Rabbis Back Morrell Caterers (Updated)

The owner of the caterer accused in a lawsuit of tainting kosher food received strong support on Friday from the rabbi who provides supervision at one of the caterer’s sites.

“We have done our investigation and nothing was compromised,” Rabbi Meir Goldberg, who is responsible for kosher supervision at Woodbury Jewish Center, told VIN News. “We stand behind them one thousand percent.”

Scott Morrell, the owner of the caterer that runs out of Temple Israel in Lawrence and two other synagogues, allegedly stored and cooked foods such as shellfish and pork on the same dishes, pots and ovens as the kosher foods for more than a year, according to the lawsuit by Chef Michael Savitsky and general manager Tom Cataldo.

Goldberg said that the Vaad Hakashrus of Flatbush has supervised and will continue to supervise Morrell Caterers at their Woodbury location. Goldberg affirmed that the other facilities used by Morrell were handled appropriately for kosher food.

“Scott does not play games when it comes to kashrus,” he said.

Rabbi Hershel Billet, of Young Israel of Woodmere, expressed confidence in Morrell's glatt kosher operations in a email sent out to the shul's members.

"The Vaad of Flatbush assures us that that it is impossible for anything other than reliably kosher food to be cooked on their utensils in Lawrence," he wrote. "Therefore, at present, it is my opinion that the Vaad Hakashrut of Flatbush hashgacha in both Lawrence and Woodbury is trustworthy and you need not be concerned about using either place from a Kashrut point of view."