My involvement in Hazon’s recent food work has opened me up to a whole new world of environmental and food issues and have given me a lot of “food for thought,” pardon the pun, as to how I can better my eating habits and thinking about how the food I eat gets to my table. As an orthodox Jew involved in mycommunity, environmental issues haven’t been strongly highlighted during my upbringing. However, changes are taking place in orthodox thought and I am happy to see more awareness and attention given to them.

It’s still fascinating, though, how people are genuinely intrigued to learn about CSA’s, Fast Food Nation, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It has happened to me on more than one occasion where I will be at shabbos meal with new people in my community and when asked what I do professionally, I start explaining what Hazon does. When I begin to explain about the concept of CSA’s with a Jewish twist (since I was a proud member of the Washington Heights CSA this season!) and about the various insights that have stuck with me, I realize that not only are my listeners very interested in these new ideas, but I am also very passionate about what I am saying as well! Whether it is about supporting local agriculture and decreasing the amount of fuel wasted to ship produce across the world, or the quality of eggs from Polyface farm due to the natural internal eco-system the farmer created which Michael Pollan describes, or how corrupt the meatpacking industry is in this country as highlighted by Eric Schlosser… I think since Jews are attracted to food (hey, we like to eat!) hearing about these insights catches their attention. Read more »

This past summer, Rabbi Natan Slifkin published a new book, called Man and Beast. (Rabbi Slifkin is known as the “Zoo Rabbi” for his many works on Torah, science, and the animal kingdom, some of which are considered very controversial in the ultra-Orthodox community). I haven’t read the book, but I have looked through some of his previous works and they seemed interesting, and this book has been on my list since I heard about it.

While researching the book, this blog post from earlier in the summer caught my eye

“While noting that animal cruelty does not make the meat produced from that cruelty treife, Rabbi Slifkin notes today’s factory farming methods are clear violations of tzaar baalei hayyim law.”

The concept of tzaar baalei hayyim (literally “harm to living creatures”) is found in various biblical passages, for instance, you cannot yolk an ox and a donkey together to plow, since the ox will overpower the donkey (Deut. 22:10). Given that “eco-kashrut” does not seem to be talked about in mainstream Orthodox circles, I found this post very interesting, and have decided that I really need to read this book.

Upon further investigation, I found this article which quotes Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, a leading Orthodox halakhic authority, who wrote the following in 1982:

“[in regard to the situation in which] every calf is in its own pen, which is so narrow that it does not have space even to take a few steps, and the calves are not fed the appropriate food for them, and have never tasted their mother’s milk, but they are fattened with very fatty liquids…this is certainly forbidden on the basis of tzaar baalei hayim. Even though it is permissible [to cause pain to animals] in order to satisfy human needs, by slaughtering animals for food, or by employing animals to plow, to carry burdens or other such things, it is not permissible otherwise to cause them suffering, even when one stands to profit from such practices (Igg’rot Moshe, Even haEzer 4:92).”

I really cannot believe that this was written 14 (!) years ago by one of the revered Rabbis of the Orthodox community. Now, he is not saying that lamb is not kosher because of it (since by its strictest definition kosher meat just needs to be slaughtered and cleaned properly), but I feel that he is saying that it is akin to a mitzvah haba’a be’avera, a mitzvah which comes from a sin (like using a stolen Lulav on Sukkot). Whatever the exact halakhic (legal) definition, it appears that R’ Moshe is against eating veal.

I feel that animal rights, environmentalism and the like have taken a back seat in Orthodox circles, but given the current surge of interest in organic food and environmentalism, maybe its time for that to change.

Tomorrow night is the county fair. The Kosher-style County Fair. It’s the latest event from the folks at the 14th St. Y and Heeb magazine, who’s aim, I think, is to be simultaneously outrageous, and Jewish, and Jewishly outrageous, so that you couldn’t possibly ignore them. I am…skeptical.

Earlier this fall, my good friend Noam competed in the a similar event, the 14th St. Y’s “Mr. & Ms. Jew-S-A” competition, and won. His magen david-shaped tofu (baked, then fried) and his superior Jewish charm earned him the crown. And so, as reigning champion of Jewish kitch (where you are compelled to ask, ‘is this for REAL?’), Noam will be judging the Kugel Bake-Off at the Kosher-style County Fair on Wednesday, November 29. And he’ll also be co-starring in a production by me, Leah Koenig and him: “Eggplant’s Adventures on VDate.”

VDate – Where it happens. For vegetables.

Eggplant is lonely and unlucky in love. She worries she’ll die an old babaganoush, wrinkled on the compost heap. Her friend cauliflower suggests she try VDate.

“Ew! I thought everyone on VDate lies about their nutritional content and price-per-pound,” says Eggplant.

“That may be,” says Cauliflower. “But this is where my cousin Fava met his pole bean…it could work for you. And plus, it’s kosher!”

Yes folks, this is for real. I’ll be performing tomorrow night, and we’ll do a retake at Hazon’s food conference if all goes well. It’s kind of outrageous, it seems almost that there is SO much Jewish culture in New York that it’s sort of overflowed its bounds, it keeps getting more and more ridiculous just to keep our attention.

But it IS interesting that the event is about food, and Jewish food. There will be sushi-eating off of (semi) naked bodies, a kosher hot dog eating contest, dill pickles, and the aforementioned Kugel Bake-Off (judged by Noam “Mr. Jew-S-A” – who doesn’t even like kugel, don’t tell!). The event will feature Heeb’s latest food issue, which declares itself to be definitely not about sustainability, or vegetables, or factory farms, or health—pure kitch, that’s all—and I presume that this event is similar. Still, food is what’s on our minds these days, and if we have to do something totally ridiculous to make a point, I guess we will.

So will Eggplant end up with PesticideFreeENYCE or YukonGoldstein?? Stay tuned…

Hello friends! To inaugurate the launch of this here web log — and keeping in our tradition of food, fun and Jewish life — we are launching a Jewish food joke contest! Submit all your favorite jokes about food in Jewish life here and we’ll post them for your chuckle-worthy enjoyment. Submissions will be read and the winning joke with be selected at Latkes to Lattes: Hazon’s Conference on Jews, Food and Contemporary Life on December 14 -17 (click for more info).

Our premiering joke is courtesy of Daniel Taub:

Greenbaum finally succumbs to years of temptation and enters a non-kosher restaurant. He decides to go the whole way and orders wild boar. It soon arrives - roasted whole, with an apple between its teeth on a silver platter.

Just as Greenbaum is about to raise his knife and fork, he is shocked to see his rabbi walk past the window of the restaurant. Equally shocked to see Greenbaum, the rabbi rushes into the restaurant to see what he is doing there.

“Such a fancy restaurant,” exclaims Greenbaum. “I just ordered an apple and look how fancy they serve it!”

This is the home of Jews, food and contemporary life on the web, with the aim of taking the talk about eating in the Jewish community up a notch. The sponsor of this site is Hazon, an organization dedicated to a more healthy and sustainable Jewish community on the road to a more healthy and sustainable world for all.

In the coming months, we will feature high profile interviews, feature stories, reflections from vast range of Jewish thinkers on what it means to grow, make, eat and dispose of our food consistently with Judaism’s values of concern for self, others and earth. Reach the blog team with news, events around the country and Israel, and story tips.