Central Rabbinical Congress facts for kids
_updated_2020.svg)
The Central Rabbinical Congress (often called CRC) is a group of rabbis from different Haredi Jewish communities. They have offices in Brooklyn, New York. Their main goal is to help these communities with their religious needs.
History
After World War II, many Jewish people came to the United States. They needed to rebuild their communities. So, in 1953, the CRC was started. Its goal was to bring together these new Haredi communities. It also aimed to provide them with all the religious support they needed.
Important rabbis founded the organization. These included Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Greenwald of Tzehlim, and Rabbi Yosef Greenwald of Pupa. They formed the first leadership team.
The CRC created a special group called Vaad L'Chizuk Hadas. This group helps make sure traditional Jewish law is followed. Another group, Vaad L'inyonei Hora'ah, gives advice on Jewish law.
Over the years, the organization grew a lot. It became one of the most well-known rabbinical groups. Today, it has over 300 rabbis as members. They represent more than 250,000 people in the US and Canada.
The CRC also has a special department for Kashrus (keeping kosher). This department started in 1975. The organization also has a Beth Din (a Jewish court). They also organize big meetings for rabbis. They discuss important Jewish issues.
Rabbi Yitzchok Glick led the entire organization for over 50 years. He was helped by other important leaders.
Kashrut Supervision
Many Jewish people came from Europe after the war. Their standards for Kashrut (kosher food) were very strict. So, the CRC started a special division to supervise food. This division checks food companies and gives them a hechsher (kosher certification).
This part of the CRC certifies many places. These include hundreds of food manufacturing plants. They also certify bakeries, catering halls, and restaurants. They even oversee large poultry and meat processing plants. They employ many shochtim (special slaughterers). They also check dairy farms and famous wineries.
This division is now the largest part of the CRC. It has a big team of Mashgichim. These are people who travel worldwide. They supervise and certify food places. They make sure all kosher rules are followed.
In 2018, this division improved its laboratory. They added new machines and equipment. They hired scientists to check ingredients. They also check plants and seeds for bugs. This helps ensure everything is kosher.
Once a year, before Passover, they publish a guide. It's called Mafteach Ha'Kashrus. It has all the rules for Passover and general Kashrus information. Throughout the year, they also publish a magazine. It has articles about kosher topics and updates.
The Kashrut division is currently led by Rabbi Hillel Weinberger. He is the Chief Justice of this division. Other rabbis, like Rabbi Shia Heschel Bick, also help lead it.
Rabbinical Services
The CRC has a full Beth Din. This is like a Jewish court. It helps solve disagreements. They mainly help with marriage and business problems. They settle hundreds of cases each year. They also help with Gittin (Jewish divorces).
The Beth Din also handles Kidushin (Jewish weddings). They make sure couples can marry according to Halacha (Jewish law).
Rabbi Mendel Zilber is the Chief Justice of the Beth Din. Other rabbis, like Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Eichenstein, are also judges.
The organization also has a separate office called Beis Hora'ah. Rabbis work there from morning until late at night. They answer questions from the public about Jewish law. Rabbi Shalom Kraus led this division for many years.
