Conservative Movement's Ethical Supervision To Encourage, Not Replace, Kosher, Rabbis Say
Magen Tzedek is not a kashrut certification and has never sought to be a kashrut certification. Rather it is an ethical certification program that is only available for food products already bearing a recognized hekhsher.
Op-Ed: Magen Tzedek encouraging, not replacing, kashrut
By Michael Siegel and Gerald Kobell
(JTA) -- We appreciate Rabbi Shafran's embrace of the importance of the work of Magen Tzedek when he states in his JTA Op-Ed, "to be sure Jewish ethical values in food production are no less important (than) halachic concerns, and are indeed embodied in independent halachic mandates. But they are distinct from kashrut."
With that statement, Rabbi Shafran has conceded the very point that Magen Tzedek seeks to demonstrate for the Jewish community -- Jewish ethical values are no less important than halachic concerns.
We also would like to reiterate a concession we already made. Our initial language regarding hekhsher and kashrut was confusing, and it was to distinguish between this certification and kashrut that we changed the name of the symbol, and subsequently the project, to Magen Tzedek. The outdated language on our website has been corrected.
Magen Tzedek is not a kashrut certification and has never sought to be a kashrut certification. Rather it is an ethical certification program that is only available for food products already bearing a recognized hekhsher.
Far from replacing kashrut, Magen Tzedek will encourage those concerned with Jewish ethical principles to purchase kosher products. Kosher consumers will be assured that kosher-certified foods are prepared in a manner consistent with Jewish ethical values. A clear indication of success for Magen Tzedek would be an increase in the number of Jews keeping kosher.
The Magen Tzedek Commission has labored quietly and diligently for 5 years. We are now in the final beta-testing stages in creating the world’s first and only comprehensive Jewish ethical certification for kosher food. Our seal will uphold the biblical and rabbinic mandates regarding fair treatment of workers, humane treatment of animals and care of the earth.
It is a testament to the wisdom of Torah, halachah and all Jewish tradition that these fundamental Jewish ethical precepts can be translated into measurable standards applicable to commercial food production. These standards were developed in collaboration with SAAS, an organization acknowledged worldwide for its expertise in ethical certification programs.
Judaism is a religion built upon ethical precepts. This conviction is shared by Jews who keep kosher as well as those who do not. What we in our rabbinate clearly see is that there are Jews who can be inspired through its ethical precepts to discover the wisdom of the halachic tradition.
Our invitation to Rabbi Shafran and others remains open: Join with us in strengthening the Jewish people through the promotion of the ethical production of kosher food and of kashrut observance itself. Let us work together to see that the maximum number of Jews in this and the coming generations embrace the totality of their "yerusha," their inheritance. Together we can inspire even more Jews to embrace this tradition we all cherish.
(Rabbi Michael Siegel and Gerald Kobell are the Magen Tzedek co-chairs.)
Excellent!
While Magen Tzedek is seeking INCLUSION, Agudah continually seems to be seeking exclusion.
Why? I would guess that the Agudah cannot handle that the Conservative Movement beat them to it in terms of setting up an agency like this which is devoted strictly to maintaining higher ethical standards. The Agudah and Chareidi Orthodoxy looks bad for not having done this themselves, especially since they claim to be the most strict in ALL the Torah's ways.
Instead of saying "Yes, they certainly did something that needed doing" the Agudah is tripping over themselves to say that it's not necessary and government regulations cover those things. Well, government regulations clearly don't cover it enough for you to not need kashrus supervision, so why should it cover it enough to not need ethical standards supervision?
The Agudah makes itself look SO bad for attacking this effort. Even the frummies on the ground know that and recognize this for what it is - the Agudah feeling threatened.
Hey Agudah folks - if you're reading this - wake up and die right! If you're going to go down in history as being a bunch of politicians who only care about your own team of Jews, at least go down with some pride and not fighting those who are doing what the Torah says is the right thing to do. You are only alleniating people from "Torah True Judaism" by fighting this. Meanwhile your teenagers are seeing through all the duplicity and leaving the fold in droves. Get the hint and wake up.
Way to go Magen Tzedek!! I'll pay a few pennies more for higher ethical standards any day.
Meanwhile the Agudah can go have some more conventions about banning the internet while their kids and grandkids are at home going off the derech. The Agudah needs to realize that some significant dots are not connecting. It's time to weigh in on your ethics committee. Oh, you mean you HAVE NO ethics committee? Well, that might be a good place to start...
Posted by: Abracadabra | May 13, 2011 at 03:45 AM
One can see these fools are confused about how to define their efforts that would reflect some relevancy and meaning that they alone can appreciate. Thus they have now settled on 'encourage'.
Posted by: yidandahalf | May 13, 2011 at 07:55 AM
By acknowledging rav Shafran, Magen Tzedek is breaking the rule: Never argue with a fool. People might not be able to tell the difference between the two of you.
Posted by: Garnel Ironheart | May 13, 2011 at 09:03 AM
Meanwhile the Agudah can go have some more conventions about banning the internet while their kids and grandkids are at home going off the derech. The Agudah needs to realize that some significant dots are not connecting. It's time to weigh in on your ethics committee. Oh, you mean you HAVE NO ethics committee? Well, that might be a good place to start...
Posted by: Abracadabra | May 13, 2011 at 03:45 AM
I think you do not understand they do not care the the frum communty spoke loudly regarding that concerninmg SMR all they care about is cheap meat, and kosher that is all.
also there could be another problem, maybe the Agudah is afraid that the hemishe businesses cannot pass the ethic requirements and for scandal will hit the blogs and news
Posted by: seymour | May 13, 2011 at 09:49 AM