This Week

Kerry Silver
managed the
now-closed
New York Pizza
World and
the adjacent
Bagels Plus.

Kosher Losses

AMY MINDELL
Special to the Jewish News

0

ne local businessman is crying foul after
rabbis withdrew kosher certification of his
store because of a long-running financial
dispute.
Kerry Silver managed both Bagels Plus and the
adjacent New York Pizza World, on Lincoln east of
Greenfield in Oak Park, for more than three years.
The Vaad Harabonim (Council of Orthodox
Rabbis of Greater Detroit) supervised the compli-
ance with kashrut (kosher) at both stores.
The stores were required to pay fees to both the
Vaad and their mashgiach (supervising rabbi). The
fees for the two stores totaled approximately $8,000
yearly. Silver said the price was too steep, consider-
ing the businesses' modest sales, and felt the Vaad
was unwilling to accept a fair fee.
After much wrangling, the parties were unable to
come to an agreement. The Vaad removed its super-
vision of New York Pizza World at the end of June.
Bagels Plus lost its supervision soon after. Both
stores were forced to close due to a drop in revenue

when observant Jewish patrons would no longer
shop at the stores.
"I'm not bitter," Silver said. "I'm sad. But there's
nothing you can do. You can't fight city hall. If you
want to run a kosher business in this town — and
you want people to frequent it — you have to be
under the supervision of the (Vaad)."

tories and meat markets.
According to Rabbi Krupnik, every business
receives an individual price. Fees are set on a sliding
scale, depending on the items made, the process and
ingredients involved and any travel time for the
inspector.
"One stockroom can have seven items, another
can have 57 items. This can
account for the differences
[in fees]," he said.
"A businessperson needs
to have a picture of what
they're looking for, which
group they're trying to satis-
fy. We work with them to figure out what their
interest is, and how we can help. But a bakery using
mainly flour and water is going to be very different
to supervise than a bakery that's also using spinach
and tomatoes, which require additional supervision,"
Rabbi Krupnik said.
In general, the supervisor is paid a salary for his
duties and the Vaad is paid for administrative ser-
vices. But all of those fees are fair, Rabbi Krupnik

NY. Pizza World and Bagels Plus close
as manager questions Vaad fees.

Under The Vaad

The kosher division of the Southfield-based Vaad
also performs supervision of kashrut for many local
businesses.
Rabbi Joseph Krupnik is the director of the
Vaad's kosher division. He oversees more than 15
local supervisors who perform checks — ranging
from several times a day to once a week — at four-
dozen local shops, bakeries, caterers, restaurants, fac-

KOSHER

on page 10

8/4

2000

7

