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Let's Talk Turkey

Some oddities — and debates — about Halacha
and traditional Thanksgiving foods.

Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor

I

magine, if you dare, this unusu-
al spectacle:
A Jewish family in Detroit sits
down for its traditional Thanksgiv-
ing meal. All the relatives are gath-
ered from Los Angeles, Dallas,
Kansas City and, of course, Flori-
da. The children are laughing and
the house smells delightful — a
warm, succulent Thanksgiving smell
of sage dressing and sweet pota-
toes and cranberries and fresh
pumpkin pie — and everyone's
catching up on all the family news.
At last, the meal is served. And
just look at it! It's a great big ...
chicken. This family doesn't eat
. turkey, never has and never will,

Halacha (Jewish law) governs
because it says turkey isn't kosher.
what we, as Jews, will eat and
The great kosher turkey debate is
drink. It further mandates that what-
one of the interesting Jewish curiosi-
ever we eat must be preceded by
ties raised by a distinctly American
giving thanks to God,
holiday, Thanksgiving,
who
ultimately provid-
which this year is on
Both turkey and corn,
ed the sustenance.
Thursday, Nov. 25.
in this pen-and-ink
drawing by John
The question is, how
There is no halachic
Hapgood,
are
in
do we eat three tradi-
problem whatsoever
question halachically.
tional Thanksgiving
with Jews observing
foods: turkey, corn and
Thanksgiving (as
cranberries — if, in fact, we are
opposed to Halloween, for exam-
permitted to eat these at all. Take a
ple, which has its roots in pagan-
bite out of this ...
ism, or Valentine% Day, so named
for a Christian saint). But you will
About Turkey
find rabbis who disagree on a
Turkey is popular on Thanksgiving
very critical part of the celebration:
and throughout the year as well,
namely, food, and some unusual
because of its nutritious and low-fat
facts about blessings said for tradi-
qualities. Turkeys are relatively easy
tional holiday delicacies.

and cheap to raise, making them_
one of the most common agricultur-
al enterprises in Israel.
But just a few generations ago,
Jews wondered if turkeys were
even kosher. The Torah, in Parshat
Vayikra (Leviticus 11) and Parshat
D'varim (Deuteronomy 14), outlines
the characteristics of mammals and
fish that are kosher. But it does not
give specific characteristics for
kosher birds. The Talmud, in

v.;

a

A few blessings you
might not expect, and a
turkey question.

3\ 3‘ 7
11/12

1999

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