Rabbi's Message
The God Housekeeping
Seal of Approval: The Heksher Tzedek Initiative
In mid
May, the Jewish world received a black eye, as immigration officials
rounded up hundreds of illegal aliens who worked at Agriprocessors, the
country’s leading producer of kosher beef and poultry. Two years
earlier, the same company had been the center of attention when a PETA
video surfaced of cruel post-slaughter behavior.
But the
round-up was the tip of the iceberg. Apparently, many of the Guatemalan
employees had their fraudulent documents prepared with the knowledge of
company officials. That was bad enough. If true, this is a violation of
the law. What has emerged from reports out of Postville is even more
alarming. The workers were exploited: long hours, underpayment, unsafe
conditions, inadequate training and poor living quarters.
It is
against this background that Heksher Tzedek appears. Though it appears
to be a newly minted effort, the truth is that the groundwork for it was
laid a couple of years ago. But it is only now with the unfavorable
publicity about Agriprocessors that it has caught the attention of the
public—there have been articles about it, not only in the Jewish press,
but also in the general press, as well, such as the Boston Globe.
It is in
the process of developing standards for a “God Housekeeping Seal”; one
which supplements the kashrut seal that looks at the technical aspects
of the food preparation. It will judge companies on issues of worker’s
compensation, safety, training, as well as broader issues, such as
environmental impact. For details of the standards, as well as a fine
piece by Rabbi Reisner highlighting the religious foundation of the
effort, I urge you to go to USCJ.org, where you will readily find the
relevant documents at the web site.
Clearly
the controversy swirling around the Postville plant highlights many of
the concerns that Heksher Tzedek has. For the moment it is focusing not
on that company, rather on the creation and implementation of these
standards. If we can be concerned about how our sneakers are made in the
Far East, we should be concerned how our food is produced here in our
own country.
And though some may be disappointed that it
hasn’t called for a boycott of Agriprocessor’s products, which include
Aaron’s, it is hoped that this supportive approach of endorsing
companies that abide by these ethical standards will generate support
across denominational lines and demonstrate that kosher producers indeed
answer to a higher authority. I, for one, applaud the initiative and
hope it gains traction
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