Chew by Choice: The Postville Raid and Magen Tzedek

Gadi Capela

By Gadi Capela
JCUA Rabbinic Fellow

On May 12, 2008, the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided AgriProcessors Inc., the kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa.  Nearly 400 undocumented immigrant workers, mostly from Mexico and Guatemala, were arrested in what became the largest raid of a workplace in U.S. history until then.

Most of those who were arrested were convicted for document fraud and identity theft. Correspondingly, several AgriProcessors employees and managers were convicted for conspiracy to harbor undocumented immigrants.

But there was more.

AgriProcessors Inc. (photo: The Gazette)

AgriProcessors was  paying substandard wages and offering minimal safety instruction and health care to its 800 employees, and was hurting the animals and the environment. As a result, the Conservative movement reacted with a new initiative called Magen Tzedek.

By invoking the verse from Deuteronomy, “You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger,” Rabbi Morris Allen advocated for an ethical certification for kosher food in addition to the current kosher slaughtering certification.

Magen Tzedek was founded on the principle that we are what we eat. It is an ethical seal signifying that kosher food has been prepared with the highest standard of integrity and care, including employee wages and benefits, health and safety, animal welfare, corporate transparency and environmental impact.

Magen Tzedek demonstrates that ritual and ethical commandments have an equal place at our tables.

To learn more about Magen Tzedek, join us for lunch with Gadi Capela on Tuesday, July 5 at noon at the JCUA office, 610 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 500. The event is free, but you need to RSVP on our website.

Instructor Makes Helping Others a Lifetime Mission

Ray Grossman

Making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate has been a longtime goal of Ray Grossman.  In the more than 12 years he’s worked as an instructor for JCUA’s Judaism and Urban Poverty (JUP) program, Grossman has helped hundreds of middle school students better understand the causes and effects of poverty and Jewish approaches to alleviating it.

On Thursday, June 16, Grossman will be receiving the annual Lincolnwood Human Relations Commission Award for promoting tolerance and helping others. The meeting will serve as a fundraiser for the Niles Township Food Pantry.

Rights and Roots– Exploring Immigration and Jewish Ethics

Join us for Rights and Roots: an engaging evening for young adults to explore the challenges facing both documented and undocumented immigrants in the U.S. through the framework of Jewish values and ethics.

Hear speakers from diverse immigrant communities share their personal experiences and join in a reflection and discussion on Jewish textual and cultural perspectives on immigration issues of today. Kosher food from various immigrant communities will be provided.

When: Thursday, May 19, 7-10 pm

Where: Russian Moishe House, 474 N. Lake Shore Drive

The event is free, but space is limited so reserve your spot today.

[Download a PDF flyer of the event to share with your friends]

For more information contact Emily Zucker Burns at 312-663-0960 or emily@jcua.org.

This event is organized by young leaders from the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs Associate Division, Birthright Israel NEXT Chicago and Moishe House-RSJ (Russian-Speaking Jewish).

Taking Passover from Remembrance to Action

Right about now you may be preparing for next week’s Passover Seder. Each year we gather with family and friends to share the story of a people with newly found freedom who vowed to teach their children (and their children’s children) the lessons of oppression.

The Israelites were freed from Egypt, but oppression still exists: hundreds of people lose their homes every day, workers are unable to earn a living wage, parents are separated from their children…

Every year, JCUA’s Or Tzedek program teaches Jewish teens these important lessons of oppression. Through a summer intensive program and year-round institute, Or Tzedek gives teens the chance to learn about issues of poverty and inequity by combining unique hands-on service opportunities with reflection on Jewish texts and history.

This year, why not fulfill the promise of Passover by helping teach our children how to create a world free from oppression. Please give today to support this life-changing program. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar.

The Passover story doesn’t change, but each year, the world around us does. Please give to Or Tzedek, a program that moves the Passover story from remembrance to action.

Thanks for your support.

Wishing you, your family and friends a happy Passover,

Join JCUA as We Work to Change Jewish Social Justice Education

By Miriam Grossman
Education Coordinator, JCUA

The JUP curriculum as it has looked for years. The new version will be updated inside and out.

Calling all social justice lovers, Jewish educators, Judaism and Urban Poverty Alumni, middle school teachers, rabbis, educational directors, parents, students, e-learning aficionados and web techies!

JCUA’s Judaism and Urban Poverty Program is expanding. Join us as we grow this groundbreaking program. We need your ideas, your expertise, and your passion for bringing innovative social justice education into Hebrew Schools and making our tradition come alive.

What is JUP?

For nearly 25 years, the Judaism and Urban Poverty (JUP) curriculum has challenged Jewish middle school students to think about the causes and potential responses to poverty, and specifically Jewish approaches to alleviating poverty. The seven-week program combines creative activities with the study of Jewish texts and volunteer opportunities. Each year, JUP reaches 300 to 500 students in synagogues throughout Chicagoland.