07-31-2013 Rabbi Dr. Jonah Gewirtz, STAR-K Senior Advisor/Global Consultant

I've been involved with star k since 1991 what keeps me here is dealing with people like Rabbi Misha hinan the Dr Ron poik and the staff this is the finest group of colleagues that a person can hope to find I spent many years in the active ravinet got involved in cous through the back door I'm known to some as the Basin Robins Rabbi in fact and bar hasem Basin Robins is part of our organization of which we are very happy um and it's been with me for so many years I've been involved in other aspects of Kus and it was one day that Rabbi Hinman said it's time you should be part of our team I've never regretted it I feel that anyone who has an opportunity to be raised and groomed and share in what star k has to offer in honesty sincerity customer friendliness and adherence to Hala with a flexibility and understanding of modern technology is something that is not usually prevalent and I'm not comparing to other cous agencies I'm sure they all fulfill a role I think star k does reach for the stars and a little bit above practically it's very hard to Define what it is that I do I had an experience visiting with one of our outstanding clients many years ago and he said Rabbi gartz how would you define senior advisor this man is head of a very large concern conglomerate and as I began defining what my role is he said that I now understand I have many lawyers who work for me but only one who is of counsel you are in the position of of counsel to the star k and I now know with who you I would like to deal so I'm giving you a definition of someone else I would rather have someone toot my horn than toot my own I'm just a small Cog in a big wheel enjoying being part of growth in the American scene and the international scene throughout the Universe truly in matters relating to kosher and I'm also very pleased that star k has expanded its growth into all areas of Jewish law and expertise and one of my roles is to be a support to all of our teams and be I guess shall I say because of my age the grandfather that every body can feel free to come to and share and I become a human resource person for all of the companies with whom we deal being around so long I've interacted with heads of companies when they were teenagers under their own parents tutelage so that is in a simple term my role at Star if any of you knew yish I would say I'm the zi and for those who speak English as I said I'm the grandfather and there are some who even have called me The Godfather that has a connotation I'm not sure that I like but I appreciate the honor that goes with it many many years ago I was a rabbi in Connecticut I was a young man I was 27 years old my early pulpit and I was in the YMCA in the gym and a man came running over to me and he said they tell me you're a rabbi is that true I said yes he said I've got a problem I was given an instruction that we've got to turn Basin Robbins into a kosher ice cream company so I looked at him and I said I don't know if I have the experience necessary though I can deal in my local community with the butcher Baker and candle stick maker so to speak I've studied kosher laws and requirements but flavor and ingredients such components I don't know if I know enough why don't you call some of the other major coacher agencies and I gave him the name of several of them and his response was I spoke with this agency they weren't receptive I spoke to another agency and they said you know to have a kosher designation you must be worthy and qualified and he was intimidating and then I spoke to to a third agency who said you know you have to be careful because there may be a lack of Integrity in some of the organizations what I offer you is integrity and this man said I was turned off that he could be speaking about other agencies in the same way so tell me can you help me and I said I'm GNA sure try and I got on a plane when I flew to the West Coast and I met members of the original Basin robins's Family not the conglomerate who are on the big board today known as dnkn Duncan Brands and then I met people who were in their flavor industry and suddenly they sent me to a factory to meet a chemist who was going to tell me what his ingredients are and I wasn't that wise and I said you know I'm not a chemist I'm a rabbi and he thought he could get away with some information and he said you mean I've got to tell you all of my secrets and I said yes doctor so and so everything in your black book has to be inscribed in my head and on my black book and it began from there and suddenly I became I won't say an expert but I knew what I was looking for and what not to look for and it evolved but it evolved from one aspect which I think starc still maintains human interaction I wasn't intimidating I wasn't overwhelming I wasn't a policeman I was there to help and I was there to respond this is the policy of star k today and this is what every kosher agency should strive for and this is what a consumer is seeking in the supermarket that they can be assured and the manufacturer in particular needs guidance they know that kosher is important to the world the manufacturer today knows that religious courtesies and respect must be afforded their consumers but they also know as business people you can't wait for months to get an answer you can't be treated in a holier than thou attitude and you need expertise all of which in my little way I've learned but I can tell you the evolution of kosher is gone from the time when the local Rabbi ran into the Butcher Store and checked on a piece of meat or a part of a cow or the old question is it pure vegetable shortening oh then that must be okay I remember at age 10 writing a letter to a bread company who's now certified by someone else and asking them in Connecticut do you use shortening and what do you line your pans with and they said pure vegetable oil and like a proud youngster those were the days when you used to write a letter and say master Jona gartz because you're too young to remember that most of you but master was a title given to a boy up until a certain age you couldn't be a mister yet and they wrote back and told me that it's fine and it was was announced in my father's synagogue my son wrote a letter and therefore we can assume people have gone through that but we've learned in sophisticated terms there are so many requirements today and so many things that are not listed that are not noted chemically technically machine wise and production wise we are at The Cutting Edge casus needs to be and we are here to help you the manufacturer you the producer to go ahead and increase hopefully your understanding I won't say of market share that's an empty promise but of Market understanding and consumer needs that I can tell you kosher agencies in particular star k is there for with one important motto Dr Pollock our president has always said I want quick turn turn around promise me that and we will have customers forever a kosher manufacturer or manufacturer seeking to be kosher is looking for cooperation support Guidance Financial bottom line honesty integrity and sincerity all of which I think we owe them this is part of the way the free economy in our great country is working and this indust industry should be no different than any other industry so when Mr blank calls me up and says I have an opportunity to bid for company why but I must produce for them an ingredient which is kosher and credible guide me please that is our job to go from day one review your ingredients review your plant review your needs and help you become a vendor to a supp fer and I would like to just add today the majority manufacturer in the United States in paragraph one says if you wish to be a vendor to us please Supply at your cost a kosher statement from a credible kosher agency to be acceptable to the agency who is certifying us now and please give us a list of references they know this is no longer a fly by night kind of thing and let me please reiterate kosher is not a blessing people think that a rabbi comes and blesses your food that's not true I can tell you this many many years ago not to get into politics I've got to be careful one of my large companies was exporting to a part of the world in which the Jewish kosher emblem wasn't appreciated for political reasons but was expected for religious reasons and asked would I agree that we would come up with a system that would confirm the kosher standard but not display the kosher emblem and we worked this out suddenly our country was involved in a war the first bombing of the Twin Tower area not the most recent of 911 but the early one and suddenly we had to export stuff to our troops all around the world and the plant manager called me and he said Rabbi can you come and unbless the food and I said excuse me what do you mean unbless the food he said well I know you're the kosher Rabbi who certifies it and I said did you ever see me make a blessing and he said certainly not I don't know but he says I don't know what else you do I said I confirm ingredients and product and this is what I want you to know that is what we do so today people know that kosher is not a blessing it is a confirmation of ingredients it's credibility and that is really what the company wants what the manufact facturer wants and what the consumer wants and they want it with ease without headache without Hassle and I must say I will conclude with this please remember the kosher agency is not a policeman they are here to be of service to you to help you produce the product that your vendor wants your consumer wants and your plant needs to provide for the kind of income and stability for your place in the marketplace today I think that there are those who think that Kosh supervision is policing and I think that even some of the younger rabbis when they go out representing agencies walk in with an Eagle Eye as a detective seeking that shouldn't be the training you go to be of help and assistance and guide we're not there to hurt you we're there to help you the satisfaction that I get is watching a company Blossom grow and appreciate the market appreciate the kosher people the kosher World understand Judaism I have a colleague who says very often the only Jewish person that many of the people around the small communities of America are going to meet is the rabbi representing the kosher agency and we have an obligation to represent our people and our faith and our tradition in the finest fashion and might I say I would hope that every Rabbi who may be hearing this or every inspector hearing this make sure their shoes are shined their pants are pressed their jacket is neat and if you're wearing your hat make sure it's brushed and always have a smile on your face they will love you the people whom you visit and in the eyes of God you will be fulfilling your religious obligation as well as the human obligation which is part of our tradition star k is unique we have Rabbi heinan who is the religious dezor a nice word for our organization he makes all of the religious decisions our rabbis as a group meet in the office weekly pose their problems and answer only to him now I must say in matters of Finance cost fee structure Rabbi heiman has no input therefore his decisions are made based only on Jewish law and understanding and with the blessing of the scope of his mind in technical skill besides the vast knowledge and tradition in religious law we have a winner forgive me for being so mundane in him we have Dr aam poik the president whose role is to handle the finances and guide the everyday operations and their roles are uniquely separate but important we have a board who helps to oversee the workings of what the rabbi does and what Dr poock does and what I do and what the rabbis on our staff do together we are a family and I must say as large as we've become and as Internationals we've become we have not lost that family flavor and the mutual respect and more than anything else no one here was jockeying for a position to outdo a colleague and hope for advancement because that doesn't happen in this organization it happens only through Merit and good work and following the kind of policy and standards as set by Rabbi heinan by Dr poock and by the fact that you will ask any employee as you walk through our office and see smiles and happiness and ask any employee why they enjoy being part of star over any other agency and ask many of our happy customers and clients what do they get a friend a support and guidance at a fee structure which is Equitable and honorable