The other three goats went to the
Adamah fellows, who butchered and
cooked the kosher portions.
The shochet, Rabbi Shalom Kantor,
stood off to the side of the whisper-
ing group of fellows, sharpening his
halaf — the ritual slaughtering knife.
Kantor, who works as the Hillel rabbi at
Binghamton University in New York, is
the only known Conservative shochet in
North America.
Although he trained with an Orthodox
shochet in Israel, his Conservative ordi-
nation means the animals he kills are
not certified by any kosher supervising
agency. Kantor says he does this because
he wants to help Jews take responsibility
for the meat they eat.
"There's a piece of me that thinks
that a Jew who can't participate at least
to some degree in the processing of an
animal shouldn't necessarily eat that ani-
mal," says Kantor, who grew up hunting
and fishing in Sun Valley, Idaho. "Some
people say the only meat they'll eat is a
skinless, boneless chicken breast. Maybe
God and our tradition call upon us to be
more involved in our eating!'
The Process
softly.
The first goat, a large black-and-white
When the animal stops struggling,
animal, is led to the bench and flipped
those holding the animal pick it up and
quickly on its back.
lay it down gently in
"There's a piece of
Two people hold
a bed of hay beside
the goat's legs, one
the bench. Soon they
of them stroking
me that thinks that
tie ropes around its
its flank to calm it
hind legs and hang
while a third holds its a Jew who can't
it from hooks in an
head backwards with
open-walled shed.
its neck stretched
Kantor trades in his
participate at least
out. Kantor steps
halaf for a kitchen
in quickly, says the
knife to demonstrate
to some degree in the
blessing for shechita
skinning, which the
and makes a quick
others quickly learn
processing of an
back-and-forth cut
to do, and kosher
across the goat's neck, animal shouldn't
evisceration, which
severing its trachea
only he, the shochet,
and windpipe in a
may do.
necessarily eat that
single motion.
It takes about
Bright red blood
six hours to kill,
spurts out, drenching animal."
skin and eviscer-
the shirt and pants
ate all nine goats.
- Rabbi Kan tor, Conservative shochet
of the young man
Later that afternoon
holding the goat's
and well into the
head. The animal jerks for about 10 sec- evening, Kantor and the three men who
onds and several of the Adamah fellows
teamed up to buy the meat will soak
gasp and hug their neighbors. A few cry
and salt the kosher parts of the animals
behind Mizrahi's house before packing it
up for transport.
Reflections
Meanwhile, the Adamah fellows sit in a
circle to reflect. Many speak about being
"grateful" or "humbled" by the experi-
ence of watching an animal be killed for
them to eat. For most, this is their first
encounter with Halachah, or Jewish law.
Witnessing the Jewish ritual of shechita
gives them, they say, an appreciation for
kashrut they could not have received from
books.
"When the rabbi said the bracha over
the shechita right before killing the ani-
mal, the intention raised it to a higher
level, the same way that you say a bless-
ing before you eat to acknowledge that
the source of this life, this sustenance, is
not you but something greater, and you
are just a part of this great cycle says
Josh Lucknus, 25, of Boston, adding that
he was raised in a non-observant home.
"I gained a deeper appreciation for
kashrut," he says. "I appreciate the way
it tries to sanctify this process, which is
part of the cycle of life and death!' ❑
MICHIGAN JEWS FOR CHANGE
We must make it over
the finish line!
"We can restore confidence in our economy and
renew that fundamental belief - that here in America,
our destiny is not written for us, but by us."
- Barack Obama, October 8, 2008
Don't be complacent.
John McCain has not
left Michigan.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW
To find the nearest office, go to:
http://my.barackobama.com
THIS AD WAS PAID FOR BY THE JEWISH COUNCIL FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.
WWW.JCER.INFO JCER IS A FEDERAL PAC. NOT AUTHORIZE] BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE COMMITTEE.
October 23 • 2008
A41