By COLlive reporter
John Lewis Department Stores is one of the older established chains in the UK. The John Lewis Partnership also owns Waitrose, a leading supermarket chain across the UK. And both boast a strong Jewish clientele which caused a bit of bother earlier this week.
Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet writes a widely read popular weekly column in the Jewish News, a leading London paper, in which he answers readers’ questions on a broad range of subjects. One reader questioned the recent boycott of Israeli products, and Rabbi Schochet included in his response a copy of a letter he received which was sent out by John Lewis to all its suppliers querying whether they provide any products from Israel.
“Boycott the boycotters I say,” Rabbi Schochet proceeded to write. “With more than two hundred thousand Jews in London, they’re sure to feel the pinch.”
This sparked a fury within the Jewish community with calls being made to the John Lewis head office and several people initiating a boycott of John Lewis and Waitrose stores.
Schochet, who is away on a lecture tour across Europe, says he was oblivious to all the commotion. “All of a sudden I am bombarded with emails from different Jewish organizations asking me to withdraw my statement.
“One leading communal activist wrote to me insisting he had spoken to John Lewis and that I needed to issue an immediate retraction as John Lewis insisted it was not true that they ever intended to boycott Israeli products and in the meantime people were starting to boycott the shops.”
Meanwhile the top management at John Lewis got in touch with Rabbi Schochet as well as the Jewish News insisting they publish a retraction and issuing the following statement to the press: The statement reads: “Due to increased number of enquiries from customers about our sourcing of products from Israel we felt it prudent to find out the up-to-date situation from our suppliers so that our Partners could respond with confidence to these questions. We considered it important therefore, to confirm the volume of our products which we stock that are of Israeli origin or which contain ingredients or components which are sourced from Israel. The memorandum which requested that information contained absolutely no suggestion that our suppliers should cease to stock products of Israeli origin.”
The statement continues: “We take this opportunity to assure you that our policy has absolutely not changed. We source from suppliers throughout the world to provide our customers with a broad range of products and will continue to do so. John Lewis takes pride in being a non-aligned company and we do not discriminate against or boycott companies which are operating ethically within the law of their country and conforming to the John Lewis robust ethical requirements. John Lewis does and will continue to sell products of Israeli origin.”
In response Rabbi Schochet says, “I am mindful that John Lewis never suggested a boycott on Israeli products whatsoever. I would point out that nowhere in my article did it explicitly state that John Lewis is boycotting Israel. But I do question their need to pander to such queries of those customers who suddenly want to know whether they stock Israeli goods. Are they assisting those who are seeking to boycott the purchase of Israeli products – and possibly even the store itself as a result? Is this a reprehensible or weak-willed course of action by the store? I’ll leave that for my readers to decide.”
Does it really matter if Shochat is or isn’t a shaliach? If he isn’t a shaliach, there is no excuse to make him feel less deserving. If his shul isn’t chabad, is that so terrible. Even if his children don’t go to chabad, he, like any jew, should be accepted with love. Keep a stiff upper lip, schochet, because i accept you as you are.
No. 22 – if speaking at a kinus is proof positive of being a shaliach, then I introduce you to the “new” shaliach George Rohr and Lev Leviev and many others.
Schochat is no shaliach and he is minister to a non-Chabad shul.
No. 20 I came back to lok and know u r same as 18 someone bitter why i don’t know. I personally attended sessions by Yitzhok Shochet at kinus a few times when he spoke, so if he is not a shliach u need to get ur head examined.
1. Yitzchak Schochet is a Lubavitch rabbi the same as JJ Hecht and Rabbi Kazarnovsky were Lubavitch rabbis of non-Lubavitch shuls
2. Y Schochet is an official Shliach under Lubavitch of UK and Merkoz L’Inyonei Chinuch and does work under Lubavitch of Edgware:
http://www.chabad.org/centers/default_cdo/aid/117817/jewish/Lubavitch-of-Edgware.htm
Reality check – He is NOT a rabbi in a Lubavitch shul. He is NOT working under Chabad. He is NOT a shaliach. He does NOT represent Chabad/Lubavitch.
Shochat was in same position for 18 years in Mill Hill. He made it most successful community in London. He is widely respected thats why Rabbonim voted him to be their chairman. You don’t like him but obviously don’t even know him. You have such ahavas yisroel. It’s people like you (18) that give Lubavitch bad name even when the Rebbe’s shluchim like Shocht build the name Lubavitch!
I never liked this Yitzchok Schochet or his brother Yisroel. He reminds me of a purim gragger – a noise maker and a trouble maker. He has been hopping from position to position – can’t hold down a job too long. It is time to give him return airfare to the USA.
Sounds like schochet has WAY too much time on his hands. Idle time is the devil’s playground.
…and I heard sales in that store were never better during the last year. Many other stores were feeling the financial downturn, but this store sales were among the strongest in the industry!
i hear that the store lost more than 6000 pounds in cancelled orders (jc.com) becuse of this. that is action.
All talk and no action! Get your attention and have your fun, but nothing gets done.
headlines
and during his obama fiasco he insisted that he was not a headline monger, as I suggested on COL.
Now I leave it to the COL readers to decide.
this is some bitter soul jelous of shochat? good for him and shame on u
Good for Shochet. First comment uncalled for and typical jealousy. At least we have someone who speaks out and is not afraid. I looked through websites and the Zinoist Federation as well as the United Synagogue have statements on their websites defending John Lewis. I imagine for sure US called him. I also see it is all over the Jewish websites in the UK.
The only reason that this has become such a big deal, is because BH Rabbi Schochet has become a loud voice in London and his columns (which is a simple Ask the Rabbi column) has become very famous and well-read, so people jump down his throat when he says something they dont like.
We should also remember that Rabbi Schochet is alos the chairman of the Chief Rabbis Cabinet so his words have powrr from the there too, and therefore Rabbi Schochet should be commended for his strength and courage for sanding up for what is right
Schochet says, .”All of a sudden I am bombarded with emails from different Jewish organizations asking me to withdraw my statement.”
Shouldn’t expose the names of these Jewish organizations, so we can all know the traitors in our midst?
Why must he protect them?
Unless, of course this claim is baseless, and there are no such organizations.
How is his shul members and Board of directors taking this?
I sure hope he doesn’t get sued. Remember the Kabbalah Center sued his Dad for speaking his mind.
Do they list Arab-made products? Perhaps UK shoppers should phone up & ask for a list so they know what NOT to buy.
In John Lewis management’s own statement, which they publish said;
“Due to increased number of enquiries from customers about our sourcing of products from Israel we felt it prudent to find out the up-to-date situation from our suppliers so that our Partners could respond with confidence to these questions.”
Perhaps the decreasing number of sales from former loyal (Jewish) clients might offset their unique burning interest in determining what products come from Israel?
Of course its pandering to Jew haters, you are kidding yourself you do not think so.
shochet shochet keep it up dont be shy about supporting eretz yisroel keep learning chassidus
Does John Lewis publish what products come from prison labour? Child labour? Do they publish the country of origin for products with human rights violations?
NO!
If they’re not pandering to Jew-haters what are they doing?
They deserve to be boycotted.
Just because the store sent out the letter someone asked does not mean they agree with the letter.
and during his obama fiasco he insisted that he was not a headline monger, as I suggested on COL.
Now I leave it to the COL readers to decide.