Physical Description

Detail Description

Letters to the Sinai Kosher Sausage Company in Chicago regarding the gift of smoked kosher salami.

1. Rabbi A. Z. Kurtz, Rochester, New York dated 1942

2. Rabbi N. Chaim Unger, Brooklyn New York dated 1948

3. Rabbi Israel Porath, Cleveland Ohio dated 1944

4. Rabbi L. Predmesky, Bronx, New York

5. Rabbi J. B. Faun, Portland Oregon dated 1941

6. Rabbi H. Rosengarten, New York, New York dated 1940

7. Rabbi R, Dickstein, New York, New York dated 1937

8. Rabbi A. M. Kaufman, Worcester Massachusetts

9. Rabbi Hirsh Heiman, Minneapolis Minnesota dated 1941

10. Rabbi Samuel H. Klibansky, St. Louis Missouri

Kosher meat production in the USA was highly controversial in the 20th century. Chicago as the center of the USA and home to many meat packing companies was also home to kosher, non-kosher, and pseudo-kosher packing houses. The status of kosher meat was so poor that the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada also known as the Agudath Harabonim ("union of rabbis") was forced to issue proclamations prohibiting their member rabbis from issuing kosher certificated to such companies. Some companies advertised kosher meat products in Yiddish newspapers while simultaneously selling pork and other non-kosher products (see following lot). Sinai had a number of rabbinical supervisors on a steady basis and their meat was believed to be kosher. The company would mail rabbis around the country a sausage and expect a letter in return thanking them for the gift. These letters were also used as proof of the company's status in the kosher meat business.