Exclusive: Rabbi Weissmandl Removes Hechsher From Agri-Star

The former Agriprocessors loses its main kosher supervision.

Two separate people close to the plant have now told me that Rabbi Weissmandl removed his Supreme Kosher supervision from Agri-Star.

One story is that Hershey Friedman, Agri-Star's owner, wanted to add another haredi kosher supervision and Rabbi Weissmandl refused to allow it.

If true, my guess is that supervision is Lakewood-based.

The OU is still supervising Agri-Star products, as well.

I spoke briefly with the OU's Rabbi Menachem Genack, who was in a meeting at that moment over the situation and was unwilling to comment.

UPDATE 7:15 PM CST – Hee is Rabbi Weissmandl's letter announcing the removal of his kosher supervision:

 

[Hat Tip for the Letter: The Other DK.]

Comments

[John joe]

no biggie, Rabbi Weissmandel had an advert printed in the yiddish newspapers today, that as of next week he is removing the supervision

[steve]

GOOD RIDDANCE!

My guess is that Hershey/Hirsch/Heshy gave MMW the boot and now MMW is trying to spin it that he's removing the supervision. The money is too much for him to leave on the table, even if it is only a fraction of the $250K that Rubashkin was paying him. Funny, when KAJ left, the spin Lubinsky tried to put was that Rubashkin fired them, while the truth was that they left for kashrus reasons. Now MMW is trying the same spin.

[Bilaams Ass]

Just follow the money...h's trying to cut the fat..why ou in meeting? trying to cut their pay contract also...

[Lawrence M. Reisman]

" when KAJ left, the spin Lubinsky tried to put was that Rubashkin fired them, while the truth was that they left for kashrus reasons."

Actually, they left because they refused to accept Rabbi Weissmandl's rules. Rabbi Weissmandl wanted everyone to rely on him alone and not do their own checking.

[harold]

OU is good enough for me. Don't see any reason to have any more than that.

[sage]

One down, one to go.

[The Other DK]

Shmarya:

Do I remember correctly that up to now, everyone in the plant on a daily basis was working for Weissmandl, not the OU?

[state of disgust]

Wouldn't be surprised if he brought in a rabbi from Canada which would be more economical and whose kashrus standards are higher.

[in the know]

im so happy that he left or got fired . weissmandell is only trouble . i refuse to eat any product with his name on it . hes a bully and an oisvorf

[steve]

Weissmandl is more of a salesman than a "supervisor". He actively recruited new customers for Rubashkin claiming that his hashgicho was "the best" (lol) and that Rubashkin had the best quality beef and poultry (rotfl).

[neighbor girl]

Former Agriprocessors CFO Toby Bensasson was sentenced today to 41 months in prison. So far I've only seen it on vosizneias.com

[Bilaams Ass]

Harold u trust ou. The lied. see below.

in December 2004, FailedMessiah.com exclusively reported Orthodox rabbis, kosher supervision agencies and kosher industry mouthpiece (and paid Agriprocessors' consultant) Menachem Lubinsky – led by Agudath Israel of America – met with senior USDA officials in Washington on October 23, 2003, one year before the PETA videos were made public. In this meeting, the rabbis claimed USDA directives outlawing "sawing" by the religious slaughters would be wrongly used to stop all kosher slaughter.

The rabbis asked for the directives to be reworded. The USDA agreed. Ann Veneman, a former food industry lobbyist who was appointed Secretary of Agriculture by George Bush, is thought to have participated in that meeting and to have approved the rewording.

The new directive was written with close participation of Agudath Israel of America and its supporter, Nathan Lewin, a noted constitutional lawyer. Lewin was also Agriprocessors' (the Rubashkin family's) attorney.

(Both the original and the new directives are found at the end of this post.)

The new directive made it nearly impossible for a USDA line inspector to stop a kosher slaughter line and created the horrors seen in the above videos.

Veterinarians, large animal biologists and animal welfare experts came down on PETA's side, while Orthodox rabbis supported Rubashkin.

Nevertheless, the OU promised to stop meat hook use and throat-ripping.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In a USDA report illegally suppressed by the Bush Administration for almost one year, Agriprocessors was found guilty of violations of the Humane Slaughter Act. The plant's owners are large Republican campaign contributors.

Two years later, Rubashkin's Gordon, Nebraska plant was found to be using a meat hook to probe the throats of fully conscious animals. The OU denied the instrument used was a meat hook. The OU was lying.<<<<<<<<<<<

FailedMessiah.com obtained documents under the Freedom of Information Act that prove the USDA now allows this type of meat hook use, even on fully conscious animals.

[Neo-Conservaguy]

OU is good enough for me. Don't see any reason to have any more than that.

Those two statement work well together; I'll leave it that.

[Jay]

whats the meshugas of every product having to have TWO supervisions??

[starman]

I heard that HF needed a new hashgocha bc weissmandel
Was paying cash and insisted on keeping shochtim without
Documents. When HF objected, weissmandel threatened to
Pull out, and accuse HF of minding his business or walk
Out. That's why he brought in tartikov for a tour and
That's when Rabbi W lost his marbles threw a tantrum right with
Babad watching. He even threatened his people to storm out
And tried to stop production

[Pablo Faird]

Starman:
Just to clarify, was it Tartikov (ie: Babad), or is it Tartikover Bais Din which I am told is a different group. Please clarify. Shmarya, perhaps you could investigate this.

[starman]

Pablo and Shmarya
It was babad my brother saw him
The crazy thing is he removed his hash from supreme
But still uses that name on beef he certifies from uraguay
So all along he's been fooling people tp think that beef
Was from agri and now he's adding confusion by pulling
His hasgocha from supreme kosher which he has allowed
Others to use...I'm really confused by this brilliant
Schemer.
The funny thing is I think supreme kosher is a former
Agri trademark that weismandel "borrowed".

[olddany]

Well all shocthim have r1 visa meaning they work for him by law if he terminates hashguca he needs to inform homeland security so all had proper document babad try to have a shicta because his brother has hf want multiple hashguca like the old time in rubasking in order to play around with each hashguch and no one should have control on him also all this create maclokot fighting who is better don't forget babad restaurant in bora Park served non kosher franks