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PETA Gunning for Kappores again

Last years Kapores.

An animal rights group is calling for a New York state investigation into kapporos in Brooklyn.

For the second year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has complained about the High Holidays ritual of swinging a chicken over one’s head, a sin transference ceremony.

In a letter sent Monday to the state agriculture department’s Kosher Law Enforcement division, PETA alleges that thousands of dead chickens were thrown away in dumpsters after the ritual last year in one Brooklyn center.

The letter singles out the kapporos center run in Crown Heights by Rabbi Shea Hecht, and asks the state to investigate whether consumer fraud occurred. Jews who bought chickens for the ritual expected the birds “to be processed for meat that would be distributed as tzedakah,” or charity, the letter states.
Last summer’s complaint to the state and city was more wide ranging, alleging a variety of health and safety violations as well as animal cruelty. It spurred a meeting of more than a dozen rabbis in Brooklyn, and they sent out directives to kapporos centers saying they needed full-time rabbinic supervision.

A related letter was submitted to the Kashrus Information Center, an independent association of more than 100 rabbis that monitors kosher affairs in Brooklyn.

Rabbi Moshe Weiner, the Kashrus center’s rabbinic administrator, told JTA that Hecht’s site and others operated by communal organizations are well run.

While there have been problems in the past from “fly-by-night” kapporos centers, Weiner said proactive steps taken by rabbis last year significantly cut down on such problems.

Below is the letter PETA submitted to Rabbi Luzer Weiss:

August 22, 2008

Rabbi Luzer Weiss, Director
Kosher Law Enforcement Division
Brooklyn Office
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
55 Hanson Pl.
Brooklyn, NY 11217-1583

2 pages via mail and fax: 718-722-2852

Re: Consumer Fraud Alert

Dear Rabbi Weiss:

In advance of this year’s kapporos events, we request that the Kosher Law Enforcement Division investigate possible consumer fraud committed annually by Rabbi Shea Hecht of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE).

On September 20, 2007, NCFJE disposed of approximately two-thirds of the thousands of slaughtered chickens at its kapporos operation. These are chickens consumers expected to be processed for meat and distributed as tzedakah. The two-thirds figure was confirmed by NCFJE’s Yosef Moya in a meeting that I had with him and Rabbi Hecht on December 31, 2007, at NCFJE’s head office in Crown Heights. Furthermore, at the NCFJE’s September 20, 2007, kapporos event, PETA videotaped XXXX -who was responsible for ticket sales-as he stated that most of the slaughtered chickens would not be processed and would just be thrown in the garbage.

He attempted to justify this by adding that the money used to purchase the thousands of discarded slaughtered chickens may then be used to buy replacement chickens to feed the poor. PETA has enclosed a DVD of this conversation and additional footage of the hundreds of bags of slaughtered chickens that would be left for trash. These bags were subsequently placed inside a rented container labeled #12, which was picked up by Greg’s Express at approximately 7 a.m. on September 21, 2007.

The deceptive practice conducted by NCFJE of selling such a huge number of chickens for kapporos-while fully aware that there was no logistical plan in place to process even one-third of them-constitutes a fundamental violation of the principle of bal tashchit (wasteful, wanton destruction). This disposal of the slaughtered chickens demonstrates a shameless violation of the intent and practice of the kapporos ritual.
As such, we request that this be investigated as a legal matter of possible deceptive advertising and consumer fraud.

Such types of deceptive practices have been documented for the past several years throughout different kapporos centers in Brooklyn. Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum of The Jewish Press wrote:

KIS [Kashrus Information Service] found that, in addition to
chickens being reused repeatedly (literally deceiving the paying
public) they were not provided enough room, not fed properly, if at
all, were being schechted by unqualified and unsupervised
shochtim and improperly disposed of. . . .

The hashgachah must oversee that no tza’ar ba’alei chaim (abuse)
of chickens takes place … and that the ultimate disposition of
the slaughtered chickens are to poor families or religious
institutions.

Participants at NCFJE clearly did not expect the chickens they made kapporos with-in such an intimate and solemn ritual-to be disposed of as trash. Nor did they expect the money that they paid to be so deliberately squandered. Had they known that their chickens would be bagged as garbage, requiring the purchase of replacement chickens, they might have opted for another location that gave the full percentage of their fee to charity. Or they might have opted to use the religiously sanctioned alternative of doing kapporos with money, thus ensuring that 100 percent of their tzedakah would go directly to the needy.

In the private December 31, 2007, meeting in Crown Heights and in subsequent correspondence, Rabbi Hecht has made it clear that he sees no problem with these methods. He has brazenly asserted that he does not intend to change anything.

At this meeting, I also brought up other issues that we documented on video as part of NCFJE’s kapporos in 2007, including the following:

*Abandoned chickens in cardboard boxes on the street *Abusive mishandling of birds by adult and juvenile participants and workers *Seven full crates of dead chickens who died in transport in crowded cages or died while waiting for hours without any food or water *Still-conscious birds who were put in garbage bags following ineffective shechita *Numerous health violations

Rabbi Tannenbaum also wrote:

A continuation of kapparos kashrus abuses cannot be allowed to continue. The kosher consuming public must become sensitive to this issue and register its outrage. . . .

Reviewing the entire current kapparos situation, using
alternatives to chickens such as money to tzedakah, might be a desirable option.

We will be releasing footage of all these abuses (please see the second enclosed DVD) and submitting a full report to the Kashrus Information Service detailing all these serious problems. In every step of the process, it is clear that Rabbi Hecht is intentionally operating at a volume well beyond the capabilities of NCFJE, and he makes no effort to ensure that the birds are treated according to the principle of tsa’ar ba’alei chayim.

Since kapporos in 2007, PETA has tried to work quietly behind the scenes with NCFJE to help the organization recognize and resolve these issues.
However, it is evident that Rabbi Hecht takes no responsibility for any of these problems and expresses no regret or remorse for the flagrant cruelty or the gratuitous slaughter that has misled participants and wasted lives and money. In addition, Rabbi Hecht will not entertain any measures to abate this waste and suffering. On April 1, 2008, Rabbi Hecht informed us that he was ending all correspondence with PETA on this issue.

For all the reasons outlined above, we respectfully request that the Kosher Law Enforcement Division investigate whether deceptive advertising and fraud were committed by Rabbi Hecht. We also ask the Kosher Law Enforcement Division to take all necessary measures to ensure that this disgraceful conduct is not repeated by NCFJE this year.

Sincerely,

Philip Schein
Policy Department
PETA
757-962-8354
PhilipS@peta.org

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19 Comments

  • conspiracy theory

    There is only two words to explain PETA’s actions: Reform Movement

    The Union of Reform Judaism is threatened by Chabad. The idiots dont know how Chabad really works. Through their connections, this is how they try and get back at us, by reporting Crown Heights kappores to them.
    Think about it, Crown Heights is not the only place doing Kapporos, but the fools in the URJ only know of Crown Heights in regard to where the Chabad community lives. Reform is not threatened by Satmar or the Litvish…only us.

    Shluchim should be very careful when dealing with Reform Rabbis. Deal with them at an arms length.
    They are not your friends. Most cooperation leads to them calling places like PETA and getting us in trouble.

  • anon

    milchamah she’aino leshem shomayim…..

    what is the wonder here that there are problems….ve’chulu

    moshiach now

  • Boruch ben Tzvi (A H)HaKohaine Hoffinger

    B”H
    It seems PETA has done some good.
    One problem might exist without PETA mentioning it.
    When Kapores is done on Erev Yom HaKippur there is not time to process all the chickens (this is what I just heard from a rabbi).
    If this is true PETA and others are being misleading.

  • shalom

    Doesn’t it bother anybody even a little bit that some of these allegations might be ture? Even from a very selfish perspective – didn’t everyone else think that the chickens they bought were going to the poor or to yeshivos?

    Now, Rabbi Shea Hecht is well repected, he frequently authors articles that I believe have appeared on this and “other” websites. I feel a little betrayed and dismayed that these allegations might be true.

    Even if they are not – activity has occurred that caused a major chillul hashem, much like the Rubashkin meat incident. Shame on these people.

  • Dovid

    I’m sure there is anther side to this story….As usual.
    But if there isn’t and all those chickens are really being thrown out,then there is a problem doing Shechita on them.

    I hope for everyones sake,that this is another case PETA going crazy,and not a real legitimate case.

  • zeit nisht nispoel

    I like it, PETA lecturing to us about shmiras torah umitzvos b’hidur. What a laugh. They couldn’t get us last year with a full frontal attack, so now they are appearing to be friends and concerned about our ruchanius. whom ever falls for this yetzer hora in a chassidishe l’vush by making even one positive comment about them is assisting the soton ham’katreg already early in the season!

  • Just Sayin-

    Yell at PETA all you want, but the reality is that kaporos is no excuse for tzar ba’alei chayim. I know there’s a rush and it’s erev yom tov, but if the kaporos were done in a more humane fashion, everyone would be better off.

  • Moishie

    Where was PETA then?

    ANKARA, Turkey — One man lost his toes. Others cut their hands and legs.

    Hundreds of Turks spent the first day of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha holiday in emergency wards on Sunday, after stabbing themselves or suffering other injuries while sacrificing startled and agitated sheep and other animals.

    Muslims sacrifice cows, sheep, goats and bulls during the four-day religious holiday, a ritual commemorating the biblical account of God’s provision of a ram for Abraham to sacrifice as he was about to slay his son. They share the meat with friends, family and neighbors and give part of it to the poor.

    In Turkey, at least 1,413 people — called “amateur butchers” by the Turkish media — were treated at hospitals across the country, most suffering cuts to their hands and legs, the Anatolia news agency reported.

    Four people were severely injured when they were crushed under the weight of large animals that fell on top of them, the agency reported. Another person was hurt when a crane, used to lift an animal, tumbled onto him, the agency said.

  • Milhouse

    “didn’t everyone else think that the chickens they bought were going to the poor or to yeshivos?”

    Who told you this? What basis did you have for such an assumption? Nobody is responsible if you just made assumptions without asking anyone. If you had taken the time to inquire into it you would know what happens.

    As many chickens are processed as is possible that day, but not all of them can be, so what should be done with the rest? Some could be kept in the fridge and processed the day after yom kippur, but again, how many, and what happens to the rest? Ideally they would be given to a goyishe charity, but I’m sure NCFJE has looked into it and there’s some reason why they won’t take them; maybe PETA has got to them and pressured them into refusing the donation.
    “But if there isn’t and all those chickens are really being thrown out,then there is a problem doing Shechita on them”

    Why? What exactly is the problem? They’re being shechted for a reason, so it’s not bal tashchis, even if they do get thrown out.

  • Hashem-s cure: MIVTZOIM to PETA Jews!

    B“H

    Where is PETA during the voodoo ritual ”Santaria“ (L’havdil), which involves brutal mutilation of chickens?
    And those ”manger scenes“ (again L’havdil) out in subzero weather, sheep and all?

    Oh, I forgot: it’s ”politically correct“ to accept all cultures’ rituals involving animals, except for those of frum Yidden.

    But guess what: the big leaders (from Norfolk, VA, where PETA is headquartered) spearheading this ”focus on Crown Heights’ kapporos” are Jews! I met their leader at our kapporos a couple of years ago.

    They need some heavy duty mivtzoim visits throughout the year.

    Didn’t our Rebbe teach that those Jews who are most resistant to Torah-true Yiddishkeit, are the ones most likely to have big neshamas needing direction?

    So it’s time for some big time mivtzoim.

  • Rami

    Blaming “reform” is the same as blaming “anash.” Lubavitchers were taught by the Rebbe Ahavas Yisroel. It should be practiced on this website.

  • WAKE UP YIDDEN

    FOR ALL OF YOU WHO GIVE PETA ANY JUSTIFICATION WHAT SO EVER I HAVE BUT ONE THING TO SAY: WITH SUCH FRIENDS LIKE YOU WE DON’T NEED ENEMIES! PETA IS SIMPLY OUT TO GET FRUM PEOPLE WITH LUBAVITCH AT THE TOP OF THEIR LIST.THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO PROBLEM BEING CRUEL AND TOTALLY IGNORING CRUELTY TO HUMANS BUT ARE SOO CONCERNED ABOUT ANIMALS. LIKE THE ANIMAL LOVING LADY LIVING IN LONG ISLAND WHO WOULDN’T HURT A FLY, BUT WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE BEEN A NAZI WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE TORTURE AND DEATH OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS. WHEN AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS TOTALLY OPPOSED TO YIDDISHKIET MAKES STATEMENTS OF ANY SORT IT IS FOR ONE REASON ONLY TO PACIFY AND JUSTIFY THEIR LACK OF YIDDISKIET AND SHOULD BE SHUNED IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. YOU CAN NOT TRUST SUCH AN ORGANIZATION. JUST AS YOU WOULD NOT TRUST THE KASHRUS OF SOMEONE WHO IS NOT FRUM. IT’S TIME WE STAND UP FOR OUR OWN. AND NOT START THINKING THAT MAYBE THIS SITRA ACHER HAS SOME VALID POINTS.

  • PETA Ignoramous

    No where in halacha does it say that you must use these chicken, Kaparos is a mitzvah init’s own right – deserving of the shechita alone. In fact in the gemora we see that they used to use plants for kaporos…and what about korban olaas and chattas which were burned completely no human use what so ever. PETA AmAratzim PETA AMMEI HAARETZ!!!!

  • send them all to me- I love chicken.

    Consumer Fraud? I have trouble believing that PETA is so concerned about whether I am getting ripped off or not.
    We all know from their previous Kapparos letters that their intention is clearly to do away with Kapparos in general and this “consumer fraud” is just one more little stone to throw.

    However, in this letter they said that this was a “shameless violation of the intent and practice of the Kapparos ritual.” Here PETA accidently implies that there is a certain righteous intent in the Kapparos ritual itself, contradiction their ultimate goal.
    But we know how they really feel. It’s hard to be careful about what you say when you will say just about anything.

    Aside from PETA however, there are some problems that come along with schlepping these chickens around Brooklyn crammed in the back of a sweltering truck for hours. Unfortunately the only people who take up the cause of these chickens are extremists like PETA who care more about the cause than they do the chickens- Poor chickens.

    Send them all to me- It’s my favorite.

  • truth

    for anyone that thinks PETA is a caring organization, please check out this website: petakillsanimals.com