People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an organization we love to hate. It takes extreme positions; it is strident, sneaky and sensationalistic.
It has also documented practices at Agriprocessors’ kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa, that are prima facie evidence of cruelty.
Jewish community responses have been twofold. The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations (O.U.), which gives its hechsher (kosher certification) to the plant, has instituted changes to eliminate the most egregious problems.
On the other hand, voices in the haredi community, like Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel of America and Nathan Lewin, legal counsel for Agriprocessors, concede nothing and counter by criticizing PETA, its motives and methods. They accuse PETA members of anti-Semitism, of trying to outlaw shechitah (kosher slaughter) and of holding themselves above our greatest rabbis.
And my question is: Why? What difference does PETA’s motivation or agenda make?
Even granting the worst, we are still left with videos of the processing of 278 cattle.
Close to 100% of the animals would have felt the excision of the trachea and esophagus by plant workers as they would still be conscious even under the best of circumstances. The O.U. has recognized this practice as “unnecessary” and has stopped it.
Released from the slaughter pen, the animals drop onto a concrete floor from a height of about two feet. About a quarter of the animals show clear signs of consciousness for up to several minutes after shechitah, including raising the head, vocalization, attempts to stand and even walking away.
These are not involuntary movements, according to experts on animal behavior. Confusion over this is one of the most disturbing elements of this sad story.
Implicitly recognizing the problem, the O.U. has mandated a second cut in the already-shechted animals, and even shooting of animals that appear to survive. None of these measures is necessary in a properly run plant.
Temple Grandin, associate professor of animal science at Colorado State University, is an acknowledged leader in this field. She has consulted internationally for shochetim (slaughterers) and kosher supervisors and is universally respected for her approach and sensitivity.
I had a long conversation with her recently. She described Agriprocessors officials as being “in denial,” and urged that an independent audit of plant operations be conducted in order to reestablish the company’s “credibility.”
From her I learned some remarkable things:
• Shechitah, if done correctly, does not require a second cut. A single quick cut renders an animal insensate in 10-15 seconds.
• Shechitah may be performed without difficulty on upright animals if they are not stressed. They do not need to be turned on their backs by means of the facoima pen, as is done at Agriprocessors, or to be shackled at hoisted by their hindquarters before being slaughtered, as is done in many other plants here and abroad.
• The cut does not seem to hurt unstressed, upright animals.
• In a properly designed facility, cattle willingly walk where they need to go, with little prompting and no need for electric shock, such as used at Agriprocessors.
One of the saddest aspects of this controversy is how unnecessary it is. Instead of kicking and screaming, we can simply fix the problems. Instead of being angry at PETA for exposing the problems, we should be angry that we didn’t expose them ourselves.
Here are some things that need to be done in the short run:
• The Postville plant needs to accept an independent outside auditor who can enter unannounced and observe at random times.
• The auditor will be able to observe the corrective measures now being taken and recommend upgrades in operation and equipment. We should demand adoption of these recommendations as long as they do not contravene halachah.
• The shochetim need to be trained to perform shechitah more effectively.
• The plant management and workforce need to be given appropriate scientific training in animal behavior and physiology.
We also should review all kosher slaughtering, here and abroad. Our longer-term to-do list includes:
• The method of shackling and hoisting should be terminated immediately and use of the facoima pen should be phased out quickly.
• Supervising agencies must make modern scientific methods and training a requirement for kosher certification. It is not enough to “advocate,” “favor” or “approve of” such methods, nor to issue platitudes about how much Judaism is concerned for animal welfare.
• Product labeling should guarantee to consumers proper animal handling, similar to the “dolphin-safe” labeling on brands of canned tuna.
PETA has made no secret of its wish to turn everyone ultimately into vegetarians. But it has also been careful in this case to reassure the Jewish community that it is not trying to eliminate shechitah, but to bring it in line with accepted standards of animal handling.
There is no evidence that PETA members are motivated by anti-Semitism. But in raising this issue, we do ourselves double harm. We permit ourselves to ignore a pressing problem; and we cheapen the cry of anti-Semitism so it will be harder to assert when it is actually warranted.
Anything less than a fully honest response brings Torah itself into disrepute. It confirms a picture of Orthodox Judaism as self-justifying and irrelevant, little more than an intellectual parlor game.
Secular law exempts shechitah from various requirements on the basis of the claim that it is at least as humane as other methods of slaughter. If we fail to police our practices adequately, we risk losing the right to shechitah altogether.
It hurts to be lectured to by a strident, secular, vegetarian organization about things that we already profess to believe. But we are human. Our rabbis, shochetim and supervising organizations are not infallible. We need the courage to say simply, “We goofed.”
We are not obligated to eat meat. We should therefore be especially careful to discharge our responsibilities concerning “tza’ar ba’alei chaim” (causing pain to animals) with no excuses. The good news is that the solution is in our hands.
Jay H. Beder is associate professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a member of Lake Park Synagogue.
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