If you read the first 2 parts of this series of posts, then you are aware of the November 2004 animal welfare scandal at the largest kosher slaughterhouse in North America, Agriprocessors in Postville, IA. You are also aware that the animal abuse occurred in the presence of the most powerful kosher supervising authority in the world; the New York City based Orthodox Union (OU) that had approved and endorsed the highly criticized post-shechitah trachea removal of cows prior to losing consciousness.
Following that 2004 expose, the OU's CEO, Rabbi Menachem Genack, gave a press release on Dec. 29, 2004 stating "the removal of the trachea immediately after the shechita has now been discontinued…At the OU we constantly review our procedures, evaluate them, and if necessary, improve or correct them…inhumane treatment of animals is not the Jewish way."
Rabbi Genack followed the press release with a letter published in the Los Angeles Times stating, "Following the video's release, I and an authority on Jewish law, Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, went to the plant. After that visit, the Orthodox Union and Agriprocessors agreed that the trachea will no longer be removed following kosher slaughter."
At the behest of Agriprocessors and its kosher slaughter supervisors (OU), Dr. Temple Grandin made a scheduled visit/audit of the abattoir. After the visit, Dr. Grandin endorsed the reformed procedures that she witnessed during that visit.
Then, in August, 2008 an undercover video of the slaughter procedures showed that the unnecessary and illegal extraction of the trachea was back in use (video here). After viewing the video, Dr. Grandin remarked, “The things that were exposed in this latest PETA video — these secondary cuts like potting a plant in the cow’s throat — that wasn’t happening when I toured the plant,”
Perhaps the jaded consumer may come to expect production facilities to 'process products' in as quickly and unconcerned as possible a manner so as to maximize profits. But, the deception of the auditors and the public happened under the auspices of the OU!
Fast forward to January 2010: The Rabbinical Council of America, whose members make up the rabbinical leadership of the Orthodox Union, publicized its new Jewish Principles and Guidelines (JPEG) for the Kosher Food Industry. A close reading of the document shows that the JPEG is a statement that the OU will no longer turn a blind eye to business, ethical and moral violations of civil law that its supervisors witness in production plants including the employment and abuse of under-age illegal workers and cruelty towards animals. Specifically addressing concern for animal welfare, the whole of the guidelines comments are: "Jewish law strictly forbids causing an animal to suffer, except in cases of legitimate human need or other unusual situations."
When I asked a signatory of JPEG, he confirmed that the guidelines on animal welfare are no change from the ones that were in place prior to the animal cruelty scandal that occurred under OU supervision at Agriprocessors – that is, the abuse would continue to be sanctioned by the OU/RCA were it not for United States civil law which calls the behavior inhumane.
The rabbis (RCA) to whom we entrust the reputation of Judaism and Gd by way of keeping accountable those who supervise kosher industry compliance with Jewish law and ethics (OU) are part of the problem -- and not the solution.
