Julie,

Your original comment suggested there was a $50,000 licence fee, to obtain kosher certification and I have told you there is no licence fee. You are now claiming the Mashgiach’s wages are a “tax”? You can’t be serious. Are you suggesting the Mashgiach , who is normally a “working” Mashgaich, fulfilling a productive role in the establishment as well as his/her supervisory duties, should work for nothing? Would you? Or are you suggesting that he KA, which is a not for profit organisation should provide all its services for no charge? If so, just who do you imagine is going to fund this?

Julie,
Here in the US in certain communities, where fulltime supervision is required, as in the case of a meat restaurant/factory, a “working Mashgiach” is employed, she or he both is a worker and kosher supervisor, thereby reducing wage costs to the owner.

Julie, I take note of your point.
I assume Mr Revelman will post his response.

I hope you are right.

Hag Sameach!

Thank you Mr Revelman.

Rabbi Woolstone take note.

$22 an hour x 8hr day = $176
$176 x 5 days = $880
$880 x 52 weeks = $45,760

$45,760 + $2280 ($570 x 4) =

$48,040

That’s pretty close to what I stated as the $50,000 required to be kosher!

I rest my case. Goodbye!

Harry,
I am listening to you carefully
When I was a youth in Sydney, Torah Yiddishkeit was limited to small Kehillas like the Adass, the Yeshiva, the Mizrachi, there were Shomer Shabbat families at Roscoe Street, a number at the South Head, and at the the Central.
I lived on the North Shore, I think there were two Shomer Shabbos families I knew.
When I went to Zionist camp the ones I went to, where not kosher, my friend’s father provided the treife meat and on Saturday we were driven to the local swimming pool.
In the last 40 year the paradim has changed dramatically, there are many more shuls full of young secularly educated and Jewishly knowledgeable people.
Torah is alive, well and thriving and 90% of community settings and functions are kosher catered.
Jewish educational options are 10 fold what they were a generation ago.
We are living in exciting times Harry, we will continue to grow and thrive.
May I wish you an inspirational and Kosher Pesach

Julie,
Firstly,the Talmud promotes the idea of fair open competition, nothing theoretical, real world 21st century living.
When next in Sydney I am more that happy to show you and your friends, the original sources.
The availability of Kosher in Coles etc is a welcome addition and has had a positive effect of the market.
As I have said, there will be more restaurants and cafes as the kosher consumer market increases, the placing of national brands like Heinz and Coca Cola under hechsher is a far easier process.
I am not a prophet consequently I cannot see into the future, I believe the KA will continue, another Hechsher may evolve, we live in democracies.
Melbourne has Kosher Australia, Adass and Chabad and possibly other rabbinic supervisions.
May I wish you a Kosher and Joyful Pesach.

Rabbi Pinchus,

I’m going to get down to the point. I am not having a philosophical or hypothetical discussion. I am going to hit home – hard! Call it aggressive if you will.

For years the supply of kosher packaged foods was met by Starks, Krinsky’s and Grandma Moses. These stores charged steep premiums (tax) for their imported goods. Families would virtually mortgage their homes for a strict Kosher passover menu.

Come along Coles, Woolworths and they opened their aisles for kosher offering.

What happened then, Rabbi Pinchus?

I’ll tell you!

Kosher consumption went up by volume of sales and also by patronage. This means people who were not eating kosher packaged foods, began to keep kosher thanks to the goys.

Then, the price of kosher food dropped – including packaged meat.

More Jews are keeping Kosher than ever before thanks to the offerings of Coles and Woolies..

Rabbi, stop with your hypothetical talmud philosphy. Arguments are better left for the shabbat table. Let’s keep this real and true!

The retail industry has proven that consumers get driven by good offerings, like massive kosher aisles stocked with variety – not vice versa. To suggest that ‘when the call for kosher expands’ is misaligned with consumer buying and marketing strategy. Coles got it right!

Rabbi Woolstone – you clearly see the market through one shade of lens. That shade belongs to the bygone days of mafia like stockist who would regulate the price of eggs and milk based on personal whim and credit…

I on the otherhand belong to this generation. The era of free enterprise and open market. Credit and debt free..

Simply put – the KA is still stuck in the era of mafia like operations and has one of two choices.

1) To comply with the desire of NSW Jewry and become transparent and competitive.

or

2) Face fierce competition with the risk of going under.

I hope you are right Rabbi

sadly all I see in recent times, is the losing of respect for our leaders and the secularization of our culture

Dear Julie,

You inadvertently demonstrate that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Firstly, The KA grants a kosher licence to any applicant who agrees to the halachic and commercial terms of our standard licence agreement. The KA NEVER makes a decision in regard to “size of market” considerations,

Secondly, there is NO start up tax or fee to obtain a kashrut licence from The KA. For restaurants and takeaways and the like we charge $570 a quarter, plus mashgiach rates worked out according to the halachic requirements of supervision.

There is no license fee for caterers, they pay mashgiach rates and a per head charge.
We also have cottage industry charges for caterers that work out of OBK where they are charged $36.30 per spot check, or $200 maximum per month depending on the amount of spot checks required in that month. The choice is the licensees’.

The reason why start ups fail is often because there is insufficient clientele.

If you want to know anything about how The KA runs please email or call our office, we have nothing to hide.