Twenty-two Jewish organizations expressed today opposition to humane slaughter bills which by implication give a false impression that Shechita, Jewish ritual slaughter of animals, is inhumane.
Rabbi Isaac Lewin of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on behalf of the Jewish groups.
Rabbi Lewin told the subcommittee that Jewish groups must “categorically reject” the language in a number of bills under consideration because of their “false and defamatory implication” against “Shechita.” He said Jewish groups were opposed to bills from which arise the “inescapable implication that ‘slaughtering in accordance with the requirements of any established religious faith’ or ‘slaughtering in accordance with the practices and requirements of the Jewish religious faith’ is inhumane, but permitted only because it is prescribed by religion. This false and defamatory implication must be categorically rejected.
Rabbi Lewish cited the views of experts who have certified that “Shechita” is a humane method of slaughtering. He said “it is not surprising that within the Jewish community there is such unanimity of opposition to the bills being considered by this committee. For many years,” he added, “the false slander that Shechita is inhumane has been used as a weapon by those who would exterminate the Jewish people. It is significant that one of the first acts of the Nazis upon securing power in Germany was to promulgate laws forbidding Shechita under the guise of humane considerations,” he stressed.
“Our concern is further heightened by the fact that even in England where Shechita is exempt from the humane slaughtering law, that law has been used as a springboard for a continuous campaign to label Shechita as inhumane and to ban it,” Dr. Lewin pointed out.
The committee asked the rabbi to present the suggestions of Jewish organizations to the committee. The rabbi said that a supplement in writing would be presented soon.
Dr. Lewin and Leo Pfeffer of the American Jewish Congress appeared for the following organizations: Agudas Harabonim (Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada), Agudas Israel World Organization, American Section; Agudath Israel of America; American Jewish Congress; Association of Grand Rabbis; Central Conference of American Rabbis; Jewish Labor Committee; Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A.; Mizrachi and Hapoel Hamizrachi of America; National Council of Young Israel; New York Board of Rabbis; Poale Agudath Israel of America; Rabbinical Alliance of America; Rabbinical Assembly of America; Rabbinical Board of Greater New York; Rabbinical Council of America; Research Institute of Religious Jewry; Synagogue Council of America; Union of American Hebrew Congregations; Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; United Synagogue of America, and National Community Relations Advisory Council, which represents some of the foregoing groups and 36 local community relations councils.
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