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JEWISH VEGETARIAN GROUP SEES ABUSES AT SOUTH AMERICAN SLAUGHTERHOUSE AS A WAKE UP CALL

JVNA Press Release

February 14, 2008

Contact person: Richard H. Schwartz,
President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
president@JewishVeg.com

The Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) announced today that it strongly supports efforts by Concern For Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI) and its sister Israeli charity Hakol CHAI to get the Israeli chief rabbis to ban shackling and hoisting, since it violates basic Jewish teachings on compassion to animals. JVNA also plans to build on the publicity about the cruel treatment and shackling of animals at the kosher slaughterhouse in South America revealed by an undercover video to help educate the Jewish community and others of the need for changes throughout the entire industry and a reevaluation by Jews of their dietary habits.

JVNA believes that properly carried out ritual slaughter is a “humane” method of slaughter, which aims to minimize animal pain, and that Jews who continue to eat meat should eat kosher, organic, humane-certified meat. JVNA has also consistently opposed efforts to single out shechita for criticism. However, JVNA believes that the graphic depictions of the horrifying mistreatment of the animals at the slaughterhouse should cause the entire Jewish community to examine the ways animals are currently being raised, treated, prepared, and slaughtered, to see if the laws and principles of the Torah are actually being properly practiced. And we hope that closer study of the values in Jewish tradition-- concern for the pain of fellow creatures, maintaining health, protecting G-d's world, conserving resources, feeding the hungry-- will ultimately lead Jews and others to adopt a diet that is more humane, healthier, more environmentally sustainable, and more capable of feeding hungry people -- vegetarianism.

JVNA president Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. stated, “These horrific slaughterhouse scenes completely contradict our mandate to be 'rachmanim b'nei rachmanim' (compassionate children of compassionate ancestors). Even if ritual slaughter is performed flawlessly, consistent with halacha, we should not ignore the severe violations of Jewish law occurring daily on factory farms. We should fulfil our charge to be 'a light unto the nations' by helping to lead the world away from a diet that is so harmful to people, the environment, and animals, to one that is far more consistent with basic religious values.”

For a long time, JVNA has argued that Jews should consider how animal-based diets and agriculture violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals with compassion, preserve the environment, conserve natural resources, and help hungry people.

JVNA hopes that the shocking events shown on PETA's undercover video at the South American slaughterhouse will impel the Jewish community to consider the ramifications of typical Jewish diets, and those of most Americans. JVNA urges Jews and others to consider not only how animals are mistreated on factory farms, but also the devastating health consequences of animal-based diets, and how animal-based agriculture -- because of its grossly disproportionate use of land, water, fuel and other natural resources --contributes substantially to global climate change, species extinction, pollution of land, air, and water, destruction of tropical rain forests, coral reefs, and other valuable habitats, shortages of water and other resources, and other threats to the survival of humanity.

Putting these issues squarely on the Jewish agenda would save many lives, move our imperiled planet to a more sustainable path, and show the relevance of Judaism's eternal teachings in addressing current critical issues, and thus help revitalize Judaism.

Further information about the JVNA and its campaign to get vegetarianism onto the Jewish and other agendas may be obtained by contacting Dr. Schwartz or the JVNA. The web site also has many Jewish vegetarian recipes.

A complimentary copy of JVNA's new one-hour documentary 'A SACRED DUTY: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World' will be sent to members of the media who request them and to others who indicate how they would use the material to help get vegetarianism and related issues onto the Jewish agenda.

JVNA is eager to engage with rabbis and other Jewish leaders in a respectful discussion of the issue, "Should Jews Be Vegetarians Today?"


Source: Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA
Author: JVNA


Date: 2008-02-15