Sunday, May 15, 2011

Of Circuses and Kosher Food




















Just a few short decades ago, travel was difficult for the Kosher keeping Jew. It was hard to find a Kosher restaurant, even in some of the large Jewish cities.

Aside from the dearth of dining establishments, there was very little choice of Kosher packaged food, even in the supermarkets.

Yet the saving grace, before saying grace, was the abundance of life's simple staples: bread, water, milk, vegetables, fruit and fish.

Yet in one of the ironies of life, the once taken-for-granted kosher products have all been questioned in recent years. The water has crustaceans embedded within. The fruits and vegetables harbor worms and bugs. The milk isn't kosher because Traif cows are the majority in the herds. The flour with which bread is made is wormy. And finally, in the last few months we have rediscovered that fish also contain worms.

Although we have made great strides in rebuilding Yiddishkeit in America, I long for the days of yore when fewer things were Kosher, but Kashrus was more simple.


As mentioned on this blog before, and paraphrased from an essay in the Jewish Observer:

"I remember the day when the CIRCUS was Kosher, and the COTTON CANDY was Treif."


Chadesh Yameinu KiKedem!


5 comments:

  1. I long for the days of yore when fewer things were Kosher, but Kashrus was more simple.

    Ya can't stand in the way of regress!

    Now is the era of high-risk, high return on our spiritual investments. It is not a time for the faint of heart with low risk tolerance.

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  2. Incidentally, I received a letter today from the Agudah that the restructing of the JO has taken longer than expected, and they were offering a refund. I take that to mean the JO will not be appearing in the near future.

    I know this blog champions their renewal, but it doesn't seem likely in the near future.

    KT

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  3. Just stumbled on this blog. It is so refreshing to find a nonjudgemental blog, and one with a positive message. Thank you!!

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  4. http://www.jewishjukebox.com/products/jewish_childrens_videos/2252.asp

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  5. Rav Yisroel Belsky shlit"a is a voice of sanity here. He has spoken strongly against people who spread rumors that things are treif without sufficient knowledge of the metzuis and/or the halocho. It is a big aveira he says.

    כמוהו ירבה בישראל

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