A renewed and more vigorous attempt to ban shechita, Jewish ritual slaughter, is under way in England today, Elsley Zeitlyn, chairman of the shechita committee of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told a meeting of the board last night. He said that Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had joined the campaign, which supports the introduction of the Crouch anti-shechita bill, killed in the last Parliament, but which will probably come before the House of Commons this session.
Mr. Zeitlyn said that in the past “certain measures of respect” had been shown for Jewish religious feeling, but now that had disappeared. The Jews were being told that they must be content with the ordinary practice of slaughtering that is common in the community. The campaign, he continued, is not only “an insult to the Jewish religion” but also an “indictment of the Jew in his capacity of a human being.”
This new threat must be met by the whole community, he said, revealing that he planned a tour of the country to confer with various communities to discuss the problem with them. Of the MP’s approached for their views on the Crouch bill to ban shechita, Mr. Zeitlyn revealed, 163 had given responses favorable to the Jews. 19 had not replied, 88 were non-committal and seven were “definitely against us.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
