S'Derot

S'Derot is a community in Israel, located in close proximity to the Gaza Strip. In particular, it is attacked on a daily basis by rockets from Gaza. It really doesn't matter if the rockets are launched by Hamas, people affiliated with Hamas, or just very angry people who'd rather attack Israelis then channel their energy into a productive activity. The attacks are real, the damages are real.

Chabad in S'Derot has set up an online fund to aid the Jewish residents of S'Derot. I would urge you to assist them.

Iron Cholent

Recipes from the Cholent Meister of Chabad of Tyson's Corner, VA (outside of Washington DC). A companion blog to Capitol Chai Life

Cholent is a uniquely Jewish creation...

...while assorted cultures have stews and slow-cooked foods, in Judaism, it is a necessity, since observant Jews are strictly prohibited from cooking on Shabbat, in addition to being severely limited in the use of fire and electricity. While there is some debate about the origin of the word "Cholent" (and for that matter, the term is not universally used -- Ashkenazic Jews [of Eastern European origin] make cholent, while Sephardic Jews [of Western European and North African origin] make Dafina), the origin is reasonably well understood.

Shabbat stews first started to appear around the 4th century CE, but in the 9th century CE, a movement within Judaism arose in the area known as Mesopotamia -- present day Iran and Iraq. These Jews, known as Karaites, believe in a very strict reading of the Torah. In reaction to this group, the Rabbis of the day ordained that their followers have a hot meal as part of their Shabbat observance.

Obviously, this was a challenge, since Jews could not tend a fire, nor cook food. The meal would have to be prepared and mostly cooked by the time Shabbat came in on Friday night, and then have to sit on a pile of coals for sixteen to twenty hours, until it was eaten for lunch on Saturday.

Given these conditions, cholents are generally heavy on beans, root vegetables, grains, and red meat. This simplest cholents are in fact just that -- beans, beef, and onion. Still, cholents have acquired some variation in the past 1700 years or so, and for that matter, some slow-cooked dishes are perfectly fine for cholent. Chili anyone?

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Agriprocessors

Presumably, most anyone reading this has read of the ICE raid on Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa, and that Agriprocessors is the largest producer of kosher beef in the United States. There have been any of a number of allegations leveled at Agriprocessors, some that I find bemusing (for example, a shochet that was arrested for lack of a work permit was arrested because he failed to ensure the US Government had his correct address on file, and renewal papers did not get to him) and others that I do not find bemusing in the least.

Halakh is VERY explicit on the treatment of workers. Alot has been made of Devarim 24:12, but verses 14 and 15 also are relevant, as I am sure many other passages, as well as interpretations from important Rabbyim from Hillel and Shammai to the present day.

I don't know that this is explicit in Jewish (although it is certainly implicit), but it is very explicit in US law.

The accused is presumed to be innocent until proven otherwise.

I am disappointed in the calls around the country to boycott Agriprocessors. Suppose a boycott were to succeed? Would the company be able to recover from it? How would that effect the short term availability of glatt meat?

Now that being said, the Jewish Star has reported, and the Orthodox Union appears to have affirmed, that Sholom Rubashkin will step down from the leadership of Rubashkin's after a search for a new CEO concludes. I am hearted that the Orthodox Union is pursuing this approach. Likewise, I would hope this change will be a healthy one for the company -- many a company did well with it's founders, but as it prospered and matured, those founders often had to step back from their roles in order for the company to flourish. I hope that a new team there brings greater success to Agriprocessors and it's employees.
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