Postville, IA – For Jews, eating kosher food is supposed to be an ethical, moral, even holy act.
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But the news out of Postville, Iowa, over the past few weeks has raised disturbing questions about whether keeping kosher means that my family is supporting a business that may actually be corrupt and exploitative. And it’s prompted my wife and me to think hard about where our food comes from and how it’s made.
the company’s owner said this week that “everything is a lie” — these stories suggest a culture far removed from the morality that’s supposed to imbue Judaism, in general, and the laws of kashrut, in particular.
Kosher means “fit and proper,” says Rabbi Steve Folberg of Congregation Beth Israel, who keeps kosher even though his branch of Judaism — the Reform movement — doesn’t require it. “What does it mean to label something as ‘fit and proper’ that hurts people, exploits people or was produced cruelly?”
For my wife, Melanie, and me, it means refusing to buy Rubashkin’s meat since the news broke, opting instead for industrial-sized bags of Empire brand kosher chicken from Costco. Next month we’re traveling to the East Coast, where more kosher foods are available, and we plan to fill a cooler with red meat. We haven’t figured out what we’ll do after that.
Many groups are taking a wait-and-see approach, noting that Jewish law requires a presumption of innocence. The Orthodox Union hasn’t pulled its kashrut certification from Agriprocessors but has said it will do so if charges are brought.
Some liberal Orthodox rabbinical students, though, are urging a full-scale boycott of the company. Conservative leaders — who have talked for several years about a kosher certification that takes ethics into account — issued an advisory asking Jews to decide for themselves whether to eat the meat.
In a sermon two weeks ago, Cantor Neil Blumofe of Congregation Agudas Achim, the Conservative synagogue where I belong, challenged us to consider our responsibility. “If we dismiss the events in Postville as business as usual,” he said, “we lose an opportunity to examine more closely how we can uplift our lives in the first place.”
Blumofe and Folberg both wonder if the spirit of kashrut can be reconciled with industrial slaughterhouses in which meat is mass produced and shipped across the continent. Each has Jewish friends who now buy organically raised (and presumably ethically produced) nonkosher chicken as a moral choice.
Rabbi Eliezer Langer of Congregation Tiferet Israel, an Orthodox synagogue in Austin, strongly rejects the idea that the laws of kashrut are at odds with the modern, industrialized process. And while he’s loath to condemn Agriprocessors on unproven allegations, he sees signs — the public response, Agriprocessors’ looking for new management — that conditions in Postville may change.
“Within the Orthodox rabbinate, there’s a great deal of discussion about the appropriate steps,” he says, adding that he doesn’t believe the plant will lose its kosher certification: “It will change before it gets to that point.”
I hope he’s right. And I hope that, before long, I can again buy kosher meat, confident that it is an ethical, moral, even holy act.
Editors note.
Rubashkin might have had some serious violations from the past, but let’s wait and see what happens, but for reform Jews to be the ones to jump on a wagon, as if they are so innocently looking for kosher food, saviors of Jews, and the honesty of Judaism, please give us a break, we can guide the reform movement where to look within themselves much before when it comes to food. so please stop with your nonsense, you guys look foolish.
Orthodox Jews need no advice whatsoever, from the reform, conservative movements when it comes to Judaism.
Will the reform movement give hechsherim to traife meat that was “ethically” and “morally” slaughtered ?
Please.. shechita k’din means killing the animal with the least amount of pain..
Does this mean that the Frum, Orthodox only can complain?
If this is like tho other Rubashkin posts, there will be 25 Lubavitch that wil say that it is all lies and that the Rubashkin family are great Baal Zedakas. They will attack ANY people that critisize Rubashkin as anti semetic, Nazi, jealous. etc.
I have yet to see an apology from a pro-Rubashkin person for calling other Frum Yidden these names. Is this what the Rebbe wanted? Such hatred for a fellow Yid that might have a different shita than you?
Call all these people on the phone asking whether their cleaning ladies are legal.
To enhance the editor’s point; Cantor Neil blumofe and Rabbi Folberg have the same concerns as some Rabbis in the Orthodox movement. (Whether the industrial production & processing [of meat] can [ever] fall in line with the Laws of Kashrus, or are mutually exclusive). But are motivated by different interests and [therefore] arrive at different conclusions. The above Clergy who represent the Conservative and Reform movements, respectfully?? are attempting to prove that the laws of Kashrus don’t work [where industrial processsing is concerned] and should be abandoned. Those Rabbis in the Orthodox movement, on the other hand, expresss their concerns with a goal of improving the system or scaling down for the sake of Kashrus!!
Anonymous Says:
Call all these people on the phone asking whether their cleaning ladies are legal.
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What does that have to do with the discussion? The subject was the Rubashkin Family and how they run a corporation
If these “rabbis” realy cared about torah and ethics, they would say to buy other KOSHER, such as wise organic. As is, they are just trying to fight kosher and shechita.
this has nothing to do as to if Rubashkin is right or wrong. There are many frum yidden who manage to find alternatives without buying buying treif R”L.
im goin’ veggie!
PETA and the rest of the “humane” chevre has an agenda, and it isn’t pretty. They want to ban all meat processing, but they will start with banning kosher shechita because the Yidden are an easy target.
Their next target is Bris Milah.
There is plenty of kosher meat in this country. My husband who comes from a family of shochetim would not eat Rubashkin after seeing the first PETA video a few years ago.
We have had plenty of kosher meat to eat.
So all I see, to the reform and conservative “Rabbis” the word “Kosher” has a different meaning than to us observant jews..
let see if the reform will wake up on this one, see below.
The Associated Press
Sunday June 08, 2008
Elizabeth-based Topps Meat Co. cut back on testing for a dangerous pathogen and disregarded sanitary issues, according to an investigation by The Associated Press, which also found that federal food inspectors overlooked crucial evidence that Topps used risky processing procedures and operated under a flawed food safety plan.
Topps Meat, which is now defunct, churned out millions of frozen hamburgers a month.
A conveyor belt that moved raw patties to packaging was marred by “gouges, cracks and tears,” government documents show. Residue was found on surfaces that fresh meat came into contact with.
The plant kept operating until an outbreak of E. coli last summer and fall sickened at least 40 people in eight states and led to one of the nation’s largest beef recalls. Federal regulators examining the plant last fall found the company failed to test some raw meat for the potentially fatal bacteria, botched daily cleansings and ignored parts of its own operating framework.
The documents The AP obtained present the most detailed picture yet of what was happening at Topps, which sold its products to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and supermarkets and institutions such as schools, hospitals, restaurants and hotels around the country under the Topps brand as well as several private labels.
we are victims of a big profesional push from self promoting agendas
they keep on talking about peta
Agriprocessors has passed all humane handling
yet the peta argumant comes up as fact of “tzaar baalei haim”
that peta thing was a simple attack on shchita in general and we see where it has evolved to
Same story same history we are the chosen to be criticized because we have free choice. until even Hitler did not give us a choice to be or not to be Jewish. whether reform conservative orthodox peta or any other name you go by you will be at fault for existing.
Well like they say in Nevel. The whole world is meshuga.
babishka 12:35PM You have a very well developed imagination! (i.e. fantasy) In order for PETA to target Bris Milah, they would have to found a new organization, called AETP (animals (the two-legged kind) for the ethical treatment of people)!
To Pinky’s wife,
What do I care whether you stopped eating Rubashkin? Are you posting here because you think everyone should follow your ways? Do you think your opinion is better than someone else’s because you come from a family of shoctim?
The fact is that they have a hechsher. A lot of people always are looking to criticize the OU and other big Kashrus Org. Even though everybody has to be someach on them for chemicals, if you don’t want to eat their meat, then don’t. I will continue to trust the OU and I am not interested whether you eat Treif, Rubashkin, or only the NPGS’s new Chaburah meat!! Have a Gut Yom Tov!!
Anyon on this bloog ever go down to Iowa and see the Rubashkin plant?
Anyone see how the hashgocha is actulaly done?
No? So shut up already.
Thank you.
Employee at Rubashkin
kosher has nothing to do with ethics and mores. it has to do with precise instructions given by G-D as to what and how we can eat meat. Let’s say shchit wasn’t the most humane way to kill an animal, so what. That’s not why we do it this way. True, we can’t cause undue harm to animals, but we shecht animals the ‘kosher’ way only cuz that’s the Halacha.
What would they say to Melika??
Kosher means fit-not fit to my supposed ethics, but fit for consumtion by a Jew because that’s what G-D said.
Even though everybody has to be someach on them for chemicals, if you don’t want to eat their meat, then don’t. I will continue to trust the OU and I am not interested whether you eat Treif, Rubashkin, or only the NPGS’s new Chaburah meat!! Have a Gut Yom Tov!!
peta finds that in south america the israeli rabbinate is usung the shackle and hoist method
which dr grandin says is the worst as far as humane handling
it made the news for one day and over
it is still going on and everyone is accepting that
all everyone wants to talk is about agriprocessors. even though dr grandin was there and liked what she saw
it is the lynching mentality that is prevailing
anyone who visits the plant says only great stuff
agriprocessors is the most ethical
because it stood up to all sort of test vs the others
before G-D gave the torah to the jews he went around to all nations to hear if they will accept the torah
he did not assume although he knew the answer
shame on those rabbis that accept all the loshon horo
we know agri as a benevolant company
Dr. Grandin was at Agri part of one day, in a planned visit that Rubashkin had weeks to prepare for.
She herself said that what she saw at that moment only applied to that moment, and that Rubashkin needed to set up a system on unannounced surprise visits from trained observers.
Rubashkin refused to do this.
if we are going to continue to bash rubashkin
we should first check all other slauterhouses
i think it is very dificulte to schecht without some animal cruelty
i dont think any animal will stick his neck out and say schecht me go for it
if we will continue to aplaud the reform movement they are very powerfull and the end will be the goverment would not allow to schecht anymore in this country the same thing happenend in some countrys in europe which are not allowed to schecht and people have to smuggle meat to have it at afordable price
the editors note
that is vos iz neias note, not the editor of the newspaper
Yes the reform can teach the orthodox a thing or two. There are Torah laws, that deal with bein adom lachvaro, however the frum community seems to forget that, and only concentrates on Bein odom lamokom.
Assume for a second that all the allegations about Rubashkin are true, is that how one wants their kosher meat processed?
If one does not care, then I am afraid that yes the reform can teach the Orthodox a thing or two.
don’t switch the issue. why cant the rubashkins just clean up their act and stop making all the world look at us jews in a bad light?
chaim Says:
if we are going to continue to bash rubashkin
we should first check all other slauterhouses
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why? rubashkin is the ONLY one that owns a slaughterhouse, against the takana of the Aghudas Horabonim
i think it is very dificulte to schecht without some animal cruelty
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Then stay out of the shechita business. Your shechita will only produce treifot
i dont think any animal will stick his neck out and say schecht me go for it
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If done properly, it will not feel a thing.
if we will continue to aplaud the reform movement they are very powerfull and the end will be the goverment would not allow to schecht anymore in this country the same thing happenend in some countrys in europe which are not allowed to schecht and people have to smuggle meat to have it at afordable price
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Are you threatening shechita? Have Rubashkin clean up their act and there will be no problems
You people in Postville do not care about halacha, about gashmius, about anything except for your paychecks. We had shechita before Rubashkin and we will have it after Rubashkin. You act like a Chamor Blei Daas and attack everyone without reason. Let the rest of Yiddishkeit do something, for a change.
Let each kehilla own its own little slaughterhouse and employ their own b’naiTorah shochtim and only their own meat will be permitted to each kehilla like it was a long time ago. This ,unfortunately,will no longer work. But let the world see us in a good light when we do our holy work and that includes shechita as much as being a holy rabbi.We must do our mitzvos with integrity and cleanliness.
To: 4:38
Well said !!
I’d rather have you on my side than against me!!
Any act of preparing and eating meat constitutes cruelty to PETA.
Two different issues are being raised here. One is PETA driven and not necessarily credible, the other is treatment of employees and the hiring of illegals.
So many articles have be written about how well Rubashkin employees are treated and the benefits they provide the town where it’s located. Obviously, there is more than meets the eye and we shouldn’t rush to judgement. Has everyone forgot about “Dahn le’ Kaf Zechus?”
I don’t see anyone in our government trying to deal with the illegal problem and close the borders. The choice is simple, register them and allow them to work or they’ll survive by criminal behavior, or deport them. The government doesn’t arbitrarily raid a business, someone had to report them.
While Rubashkin should not violate the law, it is plain to see that someone (i.e. PETA) is out to get them. We shouldn’t be foolish enough to help them destroy a company that provides 40% of our kosher meat.
Barry Says:
So many articles have be written about how well Rubashkin employees are treated and the benefits they provide the town where it’s located.
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Who says that they are true? Postville is a Rubashkin town. You have to buy at the Rubashkin store to get kosher foods, at inflated prices.
According to the reports of the workers, they were NOT treated well. The union butcher in that town made $21 an hour, plus benefits. $5 an hour or even $8.50 is a joke and exploits the goyim so we can have ‘cheap’ kosher meat.
Obviously, there is more than meets the eye and we shouldn’t rush to judgement. Has everyone forgot about “Dahn le’ Kaf Zechus?”
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Why not? You just did
I don’t see anyone in our government trying to deal with the illegal problem and close the borders. The choice is simple, register them and allow them to work or they’ll survive by criminal behavior, or deport them. The government doesn’t arbitrarily raid a business, someone had to report them.
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And who will pay for their education, medical and eventually their retirement? Who reported the workers at Swift? Their competition?
While Rubashkin should not violate the law, it is plain to see that someone (i.e. PETA) is out to get them. We shouldn’t be foolish enough to help them destroy a company that provides 40% of our kosher meat.
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There are other companies and plenty of meat around. Alle can get more production. Agri already shechts in South America. Empire is now ready to take over what Agri already lost. And I did not hear bad things about Empire like we all heard about Agri
the chief rabbi of new york the wholy rabbi YAKOW YOSEF had the same problems over 100 years ago in new york and he died from agmus nefesh from so called rabbis who dont eat kosher and dont keep shaboss drive to schul and eat treifas are giving a lesson how kashrus has to be done
it was then a mafia and it is now as well
i dont think that rubashkin is doing anything other then the other sloughter houses around the world ,it is only jelousy
people forget many years ago when margareten and debrecen raw made new schechitah and all the trucks and warehouse where sabotaged
the same is happening now rubashkin is holding the price down and all competition and former Rabbis who worked there and extorted more money from rubashkin are doing all the harm
haschem will pay them back the sooner the better
and all the reform rabbis incourage gay marrigaes and chillul shaboss they want to give us lesson how to behave ben adom lamokom
why are we even talking to them
we are loosing because of them thausend of jews because they teach us how to be ben adom lamokom
rachmonoh lezlon
there is a movement on the rise to educate the goyish consumer about the fallacy of kosher meat and the cruelty of its slaughter. the rubashkin scandals are directly responsible for this. eventually the the kosher industry will lose the gentile market because of rubashkin and what the grass roots movement does not accomplish the neo nazis will clean up. this is fact. if any of you look up from your siddurs long enough you will see it looming on the horizon. why is this happening? because we jews don’t clean up our own act and get rid of rubashkin. and when we do we are mosers, rodefs, and anti-semites. we love yiddishkeit and this is what we have been branded.
we jews are our own worst enemy what kind of nonesence ethicel BS where is the achdus when a jewish company is in trouble e sit and complaine about the succes in the jewish comunity now someone made and we are knocking him shem zich.
For the benefit of those that may claim otherwise, let me begin my comments hereine by stating that I am NOT a Lubavitcher and that, as far as I am concerned, the “yechis” may well be ovdei avodah zara.
That being said, the presumption of guilt expressed by some here disturbs me deeply. Not only is this a violation of jewish lawdoes American law grant the accused a presumption of innocence, JEWISH law demands it of our fellow Jew.
What is more, aside from the loshon hora in the press, Agriprocessors has NOT actually been accused of ANY criminal behavior. Hiring illegal immigrants who provide you with fraudulent documents is NOT a crime. If it were, half the employers in this country would be closed down.
Read the affadavit for the search warrant (which is available online). Witness #1 is a disgruntled ex-employee who made claims of a meth-lab and gun running! Apparently,even the government didn’t take these allegations seriously as ATF and DEA did not participate in the raid.
Witenesses #2 -6 were all illegal aliens who ADMITTED to gaining employment at Agriprocessors due to their having presented FAKE green cards and ssn’s.
Witness #7 repeatedly tried to gain employment without papers and FAILED each time! Agriprocessors REFUSED to hire him. Only after presenting legitimate documents was he hired. Other than that, all he could provide were rumors of wrong doing.
As to our “liberal” brethren, aren’t these the same liberals who support sanctuary cities and lobby for an end to obstacles in hiring these poor “undocumented workers?” The hypocrisy is appalling. This is orthodox bashing at its worst.
Worst, except for the obvious Lubavitch bashing by otherwise frum yidden. Are there serious issues regarding some of the goings on in Chabad? YES!!! Absolutely. But this is not one of them. And buying into this made-up scandal only helps the enemies of true yiddishkeit like “rabbi” Folberg and “cantor” Blumofe,
This is just another “excuse” for the R and the C not to eat kosher. They are so full of themselves it makes me sick to my stomach.
I should also point out that the OU NEVER said it would drop the hashgocha if there were chares brought.
What is this nonsense going on here,every body know’s that there is nothing wrong there. As a former worker from agri I know that they treat there worker’s like family. These illegals had alot of presure from the media to say something against Agri,but the truth is, that they worked there for 10 -15 year’s without any problems
Is there anyone who can state that Rabbi Weissmandel’s hechsher is not good. It’s good enough for me. I trust him.
If he says that Rubashkin’s meat is kosher, then it’s kosher.
As for learning bein adom lchavero from the reform, or conservative movements, I have never seen a Jew hate as much as them. I choose to learn nothing from them, because everything they do is not for Hashem, but for their own swollen egos.
Yet again, arrogant elements of Orthodox Judiasm want to marginalize and spit on other Jews who do not adhere to their hypocritical holier-than-thou standard.
Being Jewish is more than just following the mitzvot. It’s about being a good and ethical human being. It’s about treating employees with respect. It’s about selling a quality product. It’s about treating animals with dignity.
If the Orthos want to continue spewing their hatred, so be it. Enjoy your rotten, improperly-slaughtered Rubashkin’s.
I’m an ethical Reform Jew and proud of it.