Woodside_park Synagogue

Shechita UK

Dear Rabbi,

You may recall the coverage last year, of the latest challenge to Shechita at the European Parliament. I explained at the time that a proposed amendment to food information legislation would require the pejorative labelling of shechted meat, which could have disastrous consequences for the provision of kosher meat in the UK and across Europe. After an intensive lobbying campaign, and some excellent support from the Jewish community, the amendment was rejected by the Council of the European Union. Since that time however, Shechita UK has been at pains to point out that the battle to safeguard shechita is far from over.

I regret to inform you that, once again, two amendments have been tabled which will require the labelling of meat - one which would require the label, 'from slaughter without stunning' and another requiring, 'slaughtered according to the shechita method.' The effect of each of these labels is to single out the Jewish (and indeed Muslim) community.

This is a bill which deals primarily with food nutrition labelling, and we have therefore argued that any amendments about animal slaughter are inappropriate. In any event, if one does consider it appropriate to label meat with the method of slaughter, then one must label the meat with all methods of slaughter, including methods of stunning such as, electrocution, captive-bolt gun, gassing and clubbing. To ignore all of these practices and only inform consumers where animals have been slaughtered according to religious law, is nothing less than direct discrimination.

Our deep concern is that we may be unable to challenge these amendments with the same force as we have done before because the Jewish community will feel that this is a tired issue with which they are already familiar with and which probably doesn't deserve their attention yet again. I can assure you that we would not be asking for this support if it were not absolutely crucial and that, without the efforts of our community, we can expect opponents of Shechita to be successful.

I would therefore urge you to convey to your congregants/members the urgency of this threat and encourage them once again to visit www.shechitaUK.org and use the draft letter available there, to write to the British members of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee.

If you have any questions about the campaign or the challenges to shechita that we're facing both in Europe and in the UK, please don't hesitate to email shechita@theproffice.com . Many thanks for your continued support at this challenging time.

Yours sincerely

Henry Grunwald OBE QC
Chairman



To download this letter please click on the link below.