The Conservative Movement and Heksher Tzedek Should Apologize to Sholom Mordechai

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magen-tzedekBy Rabbi Asher Zeilingold

There was great joy in Klal Yisroel when we heard on Monday that the jury had proclaimed Sholom Rubashkin not guilty on all 67 counts of child labor and worker abuse with which he had been charged.However, not all of Am Yisroel was dancing with joy. For the last four years, the Conservative Movement has waged a relentless and unyielding campaign against Agriprocessors and its most visible leader, Sholom Rubashkin. The Conservative Movement declared a boycott of all Rubashkin products, based on their many allegations and claims of worker abuse.

None of these claims had or have ever been substantiated, verified, validated, or proven by any respectable justice authority.

In tandem with their efforts to destroy Rubashkin, they promoted the Hekscher Tzedek, the Conservative mark of “ethical kashrut”. With every mention of the claims of atrocities purported to have happened at Agriprocessors, they spoke about the need for the Hekscher Tzedek. However, the first axiom of “social justice” must be that one may not destroy the life of another human being in order to promote one’s own concept of ethics.

I am deeply saddened to have to tell you that I believe without question or doubt that the Conservative Movement beleaguered Sholom Rubashkin with charges that were totally unproven only because they wanted to promote their Hekscher Tzedek.

Hekscher Tzedek was created by tormenting a fellow Jew.

This past Monday, June 7, 2010, there was certainly mass dismay and disappointment for the Conservative Movement. Sholom Rubashkin is innocent. None, I repeat, none of the allegations against him held up in court. The workers who testified against him were shown to be liars.

The Conservative Movement needs to take this matter very seriously. They need to stand up and admit the truth. They transgressed the most fundamental law of ethical and moral conduct by preaching to their constituency charges that were nothing more than the self-serving fabrication of the labor unions and the malicious design of Nathaniel Popper, who wrote his contemptible diatribe in the Forward newspaper, forming the basis of the Conservative jihad against Agriprocessors and Sholom Rubashkin.

The Conservative Movement needs to rethink and re-evaluate the Hekscher Tzedek. Does the Jewish world really need a kosher mark born and bred out of the pain and anguish of an innocent Jew? This is the time for the Conservative Movement to look back and reflect on the past and to go forward with truth and honesty.

Rabbi Asher Zeilingold, is the Rav of Adath Israel Congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota and can be reached via email [email protected]

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7 COMMENTS

  1. Disgusting and despicable!
    The “Conservative” movement has revealed what it realy is: WATERED DOWN JUDAISM that left behind the upmost Jewish maxime of ve’ahavta le’re’acha kamocha.

  2. I think that the frum(orthodox) communmity should not allow the hechsher tzedek lable on any of our products. We should boycott any company that feels they need this additional haskama on their products.

  3. Unfortunately, the “conservative movement”has to a large degree destroyed Judaism in the USA. Their standards a devised by human beings and they do not believe in the fact that the Torah is from G-d (but from some “smart” rabbis). The leaders of the movement are to blame for not exposing their constituents to authentic Torah. What is their Hechsher worth!! If spilling Jewish blood is not important to them, then their values are totally misguided.

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