The Food Ingredients Asia (FIA) show. Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg (center), Binyamin Luntz (right) who works for OU Kosher and is fluent in Mandarin and Johnston Zhook (left) whose geirus was approved by Rabbi Genack. He physically inspected plants during COVID.
Though OU Kosher’s headquarters is in Beijing, Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg, the thirty-year OU Kosher mashgiach in China, resides in Shanghai. However, his travels take him across the country. In one of my first correspondences with Rabbi Grunberg, he was taking a train from Shanghai to Hefei (the central part of Anhui Province in China). He splits his time between China and Har Nof, following his lifelong dream to make aliyah. In our scintillating conversation, he relayed the story of his initial meeting with the Minister of Business Affairs in China in Tiananmen Square to attain an operating license, what his travel schedule is like, the automated sophistication in Chinese manufacturing, how a pun was relatable to a Jimmy Carter appearance, the benefits of first being an in-office rabbinical coordinator to eventually becoming a mashgiach, China’s scenery and the three must-see places in China and his favorite tea, among other things.
OU Kosher: What’s your schedule like?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: I cover about 1.5 plants per day. My average day starts at 5:30 a.m. and I get to the hotel anywhere between 9 p.m. to midnight.
OU Kosher: What’s the nature of manufacturing in China?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: Out of 650 kosher-certified factories in China, about 550 are manufacturers of food additives that go into final products globally.
OU Kosher: When you have to meet plant personnel, are there ever communication challenges?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: In terms of language, I can tell you one instance where a certain word didn’t successfully translate. I was at a certain factory to do an initial inspection, which determines whether we will certify them or not. The plant personnel and I sat in a room together to review the particulars. I wanted to break the ice with humor so that they would all feel comfortable. I made a joke using a pun, and no one reacted. The translator was just staring at me, so I relayed to her that I just told a joke. But she didn’t understand what a pun was, so she didn’t understand the joke either. So, she turned to everyone and said that the rabbi just told a joke and that everyone should laugh. In turn, everyone laughed and clapped their hands. Subsequently, I realized that the term pun doesn’t exist in the Chinese language.
A similar translating occurrence happened to Jimmy Carter when he was in Japan. He was giving a graduation speech at a college near Osaka. He told a joke to the audience that the interpreter relayed and there was roaring laughter. Carter asked the interpreter how he told the joke, as it was received so well. He told Carter that he said to the audience that Jimmy Carter just told a joke so everyone should laugh.
But overall, communication when I visit plants is not a barrier.
OU Kosher: You have quite a unique story, as you served as an in-office OU rabbinical coordinator for fourteen years to manage companies and ensure that all the paperwork was in order, and now, for over thirty years in China, you’ve been trekking to plants yourself. Can you reflect on that?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: The paperwork aspect of the in-office position turned out to be highly valuable in managing plant visits. When I do initial inspections of plants, I must have all of the information relating to the plant layout and knowledge of all ingredients being used. I’m literally carrying many papers and rely on them for accuracy. One true benefit of the “trekking” is the exercise. Since I’ve come to China, I’ve had to be extensively on the move. I find this highly refreshing and revitalizing for the body.
OU Kosher: What is a Shabbos like in Shanghai?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: There are two main shuls, Chabad and a Sephardi minyan. The Chabad rabbi estimates that about 1,000 Jews are living in Shanghai. Kosher meals are available at Chabad.
OU Kosher: Where would you say China Manufacturing is holding in terms of AI?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: They’re very advanced. Many can control their factories from a computer control room. Also, robots collect the materials needed from storage areas.
OU Kosher: You mostly travel by train to reach the plants. What is the scenery like on the way?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: Magnificent. There are rolling hills, farms you pass, and striking mountains. The tunnels are kilometers long. It uplifts the whole China experience.
OU Kosher: If someone were to be traveling to China, could you recommend some places to visit?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: There are three sites that are extraordinary. The Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, which is a collection of clay-like soldiers that’s breathtaking to see and the Harbin ice sculptures, where they make a city out of ice.
OU Kosher: Is there one anecdote that stands out in all your years as the chief point person of OU Kashrus in China?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: Yes, this was a story I told over to a New Yorker reporter. We have our main office in Beijing. After being in China for five years, I was notified by the Beijing office that the Minister of Business Affairs, whose offices are located in Tiananmen Square, wanted to meet. The letter said that what we were doing was illegal because we didn’t have a license to operate. Rabbi Genack decided that we should become legal and obtain a license. So, we filled out an application. After a month, a meeting was called for us to arrive at Tiananmen Square on an erev Shabbos at noon.
A major issue was how we would explain what the laws of kosher were based upon. God isn’t the most welcome word to use in China. When I was asked this exact question by the translator, I asked her to ask the people in the room if they heard of Dr. Atkins. No one responded so I took the liberty to explain that he was a person who created a specific diet that many people followed. The translator asked me how this was relevant. I said that the laws of kosher are written in the Five Books of Moses and Moses was also a leader with a following. I also noted that if these factories were kosher-certified, millions more in revenue would be amassed by the factories. The strategy worked and many kosher agencies followed.
OU Kosher: You were able to fulfill your longtime dream of making aliyah to Israel, so you spend 175 days in China and the rest in Har Nof. How do you synthesize these concurrent realities?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: It’s interesting because China is heavily invested in the Israeli economy. They are now the outright owners of Tnuva. Also, almost all of the electric cars and buses in Israel come from China. In addition, a lot of my time in Israel is dedicated to reviewing my work and preparing my itinerary for when I return to China. So, my work situation really mirrors the synergy between these two countries.
OU Kosher: Finally, what’s your favorite food in China?
Rabbi Mordechai Grunberg: That would be jasmine tea. All the plants serve tea at meetings, but that’s my favorite.