KASHRUT ALERT

IT IS MY DUTY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE KASHRUT CORRUPTION TAKING PLACE AT LE MARAIS RESTAURANT IN MANHATTAN. AFTER SPENDING THE LAST 7 MONTHS TRYING TO HAVE THE OU RESOLVE THE GRAVE KASHRUT DAMAGE AT LE MARAIS AND CONTINUOUS THREAT POSED BY A JEW HATER CHEF (WHO WAS FIRED FROM LEVANA'S KOSHER RESTAURANT, ALSO UNDER OU SUPERVISION).

HIS NUMEROUS ACTS OF KASHRUT SABOTAGE INCLUDE SMUGGLING DAIRY MARGARINE,PLANTING BIG BEATLES IN THE SALAD,IGNITING THE PILOT ON HIS OWN, AND EVEN ORDERING SHELLFISH AT ONE TIME . I HAVE JUST RESIGNED FROM MY POSITION AS THE MASHGIACH AT THAT RESTAURANT AFTER WORKING THERE FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS. DESPITE THE CHEF'S CONTINUOUS KASHRUT DESECRATION AT LE MARAIS, THE OU (UP TO THE HIGHEST ECHELONS) CONTINUES TO ENDORSE A COVER-UP OF THE FACTS TO PROTECT THEIR BUSINESS INTERESTS.

THIS COVER UP WAS INITIATED BY NONELESS THAN THE   RAV HAMACHSHIR HIMSELF AFTER HE ALLOWED THIS CHEF TO BE HIRED BY LE MARAIS.

  As painful as it is for me, I have no other choice than to speak out in public about this grave situation which extends beyond the incidents with this particular chef as it exposes the OU's dishonesty and callousness towards the kashrut and its customers. The numerous letters and e-mails I have been sending to the OU will speak for themselves about my repeated efforts to keep this Kashrut crisis away from the public.

Reluctant to admit to any wrongdoing on the part of the Rav Hamachshir, and to enforce standards with restaurant owners at the risk of popularity, the OU adopted a policy of denials, distortions and dismissals of this case. The stubborn decision of the OU to reject blatant proofs of their Rav Hamachshir's cover-up at all costs, had me sadly conclude that this cover up after all needs to be exposed to the public.

Having witnessed this cover up in the making and especially after receiving an "Intimidation letter " from the Rav Hamachshir once I started to be vocal with the owner about the chef's Kashrut violations and the fact that he could not be trusted, I had no other alternative but to record my conversations with all parties involved in this cover-up (I will release these recordings as necessary).

Included is the intimidation letter"(not on a OU letterhead) designed to scare me into being silent about the chef's kashrut transgressions at Le Marais and his equally disturbing past at Levana's or risk losing my job.

The letters-reports and e-mails I wrote to the OU about this sad affair and their evasive responses are self explanatory but since this correspondence is quite voluminous I thought it would be just easier to go to what I titled "Right To The Point" in order for you to get the idea. People who want the full details will have access to what I titled "The Whole Correspondence" as well as forthcoming updates (regarding the shellfish order).

There is no doubt all parties involved in that cover-up are going to continue denying everything . After trying so hard to discourage me with intimidations, personal insults, reverse psychology schemes (pretending "it's personal") and what not, their only refuge is denial in order to hide their respective agendas. What the owner is also capable of doing to hold on to his chef is just incredible, (EIN EMUNA BAGOY especially applies to him).The bottom line of this affair is: COWARDICE OF A HASHGACHAH ORGANIZATION SCARED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST A BULLY JEW HATER CHEF (BECAUSE HE HAS "DIRT" ON ANOTHER OU ESTABLISHMENT ) EVEN IF IT MEANS TO GIVE THIS CHEF AN OPEN TICKET TO FOOL THE MASHGICHIM UNDER THEIR NOSES. I paid with my own position in order not to let this Mockery of Kashrut continue. I will now let the people do their part to stop that nonsense.

With G-d's help we will prevail.

Sincerely,

Isaac Bitton

P.S.   For any questions, refer to my blog www.amashgiachspeaksout.blogspot.com and I will address all concerns collectively.