That ain't kosher

The New York Times has a column by Shmuel Herzfeld on the problems of a kosher meat-packing plant in Iowa. Seems that a raid over immigration issues has degenerated into accusations of mistreatment of the employees by the rabbis running the place, and what that does to its certification as kosher: "Hebrew National used to run a commercial that said: 'We answer to a Higher Authority'. Well, we do. We need to express shame and embarrassment about the reports coming out of Iowa, and we need to actively work to change these matters. Then we should ask ourselves if our behavior and our values need improvement. Only if we truly think about these issues will we truly be keeping kosher."

Rico says this may all seem trivial to non-Jews but, trust me, to people who keep kosher this is critical...