Haredi Eatery Was Non-Kosher

By vosizneias.com

Borough Park, NY – The still-roiling controversy over an apparently accidental breach in kashrus protocol at Borough Park’s Shawarma King restaurant has the Brooklyn frum community all abuzz.

VIN initially reported treife hot dogs being served at the restaurant, only to later learning that the contraband had resulted from a series of errors on the part of management.

In a phone conversation with VIN, Rabbi Moshe Babad shed much light on the confusion and furiously flying e-mail rumors and photos.

Firstly, there are two kashrus organizations bearing the name Babad: The Tartikover Rov, Rabbi Yechiel Babad, who maintains an independent kashrus certifying agency; and The Tartikover Beis Din, under the leadership of Rabbi Naftali Meir Babad. Both organizations get along with each other without rivalry or conflict.

Shawarma King’s certification is issued by the Tartikover Beis Din under Rabbi Naftali Meir Babad—not the Tartikover Rov, Rabbi Yechiel Babad.

Terrible mistake

“What happened last night was a terrible mistake,” Rabbi Moshe Babad said to VIN.

Rabbi Babad explained that the store owner’s brother-in-law from Israel came in to the restaurant last night. The brother-in-law had only been in America for two weeks.

At some point, someone—who critically has yet to be identified—instructed a recently-hired non-Jewish employee to go to the KRM Kollel store around the corner to purchase Meal Mart franks. “Who told the goy to go is under question,” said Rabbi Babad, pointing out that “the goy is not allowed to go—they can only buy [meat] from the supplier.”

According to Rabbi Babad, the worker went to the non-Jewish grocery across the street, where he purchased four packs of non-kosher hot dogs.

Rabbi Babad insisted that “No one was trying to fool anybody.”

Timeline

Here is what happened next at Shawarma King last night, according to Rabbi Babad:

1. One customer ordered franks, collected his order and sat down to eat

2. A second customer ordered franks

3. In the second customer’s presence, the non-Jewish worker opened one pack of non-kosher franks and placed four franks on the grill

4. The brother-in-law of the owner, overseeing the restaurant at the time, noticed that the franks appeared unusual

5. The franks were then discovered to be non-kosher

“Besides last night, there has been no problem whatsoever” at Shawarma King with regards to kashrus, said Rabbi Babad. “There was definitely a breach. The only question is how many people ate” the non-kosher franks.

“The second person not, the first, maybe. There might have been one person in the middle, we’re looking into it,” said Rabbi Babad.

In other words, the only question is whether any non-kosher franks are unaccounted for.

Rabbi Babad added that the restaurant is under 24-hour video surveillance and that the Beis Din is waiting for the technician’s arrival so that footage can be examined to determine the precise sequence of events and the parties involved.

“The etzem fact that the goy opened it in front of a customer is proof” that nothing furtive was being done, Rabbi Babad told VIN.

As of 10:10 a.m. this morning, the restaurant’s mashgiach was in a meeting regarding the situation. The restaurant is currently closed.