How ‘kosher’ is kosher food today?

The (herd of) elephant(s) in the room.

As some of you may know, for the past 13 years, I have been creating interventions in public spaces, exposing some of the insanity that passes for normality in our modern society, including highlighting some of the serious ethical violations of the people who own and run supermarkets, which is completely ignored and tolerated by almost everyone.

I had an agreement with my family that I would spare the Jewish community of my antics, especially whilst our children were young, to save them further embarrassment. Now that they are older, I have intervened a few times, and yesterday, I popped into a large Kosher supermarket in Golders Green called kosher Kingdom.

I wanted to highlight how many biblical commandments they were complicit in transgressing, but after less than 2 minutes in, the owner Mr Rokach, asked me to leave and when I didn’t obey his orders immediately, he instructed a staff member, Mustafa, to forcibly remove me. Mustafa got a little carried away and laid into me, punching me whilst I was on the floor and violently pulling me as if I was some kind of terrorist, when all I had done was speak out loud for 2 minutes. Mr Rokach watched for a while and then gently suggested that Mustafa left me alone but he couldn’t stop himself and continued to attack me. The footage went around the community quickly, but unfortunately, the man filming didn’t catch the first bit, so I have decided to explain what I was trying to say before I got rudely interrupted!

In general, the food industry is responsible for the ill health and early death of millions of people around the world, including the 412 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes. This is a far more widespread and dangerous pandemic than covid (and was responsible for many of the covid deaths too.) And then there’s the TRILLIONS of sentient beings (animals and fish/marine life) that are tortured and slaughtered.

Even though food might technically be kosher by way of its ingredients, if other commandments are transgressed with its preparation or marketing/selling, should the food be certificated as Kosher?

Although I do not claim to be a Torah scholar, I did have a very strong Jewish education (I think of it more as indoctrination) and chose to study in Yeshiva (religious seminary) for 3 years after school, so I do have some knowledge.

Unfortunately, food, including kosher food, has become big business, which is when the welfare of the people (and as I will argue here – Jewish law too ) is superseded by the profit motive. This is of course a systemic problem that can surely only be solved by a replacement of the system of ownership, profit and capitalism, which is unlikely to happen any time soon.
But Jewish people pride themselves on being a G-dly nation who do not just do what everyone else is doing, so maybe it is time to re-evaluate what kosher really means.

Here is a list of transgressions I believe are occurring, on a huge scale, at almost all kosher food shops (and most non-kosher shops) around the world.

Tzar Baalei Chayim (Hebrew: צער בעלי חיים), Cruelty to animals – Derived in Talmud from Exodus 23:5

It is a principle in Jewish law to treat sentient beings with respect and to refrain from cruelty. Factory farming today is a stain on humanity and it’s barbaric practices have been compared to the Holocaust very eloquently by a Holocaust survivor (watch a short video of survivor Alex Hershaft here

Even if you reject his comparison, I have found nobody who supports the barbaric and tragic practices at factory farms all over the UK, USA and Western World including Israel, and yet kosher shops stock animal flesh that was reared in such farms. Kosher shops also sell eggs, including barn eggs. These chickens in barns (and even in so called free range farms) are living tortured lives and the male chicks are systematically killed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udSiluTAOaQ) because they cannot lay eggs. The dairy industry is perhaps even worse, with annual forced insemination of cows (AKA *ape) with the calves removed at birth and wearing the cows down until they can no longer walk and then they slaughter them. Modern factory farming is a new phenomenon - surely it cannot be right for any frum (religious) person to support the torture of G-ds creatures?

‘Midvar Sheker Tirchak’ – Distance yourself from falsehood (Shemos/Exodus 23/7)

Kosher shops, like others, are saturated with products which have false and misleading advertising. The advertising industry is an industry of deceit, always exaggerating the good and hiding the down side. Take a look down the aisles of kosher shops, packed with sugar laden products (sugar is more addictive than cocaine) wrapped in shiny wrapping with misleading messages. Bread works on the same neuro transmitters as heroine. These products and many others, can lead to all sorts of health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay, obesity, anorexia, bulimia as well as mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, but the packaging is saying otherwise. Alcohol is promoted too (although less of a problem with that in the Jewish community than the outside dominant culture.)

Lifnei Iver Lo TIten Michshol - Do not put a stumbling block in front of the blind (Vayikra/Leviticus 19:14)

Kosher shops are full of sweets, chocolates, cakes, biscuits, crisps, and other drug laden junk food which are deliberately being pushed and promoted to both children and adults who have no defences to resist, therefore your promotion of them is akin to putting a stumbling block in front of a blind man and profiting from their sickness and vulnerability.

Vechai Bahem – And you shall live by them (Vayikra/Leviticus 18:5)

The Torah teaches a principle that you should ‘‘live’ through the commandments’ which is generally understood to mean that Jews should do things that enhance and extend life and use the commandments for living. This is one of the arguments used against smoking cigarettes. So too does the irresponsible promotion of toxic and addictive foods create illness and premature death and thus transgresses G-ds word (Vayikra/Leviticus 18:5) to live healthily.

Veahavto Lerayacha Kamocha – Love your neighbour as Thyself (Vayikra/Leviticus 19:18)

Would you deliberately try and sell sugary sweets to a friend or family member who had diabetes or to someone who suffers from Bulimia or anyone whose wellbeing you cared about? Would you promote sugar and try and sell sweets to your friends’ children or to your nieces and nephews?

Chillul Hashem – Desecrating G-ds name

There is a principal in Jewish tradition, which states that what Jewish people do in public can either be a Chillul Hashem (desecrating G-ds Name) or Kiddush Hashem (sanctifying G-ds name) I wonder what the non-Jewish employees think about all the toxic foods being promoted in these shops? Wouldn’t it be a real ‘kiddush hashem’ (sanctification) if kosher was redefined in a way that put a stop to the rampant selling and promoting of drug laden addictive foods which destroy physical and mental health?

Baal Tashchit – Do not waste – derived form Devarim/Deuteronomy 20:19-20

The amount of waste these large supermarkets create is shameful. They have started making efforts to distribute surplus food, but they still waste plenty, as well as encouraging consumers to buy large amounts of food, only for it to end up in the bin at a later date.

Although I am aware of the problems associated with labels, I do sometimes class myself as a recovering food addict. Because of this, I have met THOUSANDS of food addicts, who suffer from Binge eating, Bulimia, Anorexia, Body dysmorphia, diabetes, heart disease, depression and anxiety. These diseases can be fatal and can certainly reduce the number of years people live. This is a serious matter and an epidemic of huge promotions dwarfing things like Covid. I have known many people in the Jewish community and from without, who have suffered and even died as a result of eating many of the type of foods that are promoted in Kosher shops.

I would be more than happy to hear from Rabbis and leaders of the Jewish community if they disagree with my understanding of the laws above or if they disagree with anything else.

When I entered the shop, I managed to mention a couple of transgressions before I was attacked. I do not hold resentment towards Mr Rokach, the owner of the store, or towards Mustafa, the attacker, because I was not injured and I realise that if I was in their shoes and had the upbringing and experiences they had, there is no reason to assume that I would not do the same. However, Mr Rokach stood by watching his colleague assault me over and over again and did nothing at first and then gave a half hearted order for Mustafa to disengage. He then had the audacity to speak to me about my behaviour being illegal!

I want to make it clear that I am not putting myself above you. I am no better than you. I have eaten my fair share of animal flesh, dairy and eggs until I stopped at age 40 which is older than you are now. I have bought lots of toxic food over the years. I still patronise kosher stores (not so often) and Supermarkets (regularly) even though I know the extent of the crimes in which the senior management are complicit. I realise that the Beis Din (Jewish legal authority) are also implicated in this because they are making money from the certification of toxic foods.. Many people have pensions. These pensions are invested in food companies and supermarkets so I think its likely that I myself am benefitting from big food corporations and supermarkets. And all the customers are to some extent responsible because nobody is forcing anyone to enter the shop!

However, I do invite Mr Rokach and any other owners of Kosher stores, to consider whether you are profiting (sometimes very highly) from the transgressing of many Mitzvos/commandments, and whether it would be true to say that you are responsible at least in part, for the ill health and even early death of many people in the Jewish community? I invite Mr Rokach to rebut my arguments or point out my errors, if he disagrees.

Mr Rokach – you wanted to ban me from your shop (den of iniquity) which is fine by me. It will be good for my health and my wallet. Alternatively, instead of panicking like you did, you can do what other store managers have learned to do. They invite me back, let me get on with it for a few minutes and realise that it is likely only to IMPROVE your bottom line because ALL PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY! I am happy to tell you that although I was a bit shaken up by the vicious attack, after a lovely chat with the charming Shomrim volunteer, Mr Lebrett, I cycled away unharmed. If Mustafa ever does this again to anyone else, he could lose his job and that might be difficult. Best not to touch people unless they are a threat. You could have just waited for Shomrim to turn up instead.

Finally, what do you think about the whole situation? Do you think your behaviour and that of Mustafa, were in any way appropriate for the situation?