12/21/04 Newsletter (below it are two previous newsletters on this issue):
Shalom everyone,
This special Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Online
Newsletter is the seventh follow-up to the JVNA newsletter on the Postville
slaughterhouse issue sent out on December 1. It includes much material from
various
perspectives to give you an idea of some of the latest developments. For
additional
information, please do an Internet search for recent articles and/or check
web sites of PETA, the OU, and other involved groups. Please keep writing
letters to editors.
This newsletter has the following items:
1. I Will Discuss the Postville Controversy on the Radio/Internet
2. Celebrity Bea Arthur Promotes Changes at Postville Slaughterhouse
3. Latest "Kosher Today" Statements
4. Statement Of Experts Re the Conditions Videotaped at the Postville
Slaughterhouse
5. More Sample Letters
6. National Public Radio (NPR) Covers Postville Slaughterhouse Issue
Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter
to keep this
one from being even longer.
[Materials in brackets like this [
] within an article or forwarded
message are my editorial notes/comments.]
Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent
the views of the JVNA,
unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or
to encourage respectful dialogue. Also, information re conferences, retreats,
forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsements by
JVNA, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail
addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any
event
that you are interested in.
As always, your comments and suggestions are very
welcome.
Thanks,
Richard
*** Please note that previous recent newsletters can be found at the JBMA web
site at
http://JewishVeg.blogspot.com
We plan to post this one soon.
1. I Will Discuss the Postville Controversy on the Radio/Internet
I am scheduled to be a guest on "In Tune With
Nature," on WRFG 89.3 FM
in Atlanta today (12/21/04) from 6:30 PM to about 6:50 PM EST. The program can
be listened to online at: www.wrfg.org
The topic is Agriprocessors, Inc. and how their cruel
treatment of
animals relates to Judaism and Kosher law
The broadcast will be live. However, they
will not take any callers.
I plan to emphasize that the Postville
controversy should be a wake up
call to the many ways that animal-based diets and modern intensive livestock
agriculture violate basic Jewish values and threaten human life, animals, and
environmental sustainability.
Please tune in and please tell others about the
program. Thanks.
2. Celebrity Bea Arthur Promotes Changes at Postville Slaughterhouse
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041217/NEWS08/412170
417/section?category=NEWS08&profile=>People/Places
"Golden Girls" Bea Arthur asks for changes at kosher plant
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 17, 2004
An animal rights organization is getting help from actress Bea Arthur in
calling attention to what it says is the abuse of cattle at a kosher
slaughterhouse in Postville.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, alleges that
Agriprocessors Inc. has violated state law that requires the use of humane
methods of slaughter.
PETA recently filed a complaint with the state and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, which helps oversee the plant, calling for the prosecution of
Agriprocessors and the Orthodox Union, an international kosher
certification agency.
In a letter to Orthodox Union leaders, Arthur, a Jew and longtime PETA
supporter, expressed concern with the agency's reaction to allegations
against Agriprocessors.
"The OU has defended the abuse at AgriProcessors, and I am concerned that
it
has not moved more quickly to publicly affirm that Judaism does not
tolerate
the kind of cruelty that PETA has documented," Arther said in the
letter,
which was provided to The Associated Press late Thursday.
Arthur encouraged the Orthodox Union to adopt the minimum guidelines
developed by the Food Marketing Institute. Those standards provide for
equipment, employee training and post-slaughter procedures to reduce the
discomfort of animals who are killed without prior stunning, she said.
"Applying these standards in all kosher slaughterhouses will ensure that
animals killed for food are given quick deaths, as provided for in Jewish
law," Arthur said.
PETA's complaints of abuse came after a seven-week undercover investigation
at the Postville plant, which is the world's largest glatt slaughterhouse.
An
undercover videotape showed animals attempting to stand and bellowing for
up
to three minutes after slaughter,
Agriprocessors, along with rabbinic leaders, scientists and kosher
certification groups, have defended the plant's slaughtering techniques.
They say it's natural for animals to experience involuntary reflexive
movements after slaughter.
However, since PETA released the videotape, Agriprocessors has agreed to
some changes, including a decision last week to let rabbis use an air bolt
gun
on animals that attempt to regain footing post slaughter.
PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said the star-power of Arthur, who starred
in
the popular television sitcom "The Golden Girls," brings attention to
the
situation at Agriprocessors.
"When Bea Arthur speaks, people do listen," he said.
3. Latest "Kosher Today" Statements
As indicated before, "Kosher today is not a typical news source, but a
publication that represents the views of the kosher food industry.
PETA Continues Campaign of Harassment Against Kosher Slaughter
New York (<http://www.koshertoday.com>www.koshertoday.com)
Jewish
publications in many parts of the country were inundated last week with
letters supporting the position of People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) in its campaign against Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa.
[I think we may have had something to do with this – please keep up the
momentum.] Some of the publications told Kosher Today that many of the letters
came
from outside their areas, suggesting an orchestrated campaign by the radical
animal rights organization. PETA has also threatened a lawsuit against
Agriprocessors if it does not comply with its demands to change schechita
practices.
Meanwhile, in a sharply worded letter published in The Forward, Rabbi
Shear-Yashuv Cohen, Chief Rabbi of Haifa and Senior Member of the Court of the
Israeli Chief Rabbinate, demanded that PETA refrain from further use of my name
as
questioning the kashrut of the Agriprocessors plant. Rabbi Cohen was cited by
the New York Times and others as questioning the schechita at Agri seen on
the
video. Rabbi Cohen noted: I fully endorse the statement by my O. U.
colleagues, Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb and Rabbi
Menachem
Genack, the rabbinic administrator of the kashrut division, which declares
the
schechita of the Agriprocessors plant 100% kosher. I am indeed pleased to
note
that all rabbis involved reaffirm their commitment to prevent inhumane
treatment of animals and congratulate the O. U. together with the
Agriprocessors's
executives for making further efforts and introducing changes that will stop
the procedure that might have caused unnecessary suffering to the animals.
[It
would be nice if they looked into the realities at factory farms and how they
violate Jewish teachings. It is up to us to use the Postville contriversy as
an opportunity to raise these issues.] Rabbi Cohen’s letter comes after an
unprecedented joint statement by 12 certifying agencies and rabbis of
schechita
defending schechita practices at Agriprocessors. It also follows the visit by
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge last week, after which she said:!
What
I saw today ... was humane. It was quick and there was absolutely no
problem
with the way they were handled." [But was what she observed anything
like
what was going on for years before it was revealed by PETA’s videotapes]. In
various correspondence with Jewish organizations, PETA has yet to address
its
characterization of animal slaughter as a Holocaust or to retract its
letter to
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat protesting his use of a donkey in a suicide
bombing in Israel.
4. Statement Of Experts Re the Conditions Videotaped at the Postville
Slaughterhouse
Message forwarded from PETA:
AgriProcessors Investigation—Rubashkin v. The Experts
Sholom Rubashkin (president of the plant):
˙ "What you see on the video is not out of the ordinary… Nothing wrong
was,
or is being done. There is nothing to admit."
However, 100 percent (literally every single one) of animal welfare experts
and veterinarians who have been asked for comment has condemned AgriProcessors
for its horrific abuse of animals, as have a growing number of Rabbis,
including the entire Conservative Movement (representing one-third of American
Jews).
Examples follow (complete statements are at:
http://www.goveg.com/feat/agriprocessors/experts.asp)
Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement (message sent to every
Conservative Rabbi, representing one-third of Jewish Americans):
˙ "[T]he scenes recorded are not what shehitah should be, nor does it
correspond to the Jewish way of treating animals… When a company purporting to
be
kosher violates the prohibition against tza’ar ba’alei hayyim, causing pain
to
one of God’s living creatures, that company must answer to the Jewish
community, and ultimately, to God."
Dr. Bernard Rollin, Ph.D., Colorado State University, farmed animal expert
˙ "What was depicted on this videotape is one of the most atrocious
incidents
I have ever witnessed. This plant has shown itself unworthy of even minimal
trust, and should be closed down."
Dr. Lester Friedlander, DVM, former USDA slaughter inspector (including
kosher)
˙ "The footage captured by PETA represents the most egregious violation of
the USDA Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) I have ever witnessed."
Dr. Temple Grandin, Ph.D., kosher slaughter expert, USDA slaughter consultant
˙ "I thought it was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen. I couldn't
believe it. I've been in at least 30 other kosher slaughter plants, and I had
never
ever seen that kind of procedure done before."
Dr. Chaim Milikowsky, Talmud Scholar, Bar Ilan University, Israel
˙ "It very well may be that any plant performing such types of shechita is
guilty of hillul hashem—the desecration of God's name—for to insist that God
cares only about his ritual law and not about his moral law is to desecrate His
Name."
Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland
˙ "I’ve been in many slaughterhouses in my time, and I’ve never seen
anything like that."
Holly Cheever, DVM, large animal veterinarian
˙ "…the cattle depicted in this distressing film footage…unequivocally
and
unarguably indicate that the cattle were conscious and suffering an agonal and
inhumane death."
Gary Dahl, Representative, USDA slaughterhouse inspector of 21 years
˙ "…the suffering of these animals was obvious, as was their
consciousness
after they had their tracheas removed."
Shimon Cohen, Shechita UK (UK based kosher slaughter group)
˙ "I don’t know what that is, but it’s not shechita."
Rabbi Ezra Raful, Israel’s Chief Rabbinate
˙ "You see there, it looks like he ripped out the trachea and esophagus.
We
do not allow the animal to be touched after the shehita until the main part of
the bleeding stops …"
Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz, Central Conference of American Rabbis’ Task Force on
Kashrut
˙ "The suffering of these animals during slaughter is sickening. Death is
neither quick nor merciful. If this is kosher, then we have a big problem."
Patty Judge, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
˙ "It's disturbing. Certainly it's nothing I would condone, or any of my
meat
inspectors or veterinarians would condone."
Rabbi Avrom Pollak, Ph.D., President of Star-K (kosher certification)
˙ "None of the practices seen on the video apply in any places Star-K is
associated with."
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
˙ "The abuses in this ostensibly "kosher" slaughterhouse are
sickening…"
Dr. Brenda Forsythe, M.S., Ph.D., D.V.M., Expert, Large Animal Behavior
˙ "In my expert opinion, turning frightened animals upside down for the
convenience of the slaughterer, cutting body parts out of conscious animals,
dumping struggling dying animals out of chutes onto a blood soaked kill floor,
using
electric cattle prods on immobilized animals, and suspending heavy animals by
a single limb prior to unconsciousness all result in unnecessary pain,
suffering, or distress and are violations of humane slaughtering
practices."
Rabbi Joel Rembaum, Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles
˙ "…according to [the] Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS)
standards, even with the new policies [enforced] by the OU at the Postville
plant, the
meat that comes from there is not kosher." [He did indicate that some
kashrut
groups, inclufding the OU do regard it as kosher.]
Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President, The Orthodox Union
˙ Has said that he found the procedure seen in our investigation footage
"especially inhumane" and "generally unacceptable."
What about the statements from the Orthodox Union and other kosher certifiers
that back AgriProcessors?
Although AgriProcessors and its attorney, Nathan Lewin, continue to contend
that animals who stand up minutes after their throats have been slit, as many
of them did in our investigation, are not conscious, none of the kosher
certification agencies have backed this notion. Read closely, the kosher agency
and
Orthodox Union statements are statements in support of kosher slaughter, not
what was happening at AgriProcessors. Our reply to these statements is available
here:
http://www.goveg.com/feat/agriprocessors/responseToOUStatement.asp
=================
5. More Sample Letters
Causing pain, suffering
Letters to the Editor:
We all remember where we were when we learned that John Kennedy was
killed, as well as when the World Trade Center was attacked by
terrorists. I can also vividly recall where I was sitting when my
grandmother told me how cruelly Gentiles slaughtered animals.
Like most kids, I simply adored my grandma. She had been fiercely
independent until failing health caused her to move in with our family.
In spite of everyone’s efforts to make her feel wanted, I know that she
felt out of place, and tried not to make waves. So it is with great awe,
thinking back over 50 years ago when she finally answered my question of why
she kept kosher (which must’ve been a major effort to do in my
immediate family’s non-kosher kitchen).
She described for me in great detail how much suffering was involved for
the animals -- unless they were slaughtered humanely, viz. by kosher
methods.
What truly astonishes me to this day is how grandma Esther, who had
witnessed such terrible suffering of her family and friends at the hands
of the Cossacks (she escaped from Russia so the torturers were not the
Nazis) still had such compassion for the animals.
I love to think that this conversation was one of the major influences
in my life that caused me to become vegetarian some 20 years later. Not
that grandma was -- but that her being able to include animals in her
circle of compassion instilled in me that animals are worthy of our
moral consideration.
I believe that she smiles down from heaven that her youngest
granddaughter is an animal rights activist. And, I know that she would
turn over in her grave, had she known about the gratuitous suffering
inflicted on animals at a kosher slaughterhouse.
When People For The Ethical Treatment (PETA) went undercover at this
kosher slaughterhouse, they did not uncover compassion., Far from it. And to
have fellow Jews defending these atrocities saddens me beyond words.
It must be made known that this slaughterhouse is not worse than other
Slaughterhouses [please see staements by veterinarians and others above.];
they are all institutions of torture and suffering. What
is truly sad though is that we Jews, who have seen so much suffering,
could also be the cause of such pain and suffering.
L’Chayim: To Life. To ours. To yours. To theirs.
Going veg is the best thing that we can do on this planet to teach
compassion to our children.
Jayn Brotman
Cincinnati
Dear Mr. Chaim Abrams,
I am writing to you as an Orthodox Jew, whose family is Lubavitch. I have
heard that Agriprocessers are planning an expansion of its slaughthouse.
For
the following reasons, it is crucial that your factory build strictly according
to the plans outlined in www.grandin.com :
1. There are enormous numbers of Americans, both Jews and non-Jews, who
eat
meat but are deeply troubled that the animals are roughly dealt with on their
way to slaughter, and how they are turned upside down during the slaughter.
If the animal was humanely treated on its way to and during its shechita,
this
could be advertised on the label of your meat. For example, something like:
"Our animals were humanely handled according to Temple Grandin's modern
designs
for humane slaughterhouses, according to animal behavioral studies. For
further information, see www.grandin.com
". This would surely cause
Agriprocessor's image to soar, along with its profits.
2. Temple Grandin's designs result in fewer injuries along the way, hence
monetary savings for Agriprocessors.
3. Although the Torah allows us to eat meat and to use animals for
important
medical studies, it is strictly forbidden to cause avoidable suffering.
Upsetting Hashem by causing such mass avoidable suffering is not good for the
Jews.
4. We are the Chosen People, and as such, you have the opportunity to make
Agriprocessors a kiddush Hashem for the Jewish People by modelling what a
humane slaughtering set-up looks like to the rest of the world. Please
take the
bad press you have been getting lately with courage to make complete
compassionate and holy changes.
I would be very grateful if you could send to me the email addresses of every
person who is involved with the decision-making for the design of the new
plant. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Tova S___
6. National Public Radio (NPR) Covers Postville Slaughterhouse Issue
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4236845
Nation
PETA Footage Puts Kosher Slaughterhouse on Defensive
All Things Considered, December 20, 2004 * A grisly videotape recorded
inside a kosher slaughterhouse depicts what the animal rights group PETA
calls shocking images of animal cruelty. But people in Iowa and kosher
authorities are expressing support for the owners of the slaughterhouse.
NPR's Greg Allen reports.
Forwarded message from Laura Slitt:
Dear Friends and Activists,
Perhaps we are at the cutting edge of penetrating mainstream media with
animal issues. At 4:50 pm this evening, my neighbor called me from his cell
phone
to encourage me to turn on NPR, as there was a report that he thought would
please me. A reporter whose name is Glen Allen, from NPR in the mid-west, was
airing a report on the PETA investigation at the "kosher"
slaughterhouse in
Postville, Iowa. There were comments from Bruce Freidrick and Temple Grandin as
well as defensive comments from Agriprocessors and others who attacked the
messenger, all too common after these issues surface. All in all, it was a fair
and
balanced piece after which I called Mr. Allen at NPR at 202-513-2000 in DC,
asked for his extension, and was able to leave him a message thanking him for
the piece, encouraging FAR MORE coverage about under reported animal issues. I
hope everyone takes a moment to acknowledge NPR for airing the information that
talked about heinous animal cruelty.
Laura Slitt
===================
** Fair Use Notice**
This document may contain copyrighted material, use of which has not been
specifically authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that this
not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the
copyrighted
material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish
to
use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair
use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
Author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and
Mathematics and Global Survival
President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Phone: (718) 761-5876 Fax: (718) 982-3631 E-mail: rschw12345@aol.com
12/19/04 Newsletter
Shalom everyone,
This special Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Online
Newsletter is the sixth follow-up to the JVNA newsletter on the Postville
slaughterhouse issue sent out on December 1. It includes much material from
various
perspectives to give you an idea of some of the latest developments. For
additional
information, please do an Internet search for recent articles and/or check web
sites of PETA, the OU, and other involved groups.
This newsletter has the following items:
1. JVNA Objectives Re the Postville Controversy
2. My Opinion Article Aiming To Broaden The Discussion to Vegetarianism
Issues/suggestions Welcome
3. Petition Drive to Have Rabbis and Other Jewish Leaders Support Proper
Changes and Supervision at Postville and Other Slaughterhouses
4. Article By the Jerusalem Post Editorial Page Editor/With My Comments
5. Action Ideas
6. Sample Letter
7. Publications That Had Recent Articles re Postville/Please Write Letters to
Editors
Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter
to keep this
one from being even longer.
[Materials in brackets like this [
] within an article or forwarded
message are my editorial notes/comments.]
Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent
the views of the JVNA,
unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or
to encourage respectful dialogue. Also, information re conferences, retreats,
forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsements by
JVNA, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail
addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any
event
that you are interested in.
As always, your comments and suggestions are very
welcome.
Thanks,
Richard
*** Please note that previous recent newsletters can be found at the JVNA web
site at
http://JewishVeg.blogspot.com
We plan to post this one soon.
1. JVNA Objectives Re the Postville Controversy
Here is an expanded version of a previously sent outline of JVNA objectives
re the Postville situation:
* Make sure that people are aware of Judaism’s strong teachings on compassion
to animals, that shechita, if properly done, is a superior method of
slaughter, and that the horrible scenes videotaped at the Postville
slaughterhouse are
not typical of Jewish ritual slaughter practivces. PETA has kept its focus on
the abuses at the Postville plant and has acknowledged that properly carried
out slaughter is a superior method.
If anyone has any doubts re the horrors at non-kosher
slaughterhouses,
they should read the excellent book "Slaughterhouse" by Gail Eisnitz.
* Join others in advocating that the methods used in the Postville plant be
changed immediately and that the OU and other groups set up rigorous standards
that will be strictly enforced so that there never be another situation like
the Postville case. [Please see items 3 and 5 below.] There have been recent
positive moves by the OU and others toward improving conditions at the Postville
plant and setting up better standards.
* Make people aware that the Postville case should awaken us to the many ways
that animal-based diets and agriculture threaten human health and the
planet’s sustainability, and violate basic Jewish mandates re preserving
health,
treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural
resources, and helping hungry people. Once the Postville situation is resolved,
it is essential that people think that everything is now fine and they can
continue their consumption of animal products with a clear conscience. They have
a choice re their diets, but they should make that choice based on a
knowledge of the realities.
The article below emphasizes this objective.
While Jews are a small percent of the world’s people
and thereby
responsible for only a small part of the problems related to modern intensive
livestock agriculture and other current practices, it is essential, in view of
the
many threats to humanity today, that we strive to fulfil our challenge to be a
"light unto the nations," and to work for "tikkun olam," the
healing, repair,
and proper transformation of the world.
As we continue our struggles, we should keep in mind
that we are trying
to end or at least reduce a system that treats 10 billion animals in the US
and 50 billion animals worldwide with tremendous cruelty on factory farms, that
is causing an epidemic of disease, and that is having devastating effects on
the environment. The future of humanity may be involved in our efforts.
2. My Opinion Article Aiming To Broaden The Discussion to Vegetarianism
I am planning to soon send the article below to the Jewish
media.
Suggestions very welcome. Thanks. And thanks to Syd Baumel, Dan Brook, and Lewis
Regenstein for the valuable suggestions they sent in re an earlier draft.
WILL THE POSTVILLE HORRORS SHOCK US INTO RETURNING TO JEWISH VALUES?
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
The horrific scenes of the mistreatment of animals
videotaped at the
Postville glatt kosher slaughterhouse and the efforts of some Jewish groups to
defend the facility’s procedures raise questions that go to the heart and soul
of Judaism: If slaughterhouse procedures are not consistently monitored for
strict adherence to the ideals of shechita, are we carrying out our mandate to
be
"rachmanim b’nei rachmanim" (compassionate children of compassionate
ancestors)? Are we failing to properly imitate G-d, Whose "tender mercies
are over all
His creatures" (Psalms 145:9)?
Even if shechita is carried out perfectly and pain and
distress during
slaughter are minimized, can we ignore the many violations of Jewish teachings
on compassion to animals as billions of animals on "factory farms" in
the
United States and worldwide experience pain, suffering, and agony for their
entire
lives? If, as is recited at synagogue services every Sabbath and Yom tov morn
ing, "the soul of every living creature shall bless G-d’s Name," can
we expect
these cruelly treated animals to join in the praise? If, "the righteous
person considers the life of his or her animal" (Proverbs 12:10), how will
be
judged, based on our vicarious treatment of the animals raised, trucked and
slaughtered for our tables?
Also, can we ignore the many other ways that
animal-based diets and
agriculture severely violate Jewish values:
* While Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving
their health and their lives, numerous scientific studies have implicated the
products of modern intensive livestock agriculture as significant risk factors
for coronary heart disease, stroke, several forms of cancer, and other
chronic degenerative diseases.
* While Judaism teaches that "the earth is the Lord's" (Psalm
24:1) and that
we are to be God's partners and co-workers in preserving the world, modern
intensive livestock agriculture is widely recognized by independent scientists,
including the Union of Concerned Scientists, as an environmentally
unsustainable enterprise that grossly accelerates soil erosion and depletion,
air and
water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction
of tropical rainforests and other habitats, global climate change, and other
forms of environmental damage.
* While Judaism mandates bal tashchit, not to waste or unnecessarily
destroy
anything of value, or use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose, a diet
based upon animal agriculture instead of plant agriculture (which provides
protein from grains, beans, tubers, nuts and seeds) wastes many times more land,
fresh water, fossil fuels, grain and other resources. It takes up to sixteen
pounds of grain to produce just one pound of feedlot-raised beef.
While Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread
with hungry people, an estimated twenty million human beings worldwide die each
year because of hunger and its effects, and nearly a billion are chronically
malnourished. While the solution of widespread hunger is complex, it doesn't
help that over 70 percent of the grain grown in the U.S. and almost 40 percent
worldwide is produced to fatten food animals, not to feed the world's most
impoverished human citizens, many of whom are displaced from
their land by animal feed growers.
* While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence
results from unjust conditions, animal-centered diets
animal-centered diets help create more food security "haves" and
"have nots,"
a precipitating factor in political instability and violent conflict.
If Judaism is to remain relevant to many of the great
problems of today,
it is my heartfelt belief that all Jews must very seriously consider adopting
a sustainable vegan, vegetarian or plant-based diet. In my view, it is a
moral, social and ecological imperative. While Jews are a small percent of the
world’s people and thereby responsible for only a small part of the problems
related to modern intensive livestock agriculture and other current practices,
it
is essential, in view of the many threats to humanity today, that we strive to
fulfil our challenge to be a "light unto the nations," and to work for
"tikkun olam," the healing, repair, and proper transformation of the
world.
3. Petition Drive to Have Rabbis and Other Jewish Leaders Support Proper
Changes and Supervision at Postville and Other Slaughterhouses
Due to some wonderful work by Aaron Gross, we are planning to
present a
petition (not sponsored by JVNA or any other organization), signed by many
rabbis, that seeks the OU and other kashrut organizations to mandate better
standards and inspection for ritual slaughter. If you have suggestions re rabbis
who
might endorse such a petition, please let me know. Thanks.
============
4. Article By the Jerusalem Post Editorial Page Editor/With My Comments
December 16, 2004
The Jerusalem Post
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1
103170789592
Interesting Times: Cutting-edge Kashrut
Saul Singer, Editorial Page Editor
[My comments are in brackets at a few points within the article.]
I am an increasingly observant Jew. I don't imagine becoming fully Orthodox,
but I'm a great believer in the power of the two institutions that kept Jewish
communities whole throughout the centuries: kashrut and Shabbat.
I became attracted to kashrut, in particular, for two reasons: its ethical
foundations and the way it brings Judaism out of the synagogue, elevating a
mundane aspect of daily life. The ethical impact of kashrut is found most
broadly
in the simple idea that people, unlike animals, should not eat anything they
want to. Automatically, this raises consciousness toward animals, as shown by
the general Jewish revulsion for hunting. But the most concrete sign of
kashrut's ethical basis are the laws of shehita (kosher slaughter).
The idea that it matters how an animal is killed was itself a breathtaking
ethical advance for its times. In the ancient world, it was not uncommon to eat
from live animals - a practice so abhorrent that its abolition became one of
just seven Noahide laws that the Torah applied also to non-Jews.
Shehita took this a step further, requiring that cattle be slaughtered in a
way designed to eliminate pain - a single, swift stroke with a unblemished
knife, severing the major arteries and airway and rendering the animal almost
instantly unconscious.
Dr. Temple Grandin, perhaps the world's best-known academic expert on humane
slaughtering, writes that in the hands of the best shohtim, the animal does
not move, seems not to feel the cut, and drops dead in eight to 10 seconds.
[This is the shechita that the JVNA has consistently supported when it was
singled
out for attack.]
This, I must admit, was my somewhat naive image of shehita until the recent
controversy over the AgriProcessors plant in Postville, Iowa, broke. A video
secretly taken in the kosher plant and posted on the Web (www.peta.org)
showed
cattle having their throats cut, their trachea ripped out, and surviving
minutes longer as they struggled to their feet while slipping, panicked, in
their
own blood.
Numerous rabbis and experts have responded with horror to this plant's unique
and nightmarish procedure, which seems to violate both Jewish and American
law. The Orthodox Union, the most prominent of the organizations certifying the
kashrut of the plant, has pledged that the ripping out of the trachea of
sensate animals will be stopped.
But this is not enough.
IN THE modern world, shehita cannot be justified when, due to indifference or
incompetence, it becomes less humane than the standard non-kosher
slaughtering method, in which the animal is instantly killed by a bolt shot into
its
head. [As indicated before, the book "Slaughterhouse" by Gail Eisnitz
discusses
many horrors that occur at non-kosher slaughterhouses.] Jewish law prohibits any
maiming of the animal before shehita, and so prohibits the standard
procedure, called "stunning." But in many kosher slaughtering plants,
particularly in
South America, Europe and Israel, cattle are still slaughtered while hoisted
into the air by a back leg or while wrestled or mechanically maneuvered onto
their backs. [This method, which is not part of traditional shechita, has been
strongly opposed by Temple Grandin and other animal welfare experts and has been
condemned by the Conservative Rabbinical Alliance’s Committee on Law and
Standards.]
The prohibitions on injuring animals before shehita, and against cruelty to
animals in general, need to be reflected in modern application of Jewish law.
This means that the restraining method used in shehita has to be as humane as
the shehita itself. Kosher plants that use well-designed standing restraints
follow this principle. But there is no excuse for treating the many plants that
use other extremely painful and stressful restraining methods as kosher, when
such methods render shehita less humane than stunning.
Ironically, the AgriProcessors plant was producing glatt kosher meat: "Glatt"
refers to an extra stringency in the law, in which the lungs are held to a
higher standard of blemishlessness. It makes little sense, as Chaim Milikowsky
of Bar-Ilan University's Talmud department has pointed out, "to insist upon
the
most stringent requirements with regard to the ritual portion of the
slaughtering process and yet, at the same time, flagrantly not insist upon
stringent
requirements with regard to the crucial moral aspect." To do so makes
"the
entire kashrut endeavor of that person both suspect and absurd."
Further, the clear implication that "God cares only about his ritual law
and
not about his moral law," Milikowsky argues "is to desecrate His
Name."
I want to be proud of kashrut, not just in theory, but in practice. I don't
want to have to choose between my Judaism and my ethics - I find the thought
that the two could be in conflict unacceptably troubling. [this is why the JVNA,
along with other groups and rabbis, is promoting an end to the horrible
procedures videotaped at the Postville slaughterhouse, and for the OU and other
kashrut groups to mandate and strictly supervise the highest standards of ritual
slaughter.] I, along with some Jewish thinkers, already believe the notion of
"kosher veal" is a contradiction in terms, since veal calves are kept
in tiny
pens their whole lives to keep them from developing muscles. [This is great,
but there are many other horrible conditions on factory farms.]
To me, if kashrut is not on the cutting edge of humanity toward animals, it's
not kashrut. I would be happy to pay extra for "ethically glatt" meat.
I have
already stopped eating veal, and consider that decision part of my kashrut
observance. Until I can be assured that shehita is being performed according to
the full letter and spirit of Jewish law, I think I will have to avoid
"kosher" beef as well. [I do not think that Saul Singer meant to imply
that he would
eat non-kosher meat. Of course, the JVNA advocates diets completely free of
all types of meat. A wonderful book on the many negative effects of the
production and consumption of beef is "Beyond Beef," by Jeremy Rifkind.]
Please send a letter to the editor at
saul@jpost.com
or
letters@jpost.com
Copyright 1995-2004 The Jerusalem Post - http://www.jpost.com/
5. Action Ideas
Please continue to monitor your local papers for articles and respond to
them, as well as to some of the publications indicated in item 7. Please use
material in this JVNA newsletter and previous issues, as well as material at the
JVNA web site (JewishVeg,com) for background information. Thanks.
Please ask the Orthodox Union (OU), the world's largest kosher
certifier, and the K'hal Adath Jeshurun (KAJ) to adopt the Food
Marketing Institute (FMI) guidelines for ritual slaughter and to take
appropriate action to ensure that animals are no longer abused by
AgriProcessors. For AgriProcessors, this must include unannounced audits
by an inspector approved of by Dr. Temple Grandin. You can read the FMI
guidelines for ritual slaughter here
<http://fmi.org/animal_welfare/january03rpt.pdf>
.
The FMI guidelines prohibit electric prods and ensure that animals are
not turned upside-down before their throats are slit and that they are
not moved until they are unconscious after throat-slitting. The OU and
KAJ should explicitly recognize and train shochets (slaughterers) to
recognize the physiological signs of consciousness in cattle-blinking,
bellowing, standing, rhythmic breathing, and attempting to right the
head-to ensure that no animals are touched or moved until they are
unconscious. All equipment must be inspected to ensure that it is not
harming animals (e.g., conveyor belts should not trap chickens and break
their legs).
It is imperative that all correspondence be courteous, for best results.
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Executive Vice President
Orthodox Union
11 Broadway, 14th Fl.
New York, NY 10004
execthw@ou.org
Please copy your letter or e-mail message to:
Rabbi Menachem Genack
Rabbinic Administrator
Kashrut Division
Orthodox Union
11 Broadway, 14th Fl.
New York, NY 10004
genackm@ou.org
Please also send your letter or e-mail message to
representatives of the KAJ:
Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Edelstein
Kashrus Administrator
K'hal Adath Jeshurun
85-93 Bennet Ave.
New York, NY 10033
kajkashrus@hotmail.com
Rabbi Chaim Kohn
Rabbinic Administrator
K'hal Adath Jeshurun
85 Bennett Ave.
New York, NY 10033
Ask the USDA to Demand Standards for Religious Slaughter
In a recent investigation into the world's largest kosher
slaughterhouse, PETA documented hideous cruelty to animals that
meat-industry consultant Dr. Temple Grandin called "horrific," saying
that the plant was "doing everything wrong they can do wrong." Click
here <http://www.goveg.com/feat/agriprocessors>
to learn more about the
investigation, to watch the video, and to read statements from the Iowa
Secretary
of Agriculture, current slaughterhouse inspectors, rabbis, and others.
Please also ask that the USDA develop explicit and publicly available
guidelines for religious slaughter. The United States should follow the
lead of Australia, Canada, and the European Union in developing
guidelines for religious slaughter that require that animals not be
touched or moved until they are unconscious, which should take no more
than 30 seconds after throat-slitting. If they are not fully unconscious
within 20 seconds, animals should be stunned via captive-bolt guns. All
religious slaughterers should be trained in the physiological signs of
consciousness in animals-blinking, bellowing, standing, rhythmic
breathing, and attempting to right the head-to ensure that no conscious
animals are touched or moved. Click here
<pdfs/usda_kosher_standards32.pdf> to read PETA's letter to the
USDA.
The Honorable Ann Veneman
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave. S.W.
Washington, DC 20250
Ann.Veneman@usda.gov
202-720-3631
7. Sample Letter
Forwarded from Lewis Regenstein, long time environmental activist and author,
and JVNA advisor.
Cruelty is not kosher
To the Editor:
Thank you for your fine editorial condemning cruel
animal slaughter
methods undertaken in the name of Jewish law.
Revelations of cruelty at a kosher slaughterhouse in
Iowa have
overlooked a fundamental fact: the Jewish religion has strict laws and teachings
forbidding cruelty to animals. In fact, there is an entire code of law ("Tsa’ar
ba’alei hayim", the commandment to prevent the suffering of living
creatures)
mandating that other creatures be treated with compassion.
Indeed, the Jews invented the concept of kindness to animals some 4,000 years
ago, and it is mandated throughout the Bible and Jewish law.
Even the holiest of our laws, The Ten Commandments, requires that
farm animals be allowed to enjoy a day of rest on the Sabbath. So the
Almighty must have felt that kindness to animals was not a trivial
matter.
Jews are not allowed to "pass by" an animal in distress or to
ignore animals being mistreated, even on the Sabbath. Yet this is exactly
what we do when we certify as "kosher" products from
animals that are treated cruelly. It is truly a "shanda," a shameful
thing, that we endorse the massive abuse and suffering of billions of
factory farmed creatures, many of which spend their entire lives in
misery, fear, and anguish, in addition to the cruel way they are killed.
[As indicated above, the JVNA believes that, properly carried out, shechita
is a superior method of slaughter, and that the procedures videotaped at the
Postville slaughterhouse are not the typical way shechita is carroed out in the
US.]
It should also be mentioned that many Jews are working
to change
these practices and "relieve the suffering of these living
creatures." There is no tradition of our faith that is older or more
revered.
Sincerely yours,
Lewis Regenstein
tAtlanta,Ga.,
The writer is the author of "Replenish the Earth: The Teachings of the
World’s Religions on Protecting Animals and Nature", and president of The
Interfaith Council for the Protection of Animals and Nature.
8. Publications That Had Recent Articles re Postville/Please Write Letters to
the Editors
"Complaint embroils kosher meat plant"
Baltimore Sun December 19
letters@baltsun.com
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.slaughter19dec19,1,2>00324
2.story
-==============
"Town rallies around firm called inhumane"
Chicago Tribune December 19
Letters:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/site/chilettertotheeditor.customform
Article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0412190502dec19,1,710
3113.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
-----------------------------------------------
"Kosher Slaughter Charges Hit Home"
(http://www.jewishjournal.org/news.htm#local1)
By Mark Arnold and Gary Band
----------------------
"Local Animal Rights Advocate Decries Slaughtering Practices"
(http://www.jewishjournal.org/news.htm#local1)
By Susan Jacobs
-----------------------
"How Humane are Kosher Slaughtering Practices?" (editorial,
http://www.jewishjournal.org <http://www.jewishjournal.org/>
)
By Mark Arnold
All in: The Jewish Journal
December 17 - 31, 2004 issue
Send e-mails to editorial@jewishjournal.org.
"Ag Secretary Judge sees 'quick and humane' slaughter at Agri"
By Sharon Drahn
The Postville Herald-Leader
December 16, 2004
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13572637&BRD=1829&PAG=461&dept_id=51
0829&rfi=6
Send e-mails at
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=117700&BRD=1829&PAG=461&dept_id=5108
39&rfi=6.
-------------------------
"Interesting Times: Cutting-edge kashrut"
"PETA protest gets 'Maude' squad boost"
The Omaha World-Herald
December 17, 2004
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1638&u_sid=1287378
Send e-mails to pulse@owh.com.
Thanks again to Liz Abbott of PETA for compiling this and previous lists.
* Please limit your letter to 200 words or less and respond to
this alert within 48 hours.
* Be sure to include the title and date of the piece, and your
name, address, and phone numbers for letter verification.
* As most large newspapers demand exclusive letters, please vary
the wording when submitting a letter to more than one publication and
let us know if a publication prints your letter(s) so we can share your
success with other writers.
==================
=================
Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world,
indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
===================
** Fair Use Notice**
This document may contain copyrighted material, use of which has not been
specifically authorized by the copyright owners. I believe that this
not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the
copyrighted
material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish
to
use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair
use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
Author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and
Mathematics and Global Survival
President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Phone: (718) 761-5876 Fax: (718) 982-3631 E-mail: rschw12345@aol.com
12/16/04
Shalom everyone,
This special Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Online
Newsletter is a fifth follow-up to the newsletter on the Postville
slaughterhouse issue
sent out on December 1. It includes much material from various perspectives
to give you an idea of some of the latest developments. For additional
information, please do an Internet search for recent articles and/or check web
sites
of PETA, the OU, and other involved groups.
This newsletter has the following items:
1. Great Article by World Renowned Shechita Expert Temple Grandin
2. My Letter To The Editor Re The Temple Grandin Article/Suggestions Welcome
3. My Letter to the Jewish Media/Suggestions Welcome
4. My Opinion Article Draft/Suggestions Welcome
5. Statement By a Conservative Rabbi on Postville
6. Corrections
7. Humane Society of the US Calls For Persecution of Animal Abusers at
Postville Slaughterhouse
8. Keeping the Momentum Going/Letter From Rina
9. More Sample Letters (Including Five That appeared in the Jerusalem Post
and Seven That Appeared in the Jewish Press)
10. Responding To Recent Published Articles
Some material has been deferred to a later
update/newsletter to keep
this one from being even longer.
[Materials in brackets like this [
] within an article or forwarded
message are my editorial notes/comments.]
Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent
the views of the JVNA,
unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or
to encourage respectful dialogue. Also, information re conferences, retreats,
forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsements by
JVNA, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail
addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any
event
that you are interested in.
As always, your comments and suggestions are very
welcome.
Thanks,
Richard
1. Great Article by World Renowned Shechita Expert Temple Grandin
Jerusalem Post 12/16/04
Kosher slaughter done right
By Temple Grandin
When operating new equipment that no longer caused the animal suffering, I
felt the sacredness of the ancient ritual
I have worked in the beef industry for 30 years designing equipment to
improve animal welfare. In North America half of the non-kosher cattle are
handled
in equipment I designed. I have also designed equipment for holding cattle and
calves for shechitah. I have found that the ancient method of kosher slaughter
can be the most humane, or terribly cruel, depending on the shochet's skill
and the methods used.
The laws of kashrut dictate that the cattle be slaughtered with a sharp
knife, causing almost instantaneous death with no pain. Unfortunately, these
laws
do not directly address modern restraining methods that they could hardly have
envisioned.
The result is that some kosher slaughterhouses employ a shackle-and-hoist
system in which a chain is wrapped around the animal's back leg, and shechitah
is
performed while the poor beast is suspended by one back leg. The terrified
bellows of cattle can often be heard from outside the slaughterhouse.
In the US, this method is used only for religious slaughter, since all other
cattle are rendered unconscious with a bolt stunner before hoisting.
In the US, many people mistakenly thought that the shackling and hoisting of
live cattle was part of kosher slaughter. But during the mid-Eighties and
early Nineties, I was hired by two companies to tear out these cruel machines
and
replace them with equipment that would hold cattle in a comfortable standing
position for shechitah.
Where the shackle-and-hoist method was used, I had no way to study the
animal's experience of shechitah since so much stress was caused by the
restraining
methods. For several weeks, I had the opportunity to operate the hydraulic
controls on the new kosher restraint boxes.
When operating the restraining box that no longer caused suffering, I felt
the sacredness of the ancient ritual. I wrote about it in detail in my book,
Thinking in Pictures.
"As each animal entered, I concentrated on moving the apparatus slowly and
gently so as not to scare him. I watched his reactions so that I applied only en
ough pressure to hold him snugly. Excessive pressure would cause discomfort.
If his ears were laid back against his head or he struggled, I knew I had
squeezed him too hard. Animals are very sensitive to hydraulic equipment. They
feel
the smallest movement of the control levers.
"Through the machine I reached out and held the animal. When I held his
head
in the yoke, I imagined placing my hands on his forehead and under his chin
and gently easing him into position. Body boundaries seemed to disappear, and I
had no awareness of pushing the levers. The rear pusher gate and head yoke
became an extension of my hand."
NOW THAT I was able to hold the animal gently, it was possible to observe its
reaction to shechitah. When shechitah was performed on each steer, I was
amazed that the animal did not move. To find out if shechitah was really
painless,
I started holding the head of each animal with less and less pressure to see
if it would move during shechitah. Even big bulls stayed still when the head
holder was so loose they could have easily pulled their heads out.
I also observed that some shochets were better than others in their ability
to cause rapid unconsciousness. All of the cuts were correct from a religious
standpoint, but some shochets were more biologically effective. A swift cut was
more effective than a slower one. In the hands of the best shochets, the
animal does not make a sound or flinch, and drops unconscious in eight to 10
seconds.
My experiences in seeing how humane shechitah can be could not have prepared
me for the video taken at the kosher meat plant AgriProcessors, which recently
became the center of considerable controversy. The video showed cattle that
were clearly conscious after their throats had been cut and their trachea had
been ripped out and was hanging from their necks.
I have been in over 30 kosher plants, and I had never seen such a dreadful
procedure. Obviously, yanking on the trachea would cause great pain and may have
delayed the onset of unconsciousness.
AgriProcessors is not the only place that needs to improve its procedures.
Many plants that export beef from South America to Israel are dragging live
cattle around with chains attached to the animal's rear leg. In the South
American procedure, still used in 80% of the kosher plants there, live cattle
are
hoisted up, laid back down on their back, then held down by four or five people
for shechitah.
These plants should replace the dragging of cattle with restraining pens. A
pen that holds the animal standing is the most comfortable for the animal. Pens
that rotate cattle onto their backs like the one at the AgriProcessors are
much better than dragging and hoisting, but are probably more stressful than
upright restraints.
In well-designed upright or rotating restraining pens, 95% or more of the
cattle should remain calm and not bellow. In the worst shackle-and-hoist
systems,
more than half the cattle will bellow, a sure sign of pain and stress.
Ethical kosher slaughter also makes good business sense. Calm cattle bleed
better, leading to greater efficiency and higher quality meat.
Shackle-and-hoist, in addition to being cruel, is dangerous for people.
Struggling animals have
caused so many injuries that insurance companies have forced some plants to
abandon this method. The reduction in insurance premiums alone can, in some
cases, pay for new, more ethical, restraining equipment.
In a recent response to the AgriProcessors video, the Orthodox Union
reiterated that "Judaism abjures cruelty to animals" and announced
that "the trachea
will no longer be removed following shechitah, and any animals that appear to
have survived the procedure will be promptly stunned or shot [and their meat
declared unkosher]."
I know that shechitah, done right, is the most humane slaughtering method.
But it is very disturbing that the cruel AgriProcessors procedure was stopped
only after being revealed by a pirate video, and that cases of incompetent
shechitah are still being defended as aberrations. Meanwhile, in other plants,
inhumane shackle-and-hoist methods are still receiving the kosher stamp of
approval. This is a shame, not just for the animals but for a religious system
that
represents one of the great ethical advances in human history and which
demonstrates the sacredness of all life.
The writer, the author of Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life
with Autism, is an associate professor of Animal Science at Colorado State
University.
This article can also be read at
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1103170787940&p=1006953079865
Copyright 1995-2004 The Jerusalem Post - http://www.jpost.com/
2. My Letter To The Editor Re The Temple Grandin Article/Suggestions Welcome
December 16, 2004
letters@jpost.com
Dear Editor:
Kol hakavod for including Temple Grandin’s wonderful
article on proper
shechita ("Kosher Slaughter Done Right," December 16 issue). She has
been highly
respected internationally for many years for her expertise on all aspects of
slaughter and her creative approaches to minimizing the pain of animals during
the slaughtering process. I hope that her wise counsel will be widely heeded.
However, even if shechita is carried out perfectly, can we ignore the severe
cruelty that animals are subjected to daily on factory farms, and the other
ways that the production and consumption of animal products violate basic Jewish
teachings?
Since nutritionists have concluded that one can be
properly nourished on
a diet free of animal products, a fundamental question to be addressed is:
since Judaism mandates that we should diligently guard our health, treat animals
with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and
help hungry people, and animal-based diets and agriculture have negative effects
in each of these areas, shouldn’t Jews (and others) seriously consider a
switch toward meatless diets?
Very truly yours,
Richard H. Schwartz
3. My Letter to the Jewish Media/Suggestions Welcome
Dear Editor:
I believe that the horrific scenes of the mistreatment
of animals at the
Postville glatt kosher slaughterhouse
(http://www.goveg.com/feat/agriprocessors/index.asp)
and the efforts of some Orthodox groups to defend the facility’s
procedures raise questions that go to the heart and soul of Judaism: If these
procedures are acceptable, are we carrying out our mandate to be "rachmanim
b’nei rachmanim" (compassionate children of compassionate ancestors)? Are
we
properly carrying out the requirement to imitate G-d, Whose "tender mercies
are
over all his creatures" (Psalms 145:9)? If, as is recited at synagogue
services every Sabbath and Yom tov morning, "the soul of every living
creature shall
bless G-d’s Name," can we expect these cruelly treated animals to join in
the
praise? If, "the righteous person considers the life of his or her
animal"
(Proverbs 12:10), how will be judged, based on our treatment of animals?
More generally, even if shechita acts are carried out
perfectly and pain
during slaughter is minimized, can we ignore the many violations of Jewish
teachings on compassion to animals that occur daily to billions of animals daily
in the United States and worldwide?
Finally, the most important question: since Judaism
mandates that we
should diligently guard our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the
environment, conserve natural resources, and help hungry people, and
animal-based diets and agriculture have negative effects in each of these areas,
shouldn’t Jews (and others) seriously consider a switch toward meatless diets?
Very truly yours,
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
4. My Opinion Article Draft/Suggestions Welcome
WILL THE POSTVILLE HORRORS SHOCK US INTO RETURNING TO JEWISH VALUES?
I believe that the horrific scenes of the mistreatment of animals at the
Postville glatt kosher slaughterhouse
(http://www.goveg.com/feat/agriprocessors/index.asp)
and the efforts of some Orthodox groups to defend the facility’s
procedures raise questions that go to the heart and soul of Judaism: If these
procedures are acceptable, are we carrying out our mandate to be "rachmanim
b’nei
rachmanim" (compassionate children of compassionate ancestors)? Are we not
failing to properly imitate G-d, Whose "tender mercies are over all his
creatures" (Psalms 145:9)? If, as is recited at synagogue services every
Sabbath and
Yom tov morning, "the soul of every living creature shall bless G-d’s
Name," can
we expect these cruelly treated animals to join in the praise? If, "the
righteous person considers the life of his or her animal" (Proverbs 12:10),
how
will be judged, based on our treatment of animals?
More generally, even if shechita acts are carried out
perfectly and pain
during slaughter is minimized, can we ignore the many violations of Jewish
teachings on compassion to animals that occur daily to billions of animals daily
in the United States and worldwide?
Finally, can we ignore the many ways that animal-based
diets and
agriculture severely violate Jewish values:
* While Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving
their health and their lives, numerous scientific studies have linked
animal-based diets directly to heart disease, stroke, many forms of cancer, and
other
chronic degenerative diseases.
* While Judaism teaches that "the earth is the Lord's" (Psalm
24:1) and that
we are to be God's partners and co-workers in preserving the world, modern
intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to soil erosion and
depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, global
climate change, and other environmental damages.
* While Judaism mandates bal tashchit, not to waste or unnecessarily
destroy
anything of value, or use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose, animal
agriculture requires the wasteful use of land, water, fuel, grain, and other
resources.
* While Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread
with hungry people, an estimated twenty million human beings worldwide die each
year because of hunger and its effects, over 70% of the grain grown in the
U.S. is fed to animals destined for slaughter. It takes up to sixteen pounds of
grain to produce just one pound of feedlot-raosed beef.
* While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence
results from unjust conditions, animal-centered diets, by wasting valuable
resources, perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that often lead to
instability and war.
Clearly, Jewish values and meat consumption
are in serious conflict.
Jews should seriously consider shifting toward plant-based diets and
promoting
a switch toward vegetarianism as moral and ecological imperatives. Besides
having great benefits for animals, such actions would greatly benefit the health
of the Jewish people and others, move our precious, but imperiled planet
to
a more sustainable path, and show the relevance of Jewish teachings to the
problems confronting the world today.
==================
5. Statement By a Conservative Rabbi on Postville
Rabbi Joel Rembaum
Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles
http://amechad.blogspot.com/
When Kosher Is Not
Haverim, shalom.
There are two principles that stand at the foundation of kosher
slaughtering:
1. removal of blood from the animal as quickly as possible;
2. minimizing the pain and suffering that the animal experiences.
Done properly, kosher slaughtering, shehitah, accomplishes both of these
aims.
The observant Jewish community was shocked last month by the revelation of
videotapes shot by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) inside a
kosher slaughtering plant in Postville, Iowa. The tapes, selections of which I
have viewed, depict animals writhing and squirming for more than a few seconds
after shehitah, and, in some instances, actually getting up and walking
around and then continuing to flail about for more than a minute. The animals
appear to be in agony, and were this to be the case, the meat from such animals
would have to be declared unkosher.
The Orthodox Union (OU) kashrut authorities who supervise the plant have
stated that such random movement is not evidence of the animals suffering and
that
the loss of blood to the brain resulting from the shehitah renders the
animals insensate. They also state that the USDA supervisors at the plant affirm
that the animals do not suffer. They report that the meat prepared at the plant
is kosher because the principle of tza'ar ba'alei hayyim, causing pain to a
living being, has not been violated. Nevertheless, to add an additional level of
caution and to quell the uproar that the tapes have generated, the OU has
mandated that any animals that experience abnormal post-shehitah movement will
be
stunned or shot to ensure that the animal is in a state of total
unconsciousness. Such animals would then be used for non-kosher meat. Also,
removal of the
trachea immediately after shehitah to enhance blood flow, which has been the
practice at the plant, will be discontinued. It should be noted that the plant
in question uses a pen in which the animal is turned upside down immediately
prior to slaughtering, a procedure deemed acceptable by the OU. (The OU opini
ons cited above can be found at
In September, 2000, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS), the
Conservative Movement's most authoritative legal decision-making body, ruled
that
to avoid tza'ar ba'alei hayyim only pens that keep the animal upright may be
used in shehitah. Laboratory tests have determined that the blood of animals
killed in the upside down position show a 300% elevation in stress related
chemicals. The published CJLS opinion, written by Rabbis Elliot Dorff and Joel
Roth and approved by a vote of 21-0, reads: "To be clear, then, in this
ruling we
intend not only to ban shackling and hoisting animals, but also those pens
that turn the animals upside down before slaughtering them. Only moving and
killing the animals in an upright pen satisfies the requirements of Jewish law
forbidding cruel treatment of animals." (See: Responsa 1991-2000, The
Committee
on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative
Movement, Kassel Abelson and David J. Fine, eds.; p. 96.) In fact, in
Many facilities in which kosher slaughtering is done, such upright pens that
are also PETA approved are in use. The upshot of this last piece of
information is that, according to CJLS standards, even with the new policies in
force by
the OU at the Postville plant, the meat that comes from there is not kosher.
Here are my recommendations to TBA members as to how to resolve this
matter:
1. Given the nature of Jewish law, specially in the area of Kashrut, it
is not unusual that there are differing points of view. This is clearly the
case with regard to the pens used at the Postville plant. The CJLS considers
such pens to be unacceptable because they cause undue pain and suffering to
the animal; the OU considers them to be acceptable because they do not cause
undo pain and suffering. Therefore,
2. TBA members should not use the Aaron's Best/Rubashkin meats that are
produced in that plant.
3. Those who do use such meat would not be "treifing up" their
kitchens
because they do have a legitimate halakhic authority (the OU) backing
them up.
4. I will speak with our caterers and ascertain that Aaron's
Best/Rubashkin meats are not served at the synagogue.
I hope you find this approach helpful. I look forward to hearing from
you on this matter.
B'shalom,
Rabbi Joel Rembaum
======================
6. Corrections
a. In the last special JVNA newsletter, the (corrected) statement below
omitted the first "only."
"Yosef Hakohen, a long time friend and JVNA advisor, pointed out that it is
not proper for an interfaith group to only criticize a Jewish facility and
that the letter should not have only discussed abuses at the Postville
kosher
slaughterhouse since there are also serious abuses at non-kosher
slaughterhouses."
b. Previous JVNA newsletters have included statements from "Kosher
Today." I
neglected to point out that this publication is not a normal media source, but
an industry run and operated publication. In fact, they even note that
they
don't publish unless they have enough advertisers (almost all kosher
companies).
=================
7. Humane Society of the US Calls For Persecution of Animal Abusers at
Postville Slaughterhouse
forwarded article:
HSUS Calls for Prosecution of Those Responsible for Alleged Abuses at Kosher
Slaughterhouse
December 8, 2004
In response to a recent investigation of a kosher slaughterhouse in
Postville, Iowa, The Humane Society of the United States has sent a letter to
U.S.
Department of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman not only pointing out alleged
violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, but also urging the agency to
take "the strongest possible action to prosecute those responsible for the
abuses shown in that video and to ensure that they end immediately, and are not
replicated elsewhere."
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) taped the undercover video
at AgriProcessors, Inc. from July through September; it is available for
viewing via the organization's web site. Following its investigation, PETA filed
a
complaint with the U.S. Agriculture Department, calling for the prosecution
of the slaughterhouse for alleged violations of the HMSA.
The video is excruciating to watch. Drawn from PETA's three-month
investigation, the nearly 40-minute video shows a number of cows being
restrained, one at
a time, in a squeeze chute. This is a common farming device designed to hold
an animal in place with adjustable metal plates that press in, or
"squeeze,"
the animal's sides, while the head is secured from the front end. Typically, a
squeeze chute is used when farmers need to vaccinate an animal or monitor its
health. When the procedure is done, the front opens up and the animal walks
right out.
The chute seen in this video is different. It is a special, drum-like device
that turns the cow upside down, his head held firmly in place so that the
shochet, a person educated in kosher slaughter, can cut the animal's throat
cleanly. The cows seen at AgriProcessors are placed in the chute one at a time;
another worker promptly hoses off the animal's exposed throat, and the shochet
cuts the neck with a long, sharp knife, immediately sending a jetstream of blood
gushing from the cow's throat. A third worker then pulls out the cow's trachea
and esophagus, and the giant drum spins again to unceremoniously dump the
animal onto a blood-covered floor.
"In the video we see cattle having their tracheas ripped out, being turned
upright, and being dumped from a height onto the floor within ten or 15 seconds
of sticking. Both the removal of the trachea and the turning—which will cause
the sides of the neck wound to contact each other—will cause extreme pain.
This treatment of conscious cattle is shocking, categorically inhumane, and
clearly contrary to the HMSA," wrote Michael Appleby, vice president of The
HSUS's
Farm Animals and Sustainable Agriculture section, to Secretary Veneman. The
same letter was sent to Agriculture Secretary Designate Gov. Michael Johanns of
Nebraska; Dr. Bonnie Buntain, chief veterinary public health officer with the
USDA; and Michael Thomas, an AgriProcessors, Inc. spokesman.
"Furthermore," Appleby wrote, "the inversion is itself grossly
inhumane – as
can be seen in the video from the struggling and bellowing of the cattle – and
inverted animals struggling to right themselves will aspirate blood after the
neck is cut. It is our understanding that inversion forms no part of the
requirements of any religious faith – and upright restraint alternatives are
readily available. It is urgent that the practice of inverting animals for
slaughter should be terminated as quickly as possible."
Once dumped from the machine, the animal is not dead. Nor even unconscious.
Almost every one of the cows, each with open, flapping wounds, thrashes about
on the bloody cement floor, obviously trying to lift his or her head—a clear
sign of consciousness. Some manage to stand up. At least one staggers through
a small opening in the back of the slaughter area. Eventually, the animals
fall again, and a worker loops a chain around one of their hind legs and hoists
them up and away to the next part of processing.
Kosher slaughter is a process in which animals become unconscious by anemia
of the brain, the result of severing the animal's carotid arteries. It differs
from conventional slaughter practices because the animals are not stunned
before their necks are cut. Kosher slaughter is used to process animals in
accordance with the Jewish faith, and has been deemed humane by the HMSA. In
fact,
kosher slaughter has often been touted as more humane than typical slaughtering
methods because of a rapid, arguably painless death.
"The animals in this video are not given near enough time to bleed
out," says
Dr. Jennifer Lanier of The HSUS. "Animals should be given approximately a
minute to ensure anemia, but these cattle were subjected to other, painful
procedures within ten or 15 seconds. Intense pain can prolong consciousness in
farm
animals. The only possible reason for taking shortcuts is speed—they want to
clear out the chute for the next animal."
But as noted in the letter to Secretary Veneman, the problems at
AgriProcessors go beyond alleged animal cruelty.
"It is also important to point out that there are major problems for both
food safety and worker safety in these practices," Appleby wrote.
"Cattle are
dumped onto a floor awash with manure and blood, with the open neck wound
directly in contact with these contaminants. Workers are required to handle
these
conscious animals, often still kicking, for shackling and hoisting. These
working
conditions are also inexcusably unhygienic, and dehumanizing in being
conducive to cultivating cruelty to animals."
Incidentally, the Environmental Protection Agency is also suing
AgriProcessors for repeatedly discharging more wastewater than permitted and for
failing to
file proper paperwork.
Copyright © 2004 The Humane Society of the United States.
All rights
reserved.
8. Keeping the Momentum Going/Letter From Rina
Dear Rabbi Rank, [He is the president of the Conservative Rabbls’ rabbinical
assembly (RA) and his message re Postville was in the previous special JVNA
newsletter,]
Thank you so much for your quick response! In fact, I have sent out your
very eloquent statement far and wide and will continue to do so.
I am well aware that the OU and other Orthodox organizations would very
much like this issue to die down and be swept under the carpet. I suspect
they fear that further publicizing this issue will trigger a wave of
anti-Semitism. I think just the opposite would happen. I think we
would
stand out as a group who is attempting to "check" itself and become
more
humane and evolved.
I should probably mention that I, personally, am a vegetarian and have
been for the past 20 years. But most of the people I know are not.
Many
people (even non-Jews) buy kosher meat because they feel it is more humane and
cleaner. I think it is our obligation to begin to really assess and
upgrade our
practices internally so that we can be a model of compassion for others.
Now that the PETA footage has surfaced it is imperative that we react.
In fact, NOT reacting could set off a campaign of rage and anti-Semitism.
Let us keep this issue - an issue that concerns the very fabric of the
Jewish Neshama [soul] - alive and help it gain momentum.
Thank you for all you have done, are doing and will do on this issue.
Yours sincerely,
Rina Deych
9. More Sample Letters (Including Five That appeared in the Jerusalem Post
and Seven That Appeared in the Jewish Press)
LETTER: AgriProcessors Inc. violates Jewish law
[These are presented to give you a sampling of opinions in response to the
Postville scandal. From what I have seen, the vast majority of letters
have expressed outrage and/or strongly supported changes at the Postville
slaughterhouse. Some have discussed the need to switch toward vegetarian diets.]
Dear Editor:
In response to your news article about the animal rights activists in
Postville, as a person of Jewish faith, I am writing to express the disbelief
and
outrage I felt after viewing the footage captured by a PETA investigator inside
AgriProcessors Inc.
The AgriProcessors slaughterhouse is the largest producer of glatt kosher
meat in the world, so its managers and employees should be striving to strictly
uphold the humane slaughter methods prescribed in both Jewish and federal law.
The undercover video shows that nothing could be further from the truth.
Kosher slaughter is supposed to be fast and painless, rendering the animals
insensible with a quick cut to the neck. The footage, available on PETA's Web
site, shows animals being dumped into a pool of blood after their necks are cut
and then standing, thrashing around, and slamming into walls.
AgriProcessors Inc. is an embarrassment to the Jewish people and an
abomination under Jewish law. And while I am heartened that the Orthodox Union
has
urged AgriProcessors, Inc. to change some of its crueler practices, I hope the
authorities are working quickly to shut this ghastly slaughterhouse down.
Stephen Goldsmith
Salt Lake City
Copyright © 2004, Iowa State Daily
-------------
Concerning "Rabbis unite against wider anti-'shehita' campaign" by
Mati
Wagner, December 12th, 2004.
The only way to prevent further inroads by PETA is to be extremely
scrupulous about adhering to kashrut standards and the intent of these
laws. Judaism teaches compassion. No profit motive should let us
lose
sight of that.
It is not the practice that needs to be protected, but the principle.
The most humane way of eating is what's important.
PETA is incontrovertibly right about one thing. The MOST compassionate
and humane way to eat is to only consume plant-based foods. Not only is
it the best for the animals, it is best for our health and for the
health of the planet.
Maida Waldner Genser
Tamarac, FL, USA
------------------
Dear Rabbi,
I was raised in a Jewish home and many aunts and uncles were "kosher."
Had I learned then what I know now about the meat centered diet and how
horrific it is for our health, for the earth, how it takes precious grain and
water
to use for cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, whatever humans choose to
reduce to body parts for their plates, and first and foremost, the most
egregious
and needless agony ALL animals suffer in confinement, transport, being led to
slaughter, during the entire process, and slowly(fast to you, slow to
them)bleeding to death, I would have become vegan much sooner. After spending
three
years viewing tapes of animal suffering, seeing the degradation animal
agriculture is resulting in, seeing the sheer, unfathomable violence workers use
to
vent their own frustration, I know it is a sin to eat animals and to remain
silent about the most heinous of all human practices, the slaughter of helpless
beings. I strongly believe the true spirit of Jewish law commands mercy and
kindness to innocent, helpless animals. Since there is absolutely NO need for
anything that comes from animals in the human diet, and in 2004, degenerative
diseases in adults and children have caused a health and health care crisis,
eating
animals , in my opinion, can never be considered a proper practice and is
opposite to Tsa'Ar Ba'Alei Chayim.
I have heard every justification, every personal self-centered argument,
every rationalization from Rabbi's and other leaders in religious groups. It is
most troubling that the bloodshed and violence, might makes right attitudes we
see rampant in the world, and all other abuses of power can be traced to our
license to do with animals what we can, not what is right. Co-existing with
nature and respecting diversity, along with a reverence for ALL living beings
and
the ecological balance, while feeding humanity as Genesis 1:29 offers, would
have far better outcomes than what we are experiencing in todays world, a giant
slaughterhouse.
The brave people who expose these atrocities are to be commended, and the
Rabbi's who defend the tapes or the needless slaughter of animals to satisfy
taste and habit, should be ashamed. We are teaching children to be predators,
carnivores, mean, cruel and numb to the most unspeakable agony we would never
wish
upon ourselves.
I hope this situation in Iowa is the beginning of a new paradigm to shift to
reducing or eliminating animal "products," from the diet, before there
is no
life left on earth because the water, air, land, forests are destroyed, and
competition for food brings far more human violence. The diseases looming from
animals passed to humans should be a wake-up call that plagues are not just for
Pharoah's.
If my father, Aaron, were alive, and I showed him the Iowa tapes, and he read
Rabbi's defended them, he would drive to the Orthodox Union with me and
express his outrage, as I will do as soon as time allows.
Respectfully,
Laura Beth Slitt
Bartlett,NH
======================
Below are five letters in today's Jerusalem Post regarding PETA's
investigation of a kosher slaughterhouse in Iowa.
...shirk their duty
Sir, - One would hope that the united rabbis would be most concerned about
animal torture, but Mati Wagner's "Rabbis unite to stave off feared wider
anti-'shehita' campaign" (December 12) shows this is not the case.
Where is their compassion for these living beings who have done nothing to
harm anyone?
These animals are being tortured to death. The rabbis need to examine their
souls and widen their circle of compassion.
SHERRILL DURBIN
Mounds, Oklahoma
Sir, - I urge those rabbis who feel they need to present a united front
against PETA to reconsider. What concerns that organization is only the cruelty
at
the slaughterhouse and not the fact that it is a kosher slaughterhouse.
To me only the unfortunate discrepancy between the intent and practice of
shehita is of concern.
The only way to treat animals with compassion in the 21st century is to shun
the industrialized factory-like farms that breed, raise, and kill the animals
in unspeakable conditions.
If most consumers saw what went on inside feedlots and slaughterhouses most
people would choose a vegan diet. Until that day it is incumbent upon Jews to
work toward more humane conditions for animals raised for food.
We ought to be applauding PETA's spotlight on the problem, not fearing it. It
points us toward the work we have to do. It gives us direction for tikkun
olam (mending the world).
PATTI BREITMAN
Fairfax, California
---------------------------------
Sir, - I suggest very respectfully that the rabbis consider the many
violations of Jewish teachings related to animal-based diets and agriculture.
When
Judaism mandates that we treat animals with compassion, can we ignore the cruel
treatment of animals on factory farms?
When Judaism stresses we must diligently protect our health, can we ignore
that animal-based diets are major contributors to heart disease, cancer, and
other killer diseases?
When Judaism mandates that we be partners with God in protecting the
environment, can we ignore the significant contribution of animal-centered
agriculture
to many environmental threats?
For the sake of our health, the sustainability of our imperiled planet,
Jewish values - and the animals themselves - it is essential that we consider
shifting toward plant-based diets.
RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ
President, Jewish Vegetarians of North America
Staten Island
The writer is author of Judaism and Vegetarianism.
-----------------------------
Sir, - When I was 12 my rabbi, the late Abraham E. Halpern, taught me that to
be a good Jew one must first be a good human being.
-I look forward to shehita being modernized so that, every step of the way,
every Jew who still eats meat can say to him or herself that none of the
Almighty's creatures suffered before or during the killing.
-The slaughterers will sleep better, too.
C.J. KINGSLEY
San Francisco
------------------
...PETA comments
Sir, - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals agrees that shehita is
generally kinder than standard slaughter methods but, as PETA's documentation
shows, shehita is clearly not performed properly at AgriProcessors.
As Temple Grandin, an associate professor of animal sciences at Colorado
State University, said: "The problem is not kosher slaughter, but a badly
managed
plant. I've observed 30 different kosher plants in the United States, Canada
and Europe, and never seen anything like it in any kosher or nonkosher plant.
"What I saw in the video was unbelievable."
PETA is only asking the Orthodox Union and AgriProcessors to do the barest of
bare minimums to ensure that animals are respected, as Jewish law and basic
compassion for animals requires.
AgriProcessors needs to stop dragging terrified animals, with their throats
slit open, across the floor while they are still conscious.
Visit www.GoVeg.com to watch the video and
read other expert testimony.
BENJAMIN GOLDSMITH
Campaign Coordinator
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Norfolk, Virginia
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1
103080751035&apage=2
Seven Letters in the Jewish Press
http://www.jewishpress.com/news_article.asp?article=4478
PETA Editorials Hit A Nerve
Orthodox And Horrified
I am an Orthodox Jew who is horrified by the reporting of what goes on
at the AgriProcessors meat processing plant (PETA Is At It Again,"
editorial, Dec. 3). Though I am well aware that PETA has a double agenda
of promoting vegetarianism as well as stopping the inhumane treatment of
animals - and I only identify with the second (though my daughter is a
vegetarian) - I wholeheartedly support PETA's campaign against inhumane
killing of animals masquerading as the most kosher type of shechita.
Dr. Chaim Milikowsky
Ramat Gan, Israel
[Chair of Talmud Department at Bar Ilan University]
Jews Must Exemplify Humaneness
My grandfather was a kosher butcher who loved animals (and,
interestingly, became a vegetarian in the last year of his life).
Through the years I have seen disturbing footage taken in kosher
slaughterhouses, but when I've tried to tell rabbis and other Orthodox
people, they dismiss it and refuse to watch, stating "Oh, but that is
not done anymore."
Many Jews are afraid to speak up for fear of being labeled
"self-hating." If a non-Jew says something, he risks being called an
anti-Semite. Aren’t we, as Jews, supposed to be more compassionate and
evolved? Aren’t we supposed to exemplify gentleness and humaneness toward our
fellow
creatures - human and non-human?
Rina Deych
Brooklyn, NY
Avoiding Needless Suffering
Jewish law instructs us to feed our animals first at meals. It is not
that the animals are necessarily hungrier than we are; but, while in our
care, it is our duty to alleviate anxiety and unnecessary distress, to
demonstrate the principle of tzaar baalei chayim - not causing needless
suffering to living beings.
David Perle
(Via E-Mail)
----------------------
Our `Ludicrous Suggestion`
Your editorial suggesting that PETA should be sued for exposing cruelty
at a kosher slaughterhouse is ludicrous. Do you find cruelty acceptable
as long as it is done in the name of Judaism?
As a Jew, I'm ashamed that such sickening animal abuse is done in the
name of Judaism. As a human being, I'm ashamed that any member of my
species could take part in such reprehensible behavior.
I applaud the compassionate people at PETA for their chutzpah and
willingness to speak up for those who cannot. Shame on you for condoning
these atrocities.
Stewart David
(Via E-Mail)
-------------
What Halacha Says
In your Dec. 10 editorial "The PETA Controversy Continues," you wrote:
"Under the humane slaughter laws, rendering an animal insensitive prior
to the throat cut is required except when Jewish ritual slaughter is
involved, which requires the simultaneous severance of the carotid
arteries by the sharpest knives of a fully conscious animal."
From our holy seforim it is obvious that not a single sage takes the
position that cutting the carotid arteries in a cow is obligatory. While
it's true that Rabbi Yehuda, in the first Mishna of the second perek of
Chulin, holds that one must cut the carotid arteries, the sages, who are
the majority, take issue with him. Also, the Talmud (Chulin 28 b) makes
it very clear that even Rabbi Yehuda is only talking about the carotid
arteries of a chicken, not a cow.
Furthermore, the Levush, in Yoreh Deah, Siman 22, writes explicitly that
cutting the carotid arteries in a chicken is not betoras shechita,
meaning that their cutting is not required to validate the shechita
ritual. The true reason for the cutting of the carotid arteries is to
insure the release of the animal's blood, which is a separate concern,
wholly unrelated to the actual shechita process.
As far as shechita is concerned, we have a tradition, halacha l'Moshe
miSinai, that the kanah and veshet, the food and windpipe, must be
severed, and that's all.
Trying to fend off the likes of PETA does not give one license to
misrepresent what halacha actually says.
Yossie Newfield
Brooklyn, NY
---------------
Veggie Diet Looking Better
Israel has more religious vegetarians per capita than any other country
except India because Judaism has always taught kindness to animals. For
all of us who think cruelty to animals is wrong, a vegetarian diet
suddenly looks like the right choice.
Dorit Rogan
Evanston, IL
------------------
Five Requirements
True: PETA`s extremist declarations do not help its cause.
False: Your insinuation that the animal slaughtered in PETA`s
clandestine video was killed properly. Please, watch the video snippets"
again, refresh your memory regarding the Law, and then honestly tell me,
tell all of us, if you think the slaughter conformed to halacha.
There are five halachic requirements that the shochet is obliged to
ensure in the performance of shechita (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De`ah 23):
a) There should be no interruption of the incision (shehiya);
b) there should be no pressing of the chalaf (sharp knife used by the
shochet) against the neck (derasa) - this would exclude use of a
guillotine;
c) the chalaf should not be covered by the hide of cattle, wool of sheep
or feathers of birds (chalada), and therefore the chalaf has to be of
adequate length;
d) the incision must be at the appropriate site to sever the major
structures and vessels at the neck (hagrama) - the frontal structures at
the neck including the trachea, esophagus, the carotid arteries and
jugular veins are severed in a rapid and uninterrupted action causing an
instant drop in blood pressure in the brain, resulting in the immediate
and irreversible cessation of consciousness and sensibility to pain;
e) there must be no tearing of the vessels before or during the shechita
process (ikkur). The ability to be honest enough with oneself to admit
that one did something wrong and that one is to be held responsible for
it is a prerequisite for a Jew`s relationship with Hashem (Seforno on
Bereshis 3:12).
Although the wild accusations of the activists reveal their
irrationality and destroy their credibility, we must show more courage
than deflecting the real issue onto PETA.
Jonathan Wildman
Pittsburgh, PA
10. Responding To Recent Published Articles
Please respond to the following articles using material in this and previous
newsletters. Thanks.
* Please limit your letters to 200 words or less and respond to
this alert within 48 hours.
* Be sure to include the titles and dates of the pieces, and your
name, address, and phone numbers for letter verification.
Once again, we thank Liz Abbott of PETA for compiling
this information.
"The Assault On Shechita"
By Nathan Lewin
The Jewish Press (New York)
December 15, 2004
http://www.thejewishpress.com/news_article.asp?article=4494
Send e-mails to letters@jewishpress.com.
---------------------
"Video viewed as an unkind cut on kosher meats controversy"
By Molly Shaffer
The Jewish Advocate (New England - Boston)
December 10-16, 2004 issue
http://www.thejewishadvocate.com/
Send e-mails to editorial@thejewishadvocate.com.
---------------------
"Reforms promised at glatt kosher slaughterhouse"
The Jewish Chronicle (Pittsburgh)
December 8, 2004
http://pittsburgh.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%
3A%2F%2Fwww.pittchron.com
Send e-mails at
http://pittsburgh.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pittc
hron.com.
--------------------
"Dispute Over Kosher Meat Plant Raises Alarms"
The Jewish Journal (Boston)
December 3-16, 2004 issue
http://www.jewishjournal.org/news.htm#national1
Send e-mails to editorial@jewishjournal.org.
----------------------
"Kosher slaughterhouse vows to clean up practices"
The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California
December 10, 2004
http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/24390/
format/html/displaystory.html
Send e-mails to letters@jweekly.com.
------------------------
"Tour of kosher plant reveals company's view of events"
The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
December 14, 2004
http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2004/12/14/news/regional/a67f6ee74a234ea486
256f6a00476894.txt
Send e-mails at https://secure.lee.net/wcfcourier.com/letters/.
---------------------
"Ag secretary changes opinion after touring kosher plant"
The Mason City Globe Gazette
December 12, 2004
http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2004/12/12/business/doc41bd1f9e76f9a28984
0890.txt
Send e-mails at
http://www.globegazette.com/sitepages/letter_to_editor/index.php.
----------------------------
"Judge changes opinion after touring Postville plant"
The Rochester Agri News
December 14, 2004
http://webstar.postbulletin.com/agrinews/240531292707992.bsp
Send e-mails at http://www.agrinews.com/letters.html
--------------
"Judge changes opinion on alleged abuse at kosher plant"
The Des Moines Register
December 13, 2004
Link
<http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041213/BUS
INESS01/412130342/1029/BUSINESS>
Send e-mails to letters@dmreg.com.
Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world,
indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
===================
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use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10314
Author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and
Mathematics and Global Survival
President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
Phone: (718) 761-5876 Fax: (718) 982-3631 E-mail: rschw12345@aol.com
Link to Previous JVNA Newsletter of 12/14/04: