Fishman, who is an Orthodox Jew, said he would not be swayed by a hekhsher tzedek symbol. "If it happens to be there, OK," he said. "But I think a lot of Orthodox probably won't be all that interested in seeing that certification."
The Rabbinical Council of America, the national Orthodox Rabbinic organization, does not support the hekhsher tze dek concept.
"Kosher is kosher, and kosher reflects the requirements of what renders an animal ... acceptable for a Jew to properly eat," said Rabbi Basil Herring, executive vice president of the council. "Of course there are always ethical concerns whether it's regarding food or clothing or furniture ... but it is inappropriate to mix the two realms together."
Furthermore, Herring said labor law is the government's domain: "For a kosher agency or a rabbinic group to take upon itself those responsibilities ... would be enormously complex, inefficient and, frankly, very, very expensive."
But some in the Orthodox community called it an "excellent idea." One is Rabbi Chaim Landau, who leads the Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue in Baltimore.
"We are now driven to raise the level of understanding of what kosher is and to be able to relate to it on more than just a technical level," said Landau.
He said he hopes it would be a positive education "not just for those who are concerned within the Jewish community ... but those within the broader community."
sumathi.reddy@baltsun.com
