Chief Rabbinate Warns Shamir Medical Center Over Alleged False Kashrut Claims

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has issued a formal warning to the management of Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), alleging that the hospital's website falsely presents kosher certification without a valid certificate from the authorized local rabbinate. Rabbi Rafael Yochai, head of supervision under the Kashrut Fraud Prevention Law at the Chief Rabbinate, sent the letter to Professor Osnat Lev Zion Korach, the medical center's director, claiming the hospital continues to operate under a misleading kosher representation.

The letter highlights that the hospital's official website states kosher supervision is conducted by an internal team, with the level of kashrut described as "Rabbinate Kashrut" and adherence to "Bishul Yisrael" according to the rulings of the Maran Beit Yosef. It also details kosher procedures for vegetables, dairy products, baked goods, glatt kosher meals, and on-site restaurants. The Rabbinate contends this constitutes a violation of the 1983 Kashrut Fraud Prevention Law and warns that failure to correct the issue may lead to enforcement actions and public disclosure of the violation.

This is not the first notice sent to the hospital; a prior letter dated January 24, 2023, reportedly went unaddressed. The Rabbinate requested an urgent response and copied the letter to senior rabbis, the Ministry of Health, and the Chief Rabbinate's legal advisor.

In response, Shamir Medical Center expressed shock at the letter, calling its content false and misleading to the public. The hospital emphasized that, like other government medical centers in Israel, it maintains the highest and strictest kosher standards in cooperation with the Ministry of Health's rabbi and follows rigorous religious and kosher guidelines. The center condemned any attempt to mislead the public with false claims.