The well-being of the Jewish community of Montreal is and always has been at the forefront of the concerns of the Vaad Ha’ir. As such, the Kashruth sector of the Vaad supervises the community’s institutions, and often lends aid so as to maintain MK-certification, thereby ensuring that imperative Halachic standards are being met. The YM-YWHA of Westbury is no exception. What’s more, it is viewed by the Vaad as a pivotal center for Montreal Jewry.
Over the past 10 to 15 years, the Vaad made extensive efforts to assist Cafe Dizengoff, a privately-owned meat restaurant, with its MK-certification. In order to maintain its kosher status, Cafe Dizengoff must meet the same requirements for Kashruth as all other similar institutions in Montreal. The Vaad attempted to guide the owners of Cafe Dizengoff in following Halachic standards so as to fulfill the needs of the community.
In 2005 Cafe Dizengoff approached the Vaad and requested clarification of its conditions for certification. As with all meat restaurants in Montreal that are under the supervision of the Vaad, the Cafe must have a Mashgiach present at all times to ensure the Kashruth of the facility; the Mashgiach may also assist in the preparation of food and other necessary tasks.
Granted, Cafe Dizengoff was suffering from the poor economic state that has been plaguing many businesses in the latter years. For numerous months, the restaurant withheld payments for the working Mashgiach, who was provided by the Vaad. In 2008, a meeting was held between Cafe Dizengoff, Rabbi Saul Emanuel, Rabbi Peretz Jaffe, Rabbi Michael Whitman, Mr. Michael Crelinstein, and Mr. Saul Deitcher. Cafe Dizengoff and the executives of the Vaad explored the ways in which the MK- certification could be maintained while the restaurant was generating little income, whilst still adhering to the standards of Kashruth.
The Vaad continued working with the owners and providing exceptional arrangements. Unfortunately, these were not adhered to by Cafe Dizengoff. Members of the Vaad Presidium, made up of volunteers from the community, met with Cafe Dizengoff and Rabbi Whitman numerous times and further arrangements were made. The Presidium developed a payment schedule, where Cafe Dizengoff could pay off outstanding and overdue debts to the Vaad over a longer period of time. In addition, the Vaad continued to pay for the daily services of the Mashgiach, as well as providing required inspection free of charge. Unfortunately, the restaurant did not meet any of these terms.
After two years of meetings, negotiations, and special conditions being made, the Vaad informed Cafe Dizengoff that it would no longer be in a position to continue certifying them as kosher unless they adhered to their commitments and arrangements. Unfortunately, after receiving no positive response, the Vaad and all parties involved in aiding Cafe Dizengoff decided to withdraw supervision and MK-certification.
The Vaad made it clear that there were no objections to the Cafe seeking alternative Orthodox certification, and wished both parties success in this endeavour. The Vaad also addressed the YM-YWHA’s new policy to remain open on Shabbos, stating that this policy and the retraction of MK-certification for the privately-owned Cafe Dizengoff were entirely unrelated matters. The Vaad was willing to maintain the supervision of the restaurant if only the establishment had followed the arrangements that had been unanimously agreed upon.
Even after the restaurant was no longer under official supervision of the Vaad, further meetings took place between members of the Rabbinic Council of Canada and Rabbi Whitman, and the Vaad, who had extensively dedicated their efforts to assist in this matter. In these meetings, the Rabbis proposed solutions for Cafe Dizengoff, where they could serve dairy early on in the day, and later serve meat, with a permanent Mashgiach present for only the latter hours. In this way, the Cafe could have longer business hours and thus be visited by more clientele. This proposal was also refused by the Cafe.
It is with the best interests of the Jewish community in mind that the Vaad Ha’ir invested several years to maintain the certification of Cafe Dizengoff, and yet the Vaad did not receive cooperation even after all its efforts to maintain this restaurant as Kosher. During this regrettable incident, and especially now with the quickly approaching celebration of Pesach, the Vaad is serving the community, and is continuously striving to meet its needs by supporting the many innovative ventures in today’s Montreal Kosher world. We wish success to all endeavours within the Jewish community for many years to come.