Back in 2005, VINE Sanctuary (then called Eastern Shore Sanctuary) assisted the first-ever rescue of chickens abused in the Kapparot ritual through which some Orthodox Jews seek to expiate their own sins by expelling them into baby birds who, after being tortured by being swung through the air, are killed. That year, hundreds of birds who had not been used in the ritual had been left to die in crates on the streets of Brooklyn. In subsequent years, animal advocates have proactively protested the ritual, which most scholars agree is not a legitimate expression of the annual obligations associated with Yom Kippur, and sought to save as many birds as possible.
In 2005, our sanctuary took 50 birds and helped to find homes for scores more. In all but two years since, we have been able to find room for at least a few birds rescued from this cruel ritual.
This year, sanctuary co-founder Miriam Jones, who was herself raised as an Orthodox Jew, personally joined the protests while also aiding the efforts to save as many birds as possible. She drove back home with 29 birds. In this video, you will meet those baby birds and also hear Miriam’s reactions to the experience of being able to save so few in the face of so much suffering.
Remember this: You did act. You did not succeed, but you did try, and next year you can try again. Between now and then, you might want to make contact with LA-area animal advocates and especially with animal rights lawyers in the area, who will know where the “religious freedom” protections end. It may not be possible to stop the ritual itself, but it may be possible to demand and get intervention into practices like leaving crates of birds in an alley.
As for the ritual itself, there may be Jewish animal advocates in your area who would be willing to help stage a protest or otherwise put pressure on this temple. In Israel, the protests against this ritual get bigger every year, and they have had some effect. More and more rabbis and other Jewish leaders are coming out with strong statements to the effect that this ritual is not mandated by the faith and actually enacts (and teaches) values that are inimical to the faith.
I write as the co-founder of the sanctuary to make it clear that, even though we allowed the comments just above to be posted, we do not condone the notion that any particular religious belief is any more “stupid” than any other. The question here is not beliefs but practices. We are equal opportunity critics of any practices–“religious” or not–involving cruelty to animals.
Finally, as to the specific question about Woodstock, VT: This ritual is performed only by a fairly small subset of Hasidic Jews and–again–is condemned by most Jewish people and their religious leaders. In the U.S., Hasidic Jews are concentrated mostly in NYC and a few other big cities. Wondering whether Jews in Vermont practice this ritual is rather like wondering whether the Catholics of Vermont follow the rituals associated with Haitian voudon.