Soda.  Pop.  Coke.  S.S.B. (sugar-sweetened beverage).  Whatever you wanna call it, it’s bad for you.  Or so argues Mark Bittman, the New York Times‘ “Minimalist” columnist and prominent foodie in this Sunday’s New York Times.  This phenomenal article poses the question of whether soda may be the next tobacco.  He interviews proponents calling for a special excise tax on soda to fund obesity prevention programs, as well as other measures to curb the intake of these empty calories in a can (or bottle).  The article comes after Michelle Obama’s appointment to lead a national campaign against childhood obesity, which some believe is linked to an excessive consumption of soda and candy.

Though I am no longer a child and do not suffer from obesity, I am embarrassed to admit that I am a near-daily consumer of soda – specifically, Dr. Pepper (ahhh…).  Therefore, this article was of personal interest to me.  Would an extra tax on soda, or the appearance of a cigarette-esque warning label on soda, deter me from feeding my addiction (and I do believe it is an addiction) to the stuff?

I am envious of friends that are naturally repulsed by soda, and who are likely healthier due to their avoidance of it.  It is a vice that I would gladly live without, though as with any addiction, it is not easy to quit.  Of course, my addiction is not helped by the ubiquity of soda advertisements in our society.  Indeed, the soda marketing people usually are successful at targeting those receptors in my brain that displace the long-term goal of being healthy and avoiding diabetes with the short-term goal of chemically-induced instant gratification.

Perhaps, though, I have found a happy medium that will wean me off of soda for good.  A friend and fellow soda “junkie” turned me onto a sodium- and calorie-free drink sold at Target and CostCo.  It is called “LaCroix Water,” and is essentially carbonated water with several fruit-flavor options.  Furthermore, they sell it in a 12-oz. can, which provides the same gratification as holding a cold 12-oz. can of Dr. Pepper…but leads to a healthier result.

Although human beings are conscious individuals with the ability to make informed decisions on what to consume, we also have areas of weakness (even Superman could be brought down by Kryptonite).  Unfortunately, Big Food – as Bittman calls the soda and snack food industry – knows this, and they depend on it for their revenue.  If the government can help empower individuals (especially children and their parents) to make healthier decisions and avoid these unhealthy chemical substances, then I will be grateful.

Indeed, if I hadn’t been introduced to Soda as a child, my affair with the dark sugary liquid would not have lasted as long as it has.

Image courtesy of vitasamb2001

As I have watched the horrors of Haiti unfold from my safe and comfortable living room, I am continually saddened by a sense of ineffectiveness, of wanting to do more than write another check or say another prayer. I wish I could have an impact, do something to directly improve their lot, participate in a more meaningful way. I started to do some research to see if I could purchase goods from Haiti, and subsequently and came across information that was as familiar as it is disturbing. Despite adequate natural resources, Haiti cannot feed itself, much less produce many exports to support their own trade.

Once upon a time, Haiti actually grew much of its own food and even exported it round the world. Among other things, they grew coffee, sugar, and rice. The latter was and is the most important staple of the Haitian diet, present in nearly every meal and often eaten with beans. Local rice was grown in the mountains (largely subsistence farming) and the Artibonite Valley, where swamps produced highly nutritious rice.

After Baby Doc’s departure in 1986, Haiti desperately needed funds to make up for those their deposed dictator took with him. They cut a deal with the IMF (through heavy US pressure) for $24.6 million. Terms of the loans included requirements to reduce tariffs on rice and other products, and essentially open their markets to outside countries. Now, like many crops US rice is heavily subsidized by the US government, therefore less expensive on the open market. Haiti no longer had any import tariffs nor export subsidies that kept local rice prices competitive. And global food prices across the board were very inexpensive. Lo and behold, it soon became cheaper for Haitians to purchase less nutritious, imported, US rice (also known as ‘Miami rice’) than to buy it from their local resources.

Sound familiar? The same US policies that have subsidized corn and soy have all but eliminated local farming and squeezed prices for domestically grown, non-subsidized agriculture. The same paradigm and related policies in the US was equally implemented in Haiti. The arguments? Cheaper food meant more people would be fed (albeit less nutritiously). And of course open markets yield better trade and more efficient local and global economies.

In 2008 food prices across the globe sky rocketed, including rice. Food riots broke out all over the world, and although much of the US press focussed on SouthEast Asia and Mexico, Haiti was not spared this experience. People could no longer afford to purchase Miami rice, and the local means for farming had been all but extinguished. Many former farmers had moved to the cities to perform sweat shop labor. And so people who already went without went hungry.

According to the World Factbook, in 2007 Haiti imports totaled $1.844 billion while exports totaled $554.8 billion. The US sells almost half of these imports to Haiti, significantly rice.

Most US rice exported to Haiti comes from the American Rice Inc., a Houston based subsidiary of the global food giant Grupo SOS. In 2003, the SEC imposed sanctions on American Rice and several of their employees, Inc for attempting to bribe Haitian officials to illegally reduce import taxes.

According to the Grupo SOS 2008 annual report, increasing rice sales is one of their two top priorities (olive oil sales being the other). The report shows that rice sales and profits increased significantly in 2008.

Sales by business line
18.2 & 2006
19.9% 2007
25.9% 2008

EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) by business line

2006 14.8%
2007 18.1%
2008 75.5%

The report also notes that “The rice business performed exceptionally well in 2008, becoming the group’s biggest earner in this period.” The largest exporter of US subsidized rice profited and grew in the same year that food riots broke out in Haiti, one of its biggest customers. Much like oil profits were up during the gas crisis, and bank profits are up while people are losing their homes.

It seems like another case either of well intended policies gone awry or just pure greed. Take your pick, either resulted in a country that cannot feed itself. In the best of times, Haitians have been forced to eat less nutritious, (artificially) less expensive rice and have lost a major export/source of income. In the worst of times,they have no local food resources to fall back upon, and are forced to wait for imports to sustain them. I cannot help but wonder if the swamps where rice was once grown might still be standing. Or if the Haitian people had been able to maintain a self-sustaining, local agricultural model, the devastating problem of how to feed this country would be less amplified.

Obviously the short term concern is getting fresh water, supplies, and medical relief to the citizens of Haiti. But next up is rebuilding that country. Hopefully, the process will include better economic and agricultural policies, both globally and locally. In the meantime, in addition to sending them aid and prayers, we should be sending them our fair trade dollars for their available (limited) coffee beans, and encouraging them toward developing more like products including rice to sell at home and (once sustainable) abroad.

In addition, here are some other ideas on how to help:

Sign a petition to relieve Haiti of it’s debt; it seems they have more than paid their loans through purchasing subsidized global imports such as US rice.

Send a note to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and other coffee companies asking them to carry fair trade Haitian beans.

Purchase Haitian products and encourage business growth:
Cybercuchina (coffee)
Bonazle (coffee)
The Rainforest Site (crafts)
The Hunger Site (crafts)

It seems like an appropriate effort for this Tu Bishvat. “For man is the tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19).

On Friday, Sholom Rubashkin, the former owner of an Iowa kosher slaughterhouse, was convicted of 86 out of 91 fraud charges.  It has been over a year since the the Pottsville, Iowa slaughterhouse, Agriprocessors was raided by federal authorities arresting hundreds of workers.  Since the raid, vigorous debate has ensued regarding the treatment of the workers, the animals and even what it means to eat kosher meat.  The Jew and the Carrot hopes to continue this important debate.

Click here for the Jew and the Carrot’s coverage of the story including interviews, commentary and even a terrific video on the lives of the slaughterhouse workers.

The Des Moines Register, headquarters located a few blocks away, has reported that despite Mr. Rubashkin’s 163 charges and maximum life sentence, his son Getzel has said that [Rubashkin] has prepared for trial “intensely, but also with the peace of mind of a man who knows he will be, G-d willing, fully exonerated…He has been the source of strength and encouragement for those around him, instead of the other way around.” Mr. Rubashkin maintains that he is innocent of the 91 fraud-related charges for his first trial, which begins in Sioux Falls, SD, moved from Cedar Rapids, IA to account for any media to which potential jurors would have been exposed, according to the NY Times.

According to the Register, one of the fraud charges arises from violation of a provision in the 1921 US Packers and Stockyards Act, which requires cattle providers to be paid within 24 hours of sale, according to a 2002 order by the U.S. secretary of agriculture. Although a legal scholar interviewed by the Register thought this was a new application of the law’s provision, it speaks directly to one of the most severe problems with the US food system, which is informed by Jewish law.

Anyone who is familiar with the the status of labor rights in Jewish law will recall the requirement for laborers to be paid on time. Based on research by Mary Hendrickson, who presented at the CFSC conference last night, it is clear that one of the biggest challenges in the industrial food system stems from the lack of control and power among livestock producers, due to the increasing horizontal concentration among companies which purchase livestock. This concentration creates non-competitive environments which perpetuate the lack of worker rights, land degradation, animal cruelty and inability for livestock producers to move to more sustainable methods of farming and ranching.

While it is clear that the worker, immigration and other violations of which Rubashkin has been accused are not unique to Agriprocessors, they are representative of common practices in the industry, including lack of respect and prompt payment of livestock producers. As people concerned about our food system, we must work to strengthen the ability of the US Justice system to enforce all of the provisions of the Packers and Stockyards Act, through mechanisms such as upcoming anti-trust listening sessions around the country organized jointly by USDA and DOJ, which will begin in January 2010.

In parallel to the trial of Rubashkin’s actions relative to US law, we must think about the actions taken by Rubashkin and other Agriprocessors managers in the context of Jewish law, which many of their acts also violate. One wonders if Rubashkin was able to stand with the same peace of mind that he would be exonerated, as he stood in repentance before God and his community last month. As his community, we are responsible for holding him and others with power in our food system to account for acts which violate both US and Jewish law.

I presume the days when people don’t know they’re on a parody show are past, surely Steir knew what he was getting into. Presumably he thought this was the only way to get a hearing out there. But the entire segment me cringe. How embarrassing:

I’m going to state the obvious that his wearing a kipah doesn’t help after Agriprocessors, and so I’d like to publicly say for anybody reading out there: this man does not represent my people. He represents a lobby. Possibly it’s just his job. I don’t want to assume too much (the economy has been hard on everyone, after all). But not only has Steir seriously stretched food health logic to an extreme, he’s openly made a mockery of himself and his lobby. (All for the better, I suppose.)

But has he also made a mockery of his people? Has Jeff Steir opted to become a modern court Jew? Can we get the Anti-Defamation League on the phone — maybe “Abe Foxworthy”? — and defend our good name?

Good God, what a shande.

I am in a mixed marriage.  I am vegetarian and my husband and children are not.  If only I could have a plain old vegetarian kitchen life would be so good.  I could give away my fleishig things and have tons more space and much less confusion in the kitchen, not to mention I’d never have to wash another fatty greasy dish again.  I abhor buying and cooking meat and the times when I am alone cleaning up in the kitchen I view the mess like it is insult to injury.  You are probably thinking why is she doing it?  My plain answer is out of love for my family.

How could that be?  Well, when Shabbat rolls around chicken is what my hard working husband wants to eat.  For years I declined buying or cooking meat and then I was worn down when family and guests would grace our table and I would feel that sadly they preferred and were more satisfied when there were animals on the table.

Because I have lived for almost a decade without eating animals my family has realized that this was not a passing phase.  In fact, it was a visit on the 2000 Hazon Cross Country Bike Ride that clenched my fate as a vegetarian.  Believe it or not, it was a gift from the organizers, around the time of my birthday, that we visit the kosher slaughterhouse in Postville, Iowa.  Talk about a formative experience… since we had been discussing issues of environmental sustainability, all summer long, it seemed fitting at the time that we visit the slaughterhouse.

We were warmly received and given a brief lesson on what makes an animal kosher.  Then we adorned hard hats and blue protective jackets before entering the plant.  To get into the “processing” room we had to sidestep between whole skinned sides of cows that were hung from hooks and were moving on a device similar to how clothes are hung at the dry cleaners.  I felt like I was at some twisted playground trying to enter a wicked game of jump rope.  All of us had been holding hands in a line and after several tries I realized I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pass through the sides of cow fast enough– I was scared of getting hit.

I broke the chain and walked outside only to find myself retching and then sitting in our van crying.  Once I calmed down a bit, I remember looking up and realizing that I was surrounded by towers of caged turkeys stacked on the back of several trucks.   The sky was gray the turkeys were gray and I was through living a life that involved me eating animals.  Funnily enough, while I was experiencing a mild form of post traumatic stress, others walked away with the feeling of having witnessed a great mitzvah for kosher Jewish Americans–that here was a place dedicated to providing kosher meat for our people.

So now years later, I am doing a lot of things that I thought I never would.  I purchase, cook, serve, and clean up animals.  I am personally responsible for creating a demand for these products.  OK so I still avoid cooking cows and boycott steak restaurants but there are poor chickens whose lives rested in my hands and they lost, I lost.  However I do have some rules in my house:  1. I never take compliments on the animals that I cook. 2. If it had to die to be at our table there better be no leftovers.  Just as bad as buying and cooking the animals in my opinion, is throwing some away in the trash.

I was wondering if there were others of you out there struggling with a mixed home such as mine? Have you sold out like me due to popular demand or have you found some happy medium (if that even exists)?

Shmuly Yanklowitz at Cafe Nana, the first restaurant to receive the Tav HaYosher

One year after the federal raid of the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa, Uri L’tzedek (Awaken to Justice), an orthodox social action group,  has responded by establishing an ethical seal, Tav HaYosher, for all kosher eating establishments. “After seeing the pain and suffering inflicted by our own kosher industry on the stranger and the poor, the very people the Torah demands we protect, we realized we needed to be proactive and make a change,” said Shmuly Yanklowitz, founder and co-director of Uri L’Tzedek.

I  had the opportunity to speak with Rachel Rosenthal, an active member of Uri L’Tzedek and the Tav HaYosher campaign, and has taught about ethical kashrut in communities across the Upper West Side.

The Tav YaHosher campaign launches today with a public event 6:30 -8:30 pm at Cafe Nina, 505 W.115th St., 2nd floor, in New York City.  My interview with Rachel is after the jump.

What can people start doing, now, today, to support the Tav?

There are many different ways to support the Tav, which vary from short, one-time commitments to extended efforts that help increase the Tav’s agenda.  The first thing to do is actively patronize restaurants and institutions that have a Tav!  Second, the Tav should continue to grow, which requires increased awareness among both restaurant owners and community members.  We are always looking for people to call restaurants and ask them if they have heard about the Tav.  Similarly, hosting open house events and teaching in synagogues, schools, and other community venues helps spread the word about the Tav. Finally, if you would like to get involved in screening and auditing the restaurants, check out the Uri L’tzedek website for information about compliance.

What is your goal for participation?

Our goal is to eventually ensure that every kosher establishment in New York is upholding not only the highest standards of kashrut, but also the highest standards of moral and ethical behavior.  Often, conversations about social justice take place in negative terms of condemnation.  This is an opportunity for affirmation– to hold up those who are committed to both following the law and pursuing Jewish ethical ideals.

How many restaurants or other food establishments have agreed to participate?

So far, seven establishments have signed on.  We hope that number continues to grow quickly!

What made them willing to do so?

Many restaurants are already following the standards set out by the Tav– the right to pay, the right to time, and the right to dignity and a safe working environment.  Since all of these standards are outlined by New York State law, it is not only a matter of ethics; it is also a matter of legality.  There are also advantages to signing onto the Tav, beyond the desire to do the right thing.  We at Uri L’tzedek have made a commitment to supporting establishments that have the Tav, and encouraging others to do so as well.  All of the establishments with the Tav will be listed on the Uri L’tzedek website, and we are in the process of sending that list around to synagogues as well.

How long has Uri L’tzedek been working on this?

We are proud to officially launch the Tav exactly one year after the federal raid of the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa.  In the wake of the Rubashkins scandal, people’s positive associations of kashrut took a real hit.  In many ways, the Tav is a grassroots response that asserts that in fact, people can be– and should be– proud to be kosher consumers.  The Tav has been in the making for many months, partly inspired by the work of our partner organization B’ma’aglei Tzedek in Israel and their phenomenally successful Tav Chevrati.  The Tav HaYosher has been growing for many months, with the first Tav being awarded in February.

What inspired Uri L’tzedek to work on this initiative?

Uri L’tzedek is an Orthodox organization built on the idea that social justice is inherently part of the halakhic system.  Instead of leaving social justice to so-called “liberal” Jews, everyone has an obligation to fight for a more just world.  This needs to start at home, with the people who serve our food.  After Rubashkins, we all have an obligation to assert that kashrut is about more than simply having a seal on our food.  It is about ensuring that our food is created in a way that we can feel comfortable with, both halakhically and morally.

The Tav is an easy way for us to take responsibility for those who live– and work– in our backyard.

What inspired you personally?

I was blessed to grow up in a community that taught me that it is not possible to be a good Jew without being a good person.  Through all of my journeys, this value has stayed with me.  As I became a more strictly kosher consumer, i found that I was constantly considering the relationship between kosher food and ethical food. In the wake of Rubashkins, I was, for the first time, ashamed to be a kosher consumer.  To me, the chance to reclaim kashrut and affirm people who are doing the right thing– it seemed obvious.

How will this affect your life?

As somebody who lives in New York, I am very lucky to have a wide variety of kosher restaurants from which I get to choose.  Kosher certification means that I can trust that the food I’m putting into my body meets the halakhic standards I have set for myself.  The Tav allows me to add another layer to this commitment, ensuring that I am not supporting places that break the law and the moral standards I’ve set for myself.  I love having the chance to affirm those who are doing the right thing, and encourage others to do the same.

Why are you willing to make these sacrifices?

To me, this is not about sacrifice, it’s about opportunity.  Ignorance is not bliss in this case, and I do not want to claim that I am not responsible simply because I am not the perpetrator.  The amazing thing about the Tav is that it makes a real difference in the lives of real people who live in the same place as me.  Concrete change has to start in our own backyards.  The Tav is an important first step.

Shmarya Rosenberg’s blog Failed Messiah has become a one-stop hub for news and commentary about scandals and all-around unpleasantness in the kosher meat industry, among other foibles in the Orthodox community. With muckraking reporting and critical commentary, Rosenberg has held the feet of many in the Jewish community to the fire while providing readers with invaluable information.

Failed Messiah has been a leading force in the Jewish blogosphere since 2004, but the May 12, 2008, raid at AgriProcessors in Postville, Iowa, was the beginning of a new era. One year ago, government agencies staged the largest single-site immigration raid in U.S. history, arresting hundreds of illegal immigrant workers and uncovering such diverse problems as child labor and a “meth lab.” Rosenberg claims that Failed Messiah broke the story (although technical difficulties meant that The Des Moines Register posted it online more or less simultaneously). He has stayed in touch with people on the ground in Postville to report about what’s going on from many perspectives, Failed Messiah’s readership jumped to about 15,000 page views on some days, and he became somewhat of a hero when he unveiled the questionable practices of AgriProcessors’ PR company, 5WPR.

Below are excerpts of an interview I conducted with Rosenberg on Friday.

What was your reaction when you learned of the May 12, 2008, raid?
My reaction was shock, even though I knew that there were certainly some illegal workers there—there are in most places. … When I realized that [76] percent of the work force were illegals and the abuse stories that I heard rumors of started being confirmed over and over and over again by workers that didn’t even really know each other, all telling the same stories and telling the same stories to their attorneys and telling them to the feds and telling them to anybody you can imagine ….

Do you think AgriProcessors was singled out—because of anti-Semitism, prior publicity, or any other reasons—for practices that go on industrywide?
Sh*tty salami! … No, I don’t think AgriProcessors was singled out because it’s a Jewish company. I don’t think there was any anti-Semitism involved. I don’t think they were singled out for any other reason than that they were a very easy target for the Department of Homeland Security, who has been, for the last several years, looking for easy targets. They were very, very, very easy. They’d been warned about social security numbers not matching. You see from the indictments file, and from some things that people have already pleaded guilty to, you see that they knew there was a raid coming, that they were trying to cover as many workers as possible with different fake documents so that it would be harder for the feds to identify them as illegals. … They couldn’t let the entire plant go. They were trying to cover the ones that were the most exposed, I think—either that or the ones that were the most important to them and the ones they’d get the most money out of, I’m really not sure.

Overall, are you pleased with the response of the Jewish community?
No, but I’m very rarely pleased with anything, so that has to be taken with a bit of a grain of salt. No, I’m really not. I think you have two basic reactions, actually three, and the reactions are split along affiliation. The more on the Orthodox scale you are in terms of religious observance, the more likely you are to say that AgriProcessors didn’t do anything wrong or didn’t do anything that any other company doesn’t do, that there’s a lot of anti-Semitism, [and] that the goyim are out to get us. …

Then you have the other side of the divide, which is the non-Orthodox Jewish community, which of course varies everywhere from the most secular to the most traditionally Conservative. And there you have, by and large, a response that is a cross between apathy and “it’s a shonde for the goyim, so we shouldn’t really be talking about it.” People talk amongst each other … but you didn’t find concrete action taken or much indignation in a publicly expressed way.

On the other hand, you have a minority amongst that segment of the Jewish community, whether you’re dealing with Rabbi [Morris] Allen and … Magen Tzedek [formerly known as Hekhsher Tzedek]. And they’d been working on that before the raid anyway, but you have a group of people around that who showed interest—some simply because it fit their agenda, some because the raid was a shock to them and the treatment of the workers was a shock to them and they truly wanted to right a wrong. Some, like Rabbi Allen, whom I … have dealt with before, and he’s a straight guy. He’s doing what he’s doing because he believes in it and he wants to help people. He has concern with much greater than just [Magen] Tzedek. He’s one of the better examples of what could be done. The problem is that there are very few Rabbi Allens, and there are a whole lot of others who are either self-serving or ridiculous. And some of the people who are self-serving also do a hell of a lot of good. …

Some people did a lot of good. Some people thought nice things and did a little bit. Most people did nothing or were completely supportive of the Rubashkins [the family that ran AgriProcessors].

Do you think that the kosher meat industry is better today than it was a year ago—for workers, for animals, or for ethical business practices?
No. No, I don’t think that there’s a significant change—only in the sense that AgriProcessors, which was a major abuser, is unable to abuse as it did before the raid. They’re only doing poultry slaughter, so probably the animal welfare issues are relatively contained. But who knows?

For the rest of it, they had all these workers that were making $13 an hour, and they fired them all and then rehired some of them—most of them. But they rehired them at $9 an hour … they fired them at 12:15 and then at 12:18 they rehired them.

How have the kosher meat scandals of the last few years affected your dietary habits and your outlook?
I became a vegetarian [although he did eat fish and is no longer vegetarian because of a personal health problem, he later clarified] from, basically, the moment I saw the PETA video [of the original AgriProcessors investigation] in 2004. And it wasn’t because I was grossed out by the blood or anything—I had worked in kosher slaughter before. I knew what it was. But the treatment of the animals was so poor, and the slaughter was so bad. It was nothing like what I’d ever seen done before. When I saw kosher slaughter done—I didn’t work as a shochet, I worked as a mashgiach and in other capacities—but when I saw shechita done, and the shochet didn’t know I was watching, the animal was down and out in 15 seconds. There was no visible pain. … It was as close to painless as you could get killing something. And Rubashkin is the exact opposite: [a] slower, more painful, torturous process. … It’s better than it was, clearly, that they’re not ripping out the throat with a meat hook, but it’s still bad.

Your own personal health complications aside, do you think that in light of the kosher meat industry’s current state, Jews should be vegetarian?
I certainly would not be eating any poultry or red meat. That would be for kashrut reasons and also just because, for me, if I can eat and be comfortable and be well and not have to inflict pain on something, not have to deprive something of its existence in order to eat, I’m happy with that. But then you also get into the eggs issue and how eggs are processed and the incredible cruelty that goes on with killing all the male chicks and all the other stuff, and that’s not pleasant either.

You start looking at … the way factory-farming is today, and the breeding for it and the handling of it and everything. You get to a point where you’re left … either you’re a vegan, or you’re raising your own chickens, or something. But you’re not walking into a store and buying the average egg ….

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I’d like to emphasize that the most disappointing thing for me was the reaction of the Orthodox community to all of the AgriProcessors issues.

Photo by Julian Darwall. Illustration by Nick Shepard.

Attention Jewish Foodies! Check out this article, “Culture Clash in the New Jewish Food Movement”, published recently in New Voices, describing the question of elitism in the New Jewish Food Movement.  The piece is meant to start a conversation about the multiplicity of entry points and priorities in the Movement, and I hope you find it interesting. As an active member in the New Jewish Food Movement and a reporter on this piece, I found myself in some fascinating conversations that I hope will continue with all of you.

The article begins…

“When Ethan Genauer discovered that he couldn’t afford to attend the food activism conference hosted by the Jewish environmental group Hazon last December, he decided to make a fuss…”

Read the full text by clicking above or here.

Although social justice has been a subject of importance to many Jews throughout the generations, Orthodox communities have often lagged behind other segments of Jews in supporting such efforts, failing especially in supporting social justice initiatives that extend beyond their own immediate communities. The organization Uri L’tzedek (Hebrew for “Awaken to Justice”) is rapidly growing into an alternative to Orthodox social justice apathy. Uri L’tzedek is a grassroots organization founded nearly two years ago by students of the Manhattan-based rabbinical school Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, as well as others interested in spreading ideals of social justice throughout Orthodoxy, especially Modern Orthodoxy. Uri L’tzedek disseminates this message through a combination of educational programs, training leaders in social justice activism, and actively pursuing progressive change through lobbying, community organizing, and other endeavors. Uri L’tzedek has been heavily involved with the situation at Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa. The organization’s latest exciting project is the imminent launching of the Tav HaYosher (Ethical Seal), a program to denote which New York kosher restaurants treat their workers with the minimum workplace conditions accorded them by law.

To be sure, a great many Orthodox Jews are involved with a ride range of social justice projects. However, it often seems that, relative to non-Orthodox Jews, Orthodox Jews tend to be less involved with social justice projects beyond their communities. One downside of this passive behavior has been reluctance to question the treatment of the workers upon whom the Orthodox Jewish infrastructure has been built. Schools, camps, restaurants, shuls, stores, and more: all businesses that cater largely to Orthodox communities and, like much of the rest of America, rely largely on immigrant laborers with little or no knowledge of English. These workers are highly vulnerable to being manipulated and taken advantage of, and have little or no recourse to seek help, owing to a combination of fear and lack of knowledge of the American legal landscape. Such practices are prevalent throughout America, but Orthodox Jews must not look the other way at these practices, which are blatantly illegal and run counter to halakhic business strictures.

Yet it is high time that the Orthodox community be more active in social justice activities, both within Orthodox communities and in greater Jewish & general society. One area that Orthodox Jews have a particular power to effect change is the kosher food industry, where Orthodox Jews represent the majority of consumers and a large percentage of business owners. Certainly, many of these businesses operate within or beyond the law in terms of worker treatment, safety regulations, and other ethical businesses processes. Yet, unfortunately, there are also many of these businesses that fail to provide their workers with the proper legal workplace conditions. And this is where Uri L’tzedek’s Tav HaYosher program comes in. The Tav HaYosher rewards those New York kosher restaurants with this ethical seal who treat their workers in accordance with the minimum standards guaranteed by city law.

The Tav HaYosher draws on the model of the Israeli initiative of B’Maagalei Tzedek (Circles of Justice) and partners with grassroots initiatives such as the Peulat Sachir (Ethical Wage) in Los Angeles, volunteer efforts in which kosher restaurant consumers investigate the workplace conditions of such restaurants. The Tav HaYosher focuses on 3 standards: 1) Fair Pay-whether employees receive the minimum wage granted them by New York state law; 2) Fair Time-whether employees receive their legally granted minimum break time and time-and-a-half overtime compensation, and 3) Fair & Safe Work Environment-a workplace with adequate sanitary conditions and safety measures, where employees are allowed to collectively organize free from punishment, and not be discriminated on the bases of such characteristics as race, color, religion, and sexual orientation.

According to a 2005 study of New York City restaurant workers, more than 30% are harassed on the job, nearly 60% denied overtime, and more than 10% receive less-than-minimum wage. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that conditions at kosher restaurants are any better. With this in mind, restaurants who agree to the free service offered by the Tav will be subject to an initial audit by volunteer compliance coordinators who will determine whether the restaurant upholds the aforementioned standards. Compliance coordinators will review conditions on a frequent basis to ensure continued satisfactory workplace standards. Restaurants who are granted the Tav will display it in a window or other location visible to all customers. Thus, consumers can know instantly whether or not a particular restaurant grants treats its’ staff in accordance with the minimum legal standards of New York State.

As we have seen from Agriprocessors and the Bernie Madoff scandal, organizations run by Jews active in Jewish affairs, sadly, do not guarantee honesty in conducting business. The time has come for all Jews to assert that they are responsible not just for those in their own community or denomination, but all the earth’s people, who are just as much the children of G-d as we are. In the Torah, our forefather Avraham challenged G-d over His plan to destroy the sinful cities of Sodom and Gemorrah, saying to G-d “Shall not the Judge of all the Earth act justly?” (Gen. 18:25). Avraham, the very first Jew, bequeathed to his descendants many things, among them the importance of standing up for anyone suffering from unjust oppression. Uri L’Tzedek and its Tav HaYosher offer opportunities to live up to continue the work of Avraham by offering a revolution in asserting the values of Judaism through social justice. Anyone who is interested in getting more involved with Uri L’tzedek and/or the Tav HaYosher is highly encouraged to visit or email uriltzedek(at)gmail.com