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The Power is the Consumer - Keeping it Kosher Clip
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Have you listened to the newest episode of the Keeping it Kosher podcast yet? 👀 Our host Rabbi Ezra Sarna is joined by Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz, OU Kosher’s expert on kosher wine and alcohol, for a conversation on all things wine - from the fundamentals of halacha to how those principles play out in modern wine production. Listen at keepingitkosher.org, or wherever you get your podcasts.🎧
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
Last week I was in kiddush, and there
was a fellow, and he said, "Rabbi,
why can't the OU just get an OU on this, this, and
this brand of whiskey or liquor?" The assumption
in his question was that the OU can influence
companies to get a hashgacha. Is that a wrong
assumption? The power of the OU is not the OU,
it's the consumer. Realize that on every product,
they probably have a website, you know,
"visit our website, comment. We welcome
your comments." Not that many people actually
contact the company. So every contact is measured
in thousands by them. If we, the consumer,
would demand certain things from companies,
they would likely respond. I worked with you
know many of the largest liquor companies.
The attitude that many have is an attitude
which we've taught them. We're going to buy
your product with or without the hechsher. The
liquor company had a lot of Jewish influence.
Many of the Jews who were in the industry said
it doesn't need a hechsher. And they're still
remembering those comments. If the consumer
says, "you know what, does it make sense that
for soda pop we insist on a hechsher and
for cookies we insist on a hechsher, but
we readily buy the liquor product which doesn't
have a hechsher?" You're voting with your feet.