*Be the Change You Want to See In the World

Non-leather tefillin

Question:  What does an ethical vegetarian do about wearing leather tefillin?

 

Response:

 

Jewish law requires that tefillin be made from the skin of a kosher animal.  So, non-leather tefillin are not a possibility for someone who wants to fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin. 
 
There are, however, a few of mitigating issues that may make the use of leather tefillin more palatable for the ethical vegetarian:
 
1. No animal is killed for the purposes of using its skin.  That is, leather is a by-product of the meat industry.  From an animal welfare perspective, leather is still problematic because it is a profitable part of the cattle raising industry – a profit which motivates cattle production – but sometimes knowing that an animal wasn't killed for the purposes of tefillin helps ease the concern of the potential end user.
 
2. The leather must come from a kosher animal, but is not required to come from an animal that was killed according to the Jewish laws of slaughter.  In theory it is possible to make tefillin from an animal that dies of natural causes.  For reasons of logistics surrounding the attainment of the skin of an animal that dies of natural causes, to my knowledge there is no commercial manufacturer that produces tefillin from an animal that dies of natural causes.  (Interesting note:  most leather used for tefillin in Israel does not come from animals that were slaughtered according to Jewish law – it comes from non-kosher beef producers in Europe).
 
3. It is important for a vegetarian to know that the purchase and use of leather tefillin is much less problematic – from an animal welfare perspective – than the consumption of dairy and eggs.  Abstinence from meat consumption does not ensure a diet that is not directly linked to the industrial killing of animals.

 

I frequently meet folks who do not daven the musaf amidah because they do not like the references to the sacrificial worship that took place in the Temple.  When I point out to them that the number of animals killed in the Temple was exponentially less than the current number killed for the production of human food products it causes the listener to re-evaluate, a) their assessment of the meaning of  the musaf amidah, and, b) their own dietary practices. 

 

As a note:  when animal sacrifice was institutionalized it was a direct result of the high value and worth placed on animal life.  A return to the sacrificial system – which is the essence of the musaf amidah –  only makes sense if giving an animal's life to Gd is seen as a 'sacrifice' of something valuable of the giver – a day I look forward to.
 
4. When I use my leather tefillin I say to myself that it is a compromise that I make due to my commitment to Judaism, Torah and Gd.  If I only partake of the elements of our tradition that appeal to me, then I'm not observing Judaism as much as I'm observing 'Me-ism.'  There is humility for me that comes with doing something in the name of Judaism that takes me out of my comfort zone.  Just like a commitment to someone else with whom I am married – and I do many things out of my commitment to that person that I'd prefer not to do – similarly, my commitment to Gd and Torah has me doing things that I would choose not to do were I given the choice.
 
5. In line with the above reason of humility, perhaps I'm wrong in my opposition to using animals for tefillin.  Perhaps our tradition knows better than I do about what it means to elevate the life of an animal by using it to partner in bringing holiness into the world by way of tefillin.... I will continue to use leather tefillin as a recognition that perhaps Jewish tradition knows better than I do about matters in the world.

 

Finally, I encourage tefillin wearers to seek to refurbish older sets of tefillin.  In addition to the sentimental value of giving life to an unused set of tefillin, refurbishing them will greatly reduce (maybe eliminate) the harm to animal welfare that could be connected to fulfilling the mitzvah.

 

Does Judaism support (require?) Vegan diet?

 

Kapparot -- Yom Kippur Ritual

 

To Light Yahrzeit Candle for a beloved pet?

 

The website Jewish Values Online asked me to answer the following question:

Is it wrong to light a yahrzeit candle or want a memorial service for a beloved dog?

It is healthy to desire to memorialize and respectfully remember a beloved companion animal, and it may be attractive to employ elements of the Jewish mourning customs to grieve the loss of a pet.

The mourning practices of Judaism are powerful, effective and wise, and they express utmost respect and recognition that those who die are vessels of a sacred soul for whom we shared a unique familial bond; they also address the unique pain and sorrow that accompanies the mourner over such a loss of life. For these reasons, using the tools of Jewish mourning is inappropriate for the death of an animal.

The idea to memorialize in a specifically Jewish way via a yahrtzeit candle and/or a similar memorial service is to conflate three matters:

1. the Jewish identity of the one who is grieving;

2. the Jewish customs associated with mourning the loss of a famiy member; and

3. the death of a non-human

 

Jewish mourning rituals are reserved for a Jew who loses a close family member (parent, spouse, sibling or child). In the same way it would be inappropriate for non-Jewish mourners to adopt Jewish mourning practices – because it is a misapplication of our sacred religious ritual that is specifically defined to exclusive circumstances – so, too, it is inappropriate to apply Jewish mourning practices to the death of a non-human life.

 

A core value of Judaism is the recognition of the intrinsic value of each human life because we believe that humans share qualities with Gd that are exclusive to these two beings. While the desired effect may be to elevate the worth of an animal's life by mourning it in a human way, in fact and in practice it denigrates the worth of human life. The death of a human family member and that of a companion animal are meant to be, and are, incomparable. To be clear – Jewish mourning is not about the level of love felt toward the object that is lost but is the recognition of the departure of a soul from our world – a soul that possessed unique, Gd-like qualities to transform the world whether or not those qualities were ever actualized.

 

To light a yahrtzeit candle on the anniversary of both the death of a parent and a pet is to place their cosmic worth on similar planes – though one who is Jewish may choose to do so the act is counter to Judaism.

 

Does Torah Intend to Protect Animals? Part II

In this second session of chevrutah with Pardes Institute Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Danny Landes, I employ traditional sources to prove that Torah holds that Tsa'ar Ba'alei Chaim (the pain of living creatures) applies to emotional pain and not just physical pain.

 

Abolitionist Interview

The "Abolitionist-Online" is a website dedicated to being a "Voice for Animal Rights."  The online magazine did a RELIGION Issue and the link below shares the interview had with me as a/the Jewish Voice.

Some of the questions posed:

What are you views on comparing factory farming to the Holocaust?

Is Gd a militant?

Would Gd create something that would destroy part of His own Creation?

What was your wake up call to animal welfare issues and How to convince others?

FULL INTERVIEW FOLLOWS:

 

Rabbi Adam Frank – The Interview.

By Claudette Vaughan

 

Rabbi Adam Frank lives and works in Jerusalem with his family. He wrote an excellent article titled “What’s Jewish about a Vegan Diet?” posted at jewishveg.com

We wanted to catch up with the Rabbi and ask him a few of our own questions. Here’s that interview.

 

Abolitionist: Is God a militant in an age where so many religious people refuse to speak favorably in terms of animal rights? Would God create his own Creation to then turn around and allow them to be eaten?

Rabbi Adam Frank: We start with the premise that God created the world, God created both humans and the non-human animal kingdom, God created lions and God created lambs. Lions eat lambs so yes, God is capable of creating that which God knows will consume something else that is living. Is God a militant? Certainly not in any negative sense. I think it’s important to say why God is so critical, at least in my perspective of the world. I believe how we define what is good and bad, what is moral and immoral, what is ethical or unethical must originate from something outside of human opinion.  Different communities of people may come up with different definitions of what is moral and what is immoral and for this reason it is critical for me to turn to a source which is external of humans to be the foundation of what is good and what is bad.  Judaism turns to God and believes that God gifted to humanity the Five Books of Moses as the foundation of defining what it means to live an appropriate life. In Judaism there are numerous verses and sources that guard against the unnecessary and cruel treatment of animals. These sources speak of human potential in its ideal form. Unfortunately, human influence – the human touch -- corrupts.   While Judaism certainly has many teachings instructing that humans be sensitive and sensitized to other parts of God’s creation, I believe there has been a corruption, and sometimes even a willful ignoring, of certain precepts which allow us, all humans, to live more comfortable personal lives at the expense of others.

 

Abolitionist: Why are you vegan, Rabbi?

Rabbi Adam Frank: I am vegan because both Jewish law and my own use of logic and reasoning tell me that there is something terribly wrong with the animal food industry which places the animals in the conditions that is modern factory farming. I want to be clear, too, as this gets to your question of how do we lead a revolution of thinking to get people to stop eating meat and to make them more sensitive to their consumptions. I think the message has to be non-radical for human ears. The concept that people have no right to eat animals or that people have no right to infringe on the individual autonomy of an animal is so foreign to human thinking that it will be ignored. Judaism teaches that animals can be seen to exist in order to serve human needs but in the same breath Judaism obligates us to act as proper stewards and to act compassionately toward all that God created.  Part of Judaism is to imitate/imbue the compassion of God. As God is compassionate towards humankind, so too must humankind be compassionate towards animals. I am vegan because farming methods are abusive and cruel to animals. I don’t want my food choices to condone the suffering that occurs in the animal food industry.

Judaism takes seriously  the idea of personal responsibility.  Communal change for the better and improved societal ethical behavior starts with the individual -- I cannot expect or hope for others to be concerned about animal suffering if my own actions reflect disregard for the wellbeing of animals.

 

Abolitionist: None of the holy books declare anywhere that humans have to eat meat. Do you think that factory farming itself is an abomination against God?

Rabbi Adam Frank: You’re right. I can’t speak for other holy books. I can only speak for Jewish sources. At the biblical level, Jewish sources do not require us to eat meat, though animal sacrifice was required in the times of the ancients.  Built into the Jewish religion is the concept that we would use and even kill animals for some purpose. In Hebrew, the word for sacrifice – korban – literally means to draw closer or to “draw near”. Whether pagans or Jews, why would people sacrifice animals? Sacrifices were a vehicle to give up something of great value as a way of service to something greater.

 

Abolitionist: Couldn’t sacrifice also mean to sacrifice the human condition as now stands to submit to God?

Rabbi Adam Frank: The ideal in certain Christian beliefs is abstinence. Judaism embraces moderation not abstinence.  In Judaism, the ideal is to have a sexual relationship that occurs in the realm of the holy partnership of monogamous commitment. No action should go unchecked. The idea that we humans make sacrifices in our own personal lives for the greater good is certainly part of Jewish practice. In fact, that which distinguishes humans from other animals is our ability to make choices based on our reason, knowledge, sensitivities, and beliefs.

 

Abolitionist: In ‘Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals and the Call to Mercy” Matthew Scully is troubled about, “Kosher meats require the anaesthetized killing and blood-draining, with the kill pace exceeding hundreds of animals per hour, in plants mostly unsupervised by non-Jews”.  We asked Australian Jewish groups also about ‘kosher’ and they said it wasn’t happening. That they had done their own inspections and it just wasn’t happening due to stress and other things on the kill floor and they reported it was a dreadful way to be killed. By your education you have been impacted by the thought that the treatment of animals to fulfill human food desires is an appalling violation of Jewish law prohibiting the unnecessary infliction of pain on an animal. Can you further outline your thoughts here please?

Rabbi Adam Frank: Are you talking about AgriProcessors at the plant in Iowa? In late 2004, there was a video expose filming the operations in a kosher slaughterhouse in North America. In Australia, secular law requires that the animal remains upright during the killing process. The abuse that occurs in kosher slaughter has to do with the animal handling systems but not the actual killing method. E.g., how do you position the animal prior to the kill and how soon after the cut is the animal moved. As I said earlier, anything that humans touch is going to be corrupt, and for various reasons the system of shackling and hoisting an animal – of raising it upside down off the killing floor while still conscious – became a practice in kosher and non-kosher slaughter in the early 1900’s in America as a result of secular federal sanitary laws. In order to process the amount of kosher meat that is currently in demand there are animal handling systems similar to those described above  in use that fulfill the letter of Jewish slaughter laws but transgress the Jewish laws of animal welfare. Also, like any industry the bottom line is profits and this influences the systems by which meat is produced. So the idea is to produce the product as inexpensively as possible and that means an individual animal’s welfare is surrendered. This mentality occurs in kosher slaughter as it occurs in secular slaughter as it occurs in any industry where humans have contact with animals. I think it’s upon Jewish leadership to make a change.

 

Abolitionist: The late Henry Spira was an effective and gracious animal activist who was also Jewish. He said the animals live in “a universe of pain and suffering”. As we wake up every morning, day in and day out, how should we as vegans relieve some of that pain and suffering for animals day in and day out?

Rabbi Adam Frank: We need to get people to the stage where they recognize that there is terrible cruelty occurring and it’s unnecessary and that the industry norm is one which provides for that cruelty. I find the following example helpful:   While children, we believed the police were all good but as adults we realise that police can be corrupt and that the citizens best interests are not always at hand. We also have to realise with regard to the food industry that just because governments have anti-animal-cruelty laws, the laws and their lack of enforcement allow for an industry norm that is nothing short of torturous for animals. Every time we sit down to eat we have a choice. Judaism teaches that the one who gives charity is transformed more than the person who receives that charity – similarly, the decision I make to eat a non-dairy sherbet instead of ice cream is as much as about me as it is any animal that I’m trying to not cause pain to.

 

Abolitionist: As a Jewish Rabbi I would value your views on comparing the Holocaust to factory farming? Is this a shameful comparison to you and/or should this comparison best be left to the Jewish people to discuss?

Rabbi Adam Frank: I, as much as any other Jewish leader I know, have a sensitivity and a commitment to the well-being of animals. I am very offended by the comparison and there are several reasons why. I think humans should make a distinction between human life and animal life. The offensive part of the comparison is not that it elevates the value of an animal life but that it reduces the horror of what happened during the Holocaust.  The Holocaust was the attempted genocide of a people, a way of life, of a value system whose massacre had no benefit other than the extinction of the Jewish ‘other.’  The comparison discounts the psychological torture of daughters raped in front of parents, of newborns beheaded while in the hands of their mothers, of parents murdered in the presence of their children; it discounts the torment of losing all worldly possessions, security of being and the loss of faith in humankind. 

 

The truth is I don’t think it helps the cause. It draws a picture that animal rights people and animal welfare people are equating human life and animal life – a message so radical and foreign to normative human thinking that it allows the audience to dismiss the message which is the non-radical message of compassion to animals. 

 

Abolitionist: There’s also a movement happening in the world that denies the Holocaust, that wants to make the Holocaust an entertainment and what’s, through time and memory loss, to water down it’s significance in the 20^th century up until now – so there’s that danger as well.

Rabbi Adam Frank: I think the term “genocide” should be applied to humans and not animals.  Of the people who kill animals in the billions, the goal is not to extinguish the animals – to wipe them off the face of the earth – it’s not to de-animalise an animal as was the goal during the Holocaust to dehumanize the Jewish people. The goal is to provide meat and “comfort” to humans. The goal in genocide, specifically during the Holocaust during WWII was the elimination of Judaism and anybody connected to Judaism. The goal was to seek to get humanity to see Jews as animals, as vermin. Once the Nazis convinced people to think it was okay to treat Jews like animals then there was no reason not to put them into the conditions which the pictures from out of the Holocaust show. I don’t think the word ‘genocide’ is an appropriate word regarding animals unless it’s the genocide of trying to exterminate or extinguish one of the species.

 

Abolitionist: Three and a half years ago you attended your first animal rights conference and you have said this event was a wake-up call to you. What happened?

Rabbi Adam Frank: I learned the reality of the animal food industry of which I was previously unaware, and I interacted with people who were sensitive, caring, thoughtful humans who weren’t anti-establishment folks but who, like me, had simply seen the evidence and thought to themselves “we have got to try and stop this”. I could hear the message better at this animal rights conference because it wasn’t coming to me from out of anger or militism but from a sense of there are atrocities occurring here and let’s do something to repair it. I identified with the messenger which allowed me to hear the message which I might add was a non-radical message.

 

Abolitionist: How will the movement turn this thing around?

Rabbi Adam Frank: This is how we will do it. We’ll appeal to people’s reasoning. When I teach here in Jerusalem I start by saying “There are 6 million people here in Israel. Let’s say everyone here in Israel eats half a chicken a week. That’s 3 million chickens a week. That’s 150-160 million chickens a year. I ask is it possible to raise, to give veterinary care, to transport, to slaughter this sheer number of animals in any way we can ensure that we are being compassionate and appropriate?” This appeals to peoples’ reasoning. In America, 25 million animals are being killed each day – is logical to believe that the well-being of the animals are being cared for in an honest way? I teach:  “If you take a knife and stick it in the side of a cow, the cow is going to move away from the knife. The cow is going to yell, to bleed and to run away. If you cut into a cow’s leg or if you cut a tendon she’ll do the very same thing as what a human would do. Empirical evidence shows us that a cow can suffer. So we keep building the argument based on logic.

Abolitionist  So animals, while not having the same status as humans, have the right to be treated with compassion and dignity.  However, according to your religious views animal life is not equivalent to human life?

Rabbi Adam Frank: Correct.  I think it is important that we who are fighting for animal welfare and animal rights have an integrity that recognizes that we also live a life that benefits from earlier exploitation/use of animals.  Before the invention of fuel-driven machines, animals were absolutely necessary as partners in our work to produce and build essential elements for a society. And we should keep in mind that there is no such thing as living a no-impact life – rather, our goal is to lead a low-impact life regarding the suffering of animals and the destruction of the earth’s resources

 

Does Torah Intend to Protect Animals?

Part of a project of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem -- video of me having chevrutah (paired learning) with Pardes Rosh Yeshiva Rav Daniel Landes.

In this learning session, I use traditional sources to show that Torah intends to protect animals.

[However, the Torah does not teach animal rights -- click here for more.]

 

Do Animals have a Soul?

[This post was originally written for www.jewishvaluesonline.com]

 

As part of a forum of rabbis assigned to answer questions, I was tasked the following:

 

Do Jews believe dogs and cats have souls?

 

There is no doubt that Jews of all backgrounds and practices may believe that dogs and cats have souls; accordingly I would like to reframe the question and respond to the following: 

 

Does *normative Jewish thought support the idea that dogs and cats have souls?

 

The question assumes that 'soul' is a given, understood term and as such need not be defined; however, without clarifying its meaning any answer would be fallible.  For the sake of this response, 'soul' is understood as the Jewish concept of a non-corporal entity that consciously influences physical behavior toward either good (yetzer ha’tov) or bad (yetzer ha’rah).  Action which is only instinctual or learned while void of an ethical decision making process – e.g. sleep, hunger, thirst, reproduction, survival – is not a sign of the Jewish concept of 'soul.'

 

The Biblical verse that communicates the Jewish understanding of ‘soul’ is found in Proverbs 20:27 נר ה' נשמת אדם – Gd’s light is the human soul.  ‘Soul’ is that part of a person's constitution which manifests Gd’s image  – that part of us that **incorporates intellect, emotion, psychology, wisdom, experience, thoughtfulness, consideration, expectation, humor, loyalty, relations, consequence, ethics, morality and more as we attempt to interact with the world.  In other words, ‘soul’ is the Gd part of humans as expressed in thought and action.  As such, humans are capable of altruism and unselfish behavior for the sake of others even to our own detriment.  Much of human behavior is the result of calculated thought whereby we decide to act in our own best interests – dogs and cats and most all animals also act in their own best interest but their behavior is the result of an amoral decision making process.  Much of conscious human activity is action that can be classified as having moral overtones.   

 

There are certainly recorded incidents of animal behavior that goes against the natural instincts of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.  Those instances are not the normative, recognizable behavior of animal species.  Whereas it is fair to claim that human understanding of animal behavior is limited by our imperfect ability to communicate with animals, it is also fair to claim that 'soul' is a term reserved to label a feature exclusive to humans. 

 

It is understandable that many people, Jews and non-Jews alike, want to attribute the personality and intellect of animals to the concept of soul.  There is no doubt in this author's mind that animals have a connection and relationship to Gd, have the capacity to be in friendship with others, and whose behavior is influenced by a decision process.  However, to label these characteristics as 'soul' is to misrepresent the Jewish understanding of soul.  

 

In closing, it would be incorrect to believe that if animals do not have a ‘soul’ they are merely ambulatory organisms not worthy of consideration or compassion.  Though Judaism does not place animals on the same plane as humans in terms of capacity to manifest the attributes of Gd, human treatment of sentient creatures is legislated by Jewish law.  Our tradition recognizes that animals with a perception and consciousness of pain and pleasure – physical and/or emotional – deserve the benefit of human employment of the very soul that would have us act responsibly, compassionately, and with humility toward these virtuous creatures with whom we share Gd’s world.

 

 

* This response does not incorporate kabbalistic/mystical Jewish teachings regarding animals.

 

** That someone may have a disability and is therefore not able to incorporate the attributes of Gd into her daily life does not mean that a soul is absent.  The soul certainly accompanies such a person throughout her lifetime, but the expression of the soul is stymied by the bio-physical limitations of the person.

Kosher Meat -- A Ray of Light: Part Four (of 4) [Previously 'Shechitah and the Desecration of Gd's Name]

Part I
Part II
Part III

We've seen that the kosher slaughter industry does not ensure against the animal mistreatment that permeates the animal product industries.  The current kashrut overseers have failed to maintain an animal welfare standard that passes a test of decency as they continue to be satisfied with their belief that Jewish law permits it.  [See here for Kosher beef imports to Israel and the U.S. under OU supervision].

The solution must come from elsewhere.

Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) are bringing greater awareness to the public of all industries that use animals – but the implementation of societal change is slow, and does the Jewish community really want to concede authority for these matters to secular institutions?  What does Jewish abdication of responsibility and concern for these matters say about our character, ideals or belief in our mission to bring greater awareness of Gdliness/goodness into the world?

Research and experience show that a call for people to stop supporting harmful industries is effective only if the consumer is given a reliable substitute product to support.  It is in this light that I write an open letter to the Hekhsher Tzedek Commission and its visionary Rabbi Morris Allen:

[Hekhsher/Magen Tzedek is an initiative of Judaism's Conservative Movement to give its seal of approval on food products that maintain acceptable ethical and social justice standards in the categories of labor concerns, animal welfare, environmental impact, consumer issues and corporate integrity]

Dear Heksher Tzedek Commission and Rabbi Allen,

Kudos to the work you are doing to bring to market a way for the Jewish and non-Jewish consumer to identify products that are free from the taint of injustice that is so prevalent in the commercial food industry.

I have expressed my concern to the Commission about both the inadequacy of its proposed animal welfare standards as well as the insufficient enforcement and auditing of these standards.  Additionally, I have recently learned that due to the many complications associated with kosher meat the Hekhsher Tzedek will not be endorsing any kosher beef or poultry supplier in the foreseeable future.

As someone who cares deeply about the success of H.T., I must emphasize the belief that the single most important product that the Heksher Tzedek can provide to the public is kosher meat.  Hekhsher Tzedek's impact will be felt thunderously, and heroically, and historically when it provides the caring kosher community with a meat source that can serve as a shining example of what Judaism values. 

Accordingly, I feel inspired to inform you about the work of CEO Devora Kimelman-Block and her KOL Foods ethical kosher meat production and supply.  I have spoken extensively to Devora and feel that an association between Hekhsher Tzedek and KOL Foods can be a partnership that provides the kosher meat product the caring public craves.

Sincerely,

Adam Frank

Rabbi, Congregation Moreshet Yisrael
Jerusalem, Israel

Shechitah and the Desecration of Gd's Name: Part Three (of 4)

To see Part I click here

To see Part II click here

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. 

 

Click Here Part 4