Orthodox Jewish Leaders Testify in Washington Against Slaughter Bill

Opposition to the proposed Humane Slaughter Bill, which was passed recently in the House of Representatives and is now pending before the Senate, was expressed today by Orthodox Jewish leaders at a hearing on the bill before the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.

In a statement presented to the Senate Committee, Rabbi Solomon J. Sharfman, president of the Rabbinical Council of America, and Moses I. Feuerstein, president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, said: “This bill is bound not merely to fail of its proclaimed purpose, but will actually promote inhumane slaughter. Our conscience will not permit us to underwrite in any manner the treatment of animals which violates a principle of our religion requiring the humane slaughter of animals.”

The testimony presented in behalf of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and the Rabbinical Council of America, organization of the Orthodox rabbinate, laid stress on the view that while the bill would be a disservice to humanitarianism, it offers parallels with legislation in other countries directed against Shehitah, the method of animal slaughter required by the laws of the Jewish religion.

“Legislation in foreign lands, under the cloak of “humane slaughter,” has been accompanied by vicious anti-Shehitah agitation, disclosing beyond doubt the real purpose of such measures,” the Joint statement stressed. “While the immediate sponsors of the bill before this committee are surely free of any such motivation, we have reason to believe that there are those who would strive for the ultimate in that respect. Americans must not permit themselves to allow this specious bill to open the door to the undermining of American religious freedom.”

Noting that the bill cites Shehitah, the method of animal slaughter required by the laws of the Jewish religion, as humane, Mr. Feuerstein and Rabbi Sharfman said that this was in accord with the findings of more than 800 recognized authorities, mostly non-Jewish, in the field of physiology, pathology and anatomy, who have testified that Shehitah is “most humane.” Their statement declared, however, that the bill’s provision for Shehitah is “illusory” because of other provisions which could restrict or prevent its exercise.

“Should this bill be enacted, an agency of the government will be responsible for the supervision of religious practices. Certainly, such legislation flouts the fundamental American tradition prohibiting the Government from interference with the religious practices of any faith,” the Orthodox Jewish leaders argued.