Kosher-Plus
Conservative movement issues post-Postville ethical kashrut guidelines.
Ben Harris
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
T
he Conservative movement
released a policy statement
and guidelines for its much-
anticipated ethical kashrut certification
— Hekhsher Tzedek. The social justice
standards companies are expected to meet
if their foodstuffs are to qualify for the
designation are outlined.
According to the document released
last Thursday, products will be evaluated
in five main areas: employees' wages and
benefits, employee health and safety, prod-
uct development, corporate transparency
and environmental impact, and will be
assessed in part on the basis of informa-
tion from third-party sources.
"I believe that Hekhsher Tzedek
is a great opportunity for American
Jews because it brings together tradi-
tional Jewish concerns with some of the
issues that appear on the front page of our
newspapers every day:' said Rabbi Steven
Rubenstein of Congregation Beth Ahm in
West Bloomfield.
Rabbi Rubenstein will address the sub-
ject in a Friday, Aug. 22, talk at Beth Ahm.
Essential to acquiring the Hekhsher
Tzedek certification is a company's will-
ingness to engage with the movement's
leadership. Hekhsher Tzedek is a joint
initiative of the United Synagogue for
Conservative Judaism and the Rabbinical
Assembly.
"Transparency and a willingness
to enter into dialogue with the United
Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, the
Rabbinical Assembly and their partners
will, therefore, be essential for a company's
products to qualify for the Hekhsher
Tzedek," the statement says.
"And it is so important to understand
that the issues that will be the focus
of Hekhsher Tzedek were not newly cre-
ated by the Conservative movement:'
said Rabbi Rubenstein, who is current
president of the Michigan Region of the
Rabbinical Assembly.
"Jewish tradition has always been con-
cerned with the treatment of workers, the
way we affect our environment and it
affects u, and business ethics generally"
A New Direction
Pro And Con
expose in the Forward detailed allegations
The new guidelines are
Some in the kosher
of worker mistreatment at Agriprocessors,
seen as an important
world have met the
which runs the nation's largest kosher
step forward for the ini-
initiative with skep-
meat plant in Postville, Iowa.
tiative, which represents
ticism, even hostility.
The initiative received a boost in May
the first effort to brand
These skeptics ques- when federal agents raided the Postville
items as kosher on the
tion what they see as plant, arresting nearly 400 illegal workers
basis of ethical criteria
the expansion of the
and prompting another round of allega-
separate from the ritual
concept of kosher,
tions against the company.
aspects of food produc-
which traditionally
Agriprocessors has denied any wrong-
tion.
has focused more
doing.
It also marks the
narrowly on ritual
The Postville raid thrust issues of
most significant
and dietary con-
worker treatment in the production of
attempt by Conservative
cerns.
kosher food to the forefront of a national
rabbis to influence the
Rabbi Avrom
debate over the parameters of kosher
national kosher food
Pollak, the president certification. Allen said he envisions a day
market, an area tradi-
of Star-K, a kosher
when consumers will look at the Hekhsher
tionally dominated by
certifier that works
Tzedek label before purchasing food the
the Orthodox.
with
more
than
same way some now look for a kosher
Rabbi Rubenstein to address topic.
"We believe that we
1,500 manufactur-
label.
have now demonstrated
ers, told JTA he is all
"I see the kinds of responses that we're
that it is indeed pos-
in favor of treating
getting now from people across the coun-
sible to have verifiable
workers ethically,
try, letters that come in, e-mails that come
standards in these areas
but expressed doubt in," Allen said.
that will allow us to
that companies
"I do believe that people are eager
demonstrate that as an
would find it in their because I think that we have always
enhancement to ritual
financial interest to
believed that in the observance of kashrut,
certification of kosher
pay for Hekhsher
our actions are such that is at the core an
food, you can ensure
Tzedek.
act of sanctification. And we want to make
that kosher observance
"What does some- sure as Jews that act of sanctification is
is mindful and sensitive
how trouble me a
not just a ritual act:"
to God's creation:' said
little is the fact that
Added Beth Aim's Rabbi Rubenstein,
Rabbi Morris Allen,
they are devoting
"Hekhsher Tzedek is a fulfillment of the
founder and director of
all their efforts to
ethical heritage that Jewish tradition has
Hekhsher Tzedek.
kosher food com-
given all Jews.
Rabbi Michael Siegel,
panies," Pollak said.
"I hope that it will have a deep impact
who co-chairs the nine-
"I think it should
on the way American Jews see themselves
member commission
be a much broader
and understand what it means to be Jew-
overseeing the project, told JTA he expects
effort. All the services that we use and
ish." ❑
to see the Hekhsher Tzedek label on food
buy should also be subject to the same
products by Jan. 1, 2009.
scrutiny"
JN Senior Writer Shelli Liebman Dorfman
Though he wouldn't name names, Siegel
Allen conceived of the idea of Hekhsher
contributed this article.
said the commission already is in talks
Tzedek in 2006, the same year that an
with several companies who have been
receptive to the idea, including a bak-
ery, a ready-made salad producer and a
Kosher Meal, Kosher Topic
kosher meat purveyor, all of whom would
Rabbi Steven Rubenstein's talk, "Hekhsher Tzedek: Certifiably Ethical: Keeping
be required to pay a fee for the certifica-
Kosher in the 21st Century," will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Beth
tion. Two of the companies are nationally
Ahm. It will follow a 6 p.m. family Kabbalat Shabbat service and dinner. A 6:15
known, Siegel said.
p.m. Tot Shabbat service will take place for children ages 2 to 7. Child care will
In the coming weeks, Heksher Tzedek
be provided throughout the evening. All events are open to the community.
plans to release a marketing plan and a
Dinner cost: $20 for adults and teen; $12 for children ages 4-10 and no
rabbinic paper on ethical concerns within
charge for children age 3 and younger. Dinner reservation deadline is 4 p.m.
kashrut by Rabbi Avram Reisner, a com-
Wednesday, Aug. 20. For information or to make reservations, call the syna-
mission member.
gogue at (248) 851-6880 or send e-mail to director@cbahm.org . There is no
Some skeptics question
the expansion of the
concept of "kosher" —
which has focused more
narrowly on ritual and
dietary concerns.
charge and no RSVPs are required to attend Rabbi Rubenstein's presentation.
August 7 2008
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