#kashruit

[progressivejudaism]

Jews and Turkeys | Sefaria

A source sheet created with Sefaria's Source Sheet Builder

How did Turkeys become Kosher?  A Source Sheet by Rabbi Aaron Philmus!

[progressivejudaism]

Denmark bans kosher and halal slaughter as minister says ‘animal rights come before religion’

New law, denounced as ‘anti-Semitism’ by Jewish leaders, comes after country controversially slaughtered a giraffe in public and fed him to lions

Yes Denmark, it is antisemitic and Islamophobic to condemn kosher and halal slaughter in this way.

When folks ask why Jews and Muslims don’t feel safe in Europe, please show them articles like this.

(And this is coming from a vegetarian)

[progressivejudaism]

The Impossible Burger is now kosher

(JTA) — Those who keep kosher and have been craving a cheeseburger should rejoice — the Impossible Burger, a meatless patty that has made waves for how similar it tastes to real beef, is now certified kosher and pareve. The Orthodox Union, the United States’ largest kosher certification agency, has given the burgers its stamp of...

If you are a vegan or a vegetarian and have not tried this burger yet, you should try it pronto!

[progressivejudaism]

Hi! Can you explain the article about Poland further limiting kosher slaughter/meat industry? I bit confused about what the law means and how it would affect kosher/halal slaughter. And I had read that kosher slaughter was one of the most humane ways to kill animals for consumption, so I also don't understand comments from people saying it's about animal welfare or preventing animal cruelty. Sorry if this is a v ignorant question :/

Hi there!

It is my understanding that this is just another attack on the Jewish community by Poland.

You’re right- Kosher slaughtering is typically humane. Although there are some fringe groups that have some disgusting practices that should be eliminated, this law will only further force Jews and Muslims to be even more “othered” in Poland.

And please note that I am a very proud vegetarian. And although I personally do not support any slaughtering of animals via my own eating habits, I will always support my people’s rights in regard to dietary habits.

Have a great night,PJ

[progressivejudaism]

Are there any articles about parrot or general bird ownership and Judaism? If, for example, I kept a species of bird that needed to rely on foods that weren’t kosher for Passover to live, how can I reconcile that?

Hi there!

Thank you for writing in.  Such a fascinating question.  And you couldn’t have messaged a better Tumblr-user.  I happen to be a parrot owner (for over twelve years) and a rabbinical student!  This answer will be directed towards all sorts of folks who are thinking about Passover and their pets– especially bird owners.

If you are concerned about making sure that your pet has Kosher for Passover food, you also might want to consider purchasing them Kosher food for the rest of the year.  I’m not sure if they make Kosher for Passover, or Kosher in general, treats and pellet/seed mixes for our feathered friends. 

Do not change your parrot’s diet for Passover.  To live, healthy parrots need to have a diet that is 1/3 your food, 1/3 fresh vegetables and fruits, and 1/3 mixture of pellets/dried fruit/ seeds.  Although you can guarantee that 2/3 of their diet are Kosher, the last third might not be.   (And please note that if you give your parrot both meat and dairy foods for ‘1/3 your food.’ you would technically need two separate bowls if your goal is to keep a kosher parrot)  Additionally, to be a truly Kosher for Passover cage, you would need to physically kasher the entire cage every Passover.  (That involves giving it a deep clean and physically dropping each part into boiling water and/or baking them in the oven.  I’m not sure if this would ruin your cage- but it sounds like it might.)

I’m not sure what literature specifically exists for bird owners on Passover, but my suggestion is to just maintain your parrot’s normal diet throughout the holiday.  He or she is not bound by Jewish Law!I hope that this helps!Have a great night,

PJ

[progressivejudaism]

Hey PJ! Can you tell me why chicken isn't pareve, but eggs and fish are? Chickens don't produce milk, but with eggs being pareve , hypothetically someone could put an egg/chicken dish, which seems equal to like a cheeseburger or whatever... it's confusing. I have for most of my life kept kosher, but some parts feel nonsensical.

Hi there!

Isn’t that the million dollar question?   It honestly sounds very silly to me as well.

My understanding is that because different kinds of meats can also resemble poultry, birds were included in the ‘meat’ category.  (Here’s some more info on the subject from MyJewishLearning).  A similar debate is raised on Passover with eating kitniyot (additional grains like rice and corn prohibited on Passover by Ashkenazi authorities). 

Yes, it’s really confusing.  But hey, that’s Judaism for you! ;)

Have a great night,

PJ

[progressivejudaism]

Do you ever the have a problem where you interpret a law from the Torah differently than it traditionally is and you don't know if you should go with how you feel or what everyone agrees on? I've always seen the "Don't boil a calf in the milk of its mother" law as being part of the moral killing rules like use a sharp knife to kill an animal. In my mind it wouldn't be interpreted as don't mix dairy and meat. I don't want to follow a rule just because but I don't want to be wrong and alone in it

Hi there!

There are so many ways to interprate Jewish law.  Although some traditional authorities might argue that there is only one way of understanding Jewish law, I absolutely disagree.  Yes we have some hard lines, but there are too many weak lines that we must continue to have open dialogue about.

Before making any conclusions to what the text of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) says or doesn’t say,  I suggest looking into the Jewish law associated with each of these laws.  Actually, most of them were layed out in this past week’s Torah Portion (R’eih).

You might find some wisdom about the portion here.  You can check out what the rabbis of the Talmud and beyond wrote about certain verses using Sepharia.  Here is a list of food laws. When you click on each verse, a list of sources will appear on the right.  Please note, if you click on an individual Hebrew word, the etimology of the word will appear.  Clicking on the Engligh will make this feature work better.

I hope that this helps!  If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out!

PJ

[progressivejudaism]

I was wondering - I'm most likely converting through Reform and I've been hearing a lot about how Reform doesn't practice or that they don't keep kosher and that they don't pray and that they place no emphasis on tradition and ritual (including outside of synagogue in the home) and that's got me kind of terrified? I never had any of those things growing up and they have been a significant aspect in my desire to convert if that makes sense?

Hi there,

It seems to me like you have been learning about the Reform Movement from several biased individuals.  Unfortunately, there are many folks out there that tend to throw the Reform Movement under the bus due to their own ignorance of who we are, what we stand for, how we practice etc.

While some Reform Jews do not pray at home and struggle with various traditions and rituals, many Reform Jews do not.  Some Reform Jews keep kosher, some don’t, and many understand the laws of Kashruit through a different and arguably contemporary lens. 

One could make the exact same arguments about Conservative Jews, Reconstructionist Jews, and even some Modern Orthodox Jews. 

Here are some asks that I think you might find helpful:  x  x  x  x  x

Please feel free to send me a direct message to chat more about this and any other issues that you might come across.  I would love to meet you!

PJ