Plaintiff was the head mashgiach who ensured the kosher certification of grape products for the defendant, a non-profit corporation which is the largest certifier of kosher food products in America. This decision holds that for purposes of the implied First Amendment “ministerial exception” to employment statutes, plaintiff was a “minister” and defendant was a religious organization. Only an observant Orthodox Jew can serve as a mashgiach and his role is essential to the defendant’s religious mission of ensuring wide availability of kosher food. Also, the fact that defendant charges for certifying food products as kosher does not detract from its status as a religious organization for purposes of the ministerial exception. Because the ministerial exception applied, it barred all of plaintiff’s employment-related claims.