain nameless & works @ the /cRc. Some items with an unacceptable hechsher are nevertheless kosher depending on what industrial category of food item they are – they’re kosher in spite of the unacceptable hechsher.
Your last sentence is dangerously close to what’s in the NT, Mark 7:18-23, more specifically to Mark 7:20. You shouldn’t be sounding like you’re quoting the NT.
April 10, 2013 10:45 am at 10:45 am #998929RuchiParticipantI found out from another acquaintance that Rabbi Silver, who heads up the Shield Star K, is a very nice person. However, they did not know anything regarding his certification.
May we all merit the art of respectful dialogue and reap the myriad benefits in our personal lives.
April 10, 2013 6:05 pm at 6:05 pm #998930apushatayidParticipantStraightforward? “e-mail it to my Rav HaMachsher, who shall remain nameless & works @ the /cRc.” this is not straightforward, this is heresay, at best. Ask your own Rav.
April 10, 2013 6:13 pm at 6:13 pm #998931apushatayidParticipant“Your last sentence is dangerously close to what’s in the NT, Mark 7:18-23, more specifically to Mark 7:20. You shouldn’t be sounding like you’re quoting the NT.”
Actually, I am paraphrasing the sponsor of a Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation publication. This particular sponsor is a well known kashrus agency and by way of explaining why they felt it important to sponsor the publication, they used this line. If you feel the use of such a line in this context is inappropriate, contact the CCHF and tell them. While I consider myself educated, I am not able to cite chapter and verse from the gospel of mark the way you can. I submit to your superior knowledge in this area.
April 10, 2013 6:57 pm at 6:57 pm #998932☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantDY. Do you know that this particular person is not deserving of these accolades?
No, I have no idea one way or the other, and I should have said so. I apologize.
April 10, 2013 6:58 pm at 6:58 pm #998933yitayningwutParticipantIt doesn’t require superior knowledge; only a general familiarity with the debates of the cogs in the jews versus christians debating machines, and the ability to google.
January 19, 2014 7:40 pm at 7:40 pm #998934SrirachaLoverMemberI realize this thread has been dead for a while but it is still one of the first hits when searching for “Sriracha Hechsher.” I am happy to report that the Rabbinical Council of California (listed on CRC website) has certified Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce as Kosher Pareve through June 30, 2014. I’m not sure if posting links works in this forum, but if you search “RCC Sriracha” the relevant Teudah should be the first hit.
Happy hot saucing!
January 19, 2014 8:13 pm at 8:13 pm #998935popa_bar_abbaParticipantYah yah, sriracha
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