Chief Rabbinate Grants Kashrut Certification to Tzohar Amid Government Dispute

The Chief Rabbinate officially authorized the rabbinical organization Tzohar as a kosher certification body on Thursday. This move sparked conflict with the Ministry of Religious Services, which demanded the revocation of the approval. The dispute centers on the fact that the certification was granted by Yehuda Cohen, the Chief Rabbinate's CEO, without approval from the Chief Rabbinate Council, as required by procedure. The Ministry of Religious Services, led by CEO Yehuda Avidan, argues that the authorization was issued unlawfully. Tzohar, known for its liberal approach, received the certification to provide kosher supervision to businesses, similar to other kosher certification bodies. The disagreement highlights tensions between the Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry over control of kosher certification standards in Israel.