WHAT MAKES AVI SHAFRAN SCARED? THE TRUTH!

The following comes from Kosher Today (Monday, Dec 1):

Leaders of the major Orthodox Jewish organizations pledged to work together “to do everything in their power to protect schechita (kosher slaughter) in the U.S.,” at a special session on Friday of the 86th National Convention of Agudath Israel of America. Avi Shafran, the director of Public Affairs for the organization, said that it was important “to recognize kashrus for what it is and what it is not.” He was referring to the attempts by Conservative rabbis to add a Hekhsher Tzedek, verifying that production met all requirements in the treatment of workers, animals and the environment, which was strongly repudiated by the organization’s Council of Torah Sages. Rabbi Moshe Elefant, the COO of the Kashrus Division of the Orthodox Union (OU) agreed, but added that kashrus agencies must still be sensitive to those concerns even outside of the context of kosher supervision. Rabbi Elefant warned that despite meat shortages, kashrus agencies “must adhere to the highest standards of kashrus.”

What kashruth is according to Mr. Shafran is nothing less than the complete domination of same by the fervently Orthodox (ie, the Chapeau Noir set). They are so afraid of losing their stranglehold on the kosher food industry, that they will lie, misstate, twist words, etc to protect their turf. And one of the lies they tell is the total and complete denial of any connection between kashruth and ethics. Apparently, Mr. Shafran does not recall the incredible story concerning Rabbi Israel Salanter who told his congregants not to buy shmura matza from a certain vendor because he (the vendor) mistreated his work force of elderly Jewish women. The good rabbi maintained that kosher food obtained in an unethical manner was unfit for consumption by kosher observing Jews.

If a man steals a cow and has it shechted and the animal is found to be kosher, the meat is indeed kosher, but it is forbidden to eat it. Nu? Is that not an example of how halacha views the connection of kashruth and ethics?

Just this week, we found out from papers filed in Federal court that the Rubashkins have been sitting on $11 million dollars of frozen meat. Why is there a meat shortage throughout the country if Agri is holding so much meat in its freezers? Is that ethical? Is that honest? Does that sound like proper behavior for a Jew- especially one who espouses black hat frumkeit?

We leave you with one question: Why has Mr Shafran not commented on Agri holding back millions of dollars of meat? Shame on him!