10 Jul
Culture, Latest

The Three-Hour Diet

by Rebecca Borison Thanksgiving never really manages to excite me. Yes, it’s nice to be with family, but the whole feast aspect just isn’t that novel. I have that at least twice a week. It’s called Shabbat. Judaism is deeply rooted in its attachment to the culinary arts. We like to eat. A lot.  While many Americans enjoy a piece of chicken and some broccoli for their Friday dinner, we’re working our way through challah, chicken soup, brisket, mashed potatoes, squash and brownies. It’s no secret that food is an important aspect of our religion and culture. And sometimes this runs the risk of bolstering the “overeating epidemic.” It’s not easy to maintain healthy portions at the Shabbat table. And yet Judaism still provides some opportunity for healthy eating. Unfortunately, it has yet to be scientifically proven that kosher...

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16 Nov
Culture, Latest, Misc, Religion

What Does Kosher Mean Today?

By Scott Fox Food is perhaps one of the “greyest” aspects of Jewish life today. The Torah instructs us to abstain from ritually impure foods—but what does this mean in the 21st century? One could argue that keeping kosher is both easier and more difficult than ever before. Today, between one-third and one-half of food in American supermarkets is kosher-certified, an astronomical increase since previous decades. It may seem surprising that so many companies pay for kosher certification (Orthodox Union, the blue label of hekhshers requires fees between $4,000 and $10,000) since observant Jews make up such a small portion of the consumer market, but others like Muslims, vegetarians and those concerned with food allergies are also buying into the kosher market for different reasons. “It’s easier now than ever before to keep kosher,” says Rabbi Alexander Davis,...

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01 Aug
Latest

USCJ Issues Hekhsher Tsedek Policy

The Agriprocessor, Inc., saga continues. But this time it looks like something positive has emerged from the fracas. The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism has announced its policy for the ethical hekhsher tsedek, which will be placed on foods deriving from companies complying with a specific set of ethical guidelines based in Judaism. According to the USCJ website, The commission was appointed by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Rabbinical Assembly in response to published reports describing alleged unsafe working conditions and worker mistreatment at the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant, AgriProcessors, Inc., in Postville, Iowa. It set out to determine if the charges were accurate, to learn about working conditions at the plant, and to establish next steps, if needed, to help ensure workers’ dignity, safety and rights within the context of Jewish law,...

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