New York – RCA: Agriprocessors Presumption Of Innocence Until Facts Clarified

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    New York – The Rabbinical Council of America has been following recent developments taking place at the AgriProcessors kosher meat plant in Postville, Iowa. Like many others, both within and beyond the Jewish community, we have been concerned to determine the facts and the realities surrounding the many reports that have appeared in the print and online media, so as to respond appropriately, and responsibly.

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    Given the gravity of the allegations, and the potential impact on the Jewish community and kosher consumers, it would be inappropriate to rush to judgment before all relevant facts are clarified. It is important to keep in mind that to date conflicting reports have been issued, denials of improper behavior have been heard, and the recent events have occurred against a background of long-standing conflicts involving competing interest groups. Nonetheless it is important even at this time to clarify what in our view should be guiding principles in addressing this issue, once the facts will be known.

    In the matter of recent allegations against Agriprocessors and its company policies, the RCA is certainly concerned at news reports published to date. But both Jewish Law (Halacha) and civil law require a presumption of innocence by all parties, including the concerned public, as well as an understanding of the broad implications involved on all sides, until the facts will have been clarified, especially in a case that is as complex as the one at hand.


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    21 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I guess the lubabs have more clout wiyh the RCA than the tendlers. oh, maybe because they pay them . duh

    chaim,CH
    chaim,CH
    15 years ago

    Before Agri came around we never had any problems with the goverment concerning our shechita.We have to go back to the previous way

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    to number 1,

    you were a chabad hater before this story too, no?

    so dont blame the RCA. jst stick your head in sand..

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    to chaim,

    Agri has been mezakeh thousands of yidden with eating kosher. being dan lekaf zechus may do you some good…

    CH SMALL
    CH SMALL
    15 years ago

    Agri/Rubashkin has made life easier obtaining Glatt kosher in supermarkets all over the world. Rabbi Tendler was acused never confirmed guilty.

    How about being Dan L’Kav Zechus

    All of you holy rollers that are so (allegedly) extra makpid on kasherous but not makpid on alliylim and loshon horah which is aiken to being oived avoidah zarah, and murder.

    Yossele
    Yossele
    15 years ago

    Shoot! Does that mean that slander is an aveira again…?

    a nony mous
    a nony mous
    15 years ago

    #1 – do you know who the tendlers are? do you know what the RCA is? or do you just repeat things you heard others say?

    #2 – you are obviously 30 years old or younger. you have no clue what went on with shechita (and kashrus for that matter) in the years following wwII.

    #4 – being mezakeh ha’rabim is agood thing. being dan l’kaf sechus is something we should all do. but when a chillul hashem on such a grand scale is perpetrated the world over (i don’t think there is anyone anywhere who has not by now heard of postville, iowa) then arent’t you close to being a menuval al pi ha’torah?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Rubashkin has not only brought affordable chicken and meat to American Jewry. Because of Rubashkin’s pricing, all the other “heimishe” meats are being held in a pricing check and not rising through the roof. I’d hate to se the costs of meat if Rubashkin is forced to close. All you commentators who like to be critical of anything and anybody, you’ll bite your tongues when you see chicken at $3 a lb and chuck steak at $9 a lb. I do not condone abusing workers nor making a chilul Hashem, but stop being so thrilled that Rubashkin may be closed down.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    #2 Do you know how hard it is to operate a slaughterhouse nowadays? with all the health and environmental issues that come with it. not to mention finding the cattle in NY. If yoou dont mind id like to put a slaughterhouse next door to your house -Im sure your neighbors would apreciate the smell. in the old days all meat was slaughtered locally under the local rav/vaad. now you could barely find place in the ny/nj area to slaughter 1/10th of what our B”H large communities need. And as for eating under local hashgachos none of us would ever be able to eat more than a few miles from our home without serious research. agri does a wonderful job satisfying the requirements of a large majority of frum yidden.

    I don’t think that Agri is perfect. As someone involved with, as well as many family members in the kosher meat business, I have many problems with how they operate thier business as well as the moral/ halachic problems that come with hiring illegal workers and breaking the law.

    I dont claim to know everything about this matter as I am sure that there is much more not being released to the public yet and will come out in the weeks and months ahead. Think and do some research before you speak as opposed to just shooting —- from your mouth everytime it opens. i can smell it here in miami.

    moshe mulva
    moshe mulva
    15 years ago

    What difference does it make how those people are treated?…I want cheap kosher food with the ‘best’ hashgocho…Perhaps we can get that Monsey treif chicken to merge with Agri?…What happened to ethics, morality and honesty and DINA D’Malchusa’?..In the pursuit of the holy $$$, torah be damned…..very sad…

    Some objectivity
    Some objectivity
    15 years ago

    Has anyone read the affidavit that ICE presented to the Judge in order to receive a warrent to stage the raid? It is public record and was printed on many sites.

    I have read it several times, and I am simply dumbfounded at how easy people fall prey – myself included – to the powerful media machine.

    The affidavit claims the existence of a Meth lab, gun dealing and pipe bombs!!!

    Do you know how Law enforcement searches for drugs? they have specialy trained drug sniffing dogs for just that purpose. Did “America’s largest raid include any such dogs during the raid? the answer is NO! did the authorities find any drugs? the answer is NO! did the authorities find any guns or ammo? the answer is NO! did the authorities find any pipe bombs? the answer is NO! NO! NO!

    Were the readers influenced by such shocking allegations? the answer is YES! did any media outlet mention a word about the discrepecy of the allegations and the reality of facts? the answer is obviously NO!

    Oh, I forgot to mention the accusation that the owners of Agriprocessors were providing false documentation to their employees but at the same time all those arrested are being deported and not detained as witnesses to these allegations which in itself would validate them to receive working papers. Did you see the media mention anything about this? for sure NOT!

    Oh. another point which is interesting to note. The irony of the Union. The same Union that professes to stand up for the rights of the American Workers have begged ICE not to follow through with the raid untill after they succesfuly unionize a plant that is taking away jobs from the american people. Now can you make sense of this? I CAN! It just portrays what the Union is and what they truly stand for.

    Did I mention the accusation that workers were paid below minimum wage requirements? I have been at the Agriprocessor plant several times and I have seen – as the Iowa state law requires – posters all over the plant that the minimum wage in Iowa is $7.25 an hour, with a telephone number that you can call annonymously if you are being paid less then that. Does anybody truly think that if they were underpaid and overworked that this number would not be ringing off the hook?

    Oh, one more thing. The conservative movement has become so interested in the Kosher certification process lately. I guess that they finally realized that it can be a good source of income, becuase I dare not accuse of them of seeking out the Kosher aspect when their own homes are not neccesarily Kosher and dining out in an non-kosher establishement is not foreign to them.

    Jealousy drives hate and ferments the distortion of facts and the creation of new ones. We all know that in our own personal life to one degree or another. The facts however talk for themselves! The Rubashkin’s have made a revolution in the Kosher community – to the disdain of it’s competitors – both in the availabilty of kosher nationwide and in its pricing. Allegations are allegations and just that! The true Chilul Hashem is derived from not following the teaching of the Torah in being “DAN ES KOL HO’ODOM l’kaf z’chus” someting even the civil court system provides for. All I say is let the chips far where they may, and untill such point let s not feed the media with their much needed sustenance of falling prey to their sensational reporting. Are you willing to add an additional AL CHAITE on Yom Kippur? I for one am not. I have enough AL CHEITE’s already in the Machzor to tend with out any need for more.

    And to the Rubashkin family I have just one thing to say. If the allegations are truly false and misconstrued, May Hashem pay you Keifel Kiflayim for the hardship and pain caused to you by all these goodsayers and world saviors. CHAZAK V’EMOTZ

    tsvika55
    tsvika55
    15 years ago

    Some objectivity: GREAT JOB. I’ve been defending these guys on “frum” blogs since this thing broke and like you actually read the afidavit… it’s very sad how ppl are jumping all over rubashkins

    a Concerned Schochet
    a Concerned Schochet
    15 years ago

    They are all the same Empire included. The RAV HAMACHSHIR is usually an Erlicher Yid.But as in the case of Empire where the Rav Mamachshir was more concerned with politics and the financial affairs of the company, he sat in at every business meating. He never protected the Rabbinical Staff in any which way or form. We were driven like MACHINES to Schecht fast, The entire staff KNOWS CLEARLY the fastest Schochet S.S. did 35 chickens a minute. No proper breaks no time to Daven or eat, there was rarely sufficient time to use the toilet. After leaving NY at 6.00p.m. on Sunday only to arrive at 10.30 p.m. sometimes at 11:00 p.m. We were ready on the line to Schecht at 5:00 a.m. The Baltimore crew came in for second shift leaving Baltimore at 3:00 a.m to arrive at 5:30 a.m. and within half an hour be on the line ready to Schecht. NO RAV HAMACHSHIR NO KASHRUTH GROUP other than the Margaretener Rav ZT”L and KHA of Washington heights demanded that we rest for as long as wew were working. After an hour or an hour and a half the break was to be exactly the same. In empire we stood on the line for as long as two hours with a half hour break only to continue for another two hours. Insufficient time to even wash up and use the toilet. Davening with Minyan was reserved for the priviliged, second came those who had time to Daven “BIYICHIDUS” the rest put on Tefillin to say Krias Shema and leave their Tefillin on the table to be put away at the end of the days work. WHERE IS TRUE YASHRUS

    There are a tremendous amount of problems in the Kashruth industry the public is Totally unaware of. “Maybe if we ignore the facts they will go away” Wishfull thinking, and the TRUTH is to painful to acknowledge.

    anonymous
    anonymous
    15 years ago

    Looks like Lubinskys spinmeisters have been working overtime on this one. Just remember that Rubashkin already TOLD the government that he had illegal workers. Rubashkin already HAD his day in court,

    THis is from the AP story written at the time…\In September 2005, the company’s employees voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union. When the company refused to bargain, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The company claimed that most of those who voted are undocumented aliens, arguing that undocumented aliens are prohibited from unionizing because they do not qualify as “employees” protected by the National Labor Relations Act. “Because the company’s argument ignores both the Act’s plain language and binding Supreme Court precedent,” the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a case argued October 19, 2007 and Decided January 4, 2008, denied the company’s petition for review.

    anonymous
    anonymous
    15 years ago

    Looks like the Jew Bashers are in force today. The problem is that I can’t tell the difference between The pro-Rubashkins and the anti-Rubashkins.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    To A concerned Shoichet –

    I can’t believe that the Shochtim were led by Empire like a bunch of sheep with raising their voices together. No one complained to the head shoichet. No one complained to the OU. We are expected to believe this?

    You should have joined a union

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    i like the picture of the mexican flag next to the american flag; theses charedim make me feel patriotic

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    To Moshe Mulva What difference does it make how those people are treated?…I want cheap kosher food with the ‘best’ hashgocho…Perhaps we can get that Monsey treif chicken to merge with Agri?…What happened to ethics, morality and honesty and DINA D’Malchusa’?..In the pursuit of the holy $$$, torah be damned…..very sad… SHOW YOUR TAX RETURNS AND SHOW THAT YOU PAY SALES TAX ON EVERY ITEM YOU BUY…KOL HAPOSUL BMOMOM POSUL INCLUDING YOUR ethics, morality honesty AND KASHRUS

    a Concerned Schochet
    a Concerned Schochet
    15 years ago

    Chuchim the company fought tooth and nail we should not form a union when we finally did the individuals that formed the union were slowly eliminated. The OU had no jurisdiction in this area, as we were paid by Empire NOT the OU. Your SO CALLED HEAD SCHOICHET was a inside MAFIA MAN.

    You couldn’t possibly be one of the HENCH MEN ???

    are YOU?????????

    a Concerned Schochet
    a Concerned Schochet
    15 years ago

    We the Schochtim & Mashgichim were all very dedicated to KASHRUS at Empire. The inside UNDERWORLD Hameivin Yovin work & worked for the COMPANY $$$$$$$$$

    and hindered in every way possible working ther was always a GREAT NISAYON

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Anon 2:56

    You putz! It’s the flag of the state of IOWA. Not Mexico. The mexican flag is red and green.

    Now how do the Charedim make you feel?