Toronto Rabbinical Fellowship Joins Movement to Boycott California Table Grapes

The Toronto Rabbinical Fellowship has announced that it has joined the movement to boycott California table grapes because of investigations that convinced them that “the grape growers of California were unethical and unfair in their campaign to refuse unionization to oppressed farm workers.” The rabbinical group, which includes the Conservative. Orthodox and Reform branches of Judaism in its membership, called on synagogue members “to refuse to purchase or use California grapes until such time as the rights of workers in the grape vineyards were respected.” The Canadian Jewish Congress has taken a similar stand. The rabbis said they joined the boycott movement as a result of information gleaned through a study of the labor situation and personal visits to California by the social action committees of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, United Synagogue of America, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Rabbinic Assembly and the Rabbinical Council of America.