A disturbing kashrut scandal has shaken the Jewish community in South Florida after guests at a recent event discovered that the “kosher” food being served was, in fact, completely non-kosher.
The event, marketed as fully kosher, was catered by HaShuk Catering, a company specializing in Moroccan-style cuisine and operated by non-Jewish chef Rachid Zitani. On his website, Zitani claimed that his business was under the supervision of the ORB (Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties), one of Florida’s main kosher certifying agencies.
During the event, attendees were assured the food was properly certified and supervised. However, when some guests requested to see the mashgiach (kosher supervisor), Zitani responded that he had “just stepped away for a short while.” Suspicion grew, leading several participants to contact the ORB directly—only to learn that HaShuk Catering had no certification whatsoever.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the local Jewish community. In response, the ORB issued an urgent Kashrut Alert warning the public not to rely on verbal assurances of kashrut, even from seemingly reputable caterers or event organizers. They emphasized that anyone attending or organizing an event claiming to be kosher must personally verify the presence of a valid certificate and ensure a mashgiach is physically on-site.
Community leaders expressed outrage that unsuspecting Jewish guests were misled into eating non-kosher food. The ORB confirmed it is pursuing legal action against HaShuk Catering for allegedly misusing their name and falsely advertising kosher supervision.
The incident serves as a sobering reminder: in matters of kashrut, trust must be verified. As the ORB stated, “When it comes to keeping kosher, no one should ever rely on words alone.”
Harlan Kilstein has been a Boca Resident since 1997. He know the ins and out of Boca
