Agriprocessors' Rabbi: It's None Of Your Business Whether Rabbis Were Paid Or Not

Rabbi Menachem Meir Wiessmandl has a novel excuse for not telling the truth about the work stoppage staged by Agriprocessors ritual slaughterers and mashgichim (supervising rabbis) Wednesday.

Lynda Waddington of the Iowa Independent got this quote from Rabbi Wiessmandl:

According to Rabbi Menachem Weissmandl, however, information surrounding the recent compensation spat between management and Jewish employees at the plant falls so squarely within the sacred that it cannot be discussed.

“As the supervising rabbi for all glatt kosher meat and strictly kosher poultry at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, I am responsible for the well-being of the slaughterers (shochtim) and supervising (mashgichim) rabbis,” said Weissmandl in an e-mail to Iowa Independent on Thursday. “To protect the integrity of the kashruth, their relationship is strictly with us. Under no circumstances can we permit that this relationship be compromised and thus is off limits to outside scrutiny, as is prescribed by Jewish law.”

Delivered by Menachem Lubinsky, president of the marketing firm Lubicom and a spokesman for Agriprocessors, the statements from Weissmandl came in response to an inquiry submitted by Iowa Independent in relation to Jewish workers walking off the job Wednesday.…

Iowa Independent requested more information from Lubinsky regarding the upcoming Postville visit and a clarification of the role played Weissmandl during the Wednesday negotiations. In addition, we asked for confirmation on information provided to us by residents of Postville and workers at Agriprocessors regarding the status of Rabbis that have taken employment at the plant in the wake of the raid as well as those who have left employment. The final two requests were for a clarification of the role Sholom Rubashkin, former president at the Postville operation and son of Agriprocessors founder Aaron Rubashkin, and a request for a face-to-face interview with various members of plant management. All were ignored.

“The rabbis and shochtim under our jurisdiction are hand-picked pious Orthodox Jews who are fully committed to the observance of the highest level of kashruth at the plant,” Weissmandl said in closing.

Comments

[Jason]

“To protect the integrity of the kashruth, their relationship is strictly with us. Under no circumstances can we permit that this relationship be compromised and thus is off limits to outside scrutiny, as is prescribed by Jewish law.”

Anyone want to weigh in on whether this is actually "prescribed by Jewish law"? Somehow I doubt that.

“The rabbis and shochtim under our jurisdiction are hand-picked pious Orthodox Jews who are fully committed to the observance of the highest level of kashruth at the plant,” Weissmandl said in closing.

Of course, we won't tell you who they are, so you'll just have to trust us, which you can do because we are also pious Orthodox Jews who are full committed....

It's all very convenient and all a load of bullshit.

[Fila Kolodny]

What Rabbi Weissmandel said about the relationship not being subject to any outside scrutiny under Jewish law actually applies to any dealings between two people. This is because of Tzniyus or privacy which is very strictly protected by Judaism. In fact private matters may only be disclosed with the consent of ALL involved, otherwise it is Loshon Horo.

[yidandahalf]

Who does Weissmandel think he is, a Jewish pope? They should be in a prune juice ad.
Shmarya, please begin a new tab under your masthead between Donate and Chabad to be OU. You will have to do it sooner or later anyway.

[Shmarya]

What Rabbi Weissmandel said about the relationship not being subject to any outside scrutiny under Jewish law actually applies to any dealings between two people. This is because of Tzniyus or privacy which is very strictly protected by Judaism. In fact private matters may only be disclosed with the consent of ALL involved, otherwise it is Loshon Horo.

These people work for the community. The meat they process and shecht is sold to Jews across America.

As such, the public has the right to know whether these men are paid on time, if their contracts are met, if they are treated with respect by Agriprocessors and if they are working under duress.

The laws of lashon hara to not prevent such disclosure.

[Archie Bunker]

I suspect there's a bigger story here in that Weissmandel may be on a short leash now from Rubashkin & Lubinsky. First, he blurted out that HUGE gaffe to the Wall Street Journal about no mashgichim in critical areas, then he told Mayer Fertig some clumsy line about the shochet strike.

The Agri-Politburo is probably now screening and editing anything the man says.

[steve]

We also have a right to know who they are and what their credentials are. This "hand picked" business we were fully aware of before. Take off their muzzles and the rest of the Tommy paraphernalia already, MMW. Give these puppets of your's the freedom to speak out on what' REALLY going on there. The kosher consumer has a right to know.

[Fila Kolodny]

The mashgichim work for Weissmandel. Whether or not he pays those men on time is none of our business unless he fails to honor his commitments to them and they then object. If this happens and they sue him, then it is a public matter otherwise it is private and there is nothing wrong with it as the actions are concensual.

[Archie Bunker]

The mashgichim are not independent Fila.

Rubashkin has a history of getting rid of mashgichim he didn't want around.

It's besides that a disgruntled mashgiach who was not paid well even when the check is on time will get burned out and not properly supervise.

[Fila Kolodny]

Steve, the kosher consumer does not have the right. If you don't trust Weissmandel then don't patronize products under his supervision. I don't eat things from Agri because about thirty years ago Rabbi I.B. Ushpol, the rabbi of Congregation Anshei Lubawitz of Boro Park and before that Rosh Yeshiva of Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Vilna before WW II, told my family that as a result of Aaron Rubashkin cheating an employee, namely one of my brothers, out of a few dollars we should consider everything coming out of his stores as not kosher.

[Fila Kolodny]

Archie, I never said that they were independent. What I said is that if they consent to whatever Weissmandel is doing to them, then it is none of our business.

[Archie Bunker]

I know that the OU uses some very controversial rabbis in some locales as supervisors, which they then try to hide from the public who would make a ruckuss if they knew about it.

[Archie Bunker]

The "consent" would probably be deemed as under duress in any court of law. The mashgichim are already eking out a meager existence with draconian threats looming over them, that they were forced to agree to in writing, like a $5000 penalty for talking to outsiders.

(That's right Getzel, get bent out of shape like pretzel over that again. Tzevet Gornish helfen (pun intended) because I saw a copy of the contract.)

[Fila Kolodny]

Archie, the Torah deems it concensual. And doesn't the penalty only kick in if they talk about Kashrus, not pay being withheld or working conditions. Besides they could quit, and if they are being used to mislead the public may have to.

[Archie Bunker]

Did Lubinsky try to strangle himself with the extension cord?

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080822/NEWS/80822026/-1/NEWS04

Agriprocessors faces new fines; spokesman says violations fixed

By CLARK KAUFFMAN • and TONY LEYS • ckauffman@dmreg.com • August 22, 2008

A company consultant said Friday that most of the problems found in the July 8 inspection were fixed immediately or within days.

“Agriprocessors regrets having even a single safety violation citation,” the consultant, Menachem Lubinsky, said in a prepared statement. “As we have explained to (the state), our efforts involving employee safety are a top priority and we will continue to add to our safety initiative.”

“Any conclusion that the number of alleged violations indicates that the plant has widespread safety issues would be completely wrong,” Lubinsky said. “For instance, eight of the alleged violations relate to one extension cord.”

“We contest some of the alleged violations, and believe the label of ‘serious’ is not appropriate for many of the alleged violations,” he wrote.

[Archie Bunker]

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20080821/NEWS05/30267/Second+bankruptcy+filing+stirs+cheese+plant+issue

Here's another rogue Chabad food company making news.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

....nd thus is off limits to outside scrutiny, as is prescribed by Jewish law.

I call BS. I'd like to see a source that says that.

[Shmarya]

The mashgichim work for Weissmandel. Whether or not he pays those men on time is none of our business unless he fails to honor his commitments to them and they then object. If this happens and they sue him, then it is a public matter otherwise it is private and there is nothing wrong with it as the actions are concensual.

Not really. You're viewing Rabbi Wiessmandl as a private individual and his company as private.

Halakha would, I think, view him as a public figure working for the community and his company as a representative of the community.

This is also true of the mashgichim and schochtim.

As such, the community – in this case the people who purchase kosher meat from Agriprocessors – has the right to know whether these community employees are treated fairly or not. We would also have the right to know whether Rabbi Wiessmandl is telling the truth or not, and the right to know whether the Rubashkins are honest or not.

[state of the Jews]

"The mashgichim work for Weissmandel. Whether or not he pays those men on time is none of our business unless he fails to honor his commitments to them and they then object."

Fila:
They object and did so publicly - who do you think called the press? Once this demonstartion and sit-in became a public matter, the issue was in the public domain and no longer private and as members of the public we are entitled to know what is going on and what if anything, Rav Wiessmandl is hiding.
Gut Shabbos

[glatt kosher = kosher pork]

“To protect the integrity of the kashruth, their relationship is strictly with us. Under no circumstances can we permit that this relationship be compromised and thus is off limits to outside scrutiny, as is prescribed by Jewish law.”

Yeah, right. The integrity of kashruth has been compromised beyond all recognition. Wiessmandl cares nothing for the consumers of this "kosher" meat, much less for the humans who help prepare it.

[Baruch]

When I was just 16, I asked to take my Rebbi, for dinner with his wife, and to choose whatever resturant he wanted because of Kashrus. This was on the lower east side of NY. He told me that one was to be extremely careful concerning meat, and that ONE SHOULD know who the Machg., was and his REPUTATION, THIS ALSO INCLUDED THE BUTCHER, ETC., when buying from a butcher. Nothing has changed!

[WoolSIlkCotton]

All the goodness and decency of Yiddishkheit we learned as kids is now evaporating because of the petty feckless greedy drek that dare to call themselves our 'leaders'. It will take a lot of courage for folks to stand up and take back our once-beautiful religion from these crooks.

[CourierReader]

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/08/23/business/local/10559867.txt

[Jackie Aldridge]

You must pay employees in a timely manner. It's state law. You must not employ illegal immigrants and you must not conspire to employ them. That's federal law. The religious laws which govern the company are in addition to, rather than in place of, the laws of the federal, state, and local government.

[Rachel Batya]

“To protect the integrity of the kashruth, their relationship is strictly with us. Under no circumstances can we permit that this relationship be compromised and thus is off limits to outside scrutiny, as is prescribed by Jewish law.”

Why does the term "executive privilege" come to mind when I read this?

Why I am thinking of Bush & Co raking in the dough while asserting that "national security" requires absolute secrecy?

When Weissmandl talks about Jewish law, why does he sound every bit as convincing as Alberto Gonzalez testifying before Congress that the right of habeus corpus is not guaranteed by the US Constitution?

For some strange reason, after reading this article, I can't help but think of the Talmudic dictum "The pious promise little, but do much." So far, I've seen lots of promises, lots of words, and lots of assertions of piety, while everything sacred in Judaism flies right out the window.

Time for a regime change, guys.

[Les]

The Rabbis have done this kind of thing dozens of times, it's just that Agriprocessors was never in the News everyday for it to hit the press. Rabbis where constanly in the VP's offices trying to get paid, pre raid.
Agriprocessors excecutives consider using vendor money to support their family business an art form.
When the plant was fully staffed with Illegals (cheap labor), Rabbis, and US Citizens, shipping close to 6,000,000 (six millon) pounds of product a week, with thier own trucking company which consists of approximatly 85 frieghtliner tractors and close to 200 refrigerated trailers, they still did'nt pay thier bills or thier Rabbi's in a timely manor.
Ask any vendor that tried to do business with Agriprocessors.
They never payed thier bills according to their commitments, contract, or even personnel promises.
So all this talk about about Agriprocessors not paying is nothing more than business as usual just like pre raid.