Emanuel Synagogue - Tell June 2018 5778

drive prices through the roof. Instead
of building a community-focused
environment for those who choose
to keep kosher, you put stumbling
blocks for all concerned. For instance,
insisting that a kitchen used by a
caterer supervised by another kashrut
authority be re-kashered, because that
caterer is not under your supervision.
Similarly, products determined to
be kosher for everyone else, are not
necessarily “kosher enough” for the
rabbinic authority who endorsed
the kashrut of that product.
Then there’s the absurd notion
that food can be kosher in one
geographical region, but as soon as
it is taken to another area it may no
longer be kosher. So, food coming
from Melbourne, for instance, may
be deemed kosher, but take that
same food to Sydney, and it may
no longer be considered kosher.
Maintaining that level of absurdity
will only end up in tears- in fact, it
already has. Think about the number of
Jewish families who are trying to keep
kosher. Think about the many people
who have undertaken the life-changing
decision to convert to Judaism. In their
interview with the Beit Din, we asked
them to affirm their commitment to a
Jewish life and its ideals, which includes
the principles of kashrut, and how we
respect and live by those principles.
We tell everyone that keeping kosher
is a level we should strive towards,
and that the principles of kashrut are
amongst the holiest and most noble in
Judaism. Then we engage in ridiculous
acts of hypocrisy, contradiction and
superiority. Where is the holiness and
sanctity of kashrut, if we allow the rules
and conditions to reach this level?
We now have another kashrut
authority in NSW, the aforementioned
Community Kashrut (CK). This has
provided some alternatives and more
competition, which certainly in this
case, will be good. It’s still early days,
but more establishments and caterers
are being endorsed through the CK.
This is also leading to better results
under the KA as well, with more
establishments obtaining approval
under their authority as well. I’m not
mentioning any names, but getting four
challot for $10 is a refreshing change.
Kashrut however, is bigger than all of
this - believe it or not. In spite of all
these contentious issues, kashrut remains
an ideal of our culture and religion.
It is one of several key elements that
defines what it means to be Jewish.
Keeping kosher is not only about
buying approved and supervised
items, despite what one would think
after reading the above examples. It
also entails a level of responsibility,
a commitment to the animals and
the environment we find ourselves
entrenched in, and taking advantage of.
We have a responsibility to acknowledge
that the delicious roast served up for
dinner didn’t just appear on the plate,
and it isn’t a coincidence that we find
it (almost) ready for our use in the
supermarket/ butchery. It came from a
living being, and had to be slaughtered,
cut, and prepared, according to the laws
of kashrut. Similarly, the eggs we eat or
use for baking didn’t just appear out of
thin air. They are part of an ecosystem,
and kashrut teaches us that we should
act responsibly when interacting with
and taking from that ecosystem. A
deeper level of kashrut also teaches us
respect for (in this case) the chickens
that laid those eggs. We should consider
how are they have been treated. We
should strive to buy free-range eggs, so
that we are supporting the right ideals
and ensuring the right behaviour.
Although I’ve dedicated a smaller portion
of this article to the greater responsibility
of kashrut (i.e. a commitment to not
only do the right thing through the
laws of kashrut, but also the social
responsibility of kashrut), I abhor the
focus placed by some members of our
wider community that keeping kosher
relates solely to maintaining control and
creating an environment where they
don’t even treat fellow Jews
with respect, let alone the
environment and all
that lives within it.
Promoting kashrut is
an essential goal of any
Jewish community,
but it has to match
the ideals of, and
reasons for keeping
kosher. It is our
religious and cultural
duty to endorse
kashrut, to continue learning
and to help others understand
what it means to keep kosher.
INSPIRING PRAYER
There is no question that we must always
strive to live by these ideals, and seek to
improve the levels of kashrut. Having
said that, that focus cannot be limited to
the concerns raised above, even though
they are extremely important and must
be part of the overall approach. In order
to provide long term sustainability of
kashrut and its ideals, our plans and
actions must also focus on the deeper
levels of kashrut, on being part of a
greater picture, and acknowledging that
we have a bigger responsibility than just
overseeing day to day operations and
worrying about why we think somebody
else’s kashrut is not as good as ours.
Let’s start by changing the way
we approach kashrut, and taking
responsibility for our role in the overall
picture. That way, we allow ourselves
to strive to the true ideals of tikkun
olam, by changing ourselves, then
our community, and then the world.
Along the way we’ll dispense with
the trivialities and the politics, and
make ourselves and others proud of
our commitment to kashrut.
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