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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