Episode #2
Kosher Today - R. Shalom Fishbane
Kosher Today: Inside the CRC and the Unity of Kashrus with Rabbi Sholom Fishbein Host: Menachem Lubinsky Guest: Rabbi Sholom Fishbein, Rabbinic Administrator of the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc) and Executive Director of AKO (Association of Kashrus Organizations) From checking a brand-new Kentucky Fried Chicken location in Aventura as a young student to running one of the "big five" kashrus agencies in the country, Rabbi Sholom Fishbein has spent decades watching kashrus evolve from a niche communal service into a global industry. On this episode of Kosher Today , host Menachem Lubinsky talks with Fishbein about his path into the field, the cRc's identity as a community-first vaad rather than a pure certification business, and the growing pains of a kosher world serving a generation with an appetite for exotic food, international travel, and home-based "social media cooks." What They Discuss How he got into kashrus — growing up in a kashrus-focused household in Chicago, working in a matzo bakery, and an early mentor who brought him along to inspect a new fast-food location, which sparked his interest in food-service supervision. Starting at the cRc on 9/11 — Fishbein began his role at the Chicago Rabbinical Council the same month the September 11 attacks occurred, and recalls being on the phone with a colleague at the OU as the events unfolded. The cRc's identity as a vaad , not just a certifier — the organization is run by a board of congregational rabbis whose priority is serving the community, even when that means losing money on food-service accounts, rather than maximizing certification revenue. The rise of the "approved list" debate — the cRc's well-known liquor and beverage approval lists have become an unintentional flashpoint, sometimes drawing complaints from other agencies whose clients decide they no longer need separate certification once they land on the cRc's list. A generation raised on "exotic" kosher food — Fishbein describes families now expecting kosher options in far-flung destinations as a baseline, not a luxury, and the strain that puts on agencies trying to vet standards abroad. The Midwest's logistical challenges — limited weekly deliveries of items like milk, and the need to import certain products from New York. Home-based "social media cooks" and party planners — a post-COVID surge in unlicensed home food businesses supplying kiddushes and parties through party planners, often without any health code compliance or kosher supervision, which Fishbein calls a growing headache for the industry. What a vaad is, and how the cRc balances local food-service work against nationwide industrial certification — with industrial accounts effectively subsidizing money-losing restaurant and catering supervision. Red flags for restaurant diners — asking who the mashgiach is, whether they're stationed only at the register versus actually working the kitchen, and how incoming deliveries should be checked and logged before anything reaches the fridge or freezer. AI's growing role in supervision — Fishbein describes camera-based systems that can flag unchecked eggs or unverified deliveries in real time. The founding and growth of AKO — from a small 1980s fax-machine-era gathering of community vadim to a roughly 120-member international organization whose committees set shared standards on ingredients, transportation, Pesach protocols, and more — while intentionally avoiding becoming a certification authority itself. The "tug of war" over consumer responsibility — Fishbein's frustration with retailers who stock questionable products on the assumption that shoppers will do their own research, versus consumers who assume anything on the shelf has already been vetted. Trader Joe's, Costco, and big retail "kosher" labeling — why broad, informal use of the word kosher at mainstream grocers creates confusion, and why Fishbein believes agencies need to fix standards at Jewish-owned stores first before tackling big retail. The mashgiach shortage and independence protections — why the role isn't lucrative, how the cRc structures pay and protections so a mashgiach never feels pressured by an employer to overlook an issue. Kashrus as a rare source of unity in Jewish communal life — and the role of Chabad shluchim worldwide in sustaining kosher supervision and infrastructure far from major Jewish population centers. Notable Moments A story about a Trader Joe's-style survey finding that roughly 80% of consumers are effectively "clueless" about what a kosher symbol does and doesn't guarantee, while about 10% will go to the kitchen themselves to check. Fishbein's description of the CRC's approach to unchecked produce — locked cages for unchecked greens that only release checked, approved product to the kitchen. A line from Menachem calling mashgichim "the unsung heroes" of the kosher food world. About the Guest Rabbi Sholom Fishbein is the Rabbinic Administrator of the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), one of the largest kosher certification agencies in the country, and the longtime Executive Director of AKO (Association of Kashrus Organizations), an umbrella group connecting kashrus agencies and community vadim around the world. About the Host For Menachem Lubinsky and Lubicom Marketing and Business Consulting Call 718.854.4450 or e-mail mlubinsky@lubicom.com This show was Produced and edited by thepodwaves.com Kosher Today is available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe for more conversations on the people and trends shaping the kosher food and beverage world.
