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Profile The Legacy of Rabbi Alexander Photos courtesy of Naomi Baumgarten courtesyPhotos of Naomi Rosenberg Rabbi Alexander Rosenberg, zt”l (1903-1972) By Berel Wein King Solomon in Kohelet generation of rabbis in this country and manufacturers and distributors, butch- relates the parable of the anonymous Israel, is at best a half-sung hero. And ers, slaughterhouse owners, questionable wise man, poor in wealth and notoriety, that is probably exactly the way he “rabbis,” and out and out charlatans— who saves a besieged city with his advice would have wanted it. So the words of who were clearly in it for the dollars and wisdom and yet is apparently soon mine that follow come not to simply that could be extracted from the kosher forgotten by all who benefited from eulogize Rabbi Rosenberg, but rather to consumer. The kashrut industry was also him. Jewish history is replete with describe how kashrut, in a practical infiltrated by corrupt labor-union bosses unsung heroes who “saved our city” but sense, was saved and its banner and stan- and even by the capos of organized are mainly forgotten, even though gener- dards raised high in the Jewish world. crime. There were individual rabbis who ations of Jews are beholden to them for The Achilles’ heel of the Orthodox struggled heroically in their communi- their valor, wisdom and selflessness. rabbinate in America during the first six ties and neighborhoods to uphold the Rabbi Alexander Rosenberg, though he decades of intensive Jewish immigration standards of kashrut but for many it was may still be remembered by the older to America was kashrut supervision. The a bruising and eventually losing battle. chaos that surrounded kashrut matters is At the root of the problem was the Rabbi Wein is director of Destiny almost indescribable. The great Rabbi fact that there was no communal orga- Foundation, a media outreach organiza- Yaakov Yosef, who was elected as the nization that could undertake inten- tion, a Talmud lecturer at Yeshivat Ohr first and the only chief rabbi of New sive kashrut supervision that would be Someach in Jerusalem and a columnist York, was hounded to his premature free from the individual’s need for per- for The Jerusalem Post. His newly pub- death in 1902 by the conflicting forces sonal profit and pressure from food lished book is Faith & Fate: The Story battling for control of kosher food sup- manufacturers and purveyors for lower of the Jewish People in the Twentieth plies in New York. Kashrut supervision standards. The abysmally low salaries Century (Shaar Press 2001). fell into the hands of people—food paid to American rabbis of the time, Summer 5762/2002 JEWISH ACTION forced many otherwise great and hon- lem, rather we are here to provide you Williamsburg and Boro Park commu- orable people into positions of silence with the solution.” Many a product nities on Chol Hamoed. He would and compromise in the field of kashrut today is certified kosher due to Rabbi stand there, watching the baby car- supervision. The Orthodox Union Rosenberg’s innovative spirit, quiet riages, the holiday clothes, the parad- began to deal with this problem, but it diplomacy and iron will. It was he who ing post-Holocaust generation, and was not until Rabbi Alexander perfected and pioneered the system of smile through his tears. It is no Rosenberg became the rabbinic the mass slaughtering of kosher poultry kashrut administrator of the OU that that, with further technological A Jew once made a less real progress was made. Rabbi improvements and refinements, is de than straightforward propos- Rosenberg, descended from a distin- rigueur throughout the Jewish world guished family of Hungarian rabbis, today. It was Rabbi Rosenberg who al to Rabbi Rosenberg from combined within himself Old-World impressed upon major American food which the man stood to charm, a shrewd understanding of companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, derive substantial personal people and their true motives, an H.J. Heinz, Rich’s, Procter and uncanny business sense, unimpeach- Gamble, Best Foods and others the gain. Rabbi Rosenberg able integrity, enormous compassion possibilities for them in kosher produc- responded, “un vos zogt for individuals and a sense of public tion and supervision. And it was his Got?” (“and what does God aristocratic manner, his handsome service that allowed him to see the big think?”) I was so impressed picture and not just the narrow case in appearance and immaculate dress, his front of him. Rabbi Rosenberg was an integrity, his wisdom and his faith that with Rabbi Rosenberg’s accomplished talmid chacham, some- most impressed these non-Jewish con- reply that I frequently related one who knew when and with whom cerns and won them over to allow “rab- the story to my talmidim who to consult on matters of halachah and bis to bless their machinery” and con- policy, and was the epitome of effi- trol their inventories and suppliers. bought me a plaque with the ciency and rectitude in all of his deal- Rabbi Rosenberg loved Jews, all words, “un vos zogt Got?” ings. But his greatest accomplishment Jews, something which is not necessar- inscribed on it. The plaque ily easy to do when one is involved in was that wherever he went and with helped me to avoid situa- whomever he dealt, the experience the nitty-gritty of daily kashrut super- always turned into a kiddush Hashem. vision and administration. He pos- tions that I might later regret. sessed enormous patience, forgave the personal slights cast upon him by spiteful and jealous people, and always looked for opportunities to help others. Rabbi Rosenberg was a rabbinic Rabbi Rosenberg envi- representative to the Displaced Persons sioned the day when a Jew could walk camps in Germany after World War into almost any supermarket in North II. There he was seen as a delivering America and purchase kosher food, angel, especially to the surviving supervised by the OU. These days, any rabbis and Chassidic leaders. Jew who has traveled anywhere in the When many of them arrived in United States—Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, America a few years later, Rabbi North Dakota, literally anywhere—can Rosenberg helped them well appreciate the service that Rabbi become established by provid- Rosenberg provided in guiding the OU ing advice, money (he was and popularizing the concept of kosher notorious for giving exces- product distribution in the general food sively to charity), jobs and industry. He would not allow compro- personal encouragement. During the 1960s, he mises in kosher standards and yet had the custom of visit- unfailingly understood the problems ing Brooklyn’s that many food manufacturers had in meeting those standards. He always said to the managers of the food plants that An ad for OU-certified beans that appeared were under OU supervision: “We are in a 1953 edition of Jewish Life, the maga- here to help you. We are not the prob- zine of the Orthodox Union. Summer 5762/2002 JEWISH ACTION Rabbi Rosenberg (left) distributing kosher food at the Displaced Persons camps after WWII. exaggeration to say that the basis for oil boycott of the West in the wake of for two or three days until they could the many chassidishe hechsherim the Yom Kippur War (remember those obtain non-OU labels. This would (kosher certifications) which exist good old days?) one of the two main cause them substantial financial loss. I today was laid by Rabbi Rosenberg. suppliers of kosher glycerin in the told them that I would try to help That is also true for many other cur- United States had to discontinue its them. I called the other supplier of rent successful “private” kashrut super- deliveries due to a shortage of oil. An kosher glycerin and explained the situ- vising organizations, all of whom then, OU-supervised company, a very large ation to the vice president in charge of and probably still today, relied on the concern, called me in a panic. They marketing. I asked him to sell a num- OU for the basic raw materials for had 100,000 labels with the OU ber of tank cars of glycerin to this “their” products. Rabbi Rosenberg was printed on them; they had no other company, even though it was not a magnanimous and generous to a fault, labels for their product and therefore regular customer. The vice president and if he felt that helping someone would have to shut down their factory thought it over for a moment and then else’s efforts and organization would agreed to do so and told me that the aid the cause of authentic kashrut he glycerin would be billed at the price would supply the necessary advice, Many a product today is schedule used for regular customers. judgment and experience. certified as kosher due He then asked me: “Rabbi, do you I have purposely not burdened this think that Rabbi Rosenberg in heaven article with numerous anecdotes to Rabbi RosenbergÕs knows what I am doing for you?” This regarding Rabbi Rosenberg, of which I hard-nosed, non-Jewish businessman have many. But I wish to conclude this innovative spirit, had no doubts that Rabbi Rosenberg tribute with the following tale: I was was in heaven! Well, neither do I. On Rabbi Rosenberg’s immediate succes- quiet diplomacy behalf of all us millions who find kosher sor as rabbinic administrator of the and iron will. food so readily and plentifully avail- OU. In 1974, in the midst of the Arab able, thank you, Rabbi Rosenberg. JA Summer 5762/2002 JEWISH ACTION.

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