Events In The West: The Los Angeles Israel Film Festival opened April 18 and continues through May 2… This Shabbos, Young Israel of Century City celebrates Yom Ha’Atzmaut with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo and Vicky Riskin of Efrat, Israel as the scholars-in-residence at a special Shabbaton… Also this Shabbos, Dr. Avivah Zornberg is the scholar-in-residence at Adath Israel in San Francisco, and Rav Yona Fodor is the scholar-in-residence at Yeshivat Yavneh in L.A… On April 21, the Los Angeles community celebrates Israel 65 at Rancho Park… If you’re thinking of moving to Israel, join Gedaliah Borvick on April 24 at Beth Jacob Beverly Hills for a very informative workshop on buying an apartment in Israel… From April 26-28, Ambassador Yehuda Avner will be the scholar-in-residence at Beth Jacob Beverly Hills, and Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman will be speaking at Young Israel of Century City and Beth Jacob of Beverly Hills.
Doheny Meats Recap & Update: As reported on page 3 of last week’s Jewish Press, The Rabbinical Council of California (RCC) withdrew its kosher certification of Doheny Glatt Kosher Meat Market on March 24, the day before Pesach. Doheny was owned by Mike Engleman and recently purchased by local businessman and philanthropist Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz.
Back in the early 1980s, the RCC revoked its supervision from a Los Alamitos kosher meat market owned and operated by Engelman. At that time, two RCC rabbis, at the behest of the RCC’s then-President Rabbi Eli Hecht of Chabad of Lomita, made a surprise visit to the Los Alamitos market (about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles). They noticed unmarked open packages of unlabeled meat under the showcase, and found boxes of non-kosher meat stored on the upper shelves of the freezer. That kosher market eventually closed. Apparently, the present group of RCC rabbis was not aware of what now seems to be a replay of that earlier event.
Many Los Angelenos are comparing this situation with the kosher meat scandal that occurred in Monsey, New York several years ago. The Jewish Press West Coast Section, though, has been told by local rabbinic sources that there are some key halachic differences between the two. The RCC investigation determined that about 90 percent of Doheny’s products were kosher, according to RCC standards, while in the Monsey scandal none of the products were kosher. Furthermore, the RCC rabbis concluded that the uncertified product was almost entirely a Hebrew National product. Thus, well-respected authorities advised the RCC that the product might be deemed s’feika de’oraisa.
The RCC has advised the community that according to a halachic ruling by OU posek Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, any meat purchased from Doheny prior to the RCC’s revocation of its hashgachah at 3 p.m. on March 24, 2013 is deemed to be kosher.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Mazel Tov – Birth: Yosef and Keren Segal, a son (Grandparents David and Laurie Segal).
CALABASAS, CALIFORNIA
Mazel Tov – Birth: Rabbi Yaakov and Chumie Vann, a daughter (Grandparents George and Shoshana Mann).
LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA
Mazel Tov – Birth: Jake and Joanne Leslie, a daughter (Grandparents Sorel and Judy Nemzer).
Mazel Tov – Bar Mitzvah: Jarret Grolman, son of Errol Grolman and Penny Chaskelson.
Mazel Tov – Engagement: Jody Friede, daughter of Irwin and Ana Friede, to Leor London.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Mazel Tov – Births: Hillel and Sabrina Kamionsky, a son (Grandparents Moshe and Shelly Kamionski; Johnny and Helene Zauderer)… Zevi and Ita Deutsch, a daughter (Grandparents Ramy and Chaya Deutsch; Sam and Vera Menlo)… Rabbi Jonathan and Elisheva Samuels, a son (Leo and Roz Eschwege)… Dovi and Estee Iwanisky, a daughter (Grandparents Rabb Izchak and Yehudit Kin)… Boruch and Batsheva Sheps, a daughter (Grandparents Irving and Ita Bauman; Shaya and Mimi Sheps)… Yaakov and Leah Kest, a daughter (Grandparents Michael and Suri Kest)… Lawrence and Sarah Richards, a son… Rafi and Rinat Kalman, a son (Grandparents Chaim and Miriam Peretz)… Boaz and Leah Minitzer, a son… Jason and Elana Tennenbaum of Chicago, a son (Grandmother Lisa Tennenbaum)… Aron and Dalia Youngerwood, a son and daughter (Grandparents Dr. Arnold and Leah Rotter)… Avi and Shoshana Morgenbesser, a son (Grandparents Rabbi Eli and Robin Stern)… Gregory and Maya Spinrad, a son… Daniel and Yael Endrei, a son… Haim and Yehudit Ezra, a daughter (Grandparents Daniel and Yael Endrei)… Phillip and Pamela Marcus, a son (Grandparents Norman and Florence Marcus; Ilya and Luba Kleinman)… Yehuda and Abigail Shwarzbord, a daughter (Grandparents Aaron and Malka Schellemberg)… Yosef and Keren Segal, a son (Grandparents Dr. Arthur and Yafa Platt)… Yitzchok and Chaya Tenenbaum, a son (Grandparents Rabbi Mendel and Rochel Duchman)… Rabbi Joshua and Leesa Millman, a daughter (Grandparents Bob and Judy Millman)… Yoel and Chana Zuman of Lakewood, a son (Grandparents Betzalel and Devorah Zuman; Great-grandparents David and Sheila Thumim)… Robbi and Ariella Silverman, a son (Grandparents Nachi and Hedy Silverman; Jeff and Shaindy Winter)… Shmuel and Raquel Schwartz, two daughters (Grandparents Joseph and Brenda Schwartz)… Yaakov and Leah Kest, a daughter (Grandparents Michael and Suri Kest)… Chaim and Sarah Garfinkel of Baltimore, a son (Grandparents Joseph and Marilyn Garfinkel).