We, the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City have and continue to recognize that living through this COVID-19 pandemic presents an urgent, on-going risk to the health and life of those we love, our Jewish community, the broader communities in which we live and our world. We have met in a spirit of cooperation and shared purpose demanded by the moment to meet our obligations to protect the health of our congregants, and to be an example of how all humanity is responsible one-for-the-other. Our respective synagogues and lay leadership have responded in that same spirit, and have been integral in responding to COVID-19 reflecting our highest Jewish values. Speaking with one voice gives real guidance in the face of often-times conflicting information.
(JNS) The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2019 were the most in at least four decades, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League.
By Meryl Feld / Editor
“While the past few years has seen our audit numbers pretty consistently between 8 and 13 incidents, for 2019 we recorded 42,” Karen Aroesty, the regional director of ADL Heartland, which serves Eastern Kansas, Missouri and Southern Illinois, told The Chronicle. That’s over three times the incidents recorded in our region in previous years.
The kosher industry has not stopped due to the pandemic, although adjustments have had to be made. On the macro level there are some challenges that are beginning to trickle down the supply line. Many ingredients are supplied by factories in China, and although for the most part these factories have restarted their production lines, kosher inspectors are unable to travel to China at this time. There are some 1,500 kosher factories in China (none of them have the prestige of our Vaad’s certification), and many specialty ingredients from China are used in food plants in the United States. Factories that produce basic ingredients are able to continue producing kosher even at this time, but for more sensitive ingredients the kosher certification is suspended until inspectors are able to resume their visits. We will be monitoring the ingredients supplied to our clients to ensure their products are not affected by this.