TTT
U
» ?• _J O
co O IT 00
re
Vol. LVII No. 28
COUNCIL BLUFFS, LINCOLN, OMAHA Omaha, Neb., Frl., March 31.1978
Kashrut Controversy Decided Beth Din Hands Down Historic Ruling for Omaha
Steve Riekes Asks ~ For Procedures Steven J. Riekes, counsel for the Jewish Federation of Omaha, read the decision of the court Sunday morning to counsel for the litigants and the executive board of the Federation. Before reading the document, Mr. Riekes said, "We have a big obligation to the future not to let a situation like this happen a g a i n . . . We have learned a costly and bitter lesson . . . We need new, proper and fair procedures." Mr. Riekes said the Beth Din performed an unusual Mitzvah in that this is the first time that the court has convened outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. : "We should let the Jews of Massachusetts know of our appreciation,"' he said, adding, "We now have one other Job . . . to start the healing and to come together again."
The two-year-old kashrut controversy in Omaha has been decided by the Rabbinical Court of Justice of the Associated Synagogues of Massachusetts (Boston Beth Din). The decision included the following: •Rabbi Nadoff was justified in the withdrawal of kashrut supervision of Shukert's Meats, Inc. *Kashrut supervision was inadequate. * Shukert's Meats is able to regafh supervision. *A full time community "Mashgiach" should be hired. *A Kashrut Commission should be established. The complete text of the decision appears on Page 2, and other articles pertaining to the Beth Din, the proceedings, and kashrut are included in ^ t h i s i s s u e ;
-.••'••-:•••••••
.,:h.;."'.':X..,*;,.•;%.
Paul Cohen, vice(presidentfif & e Jewlsfr^^eration of Omaha, said the Executive Committee of the Board has launched an immediate study of the decision and the kashrut situation in Omaha to determine as quickly as possible what the FederSteveRlekes.counselfortheJewlshFederatlonofOmaha.preparestoreadtheBethDIn'sdedjiori to members of the Federation Executive Committee and the litigants, At his left Is Paul ation's recommendations to the community should be. ••• • - ' • • ' ' ••••• Cohen, Federation vice president. (JB Photo by Maline) "' •
Riekes Reads Decision
Kashrut in the 20th Century health-related advantages of kashrut. However, if health Is the underlying motivation, one is tempted to ask why, for example, are camejs and horses prohibited while chickens"and turkeys (no enemies of dirt) are permitted. The answer to this paradox is simple. Neither the Bibllcaj texts nor laterJtab-, bfnic statements assume that health is the fundamental reason for kashrut. One would expect the laws of Torah to be hygienically appropriate, but this fact is incidental..The one Biblical reason which we are.given tor the dietary laws is: "For I am the L-rd your G-d; sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy . . . " (Lev. 11:44). pietary laws lead to the holiness of the; person. They restrict humanity's baser urges. Thus, the types of foods which can be eaten arc limited lest our appetites ru]e us. A living creature cannot be cruelly killed, but must be slaughtered in a manner which will lead to a painless, quick death. (Many of my non-Jewish students who have been involved in non-kosher slaughter confirm that modern techCertain types of fat are forbidden and niques are based on the commercial effibroiling is a preferred means of prepare- ciency of the operation rather than the ^rttoBFpoints which s t a n d o u t s our eho- comfort of the animal.) The traditional ,> lesterol-consclous era. These are just a Jew is prohibited from eating blood few of the possible examples of the since the blood is the "life" of the animal By Rabbi Jonathan Rosenbaum Lecturer In Judaic Studies, UNO; Director, Department of Jewish Education. There are certain misconceptions concerning the Jewish dietary laws. One often hears the arguments that kashrut is based on ancient health laws, that it makes Jews "different," or that it is irrelevant in the scientifically oriented world of the twentieth century. Each of these statements requires a response. The common assumption that health is the underlying reason for the observance of the Jewish dietary laws misses a basic point. It is quite true that many laws of kashrut are medically defensible. Forbidden animals do bring about disease: e.g. pigs carry trichinosis and clams can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (Red Tide). In addition, ritual slaughter requires the inspection of the animal's innards including the lungs for lesions, abnormalities, and injuries (many animals which fail such rabbinical inspections will pass U.S.D.A. standards).
and to eat it would be to gloat over the death of another living creature. The Rabbis compared the table on which one eats to the Temple altar (Haglgaht7a). Not only Is kosher food prepared according to laws which morally raise the Jew, but the eating is accompanied by prayers which buttress the table's status as an altar. Prayers precede the washing of the hands before the meals and the eating of the food itself. They also conclude the meal thus reinforcing the holiness of the occasion. By avoiding the temptation to just "dig in," we more effectively control our drives and thus add a moral dimension to our actions. One often hears that kashrut makes Jews "different," separating us from the general society. This is true, but it is not necessarily negative. At a time when intermarriage and assimilation are con' stant companions from which no family is immune, kashrut helps provide an identity which separates us from these causes of religious demise. In addition; it gives us one nujre positive and tangible quality which Jews can hold in common. All of the aboye support the relevance of kashrut in the modern age. In a society where some actually
praise selfishness (see, for example, the front page of the March 26 World-Herald for several articles on this trend), the dietary laws emphasize a selflessness which conquers basic drives and acknowledges the pain of simple animals together with the responsibilities which we have to their (and our) Creator. At a time when many seek an identity and a way of life, kashrut acts as one of the underpinnings on which a life of meaning can be built. "Doing one's own thing" can be lonely and the dietary laws provide a common bond which binds individuals together without destroying their individuality. Kashrut Is not an end, but rather a means to an end. It is one part in the foundation of the Jewish way of life. It reinforces ritual and ethical mltzvot and reminds us of our major responsibilities by making even the simplest acts holy. However, it cannot stand by Itself. The Jew who precisely observes only kashrut is Jewishly incomplete. Kashrut must be an Integral part of Jewish living if it is to achieve its purpose. Only then can it provide what the noted rabbinical scholar, Rabbi Hayim Donin, lias called "a diet J forthesoul."U) ( (l)Hayim Dpnin. To Be A Jew (New York: Basic Books, 1972) 97-120.