Kashrut Fraud Prohibition Law, 5743-1983
חוק איסור הונאה בכשרות, תשמ"ג-1983
Published: 1983-07-28Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-07-27 · Last amended 2026-07-19✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More
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Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.
The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.
This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.
Section D (Repealed)
Kashrut Services§
2j.
(a)A local kashrut authority shall provide supervision services within the area of the municipality or local council in which it was established, to a dealer who so requested, and shall also provide additional kashrut services, except in relation to an imported commodity, all in accordance with the conditions of the kashrut certificate.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the Minister shall authorise, for a period that the Minister shall direct, a religious council to provide kashrut services within the area of a municipality or local council, or within the area of rural territory adjacent to that religious council, where one of the following applies:
(1)within the area of the municipality or local council as aforesaid there is no religious council operating, and the municipality or local council has notified the Minister that it does not intend to provide kashrut services, or that area is rural territory;
(2)there are special reasons justifying the transfer of authority to provide kashrut services to the religious council.
(c)Where the circumstances set out in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b) exist and the Minister has not authorised an adjacent religious council, the Minister may authorise, for a period that the Minister shall direct, a religious council that is not adjacent to the area of the municipality or local council or to the area of the rural territory as referred to in that subsection, to provide kashrut services in that area, provided that there are special reasons justifying the transfer of authority to provide kashrut services by the non-adjacent religious council, and taking into account the capacity and suitability of that religious council to provide kashrut services also in a place not adjacent to its area.
(d)The Minister may authorise a religious council, for a period that the Minister shall direct, to provide kashrut services that fall within its area of expertise to a dealer operating within the area of a municipality or local council adjacent to the area of the religious council, if the Minister is satisfied that the characteristics of the dealer and the expertise required for the provision of kashrut services to that dealer justify their provision by that religious council, or if, in relation to that dealer, a rabbi who is not the local rabbi serving in the place where that dealer operates has been authorised to issue a kashrut certificate pursuant to the provisions of section 2(2).
(e)The Minister shall not authorise a religious council pursuant to subsections (b) to (d) except after consulting with the Chief Rabbinical Council and with the authorised rabbi, and after affording the local kashrut authority and the religious council concerned an opportunity to present their arguments in that regard.
(f)Without derogating from the provisions of subsection (e), the Appeals Committee under Chapter VI-A may recommend to the Minister to exercise the Minister's authority under this section, provided that the basis of its recommendation is a decision on an appeal submitted to it under that Chapter.
2k.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
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Contact Us →Section E (Repealed)
Eligibility Requirements of a Supervisor§
2l.
(a)Supervision services of a local kashrut authority shall be provided by a supervisor on its behalf, provided that all of the following conditions are met in respect of that supervisor:
(1)One of the following applies:
(a)the supervisor holds a valid authorisation certificate to serve as a supervisor pursuant to section 2l1;
(b)the supervisor holds a valid certificate from the Chief Rabbinical Council attesting that the supervisor is qualified to serve as a city rabbi pursuant to section 2(5) of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Law;
(c)the supervisor holds a certificate from the Chief Rabbinical Council that the supervisor is qualified to serve as a dayan pursuant to section 3 of the Dayyanim Law, 5715-1955;
(2)the supervisor's employment does not place the supervisor in a situation of habitual conflict of interests between the performance of the supervisor's duties in providing supervision services and a personal interest or other position, of the supervisor or of the supervisor's relative, that would prevent the supervisor from performing the principal part of the supervisor's duties, as referred to in section 2d.
(b)The Minister, with the consent of the Chief Rabbinical Council, may prescribe areas of expertise in kashrut supervision, as well as eligibility conditions with regard to practical training, passing examinations and experience for the purpose of obtaining an expert certificate in an area of expertise as aforesaid.
(c)Where the Minister has prescribed provisions as referred to in subsection (b), a local kashrut authority shall not provide supervision services through a person in a prescribed area of expertise unless that person holds an expert certificate in accordance with the provisions prescribed pursuant to that subsection.
Authorisation Certificate to Serve as a Supervisor§
2l1.
The Chief Rabbinical Council shall issue a certificate authorising a person to serve as a kashrut supervisor to a person in respect of whom all of the following conditions are met:
(1)One of the following applies:
(a)the person has passed a written examination conducted by the Chief Rabbinical Council in the field of kashrut laws, the standards of the Chief Rabbinical Council of Israel and its procedures;
(b)the person has been ordained to the rabbinate ("Yoreh Yoreh") by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel after having passed the written examinations required for that purpose conducted by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel;
(c)the person has passed one of the examinations referred to in sub-paragraph (b) in the field of kashrut laws;
(2)The Chief Rabbinical Council is satisfied that the person is fit to supervise kashrut matters and that the person's way of life is conducted in accordance with Jewish law as required for the purpose of supervising kashrut; the Chief Rabbinical Council shall establish criteria for this purpose.
Suspension or Revocation of an Authorisation Certificate§
2l2.
The Chief Rabbinical Council may suspend or revoke an authorisation certificate issued pursuant to section 2l1, after having given the holder of the certificate an opportunity to state the holder's arguments, and on the basis of one of the following grounds:
(1)the authorisation certificate was issued on the basis of false, incorrect, misleading or partial information;
(2)a condition for the issuance of an authorisation certificate under this Law has ceased to be met.
2m.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
Payment for Supervision Services and a Kashrut Certificate§
2n.
(a)A religious council that provides a dealer with supervision services or a kashrut certificate shall collect from the dealer a fee pursuant to section 7(b) of the Jewish Religious Services Law, as the case may be.
(b)A local kashrut authority that is not a religious council and that provides a dealer with supervision services or a kashrut certificate shall collect from the dealer a fee; the Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, shall prescribe provisions with regard to fees under this subsection corresponding to the fees prescribed pursuant to section 7(b) of the Jewish Religious Services Law.
(f)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (e) with regard to a benefit to a supervisor, the Minister may prescribe provisions with regard to dealers for whom continuous supervision services are required in accordance with the conditions of the kashrut certificate, relating to accommodation and lodging arrangements for a supervisor at or in proximity to the place of business, which are necessitated for the purpose of performing the supervisor's duties, and which shall not be regarded as a benefit for the purposes of this section; such provisions shall be prescribed in a manner that ensures, inter alia, that no employment relationship exists between the supervisor and the dealer.
Economic Framework for the Supervision Services System§
2n1.
(a)The supervision services system of a local kashrut authority shall be operated in accordance with an economic framework that ensures that its expenditure does not exceed its income from the fee referred to in section 2n(a) or (b), as the case may be.
(b)Without derogating from the provisions of section 2n, the Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance and with the approval of the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee of the Knesset, shall prescribe provisions with regard to the economic framework referred to in subsection (a), and in that regard may prescribe provisions for a group of local kashrut authorities as a whole, or for a particular local kashrut authority, which shall relate, inter alia, to their characteristics and conduct, including their budgetary conduct.
(c)A local kashrut authority, another budgeted body or a supported body shall not employ a supervisor unless all of the following conditions are met:
(1)Regulations have been made pursuant to subsection (b);
(2)a collective agreement or other arrangement, applicable to the employment of supervisors, has been concluded and approved pursuant to section 29 of the Budget Foundations Law, which allows for the employment flexibility required for the employment of supervisors in accordance with the economic framework referred to in this section.
(d)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c), a local kashrut authority, a budgeted body or a supported body may continue to employ a supervisor whom it employed on the eve of the commencement of the Kashrut Fraud Prohibition Law (Amendment No. 5), 5786-2026, even if the conditions listed in that subsection have not been met.
(e)In this section, "budgeted body" and "supported body" – as defined in section 32 of the Budget Foundations Law.
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Contact Us →Chapter IV: Registry of Dealers Holding a Kashrut Certificate
Section A: Licensing and Authorisation
2o.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2p.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2q.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2r.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2s.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2t.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2u.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2v.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2w.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2x.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2y.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2z.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2aa.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
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Contact Us →Section B (Repealed)
Registry of Certifying Bodies and Authorised Religious Councils§
2ab.
(a)The Commissioner shall maintain a registry of certifying bodies and authorised religious councils that have been granted a licence or a letter of authorisation, as the case may be, as well as of those whose licence as certifying bodies or whose authorisation as an authorised religious council has been revoked or suspended (in this section – registry); the registry shall include, with regard to each certifying body and authorised religious council, the following particulars:
(1)with regard to a certifying body – the names of the director, the senior office holders and the halachic expert;
(2)with regard to an authorised religious council – the name of the authorised rabbi and the name of the head of the religious council or the head of the local authority, as the case may be;
(3)information regarding the licence or letter of authorisation, including the conditions stipulated therein and the date of expiry of the licence or the end of the period of authorisation;
(4)the kashrut standard pursuant to which the licence holder or the holder of the letter of authorisation operates;
(5)the additional requirements beyond the council kashrut standard as referred to in section 2b(c), if prescribed by a certifying body;
(6)the contact details of the certifying body or the authorised religious council;
(7)a list of dealers to whom the certifying body or the authorised rabbi issues a kashrut certificate and their categories; this item shall include the name and address of the dealer, the date on which the kashrut certificate was issued to the dealer and the validity of the kashrut certificate;
(8)with regard to bodies whose licence has been suspended or revoked, in addition to the matters referred to in paragraphs (1) to (7) – the grounds for the suspension or revocation and the date on which the Commissioner's decision in the matter was made; with regard to an authorised religious council whose authorisation has been revoked or suspended, in addition to the matters referred to in paragraphs (1) to (7) – the grounds for the suspension or revocation and the date on which the Minister's decision in the matter was made.
(b)The registry shall be made available for public inspection at the Commissioner's offices and shall be published on the website of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and in any additional manner that the Commissioner deems appropriate.
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Contact Us →Chapter V: Kashrut Supervision System and Supervisory Powers
Section A: Kashrut Regulation System
2ac.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2ad.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2ae.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2af.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
2ag.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
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Contact Us →Section B (Repealed)
Authorisation of Inspectors§
2ah.
(a)
(1)The Chief Rabbinate of Israel shall operate, through its employees, a kashrut supervision system in accordance with the provisions of this Law, which shall supervise local kashrut authorities and kashrut services that they provide to dealers;
(2)The Minister may authorise, from among the employees of the kashrut supervision system, inspectors who shall be vested with the powers under this Law, in whole or in part, for the purpose of supervising the implementation of provisions under this Law.
(b)A person shall not be authorised as an inspector pursuant to subsection (a) unless all of the following conditions are met in respect of that person:
(1)the person has not been convicted of an offence which, by reason of its nature, severity or circumstances, renders the person unfit, in the opinion of the Minister, to serve as an inspector;
(2)the person has received appropriate training in the area of the powers that are to be vested in the person, as directed by the Minister;
(3)the person meets additional eligibility conditions as directed by the Minister.
(c)Notice of the authorisation of inspectors pursuant to this section shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).
Supervision of Local Kashrut Authorities§
2ai.
An inspector shall carry out supervisory activities to ensure that a local kashrut authority operates in accordance with the provisions of this Law.
Supervision§
2aj.
(a)An inspector shall carry out supervisory activities with regard to a dealer who holds kashrut certificates, to ensure that the dealer operates in accordance with the kashrut certificate and in accordance with the kashrut conditions pursuant to which the kashrut certificate was issued, and that the dealer does not contravene the provisions of sections 3(b), 4(b) and 5.
(b)An inspector shall carry out supervisory activities to ensure that a person who does not hold a kashrut certificate does not contravene the provisions of sections 3(a), 4(a) and 5.
Powers of an Inspector§
2ak.
For the purpose of supervising the implementation of provisions under this Law, an inspector may –
(1)require any person concerned to provide the inspector with the person's name and address and to produce before the inspector an identity card or other official document identifying the person;
(2)require any person concerned to provide the inspector with any information or document that may assist in ensuring or facilitating the implementation of the provisions of this Law; in this paragraph, "document" – including a printout, as defined in the Computers Law, 5755-1995, as well as labels or packaging of a commodity;
(3)take samples of commodities and materials, and to submit the samples for examination, preserve them or otherwise deal with them;
(4)enter a place in which a local kashrut authority operates, a place in which a dealer operates or a place connected with a dealer's activity, including storage and refrigeration facilities within the supervised premises and its wings or under the dealer's control, including entry into a stationary vehicle, provided that the inspector shall not enter a place used as a dwelling except pursuant to a court Order;
(5)take a kashrut certificate that is no longer valid, whether because it has expired or because an authorised rabbi has notified the President of the Chief Rabbinical Council of the decision to revoke the kashrut certificate pursuant to section 2i.
Identification of an Inspector§
2al.
An inspector shall not make use of the powers vested in the inspector under this Law except while performing the inspector's duties and when both of the following conditions are met:
(a)the inspector visibly wears a badge identifying the inspector and the inspector's position;
(b)the inspector carries a certificate signed by the Minister, attesting to the inspector's position and powers, which the inspector shall produce upon request.
2am.§
(Repealed — תשפ״ו)
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