Canadian Jewish organizations have triumphed in their effort to maintain the legality of the country’s kosher-certified meat preparation.
On Wednesday, Canada’s Federal Court issued an interlocutory injunction against the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to halt the implementation of new guidelines that have disrupted shechita (ritual kosher slaughter).
Canada’s two top Canadian kosher certifiers, MK Global Kosher Certification Agency and the Kashruth Council of Canada, partnered with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and other Jewish leaders.
“Significantly, the judgment recognized that the current CFIA guidelines are clearly discriminatory,” Kashruth Council of Canada managing director Richard Rabkin said. “This should dispel the false perception that shechita does not abide by the highest standards of animal welfare.”
CIJA President and CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel said that “all segments of the community and its institutions collaborated in this effort, and the contributions of Federation CJA and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto were significant and deeply appreciated by all stakeholders.”
MK Global Kosher Certification Agency CEO Rabbi Saul Emanuel said that “we are gratified that the court validated shechita as a legitimate and humane approach that takes full account of animal welfare and meets the scientific standards established by CFIA.”