The following is from Arlene J. Mathes-Scharf 's excellent Kashrut.com web site. The original source is from the Chief Rabbinute of Israel.
The Israeli Chief Rabbinate is enforcing their policy of not allowing cholov stam products to be sold as kosher on Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream which is made from cholov stam and certified as kosher by the OU has been allowed to be sold in kosher establishments in Israel for many years.
An article on the Voz Iz Neias? web site titled Jerusalem - Rabbis Take On Häagen-Dazs provides more information.
As both Kashrut.com and the Voz Iz Neias? point out, OU-certified Haagen-Dazs has been acceptable in kosher markets and restaurtants for years. Suddenly, "halav stam" - non-halav Israel - products are banned.
While I have no objection to people preferring halav Israel or electing to only consume halav Israel, given the additional costs it will substantially reduce Haagan-Dazs and other halav stam companies' taxable income - taxes that help support the haredim who don't work, don't do national service, or join the IDF.
The Chief Rabbinute's stand suggests to me that the political body has been taken over by the same people who throw stones on Shabat at non-observant Jews and who would prefer to live under Jordanian - or PA - rule than any Israeli government.
AND THEN THERE is another "anti-haredi" rant.
Today at the morning minyan a gentleman came and asked for financial assistance.
The gentleman came from Israel to collect money in south Florida - after all, it was 16 degrees up north compared to our nearly 70 degrees.
He told the rabbi that he was schnoring for his kollel (I never found out which kollel or where) and for himself since he has 14 children.
As usual, I asked myself:
(a) Where did he get the money for round trip air fare - might that money be better spent feeding this wife and 14 children?
(b) Why did he have 14 children if he cannot support them?
(c) Since he's not young, are any of his children working to help support the family?
(d) Why can't the kollel be self-supporting with donations from the people who study at the kollel?
(e) Why isn't he home with his wife, assisting her with managing 14 children; he helped create them and now he runs away to America for "peace and quiet." I wonder what he would say if SHE took a couple of thousand dollars to tour south Florida
In my tiny congregation everybody either works - including the rabbi - or is on pension.
I know people who provide financial support to scholars are considered "b'shamyim" as if they are studying, but the gentleman who visited us this morning - visited but did not join us in the prayers - certainly is not a scholar hard at his work.
Sometimes it's difficult, but,
הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והריני אוהב כל אחד מבני ישראל כנפשי ומאודי
