Jews United for Justice responds to local rabbi's call for boycott of meat from Agriprocessors meatpacking plant:
(Full text of the letter calling for the boycott follows below)

Jews United for Justice and the organized Jewish community have long been deeply committed to workers rights and an immigration system that is true to America's heritage as a country of immigrants. Jews should not have to choose between these values and being able to keep kosher. We share Rabbi Herzfeld's concern about ethical practices at the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Iowa. However, we must consider them in the light of the fact that workers are exploited at meatpacking plants across America, and our response must address this larger reality. Furthermore, the raids that precipitated the recent scrutiny of Agriprocessors are symbolic of an immigration system that puts workers and families at risk by forcing people to live in the shadows while failing to protect America's security or support American businesses.

Our goal is for the rights of workers to be protected, for immigrants to be able to live the American dream just as our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents did, and for kosher meat to be available to people who keep kosher. We believe that Rabbi Herzfeld is correct when he says that "we should act with caution and concern." For the workers of this plant and their families, the goal is for labor practices to improve, not for the plant to go out of business. Suspending purchases of Agriprocessors' meat should be the option of last resort. For this reason, and because these labor practices are widespread in meatpacking plants across the country, we are not yet sure that suspension is the right strategy.

However, JUFJ is excited that projects like Hecksher Tzedek and Kol Foods enable Jews to support manufacturers that combine our deepest held values with traditional kashrut by creating positive incentives for companies to improve their labor & environmental practices.

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May 22, 2008
Rabbi Kalman Winter
Director
11161 New Hampshire Ave, Suite 402
Silver Spring, MD 20904


Dear Rabbi Winter:

It has been reported in The Washington Post and The Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Agriprocessors Inc., also known as Rubashkin's meat, has been the subject of a raid by the government on their kosher slaughtering plant.

It has been reported that numerous, serious ethical violations have gone on there and there has even been an allegation of a meth lab on the premises. Furthermore, certain other allegations might have a direct impact on whether the animals are actually slaughtered properly.

Although we can not be certain, at this time, whether the allegations are actually true, we should act with caution and concern.

Thus, I urge the Vaad Harabonim of Washington to temporarily suspend Rubashkin's meat in the stores and caterers that it supervises. Because such a suspension, if it applied to product currently in the inventory of stores and caterers - as well as product in people's homes and in restaurants - would impose a burden on those persons and entities, I suggest that this ban apply only to future shipments from Rubashkin's and that the suspension expressly provide that it does not apply to product that had been shipped by Rubashkin's prior to the suspension. I also urge the Vaad to personally investigate this matter and report back to the community on the status of this company.

Sincerely,

Shmuel Herzfeld
Rabbi
Ohev Sholom-The National Synagogue