Kashrut Brouhaha Has Legs
Last year the kashrut-observant world was turned upside down (inverted?) by accusations from PETA that AgriProcessorsInc in Postville, Iowa (also made famous from the 2000 book, “Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America,” by Stephen G. Bloom) was violating animal creulty laws, and indeed, that the kosher slaughterhouse’s procedures were in violation of kashrut practices, as well. PETA’s claims provoked massive defensiveness among Jewish organizations, who largely responded by accusing PETA of anti-Semitism.
The Department of Agriculture has now released a report finding that the producer of meat for the brands Aaron’s Best, Rubashkin’s and Iowa’s Best Beef, did indeed violate animal cruelty laws, that government inspectors took improper gifts of meat from plant managers, and that some of the plant’s inspectors made faulty inspections of carcasses, failed to correct unsanitary conditions and were seen sleeping and playing computer games on the job.
Perhaps we shall say that they were hoisted and shackled on their own petard?
Click here for a statement issued by a number of individual rabbis in different movements in response to last year’s publicizing of the matter.
Perhaps we shall say that they were hoisted and shackled on their own petard?
No, we shan’t, because it would be an improper metaphor. A “petard” is a bomb, not a hook.
Petard: 1. A small bell-shaped bomb used to breach a gate or wall. 2. A loud firecracker. [French p?tard, from Old French, from peter, to break wind, from pet, a breaking of wind, from Latin pditum, from neuter past participle of pdere, to break wind. See pezd- in Indo-European Roots.]
—Anonymouse Coweird · March 12th, 2006 at 7:26 am
You don’t think that allegations of kashrut and tzaar baalei chaim violations was a bomb, or at least a small explosion -
KRG
—kol ra'ash gadol · March 12th, 2006 at 9:24 am
hoisting and shackling isn’t a necessary part of kashrut. it’s just a modern slaughterhouse practice. they can do away with it and be in less danger of violating tzaar baalei chaim, but of course we should really all just be vegetarians…
—Sam · March 12th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
bleeding hearts - I live in Postville, Iowa, and while there may be things that can be done more gently etc. There is no unnecessary pain caused to the animals on an official level. An individual worker could possibly choose to abuse an animal, but there is no basis to claims that anything that goes on there is Tzaar Baalei Chayim.
—G · March 16th, 2006 at 1:01 am
[...] The Forward reported yesterday that the Conservative movement is beginning the process of creating a new ethical certification system for kosher food. The ongoing shenanigans in some of the country’s largest slaughterhouses last year (and previously) prompted the movement to set up a special commission to investigate working conditions at the AgriProcessorsInc slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa (See previous posts: Where’s the beef now? Kashrut update on Rubashkin’s; Another beef with kashrut in the news; Kashrut Brouhaha Has Legs all from earlier this year). Starting with PETA’s allegations of improper slaughter, following with federal subpoenas in connection with a criminal antitrust investigation and rounding up with allegations of improper treatment of workers, such an investigation has been long overdue. [...]
—Jewschool » Blog Archive » *öÄéÌåÉï áÌÀîÄùÑÀôÌÈè úÌÄôÌÈãÆä åÀùÑÈáÆéäÈ áÌÄöÀãÈ÷Èä · December 20th, 2006 at 5:10 am
[...] these will be violations that if you read Jewschool or Failed Messiah’s excellent coverage, you will already know about - the bribery, the unsafe food handling practices, and of course the mistreatment of non-Jewish [...]
—Jewschool » Blog Archive » Rubashkin’s: will it never end? · November 23rd, 2007 at 8:17 am