And who were the mourners? http://magentzedek.org/pdfs/Report%20of%20the%20Commission%20of%20Inquir… 33 Harold Kushner, To Life! food – by examining kashrut in Judaism and halal in Islam. -Barack Hussein Obama, In his inauguration address January 9, 2009 Barack Obama became the first American President Nevertheless these shall you not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those that divide the hoof . synagogue life. Over thirty years ago I would often hear Reb Zalman ask why it was that Jews and Muslims could not stand together in peaceful prayer at Hebron and acknowledge that Father Abraham, Ibrahim was father to both Jews and Muslims. The Commission identified a number of areas of inquiry – wages and benefits; employee health and safety; product development policies; animal welfare; environmental impact: and corporate transparency and integrity20. Alcohol, even in miniscule quantities, is prohibited in halal foods. With a profound sense of irony, the official opening took place September 13, 2001, two days after the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the. refer to as Ibrahim, father of Isaac and Ishmael. Similar lobbying has taken place in New Jersey and New York. by Simcha Raphael, Ph.D. “For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. Pam Geller, Kashrut and Halal. There are not many meal kit companies with kosher meal plans or halal meal plans in Canada. There are national companies, like Tom’s of Maine, Cabot Cheese, and Abbot Laboratories that are beginning to market within the American Muslim community.46. elucidation of these texts Jews and Muslims developed comparable systems of dietary laws, ritual Many wells but one river. It is a statement of the obvious to say relations between the descendents of Isaac and Ishmael, particularly in this century, have not been all that fraternal. In addition to being a description of impure, forbidden food, haraam is also used to categorize certain types of illicit behaviors.32. command according to His will and plan. Jews and Muslims are both “People of the Book” and as a result there is somewhat of a common mythic history. The Islamic dietary laws (Halal) and the Jewish dietary laws (Kashrut; in English, kosher) contain both points of similarity and discord. 37 See Vivian Mann, et. restaurant in Mahaneh Yehuda market in Jerusalem, and arranged for the two of them to meet, and eventually suggested to Haba that he join him in moving to Montreal, Canada and opening up a restaurant. After the Hekhsher Tzedek Commission documents were released, both clergy and laity, the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, approved the entire proposal of the Hekhsher Tzedek Commission. Maybe it is JakeTrapper on CNN who asked, would you rather eat healthy Halal/Kosher meat that has met the requirements of hygiene or just any animal, sick or otherwise. The foundation for Muslim dietary practices is found in Qur’an, and in the Sunna, the practices of the Prophet Muhammad, as delineated in the Hadiths, and subsequently developed in later Islamic law, known as shari’a. I am confident that based on my understanding of Islam, if it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. significant, highlighting the priority ethical kashrut has assumed in the American Jewish community. 12:21-25); separation of meat and milk (Ex. Consequently, while Kosher meat and Kosher cooking satisfy the requirements of Halal, the reverse is not the case. And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which you shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Hence food items and drinks showing the kosher symbol containing alcohol are not halal. 12:21- 25); separation of meat and milk (Ex. decades, I see an example of how a prophetic idea based on values of right relationship to earth and other human beings, can grow into fruition and manifestation. Rabbinic Directorship of Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael – www.interfaithways.com. Food that conforms to the Kashrut, the Jewish Dietary law is said to be kosher and fine for consumption. It is an attitude towards inter-religious Swine is forbidden (treif / haram) Amphibians are forbidden (treif / haram) Insects are forbidden (treif / haram… JACOB’S STEW – A VISION OF SHARING OF FOOD BETWEEN MUSLIMS AND JEWS, The Book of Genesis speaks of the death of the Patriarch Abraham, whom Muslims refer to as Ibrahim, father of Isaac and Ishmael. Sassi Haba, a right-wing Likudnik, and Musayid Amla a Palestinian from Beit Ula, near Hebron, met faceto- face for the first time at an Israeli roadblock near Jerusalem. It also gives me a sense of hope that real societal change is possible. We are a nation of According to Midrash Tanhuma (Buber, Toldot 3), following the death of Abraham Jacob was preparing food for mourners. Ultimately, I advocate for the creation of some form of local and national dual Halal-Kosher certification. During the summer of 2001, Wilder Dining Hall on Mount Holyoke College, in South Hately, MA was being re-furbished and prepared as the first kosher-halal dining facility at an American College campus. Below is a collage of texts highlighting points of similarity in the foundational sacred scriptures upon which the systems of kashrut and halal are based.34, And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, Speak to the people of In the realm of industry and food marketing, there can be developments in advocating for Arabic and Hebrew are similar, and in the sense that Judaism is a Middle Eastern religion, (rather than an Eastern European one) there are similarities of cultural styles, certainly between Sephardic Jews and Muslims. We can imagine that repeatedly during this time, Jews and Muslims had opportunities to share But I guess not. Submitted by Rabbi Arthur Waskow on 6/1/2009, SHARING OF SACRED FOOD AND NEW DIRECTIONS FOR JEWISH-MUSLIM DIALOG IN POST 9/11 AMERICA, “For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. The pig is also u… Foods such as pork and shellfish are strictly forbidden. Hinei ma tov, u mah nayim, shevet achim gam yachad. the functions kashrut practices served through the ages. Council, May 5, 2009. ethical certification seal that will be introduced to the kosher food industry in the coming months”.22, Now, eco-kashrut is about to enter the In the Muslim tradition, these fish are halal because they possess the appropriate characteristic of having true fish scales.. This is a very dynamic situation and no doubt there will be progressive changes in the coming years. 37 See Vivian Mann, et. embodied in the Hekhsher Tzedek movement, and (at least for the time being) symbolized in the Magen Tzedek “seal of approval”. Pam Geller the moran has a piece up on her blog, denouncing halal slaughter. the sharing of food as a way of healing inter-relationships with Muslims? But it can begin small scale, even at a local level. Using the image of a ever-flowing underground river, Fox writes: There is one underground river—but there are many wells into that river: an African well, a Taoist well, a Buddhist well, a Jewish well, a Muslim well, a goddess well, a Christian well, and aboriginal wells. well. Next I spell out the basis of a value of “deep ecumenism” as an antidote to the tribal particularism that has, at times, characterized Jewish life. Salient differences between kosher and halal are: Islam restricts all intoxicating alcohols, liquors, wines and drugs. However, there are other options, such as ready-to-eat subscription services and restaurants that deliver kosher or halal meals to the customers’ homes. 9 See Ellen Bernstein and Dan Fink, Let the Earth Teach You Torah (Philadelphia: Shomrei Adamah, 1992). Now, in the spirit of deep ecumenism I will look a number of instances in which Jews and Muslims have been able to share food together, and point to areas in which future creative collaboration can take place. I 72, No. A few weeks later I saw similar rulings in Jewish traditions and did not have the time to save that piece. As part of a long-standing strategy to guard against assimilation, non-Jewish wine, oil, bread, Kashrut law does not require a prayer for each individual animal slaughtered. and product development.23. It depends upon whom one asks. 44 J.M. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.” 1, In his inauguration address January 9, 2009 Barack Obama became the first American President to publicly name the diverse religious traditions comprising American life in the 21st century. Kosher and Halal are different. Hinei matov u’manayim, shevet akhim gam yakhad. consumer group. The driving force behind the ban on kosher slaughtering This oppressive maneuver is supposedly motivated by concern for animal welfare, but exposes the … conference”, Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, (January 23, 2004). is in your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a Foods that is not permissible is called haram meaning unlawful or prohibited. 1 (Fall 2007) p. 14. SHARING OF SACRED FOOD AND NEW DIRECTIONS FOR Gelatin is considered Kosher (regardless of its origin, even from non-Kosher animals). “Halal” is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permissible. Eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you, and In the next chapter of the Torah, we come across a passage describing the culinary activities of Abraham’s grandsons. 6 Arthur Waskow, “Down-to-Earth Judaism – Food, Sex and Money” in Tikkun .. to heal, repair and transform the world, edited by Michael Lerner (Oakland: Tikkun Books, 1992). In Kosher, halal and traditional meat all come from the same types of farms, with the same pesticides and waste, and the same harmful effects on the planet. After breathing his last at a good old kashrut more broadly as a way of measuring not only approaches to food, but speaking about “a broader sense of good everyday practice that draws on the wellspring of Jewish tradition and wisdom about the relationships between human beings and the earth.”5 Bringing to bear an entirely new understanding of kashrut, Reb Zalman would often ask, “is energy from a nuke kosher?”, Over the next two decades, a number of streams of Jewish life have converged leading towards United States. In addition to the Hekhsher Tzedek Al Pi Din document rationalizing issues of ethical kashrut in 2009. 17 According to Rabbi Morris Allen, he first spoke publically about Hekhsher Tzedek on Yom Kippur 2006 when he was beginning to get the Agriproccesors company to begin to change their orientation. The Wilder Dining Hall has become a model for other college campuses. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I beg you, with that same red pottage; for I am famished. This is not prohibited according to halal. Although our survery is by no means exhaustive, these texts demonstrate a commonality of I maintain that this is an entirely open area for future exploration and business negotiations with the Muslim community. For Jews, foods and drink acceptable for consumption are kosher, kasher, raf (Esth. In very little time, a community consensus has developed (at least among non-Orthodox Jews), that a traditional Jewish value of kashrut needs to be re-envisioned based upon emerging environmental and food consciousness values of the late 20th and early 21st century. After looking at similarities and differences between halal and kashrut, in the final sections of this paper, I explore ways sharing of sacred foods between Jews and Muslims. Kashrut is stricter, requiring mammals both chew their cud and have split hooves. 13 http://jcarrot.org/ Forbidden to you (as food) are dead animals (Qur’an 5:4). Through interpretation and 34-48. We can imagine that repeatedly during this time, Jews and Muslims had opportunities to share food. Rabbi Jill Hammer Most of the halal rules were laid down in the Quran. Kosher and halal are two different entities carrying a different meaning and spirit. Muslims. Throughout that decade, he continued teaching and writing advocating a new approach to kashrut, relevant not only to food, but applying a standard of ethics to all dimensions of Jewish life. NOTE --To the best of my knowledge, since the Torah permits the eating of six varieties of locusts or grasshoppers, Sephardic and/or Mizrachic/ Eastern Jews permit these. Regenstein, “Kosher al. any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination to you; In addition, there are ways kashrut practices do not conform to Islamic halal standards: Halal practice requires saying the name of Allah prior to slaughtering an animal. Chaudry, and C.E. The climate has been ripe for a new earth-based, value-based ethic of kashrut. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President_Barack_Obamas_Inaug… But this is only the beginning and not the end of the story. But these are they of which you shall not eat; the eagle, and the vulture, and the osprey, And the kite, and the hawk, after their kind, And every raven after its kind, And the owl, and the kestrel, and the gull, and the hawk after its kind, The little owl, and the great owl, and the barn owl, And the night prowler, and the gier-eagle, and the fish owl, And the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. night prowler, and the gier-eagle, and the fish owl, And the stork, and the heron We can imagine he carted a large pot of pottage to Mamre, especially for those mourning Abraham’s death. Peterson Littman, Making a Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide reciprocity. By way of conclusion, I propose the creation dual Halal-Kosher certification in restaurants and on food products. There are numerous similarities between halal and kashrut. 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