BBYO to steer clear of Rubashkin’s
B'nai Brith Youth Organization will abstain from Agriprocessors meat this summer. Here's their statement:
Camp Food is No Joking Matter BBYO Teens Demand Agriprocessor-Free Camp ProgramsAs a result of the allegations of intolerable injustices at Agriprocessors, the largest producer of kosher meat and poultry in the U.S., BBYO takes major stand by asking its various camp partners to avoid serving Agriprocessor products, to which they comply.
Nine hundred teens participating in BBYO's summer leadership experiences at Perlman Camp, PA; Beber Camp, WI; and American Hebrew Academy, CA, over the course of this summer, will eat meals free of Agriprocessor products, showing a unified commitment to social justice and Jewish values.
Teens make concerted effort to expand summer program curricula to address the Agriprocessor issue from variety of angles, including the ritual and ethical implications of kashrut, worker's rights, immigration reform and Jewish values.
The first program will take place on Thursday, June 26, 11:45 am – 1:15 pm, when nearly 100 Jewish teens will gather at Beber Camp in Mukwonago, Wisconson (suburban Milwaukee) to make their voices heard against the intolerable injustices at Agriprocessors. Confirmed speakers include Rabbi Morris Allen, a Minneapolis-based leader of the Heksher Tzedek campaign for kosher foods to be produced ethically, who has been to Postville multiple times and will share first-hand accounts from factory workers. Lauren Shenfeld, BBYO's International Teen Co-President, will also address the group, to raise awareness among her peers and encourage action when teens return home to their local communities.
"If anyone is going to make their opinion on this problem matter to the Jewish community and communities at large, and ultimately stand up against an issue in which human rights and Jewish values are demeaned, it's BBYO teens." – Lauren Shenfeld, BBYO International Teen Co-President
"The reason this issue has struck such a deep chord with BBYO teens is because it's the story of their grandparents and great grandparents – the story of immigrating to find a better life, fighting oppression and standing up for social justice." – Marilyn Sneiderman, BBYO Deputy Director and former Director of Field Mobilization for the National AFL-CIO
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Peterson, Ben’s only reporting here is telling us that this is a statement from BBYO. Where’s the bias in that. Whether BBYO is acting correctly or incorrectly, certainly it’s not wrong to let the wider community know of their action?
It makes complete sense that BBYO teens would get involved in this issue. When Jews came to America we worked in sweatshops and lived in poverty. Connecting Jewish teens to their own history and giving them a chance to help new immigrants improve their lives should be encouraged not discouraged.
Kol HaKavod to BBYO!!!
Jews stood up for justice during the civil rights movement, and now young people are standing against the mistreatment of workers at Agriprocessors!
Its nice to see social justice is still a concern in the Jewish community!!!
I heard there was going to be a meeting in NYC yesterday where Agri and their PR group was going to get out “the truth” about all these issues. Did this meeting really happen? Will the JTA report about it?
The people writing here seem to be the same PR people who represent Agriprocessors for money. You can tell because they use the same hackneyed arguments over and over again.
BBYO: don’t be fooled by these professional stoogies.
Justice is justice and you are doing the right thing!
In the early sixties leaders of the Jewish community were against student involvement in the struggle for black rights. It wasn’t until large numbers of students and a few brave Rabbis stood up that the Jewish community “leaders” changed course and remembered the Torah.
Fight for what you believe in, fight for tikkun olam.
I commend these young people for standing up for what is right and just. The Labor movement and Jews have a long-standing relationship of fighting for workers. This began over 100 years ago with Jewish immigrants in New York City’s garment sweatshops. As for Agriprocessors, there is plenty of smoke and fire here with a substantiated record. Don’t give in BBYO. “Justice Justice Thou Shall Pursue.”
Kol hakavod to these teens for making it clear they care about health and safety for all workers and all food.
Fantastic! I applaud this heroic move by the BBYO leadership and teen leaders. It is fantastic to see this great youth group movement taking a stand on such a clear moral evil (worker abuse, sexual harassment, underpaying workers, lying, deception, etc).
There is no educational programming more important than that of social justice and training our Jewish youth to be prophetic voices for truth and righteousness.
Thank you BBYO for leading the way!
I am so proud of teens like Lauren Shenfeld who are living out our Jewish values by bringing to light the conditions at Agriprocessors. Meat processing plants across the United States are under scrutiny for labor abuses and other misdeeds. I hope that Agriprocessors listens to our young people and decides to become a leader in setting excellent standards for the industry.
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Jsc
06/25/08 10:20 AM
As a former Jewish youth group leader (go EPA USY!) I am so impressed and proud that BBYO has taken this step. Agriprocessors has shamelessly exploited its workers - for example, taking advantage of their disempowered legal situation to pay them less than required by law and far less than it takes to raise a family, not to mention putting workers in physical danger by not adhering to safety standards.
As a Jew, I have been ashamed that a kosher meat company is behaving so egregiously and that we can call food “kosher” when it causes pain and injury to so many families. However, I’ve also been proud to see that 1300 Jewish leaders, educators, and kosher consumers have signed a petition calling out Agriprocessors for their abuses. I don’t know anything about the group organizing the petition, but their website is uriltzedek.webnode.com.
Kudos to the youth leaders of BBYO and to its staff for bringing the Jewish community and the workers in Postville one step closer to justice.