Autumn magazine out now

In this issue , we feature prolific author and founder of ‘Jews for Animals Rights’, Roberta Kalechofsky, who is also a JVS patron. She writes about the failure of historic kashrut to respond to the many problems in today’s meat industry. From her home country of America comes some very promising news: 400 million fewer animals were killed for food there last year, compared with 2007. Today, 16 million Americans now identify as vegetarian or vegan, 5 times as many as in 2009. Further afield, in Israel, the largest slaughterhouse in the country was shut down following media coverage, which revealed severe and repeated abuse of lambs, sheep and calves. On page 10, Yossi Wolfson, the JVS co-ordinator in Jerusalem explains exactly what has been going on inside these slaughterhouses, which export meat worldwide. In the last issue we celebrated Germany’s trailblazing decision to become the first country in the world to ban the shredding of live male chicks, which is done routinely soon after birth. We owe a special thanks to Rabbi Ariel Abel of Princes Road Synagogue in Liverpool for his piece, ‘We Can’t Eat Eggs from Mistreated Chickens’ first printed in the Jewish Chronicle [see page 26], in which he presents a compelling case that in order to maintain fully kosher homes, we must factor in the ethics of the farming methods. On page 8, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism and JVS patron, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg writes poingnantly about why animals need their own New Year. With the recent addition of new treats to our our membership scheme, there has never been a better time to join our community. JVS membership is open to all and makes a wonderful gift, see page 38 for full details. I wish all of our readers a Shana Tovah U’Metukah – a very happy and sweet new year Lara Smallman, Director – Jewish Vegetarian Society