What is Kosher?

[Kuan]

I keep hearing kosher but I have no clue what it means...Can someone please explain?

[Lux]

That's very interesting.

How do jews manage to keep kosher nowadays? Do certain places use Kosher stamps or something like that?

I'm asking because, if it ever does happen that certification is denied to places that raise animals in inhumane conditions, I'd be very interested in buying kosher meat instead of regular. The treatment of animals in slaughterhouses is haunting me lately.

[cnorman18]

That's very interesting.

How do jews manage to keep kosher nowadays? Do certain places use Kosher stamps or something like that?

I'm asking because, if it ever does happen that certification is denied to places that raise animals in inhumane conditions, I'd be very interested in buying kosher meat instead of regular. The treatment of animals in slaughterhouses is haunting me lately.

Many kosher meat producers DO care for their animals properly, but not all. The bad publicity is causing some to clean up their acts, so kosher meat is probably still a pretty good bet in that regard.

Some prepared meat products are kosher - Hebrew National franks & salami are the best known - and most fish is kosher (but not shellfish). For kosher fresh meat you have to go to a grocery store with a kosher section; most towns with a big Jewish population have some.

All kosher prepared or manufactured products are labeled (cereal, sauces, soups, pastas, like that), though fruit and vegetables don't have to be. The most reliable label is the circled U, which is the standard, from the Orthodox Union; a circled K is good too. A plain K - I see it most frequently on boxed cereals - means that the manufacturer thinks it's kosher, but it may not have actually been certified kosher by a qualified rabbi. There are others - here in Dallas we have a K inside a D, for our local board of rabbis' certification. The mark is called a hechsher. Anything that claims to be kosher almost always is - nobody likes lawsuits, and we Jews know lots of lawyers.
It's really only an issue with meat. Some Orthodox get bent about kosher cheese - it's a complex issue and I won't bother with it here - but most other Jews don't worry about it.
Kosher restaurants are hard to find if you don't live in a big city or in Israel. Vegetarian places are good alternatives. If you're a vegetarian, kosher isn't an issue at all, which is why many Jews are. Cheaper and less hassle. (Kosher meat ain't cheap; you can pay $75-100 for a kosher brisket.)
Kosher delis are easier, but beware: "Kosher" means kosher: "Kosher Style" does not. That applies to meats on the price board as well as to the deli itself. "Kosher style pastrami" means it's beef, but not kosher beef.

[Jrosemary]

the consumption of blood of any kind is absolutely forbidden

Just out of curiosity, why is this?

BTW, I think there is a tribe in Africa which strongly believes in the drinking of animal blood, they actually bleed living animals into a container which is then drunk. (The animal is kept alive and might be bled many times.) If I remember correctly, they say this gives them spiritual strength.

And then, of course, there's the whole Eucharist thing...

This goes for the JW's as well. Thats also why they dont do blood transfusions.

Blood represents life and life belongs to G-d; so an animal that has been slaughtered per the rules of kashrut (the kosher laws) is drained of all its blood. The prohibition against ingesting blood is very strong in Jewish law and culture--so much so that you'll sometimes find a cultural prejudice against meat that looks too red! (Despite the fact that rare meat can be perfectly kosher.)

There is no law in Judaism against blood transfusions, however. In fact, Judaism encourages people to donate blood in order to help save lives. (Saving a life is generally considered the most important commandment.)

As for the Eucharist--it seems problematic to think that a nice Jewish boy would tell his followers that a cup of wine either was his blood to drink or represented his blood to drink. For more on that, though, you probably want to check out Christian scholars who have discussed the issue of the Eucharist in relation to the Jewish prohibition on ingesting blood.

[Jrosemary]

It's really only an issue with meat. Some Orthodox get bent about kosher cheese - it's a complex issue and I won't bother with it here - but most other Jews don't worry about it.

I'm not Orthodox, but I get bent on the cheese issue!

If a given cheese contains rennet, it was made from the enzymes in a calf's stomach, for which the calf is slaughtered. That cheese therefore mixes dairy and meat--a big no-no! (It seems to me equivalent to seething a kid in its mother's milk.)

My rabbi disagrees, and feels that rennet is so super-processed that it's no longer really rennet. But to me, you start with a dead calf and you end up with a dairy product. So I don't think rennet-cheese is kosher. (And yes, I make a career out of badgering my rabbi with this view!)

So I try to buy cheese marked kosher by the Orthodox or with certain vegetarian, organic labels that also exclude rennet as an ingredient. And I keep vegetarian in general since, as CNorman points out, it's much easier to keep kosher as a vegetarian than as a meat eater.

[Adstar]

I keep hearing kosher but I have no clue what it means...Can someone please explain?

The Kosher Laws are as written in the OT describing foods that are good for eating and the proper way of preparing them. The Kosher laws provide the best guidance ever given to the best diet. It is of great health benefit to all who follow it.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[Kuan]

Ya know, it sounds pretty healthy.

I am tempted to try it, but I dont think I could give up elk and pork....
(If you have ever been to Cafe Rio in Utah, you'll understand the pork.)

[Adstar]

Ya know, it sounds pretty healthy.

I am tempted to try it, but I dont think I could give up elk and pork....
(If you have ever been to Cafe Rio in Utah, you'll understand the pork.)

I try to avoid pork it is probably the unhealthiest meat one can eat. But yes it does have a strong taste especially when it is prepared in a certain way.

Yeah the Kosher diet is healthy. But i stress again that when i say Kosher i mean as written in the OT.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[Kuan]

Ya know, it sounds pretty healthy.

I am tempted to try it, but I dont think I could give up elk and pork....
(If you have ever been to Cafe Rio in Utah, you'll understand the pork.)

I try to avoid pork it is probably the unhealthiest meat one can eat. But yes it does have a strong taste especially when it is prepared in a certain way.

Yeah the Kosher diet is healthy. But i stress again that when i say Kosher i mean as written in the OT.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

It definetley is unhealthy like every food that Americans eat but its so good I cant give it up! I just decided to start eating less meat. Instead of every meal, I eat meat about 5 times a week.

[sleepyhead]

Ya know, it sounds pretty healthy.

I am tempted to try it, but I dont think I could give up elk and pork....
(If you have ever been to Cafe Rio in Utah, you'll understand the pork.)

Hello,

You mentioned a while back that you were going to attempt to learn about other faith systems. Learning about Judaism would be IMO an excellent place to start. I attended services and fellowshiped in Jewish circles for seveal years. I saw it as a positive experience. I still keep kosher ot a certain extent. Now that your away from home you should be able to have some Jewish contact without worrying about it getting back to your bishop.

[Kuan]

Ya know, it sounds pretty healthy.

I am tempted to try it, but I dont think I could give up elk and pork....
(If you have ever been to Cafe Rio in Utah, you'll understand the pork.)

Hello,

You mentioned a while back that you were going to attempt to learn about other faith systems. Learning about Judaism would be IMO an excellent place to start. I attended services and fellowshiped in Jewish circles for seveal years. I saw it as a positive experience. I still keep kosher ot a certain extent. Now that your away from home you should be able to have some Jewish contact without worrying about it getting back to your bishop.

Well, my bishop wouldnt care probably at all. I know that he has Muslim friends and he goes to the mosque with them and does pray with them also. I just dont know of a Jewish place in Utah or Idaho.