The New York Orthodox rabbinate yesterday pronounced a ban on all poultry not bearing the tags of rabbinical supervision. More than 2,000 persons attended the impressive services at the Bath Medresh Hagodol, Norfolk and Grand streets.
The synagogue seats 400 and police tried to bar the entrance when the auditorium was full, but a stream of elderly Jews swept away the guard and clambered over benches, crowding the aisles. Some perched precariously on window-sills.
A hush fell over the audience as Rabbi Benjamin Fleisher mounted the podium, attired in ceremonial prayer shawl and skull cap. The phylacteries were strapped to his forehead. Standing behind the symbolic seven-branched candlestick, he pleaded for the support of the issur.
Rabbi Israel Dushowitz, aged spiritual leader of the New York Orthodox Rabbinate, castigated the poultry market owners for their refusal to accept Judge Rosalsky’s decision establishing rabbinical supervision.
LISTENERS SOB
As he spoke members of the audience broke into sobs.
“Woe unto us that on our day cannot have Kashruth,” Rabbi Dushowitz wailed.
He appealed to the rabbinate to remain united in the issur.
Then he drew the plush curtain
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
