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Favors Special Markets Dept. Deputy to Take Charge of Kosher Foods in N. Y. C.

August 21, 1930
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The appointment of a deputy commissioner of Markets to take complete charge of kosher foods in New York City was yesterday advocated by former Assistant Corporation Counsel Benjamin E. Greenspan, president of the Wall Street Synagogue, as the surest method of preventing the sale of non-kosher food for kosher. “The appointment should be given to a member of the Jewish faith and a person of high standing and unqualified integrity in the Jewish community,” declared Mr. Greenspan. “There is so much fraud rampant in this field, that only such an appointment can begin to solve the problem which is a difficult one for anybody but a Jew to comprehend. That is my only reason for recommending such an appointment.

“The deputy commissioner in charge would then be able to appoint an advisory board preferably of outstanding rabbis and laymen from every thickly populated Jewish section in Greater New York, who would, from time to time, advise the Department of Public Markets through its deputy in charge as to the best method to enforce the Kosher Food Law. At present the department of Public Markets has been greatly handicapped because there has been no authorized body of outstanding Jews with whom they would be able to advise on this matter.

“The difficulty has been that so many different persons, without any apparent authority and who are not representative of the Jewish people, have from time to time made their own rules and regulations regarding the method in which the Kosher Food Law should be enforced.

“I also favor most strongly, the proposed ordinance by Thomas F. Dwyer, Commissioner of Markets, providing for the licensing of all kosher butcher markets. The license would be subject to revocation in the event of the sale of non-kosher food for kosher. This combined with the suggestions made above, would in my opinion, solve this important problem which is so sacred to our Jewish people.”

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