Kosher Food: A Suggestion for Talk On Radio Station WOR's "Foreign Hour"

Kosher Food: A Suggestion for Talk On Radio Station WOR's "Foreign Hour," Sunday, January 22, 1933 -- 3:15 PM

A traveler who would make a flying trip to the capitals of the world and to the lesser centers of population, would, undoubtedly, bring back from his journey one word which is frequently seen and heard almost everywhere. The keen observer would not have failed to notice the three square Hebrew letters Kof, Shin and Reish, which, when transliterated, spell "Kosher," inscribed and displayed in the windows of a variety of establishments and enterprises. These establishments include restaurants, butcher shops, delicatessen stores and groceries. Clearly, "Kosher" has a close relationship to food.

On the statute books of many states in the Union, there are numerous provisions, enacted by the legislatures of these commonwealths within the past decade, dealing with the problem of "Kosher." In the courts of various jurisdictions in this city [New York] and other parts of the country, cases are frequently heard in which the word "Kosher" figures prominently and is often the basis for determination by judge and jury as to the guilt or innocence, responsibility or freedom from responsibility of the defendant at bar.

Obviously, there is in existence a Kosher food problem of wide ramifications. This problem is of vital and deep concern to consumers and producers alike, to the individual as well as to the community, to the bar as well as to the bench.

Before touching the core of the matter, I believe I will be voicing the sentiment of a vast radio audience within the Metropolitan area as well as in other centers of population, when I shall, at the outset, express appreciation and thanks to Station WOR for its courtesy and cooperation in devoting this afternoon's "Foreign Hour" to a factual presentation of the problem and a description of the methods which are being adopted in new York City for its solution.

The primary and principal problem of man, in his struggle for self-preservation, is his daily food. In the early stages of mankind's development, the satisfaction of hunger and the quenching of thirst for the moment were its only concern. When these immediate objectives were attained, man no longer worried. Matters of hygiene, questions of diet, problems of selection, and care for health did not enter into consideration, except, perhaps, for the dictates of instinct and preference of taste. As knowledge widened and experience accumulated, and especially since the day when the Commandments of revealed religion have become a potent and regulatory factor, man could no longer be governed only by his desire to eat. He learned that before satisfying his hunger, he had to stop and think what and how to eat. Sets of rules and regulations, evolved in the course of experience, came into being. Hence the origin and the basis for hygiene and laws of diet which, although not as yet developed to such perfection as to secure man's sustained enjoyment of health and happiness, are, perhaps, the very foundation of the life of the human species.

The first recorded doctrine of hygiene and certainly the earliest code of dietary laws, now a subject of immense interest to present-day science in this field, is contained in the sacred Books of the Bible. When the people of Israel came upon the scene of recorded history, they had the manifold blessings and sustaining advantage of a system of dietary laws, carefully and minutely drawn. This system, a gift of revealed religion, sanctified by custom and practice for thousands of years, expounded and carefully guarded by Rabbinic tradition and interpretation, has been one of the principle factors which have contributed towards the survival and preservation of the vigor of an ancient race, compelled by historic circumstances to live under unfavorable conditions.

This system is symbolized by the word "Kosher," which means "fit for consumption," "properly prepared" in accordance with the rules and regulations of the biblical dietary laws and under the supervision of Rabbinic authority.

For the information of that part of the radio audience which may not be familiar with the background, it perhaps will not be amiss to spend a few seconds on several explanations which will afford the listener a glimpse into the complicated and arduous tasks which must be performed in pursuance of the dietary laws before meat and meat-products, as well as poultry, may be regarded as Kosher.

In the first place, the animal or fowl must be slaughtered through a specific humane method known as "Shechitah." The "Shechitah" maybe performed only by a "Schochet" or a ritual slaughterer who must be well versed in the ritual law and properly accredited and certified by Rabbinical authority. The duties of the "Schochet" are manifold. Not only must he be able to perform the act of slaughtering in accordance with the many rules, swiftly and humanely, but he must also be thoroughly familiar with the anatomy of the animal. He must conduct a careful inspection of the lungs to ascertain whether they are sound. A defect in the lungs disqualifies the meat and makes it "non-Kosher." Other defects and conditions discovered in other parts of the carcass render it "non-Kosher." The carcass found to be Kosher must be so marked and stamped with the word "Kosher." The stamp must bear the date when the animal was slaughtered. The hind part of the carcass is not Kosher. Certain veins and certain fatty parts are not allowed for use. They must be removed. Meat cuts preserved in the icebox must be washed at certain intervals in accordance with the minute provisions of the dietary laws.

These and many other details must be attended to before Kosher products may be offered for sale as Kosher. It will be seen that an elaborate checking system, a method of supervision must be constantly employed to insure strict compliance. The maintenance of such machinery as is necessary to produce Kosher products involves an expense which is not attendant upon the production of non-Kosher products, hence the marked difference in prices which the public consuming Kosher products -- and this public does not consist of Jews alone -- is willing to pay and is paying for Kosher articles.

Here is where the Kosher food problem begins. The divergence in prices offers great temptation to unscrupulous dealers. To gain but a superficial understanding of the magnitude and extent of the problem, it is necessary to recall that numerous industries have sprung up and are functioning for the express purpose of satisfying the needs of the Kosher market. Limiting our consideration at this time to the Kosher meat and poultry market alone, it will be interesting to quote here the figures of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the year 1930. According to these figures, 159,673,975 lbs of beef, veal and mutton were consumed by the Kosher trade in that year in the United States. According to the figures of the same department, published in May, 1929, 12,000 carloads of live poultry, having a retail value of more than $100,000,000, reach New York terminals annually, most of which is being shipped to meet the needs of the Kosher trade in this city. Limiting our view to the City of New York alone, it has been estimated that the weekly consumption by the Kosher trade in the city amounts to 3,000,000 lbs. of meat and 4,000,000 lbs. of poultry. It has further been estimated that the Kosher trade in New York City takes in, annually, an amount of approximately $200,000,000 and that approximately $25,000,000 is being paid by the Kosher consumer in excess of the normal value of the articles because of his belief that the article sold to him is Kosher.

For decades this has been a perplexing problem to the Kosher-products-consuming public and to the religious leaders of the Jewish communities. Those insisting on complying with the dictates of their conscience and with the dietary habits of their race could never feel sure that the food they were buying and paying for in excess of its normal value was actually Kosher. A gigantic problem which affects not only religious faith and practice but also the moral standard of the community as a whole has thus a reason to perplex and plague the mind and conscience of religious authorities, leaders of public opinion, legislators and courts. The necessity of guarding the public against misrepresentation and fraud led the legislature of the State of New York to enact special provisions in the Penal Code of the State, making the sale of non-Kosher foodstuffs as Kosher a misdemeanor punishable by fine and prison. The validity of these provisions, the so-called Kosher Law, was contested and upheld by a decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Still, the evils and abuses have not, as yet, been eliminated. The absence of an effective system of supervision to prevent misrepresentation and abuses necessarily left the eradication of the Evil to chance. Occasionally, a violator of the law was apprehended and brought to the bar of justice. The basic condition, however, remained deplorable. Lack of unity within the Orthodox Rabbinate itself, the authority which alone has the power to determine matters of "Kashruth," was another contributing factor.

It should be a source of gratification to the community as a whole and to the consumers as well as THE producers of Kosher food to be informed that the movement to secure the condition and create order out of chaos in so vital a field is on the road to success.

The Kashruth Association of Greater New York, under whose auspices and on behalf of which it affords me great pleasure to speak this afternoon, has evolved and is putting into effect throughout the Metropolitan area an extensive plan which holds out great promise to remedy the conditions I described before. Under the aegis of the Kashruth Association have united 228 Rabbis in the City of New York and many leaders prominent in all walks of life, to give strength and support to a community supervision of Kosher food production. Under the leadership of its able and indefatigable President, Mr. Samuel Rottenberg, the entire field has been surveyed and plans have been laid to assure the consuming public that high standard to which it is entitled. The President of the Kashruth Association, who will follow me, will, I am sure, acquaint you with many facts and details which will be of interest to the public. As one who is familiar with the deplorable conditions which have been existing in the Kosher trade for many years, as one who is frequently seen, at close range, the necessity for remedial community action in this field, I wish the Kashruth Association of Greater New York the fullest success and bespeak for it the support and [...] of the public.

(Publication details unknown. Text taken from typewritten manuscript.)