On motzei Shabbos parshas Mikeitz, a gala rally in
honor of the end of the shmittah year was held. The
rally also celebrated the gains made by the kashrus
and community service network of Shearis Yisroel. Maranan
verabonon the gedolei Yisroel delivered special
greetings and divrei Torah at the event.
The rally marked fifteen years since the founding of Shearis
Yisroel by Maran HaRav Elozor Menachem Shach zt"l.
Over the years, it was headed by HaRav Chaim Shaul Karelitz
zt"l, and in accordance with all rulings of HaRav
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, the pillar of halachic
authority.
At the rally, Maran HaRav Eliashiv's letter in honor of the
event was read. HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman personally
addressed the crowd.
Present at the event were the members of the BaDaTz of
Shearis Yisroel: HaRav Tzvi Weber, HaRav Tzvi Friedman,
HaRav E. Halevi Dunner; roshei yeshiva; roshei kollel;
public figures; the UTJ representatives in the Knesset and
city councils throughout the country; heads of many Torah
institutions; and kashrus supervisors. Many
greengrocers and vegetable wholesalers also participated, as
well as representatives of the business concerns whose
products bear the Shearis kashrus seal.
At the gathering, the heads of the kashrus committee
presented up-to-date data summarizing the activity of the
shmittah year. Their purpose was to express their
gratitude to Hashem for the impressive success in providing
fruits and vegetables to the bnei Torah community
during this current shmittah, and to pay tribute to
those who made such outstanding efforts over the past two
years to provide bnei Torah with kosher
lemehadrin agricultural products in the most meticulous
manner.
A recent survey indicates that last year 30 percent of the
shmittah mehuderes produce was marketed by Shearis
Yisroel. During the last shmittah, it marketed only 5
percent. The data indicate that over 150 thousand people
enjoyed the services of the Shearis marketing network
available in all bnei Torah centers throughout the
country. This scope of activity is not matched by any other
kashrus service.
The Ministry of Agriculture was surprised as evidenced by
the fact that during the planning stages of the
shmittah year, top-ranking Ministry officials claimed
that there was no justification for granting import permits
for such huge quantities of vegetables.
It should be noted that the Shearis network also provided
fruits and vegetables to hundreds of Torah institutions
throughout the country. They did so in response to the
appeal of maranan verabonon to register with the
Shearis Yisroel shmittah committee.
Prior to the onset of the shmittah year, maranan
verabonon issued a special appeal to all yerei'im
ledvar Hashem to register with the Shearis Yisroel
shmittah committee, which would meticulously conduct
all shmittah affairs without any heteirim
whatsoever. This letter was signed by HaRav Eliashiv, HaRav
Aharon Yehuda Leib Steinman, HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz,
HaRav Chaim Pinchos Sheinberg, HaRav Zalman Rotberg, HaRav
Tzvi Markowitz, HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, and HaRav Shmuel
Auerbach.
The text of the shtar shlichus, also issued by
Shearis, was composed in accordance with the guidelines of
HaRav Eliashiv, after the members of the Shearis BaDaTz --
HaRav Tzvi Webber, HaRav Tzvi Friedman and HaRav E. Halevi
Dunner -- consulted with him on all issues regarding the
Shearis network.
Maran HaRav Eliashiv gave a special brochoh to the
members of the BaDaTz of Shearis Yisroel and to
representatives of the marketeers who accepted all of the
rabbonim's guidelines.
Due to the large number of institutions which sought only
Shearis produce, a broad kashrus supervision network
was set up. This involved considerable preparation and
planning, all of which was done in a most thorough manner.
The heads of the shmittah committee noted with
satisfaction that despite the great expense and the special
hiddurim of the BaDaTz of Shearis Yisroel, the costs
of the fruits and vegetables were quite reasonable,
resulting in a lowering of costs in the entire
shmittah market. As a result of this success, many
vendors expressed interest in opening vegetable stores with
Shearis supervision.
The heads of the shmittah and kashrus
committees
related that the siyata deShmaya they saw throughout
every aspect of the preparations for the shmittah
year, as well as during the year itself were through the
merit of the brochos and prayers of the gedolei
hador. They strengthened all those involved in the sacred
work of supervising Shearis' work.
Shearis Director Rabbi Yekusiel Dershowitz thanked all those
who helped in the effort, thereby meriting to be links in a
chain forming the tapestry of success during the current
shmittah year. He also thanked the directors of the
Torah and educational institutions for having accorded
Shearis their full trust, and said that with the end of the
shmittah year, that trust justified itself beyond all
expectations.
Rabbi Dershowitz closed by thanking all of the
mashgichim who worked tirelessly under the most
difficult of conditions to guarantee that all kashrus
guidelines were carried out in full.
