Eco-Kashrut facts for kids

Eco-Kashrut, sometimes called the Eco-Kosher movement, is a way of thinking that adds new ideas to the Kashrut system. Kashrut is a set of Jewish rules about what foods to eat and how to prepare them. The Eco-Kashrut movement wants to make these rules bigger to include modern ideas about the environment, fairness to workers, and being kind to animals. It helps people think about how their food choices can help the planet and other people.

This movement started in the 1970s among American Reconstructionist Jews. It became popular again in the 1990s, thanks to the work of Rabbi Arthur Waskow. A third wave of the Eco-Kashrut movement began in the mid-2000s. This was partly because people started paying more attention to how food was made in some kosher factories.

How Eco-Kashrut Started

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi helped start the Jewish Renewal Movement. He is known for creating the idea of eco-kashrut in the late 1970s. He explained Eco-Kashrut as a way of eating that keeps changing. It goes beyond the usual kashrut rules. It asks people to think about the impact food production has on people and the environment. This helps them decide what to eat or not eat.

Eco-Kashrut Today

Today, many Jews who follow kosher laws support this movement. They try to eat food that is made in a fair and good way. This means the food should be produced without harming the environment. It also means workers should be treated well. Often, they also try to eat food grown close to home.

Eco-Kashrut ideas are also seen in sharing sustainable shabbat meals. These meals are prepared with care for the environment and people.

Eco-Kashrut is also connected to something called Magen Tzedek. This means "Shield of Justice." It is an extra certification for food. Groups like the Rabbinical Assembly want this seal to show that food is made fairly. It looks at things like health, safety, and how workers are treated. As of August 2017, no products had this special seal.