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Rabbi Tzvi Fischer, Portland Kollel
“Why is kashrut relevant
today”
To eat kosher is to eat more
spiritual.
The Torah repeatedly reminds
us that its precepts are timeless
and eternal. That makes kashrut as
relevant as it ever was. The ideas
of kashrut – referred to in the Torah
as issues of Kedushah (holiness) and Taharah (spiritual connectedness)
(see Leviticus 20:25-26) – are not about ancient
health concerns but rather are there to help us be conscious
of a higher state at times of physical indulgence. Even today,
as we consume the food that our body needs for its survival,
kashrut reminds us that our Creator has a plan for how we can
best keep our spiritual being alive together with our body.
To be kosher is to be more communal.
As a community, I see the need for kosher foods and
events. Over the last generation we have increasingly become
a big tent community. Providing kosher certification, having
the Mittleman Jewish Community Center certified kosher and
communal kosher events means that all members of the
community can participate. If we are going to welcome all to
our events and to the communal organizations, we must also
make sure that Jews living by our traditions can participate.
To eat kosher is to eat more safely.
Additionally, with the realities of modern food production
and the global marketplace, kashrut is even more relevant
today. We eat more processed foods than ever before. These
foods are processed with ingredients that are sourced from
all over the world, including underdeveloped countries.
Governmental agencies either do not have the resources or
are too beset by conflicts of interest to effectively enforce food
safety. Kosher-certified products have the benefit of an independent,
nongovernmental, third-party audit that ensures the
purity of the food we eat. This additional pair of eyes keeps
the companies aware of their own need to provide a healthier,
safe product. This may be why the kosher food market is the
fastest-growing market in the U.S. It mostly caters to non-Jews
and is larger than the organics, gluten-free, vegan and whole
grain markets combined.
Rabbi Laurie Rutenberg, Gesher
www.ourjewishhome.net
“Is eco-kashrut changing
the way we eat”
It is perhaps even truer in
Judaism that “you are what you
eat.” Who doesn’t love their grandmother’s
kugel, knishes or matzah
ball soup You want to be Jewish
One profound way is to eat Jewish.
Does that apply to morality Can
you be moral by eating moral The
answer is: yes, kind of. The first Jewish diet was a failure. In
the Garden of Eden, Adam is told, be a tiller and a tender.
You can eat any fruits of the trees. The implication: eat fruits
and nuts – there’s no killing involved. But it didn’t work. Just
ask Cain and Abel. For Noah, God proposed a compromise:
OK, eat meat, but don’t eat the blood. Implication: maybe you
won’t become bloodthirsty. Jews received additional restrictions.
Eat only domesticated animals. Implication: maybe
you’ll be more civilized.
But how does this apply to our lives today Are Jewish eating
and morality equivalent Eco-kashrut says yes.
Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi first coined the term. It
returns us to humanity’s original purpose: to be tillers and
tenders, stewards of the Earth. Can a Jew in this overpopulated
world eat without thinking about treatment of workers,
treatment of animals, and treatment of our own bodies Ecokashrut
says no, because Jewish laws about all these issues
apply directly to how we eat.
If you eat meat, you have to consider not just the act of
killing, but the implications of raising animals with antibiotics
and pesticides on massive, pollution-producing, factory
farms. We may choose not to eat animals at all, or we may
choose to eat only cage-free chickens and pasture-fed cows.
If you eat conventional produce, consider both the quality
of your food and whether workers earn a fair wage. If you
indulge in chocolate or coffee, consider whether children are
being enslaved for your benefit. If you buy non-local foods,
consider the ecological and health implications of the packaging
and transportation.
Keeping kosher just got a lot more complicated. Still, I
hope you enjoy challenging yourself and eating!
48 JULY 2012 | OREGON JEWISH LIFE