Interesting Blog Evaluating Claims in Kosher Meat Dispute

Currently, there is a major debate in the Jewish community about the kashrut (kosher status) of meat from Agriprocessors (which sells under the names David's and Rubashkin's). Several weeks ago, they were busted for major immigration violations for hiring illegal and undocumented immigrants. There have also been numerous, well-documented claims that Agriprocessors' workers were verbally (and perhaps physically) abused. I, and many other Rabbis, have decided not to purchase Agriprocessors' meats until the company has instituted reforms under transparent conditions, i.e. circumstances in which independent examiners are welcome to investigate both the slaughtering and business practices.

Many in the Orthodox community have been unwilling to criticize or vilify Agriprocessors, prompting an outcry from some more socially conscious rabbinical students and rabbis under the auspices of Uri L'Tzedek ("Awaken to Justice"); their comments have drawn criticism in turn from a spokesperson from Agudath Israel of America in a recent op-ed in the Jerusalem Post.

The debate is vitally important to those of us who want our meat to be kosher, AND slaughtered in a manner sensitive both to animals' suffering and the rights of workers. This is a growing trend in the Conservative/Masorti community both here and in Israel, and I look forward to continued progress toward publicizing and fulfilling this gap in kashrut practice.

The following link is a blog entry at MyJewishLearning.com by Daniel Septimus which evaluates some of the recent dialogue:
Mixed Multitudes » Blog Archive » Agriprocessors: Presumed Innocence

See Also:
http://www.goveg.com/pdfs/HumaneKosherSignatories.pdf
http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/16430/
http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/press/docs/hekhsher2008.doc