Video Exposes Multiple Health Code Violations During Illegal Mass Animal Sacrifice in Brooklyn
The News
Every year during the week leading up to Yom Kippur, several sects of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn sacrifice an estimated 60,000 chickens in makeshift slaughterhouses that are erected without permits on public streets. The practitioners of the ritual slaughter, called Kaporos, violate multiple city health codes:
The NYC Department of Health defends the illegal sacrifice, arguing that the city has not observed any “disease signals” associated with the practice. The NYPD, which is charged with enforcing the laws, instead aids and abets in the crimes.
A toxicology report confirmed that Kaporos poses a “significant public health hazard.”
“The Chief of Police and Health Commissioner are political appointees, and their boss, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, has clearly instructed them to assist in the illegal Kaporos massacre because the practitioners represent a powerful voting bloc,” said Donny Moss, an organizer in the effort to compel the city to enforce the laws. “Not only does the City provides police barricades, floodlights and an army of police officers and sanitation workers, but it also provides the traffic cones where tens of thousands of chickens are bled out into public streets.”
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio instructs the NYPD to aid and abet in the illegal slaughter of an estimated 60,000 animals on the streets of NYC (Unparalleled Suffering Photography)
On October 17th, during oral arguments about Kaporos in the the New York State Court of Appeals, a city attorney confirmed that laws are broken but argued that the city has discretion over which laws to enforce.
City health codes that are violated during Kaporos
During Kaporos, an estimated 60,000 six-week old chickens are intensively confined in crates without food or water for up to several days before being slaughtered and discarded. Many die of starvation, thirst and exposure before the ritual takes place. A toxicology reported commissioned by residents in the neighborhoods that are contaminated with the blood, feces and body parts of chickens states that the ritual a “significant public health hazard.”
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Helene stop your Anti-Semitic Tropes. The city also helps pay for women having abortions and gay marriage/parades. Do you think telling kids not to procreate with the opposite sex and killing unborn babies is ok too? Is your message to children to marginalize minority populations because you don’t agree with their practices?
Mayor DiBlasio,
Put a stop to this disgusting mess. Public health codes broken by one group make everyone loose. We try to instill in children non violence and they see this so they think all the adults condone crushing cutting and complete animal abuse. And you know children who attack and abuse animals have a higher instance of attacking humans then right ?? You are allowing one group of people to do whatever they want in public even if it hurts the city n world on many levels. It also looks like bribes or something is going on. Stop the Mess
Matthew Schwartz you obviously missed the Rabbi in my name. Your opinion is Animal Sacrifice isn’t part of Judaism but you claim to be Jewish? Again maybe you should read the Torah I hope you didn’t pay for Jewish education because you wasted money.
Mr. Fredrikberg: You have reading comprehension challenges. I didn’t say animal sacrifice hasn’t been part of Jewish history. I merely expressed an opinion about it. And lastly, I am chuckling at how you call me a fake when you are not even a Rabbi !
Mordechai Schwartz if you are Jewish and you think Animal Sacrifice isn’t part of Judaism your a fool. Read your Torah to read about the sacrifices and check out Ezekiel to see the future. Any Jew knows this unless you are ones of those that just plays a Jew on the internet. You’re obviously a fake.
The relevant point is that the practice of Kaporos using live animals in public streets triggers health code violations which are not a matter of my opinion. In fact, the State Court of Appeals and City of NY did not refute this fact, rather they decided that the City has discretion in the enforcement of the laws that are being broken. When you say that the animal suffering is debatable, you are clearly not allowing yourself to feel what’s happening to that living being in that moment and instead are defaulting to the indoctrination of religious beliefs to dictate what you should think and feel. Beliefs are not necessarily truths. I am Jewish and respect and agree with many Jewish beliefs but i will not mindlessly accept whatever is told to me. An animal “sacrifice” is still cruel and painful to the animal even if its done for a religious purpose and even if the City and Courts choose not to take action. I don’t understand someone who can stand next to me at a Kaporos using Chickens event and not acknowledge the obvious distress of the animal that is aggressively handled and so obviously stressed and mistreated. That is not the Judaism that I was taught or respect. If you saw how calm and peaceful and gentle these animals are in stress free environments, I have faith your heart strings would be pulled and compassion would emerge. Good that you are sharing your views but you need not keep your head in the sand and dig in just for the sake of arguing.
Mordechai Schwartz you are incorrect. There isn’t one law that bans Kaparot. Yes Some Rabbis follow this and some don’t. It’s a matter of opinion if this is considered cruel to Animals. Using your logic all Jews who ever made a sacrifice to God is an animal abuser including the Jewish Patriarchs; I respect my forfathers and their commitment to God; if you don’t want to that’s your issue
Rabbi? Friedrikburg>>You spread fake News>>The mistreatment of the chickens before, during and after the Kaporos ritual, when many are left alive, writhing and crying on the ground, violates the New York State animal cruelty law and desecrates the Torah mandate of Tzaar Balei Chayim, which forbids causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals. Case closed.
If you are in fact a Rabbi, you should do some soul searching and join many leading rabbis who have come out against the use of chickens for Kaporos including some who once used chickens but now use money. They include Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rabbi Yitzchock Kaduri, Rabbi Chaim David Halevi, Rabbi Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach, Rabbi Shlomo Goren, Rabbi David Rosen, and Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum.
The Courts have deemed this practice legal and the City doesn’t have to enforce laws that don’t exist. The Health Department found there is nothing toxic and does not harm the residents of this “once a year ritual.” Calling it an ” illegal Kaporos massacre” is a matter of opinion from animal rights groups and not law. It’s in fact legal and protected by the Constitution; You can kill an unborn baby, use animals for food and clothing, and you can practice Kaporos; no matter what activists think. Also the PD is needed to provide for public safety. The last few years Jews have been harassed by protesters and needed to maintain order. If the protesters would just leave the Jews alone less money would be wasted. They are causing the problems of tax money being used and blaming it on the Govt Leadership and the Jewish who practice this.
Those people love to see living things bleed. They love blood and their Talmud preaches no love or mercy for animals.
This is not about religion! But about ignorance and a loss of civility, humanity and conscience. Most Jews condemn this hideous, outrageous and archaic practice, which ignores the teachings of the Talmud requiring compassion and the humane treatment of animals. A majority of modern-day rabbis support the use of cruelty-free and charitable alternatives for this dehumanizing ritual which brings shame and dishonor to us all.
The “sins of the fathers” are visited upon innocent children who, along with the animals are victims, and made to participate in a practice based on gross ignorance and the desensitization of feelings about other sentient creatures. Shame on them!!! And shame on our Mayor, the Health Dept, and the Police who for their own political interests and purposes, ignore the violations of law and these “crimes” committed on our streets.
This is not about religion! But about ignorance and a loss of one’s humanity. Most Jews condemn this hideous, outrageous and archaic practice, which ignores the teachings of the Talmud requiring compassion and the humane treatment of animals. A majority of modern-day rabbis support the use of cruelty-free and charitable alternatives for this dehumanizing ritual which brings shame and dishonor to us all.
The “sins of the fathers” are visited upon innocent children who, along with the animals are victims, and made to participate in a practice based on gross ignorance and the desensitization of feelings about other sentient creatures. Shame on them!!! And shame on our Mayor, the Health Dept, and the Police who for their own political interests and purposes, ignore the violations of law and these “crimes” committed on our streets.
This is not about religion! Most Jews abhor this long-abandoned, primitive practice, condemned by a majority of modern-day rabbis, and for which there are now alternate, cruelty-free and charitable substitutes. We find it disgraceful and emblematic of institutional ignorance, bringing shame and dishonor to us all!
The children who are made to participate in this hideous ritual, are victims of the sins of their fathers, who ignore the Talmud’s teachings of compassion and humane treatment of animals. Shame on them!!! And shame on our Mayor, the Health Department and the Police who condone this senseless violence and ignore the laws, because it suits their own purposes.
It’s long past time for this horrific, barbaric, archaic, ritual and nightmare for animals and compassionate people, TO END!!!!
Mayor DiBlasio, and Chief of Police: ENFORCE THE LAWS!!!!