Chicago Rabbinical Council facts for kids

The Chicago Rabbinical Council, often called the cRc, is a big group of rabbis in Chicago, Illinois. It's the largest group of its kind for Orthodox Jewish rabbis in America. The cRc is a non-profit organization, which means it helps people without trying to make money. It offers many services for the Jewish community. One of its main jobs is making sure food is kosher. This means they check food products and give them a special approval called a kosher certification. You can find cRc kosher-certified products all over the world, even for special holidays like Passover.

The cRc also helps the community in other ways. They work on community relations, set standards for Jewish funerals, deal with government issues, and support youth education. They do many things that benefit both Jewish and non-Jewish people.

What is the Chicago Rabbinical Council?

The Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc) is a leading group of Orthodox rabbis in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois. The cRc works to support Jewish life and traditions. It provides important services to Jewish communities in the Midwest and South Central parts of the country.

Making Food Kosher

One of the cRc's most well-known services is making sure food is kosher. Kosher food follows special Jewish dietary laws. The cRc checks food factories and products to make sure they meet these rules. When a product is approved, it gets a special symbol called a kosher certification. This tells people that the food is okay to eat according to Jewish law. You can learn more about their kosher work at cRcKosher.

Rabbi Sholem Fishbane is in charge of the kosher certification for the cRc. He also leads a larger group of kosher-certifying organizations called the Associated Kashrus Organizations (AKO). The cRc also keeps a list of other trusted kosher agencies.

The Jewish Court (Beth Din)

The cRc has a special court of rabbis called a beth din. These rabbis are experts in Jewish law. They help people with many important life events and legal matters according to Jewish tradition.

The beth din handles things like:

• Jewish divorce: Helping couples end their marriage in a way that follows Jewish law.
• Jewish adoption: Guiding families through the process of adopting children according to Jewish rules.
• Conversion: Helping people who want to become Jewish.
• Jewish status: Confirming if someone is Jewish.
• Mediation: Helping people solve disagreements peacefully.
• Legal disputes: Settling arguments using Jewish law.

Rabbi Yona Reiss has been the main judge, or Av Beit Din, of the cRc's beth din since 2013. Before him, Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz held this important role for many years until he passed away in 2020.

Helping the Community

Beyond kosher food and the Jewish court, the cRc is involved in many other activities that help both Jewish and non-Jewish people. They work on:

• Community relations: Building good relationships between different groups of people.
• Funeral standards: Making sure Jewish funerals are done respectfully and correctly.
• Legislative issues: Working with lawmakers on issues that affect the community.
• Youth education: Supporting programs that teach young people about Jewish traditions and values.