Jews in the D
A
Conservative rabbi
cannot certify
Michigan prisoners’
meals as kosher, according
to an attorney representing
incarcerated Jews who sued
the state corrections depart-
ment.
Two weeks after obser-
vant Jewish prisoners in
Michigan won the right to
eat meat and dairy kosher
meals in the U.S. District
Court of Eastern Michigan,
the plaintiff’
s counsel, Daniel
Manville, claims the Michigan
Department of Corrections is
violating the terms of the set-
tlement by contracting with a
Conservative-run kosher-cer-
tification agency instead of an
Orthodox one.
As part of the settlement,
MDOC either had to provide
prisoners with pre-packaged
and wrapped meat or dairy
kosher meals or have their
kitchens certified as kosher.
MDOC decided to certify its
kitchens.
“To plaintiffs’
dismay, the
defendant has obtained ille-
gitimate kosher certification
of its prison kitchens by a
Conservative rabbi,” Manville
wrote Feb. 25 in a motion
to enforce the settlement
agreement. Kosher Michigan,
which won the MDOC con-
tract, is owned and operated
by local Conservative Rabbi
Jason Miller.
Prior to the settlement,
MDOC provided its
kosher-observant prisoners
with vegan meals, as well as
the option to purchase pre-
packaged kosher meat and
dairy products in the com-
missaries.
According to Chris Gautz,
spokesman for MDOC, the
settlement agreement that
requires prisoners to be pro-
vided with kosher meals does
not cover meat and dairy
kosher meals. “That issue was
litigated by the parties sep-
arately,” he said, adding that
MDOC offered to arrange
loans for prisoners who could
not afford to purchase the
kosher meals through the
commissaries.
“Plaintiffs claimed that
making them buy the meat
and dairy at the commissary
created a substantial burden
on their ability to exercise
their religion,” Gautz said.
“
After a trial, the court sided
with plaintiffs. MDOC plans
to appeal this decision.”
MDOC AND KOSHER MICHIGAN
According to Gautz, Miller
certified 17 of MDOC’
s kitch-
ens as kosher and notice was
given to plaintiffs’
counsel
as required. The Michigan
26 | MARCH 12 • 2020
continued on page 28
Lawyer objects to
use of Conservative
rabbi to certify prison
kitchens as kosher.
Not Kosher
Enough?
JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR
248.649.4772 | michigandesign.com
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