Jews in Poland Continue Ritual Slaughter Despite Ban

Nissan Tzur, Sam Sokol
Jerusalem Post
July 18, 2013

Pieces-of-beef-are-displayed-in-a-traditional-butchery-on-February-19-2013-in-Vendin-les-Bethune-northern-France.-AFP

While industrial-scale ritual slaughter has ceased in Poland since being outlawed in the country’s parliament, the Sejm, the Jewish community is still practicing shechita, its chief rabbi told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

American-born Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich defended continuing shechita as usual, saying that the Jewish community has spoken with several top constitutional lawyers who believe that it “is already legal.” The Jewish community “did a big shechita” a week-and-a-half ago, Schudrich said.

“I have no hesitation to do shechita. When it becomes necessary we certainly will do shechita [again] because I believe it’s legal.”

Ritual slaughter officially ceased in Poland in January, following a 2012 decision by Poland’s constitutional court that exempting religious Muslims and Jews from a law requiring that animals be stunned before slaughter was “unconstitutional.”

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