Trefa Banquet facts for kids

The "Trefa Banquet" was a big dinner held on July 11, 1883. It took place at the Highland House restaurant in Cincinnati, Ohio. This fancy meal was meant to celebrate the first students graduating from Hebrew Union College. It also honored people attending a big meeting of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

However, the dinner caused problems because it served foods that were not kosher. Kosher means food that follows Jewish dietary laws. Foods that are not kosher are called treyf. This event showed a growing disagreement within American Reform Judaism. This disagreement eventually led to the start of Conservative Judaism.

What Happened at the Banquet?

The menu for the dinner was very detailed. It said the event was to honor the "Delegates to the Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations." The dinner also celebrated the first four graduates of the Hebrew Union College. Their graduation ceremony was happening at the same time as the meeting.

About 215 people attended the banquet. An orchestra played music for the guests. The menu promised a fancy French dinner with nine courses and several drinks. It was a very expensive and grand party. Wealthy Jewish families in Cincinnati helped pay for it. Julius Freiberg, a well-known businessman, was one of the main people who helped.

The Highland House was a popular place in Cincinnati at the time. It was on top of Mt. Adams, which is now Eden Park. You could get there by a special train called a funicular. From there, you had a great view of the city.

Why Was the Meal Not Kosher?

Even though the meal did not include pork, it still did not follow Jewish dietary laws, known as kashrut. It had foods that are forbidden, like clams, crabs, shrimp, and frogs' legs. The meal also mixed meat with dairy foods, like ice cream. The meat itself was probably not kosher either.

This way of eating was common for many Reform Jews at the time. They often avoided pork but might not follow other rules, like the one about shellfish.

The Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper wrote a long story about the banquet. It was called "Jewish Jollification" and showed the full menu. It also listed the songs the orchestra played and the names of many ladies who were there. Rabbi Wise's newspaper, American Israelite, said the meal was "up to the standard." It listed the ladies and the speeches that were given. No one mentioned any problems or arguments about the non-kosher food in these early reports.

How Did People React?

One person who was there, David Philipson, wrote about it almost 60 years later. He said that "terrific excitement" happened when two rabbis quickly left the room. This was because shrimp was served as the first course. However, some people say his memory might not be completely accurate. If rabbis did leave, they did so quietly.

Another person who attended, Henrietta Szold, wrote a letter about it. She said that "surprisingly small" number of people were upset. She mentioned that two rabbis left without eating. She also knew of at least three more who were upset but showed it less openly.

The first known complaint came from someone who was not at the dinner. This was Sabato Morais. He later became the first president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, which is a Conservative Jewish school. In a letter on July 16, he complained about the banquet.

Morais wrote that it was wrong for Jewish leaders to eat forbidden foods at a public event. He felt it was especially bad because the dinner was for the first graduates of a rabbinical college. He believed the president of Hebrew Union College should speak out against it.

Morais did not use the name "Trefa Banquet." No one knows who first used that name.

Isaac Wise replied to Morais on August 3. Wise said he was not responsible for the menu. He also said that people should stop making a fuss about "kitchen Judaism." He believed that the Jewish religion was not about food rules.

News of the Trefa Banquet quickly spread among Jewish newspapers. Many newspapers were upset about the non-kosher food. They asked why forbidden foods like clams and frogs' legs were served. Some newspapers said it was a "disgrace." However, the American Israelite newspaper claimed that no one at the banquet showed any unhappiness.

Impact on American Judaism

It is not known if Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, who was the president of Hebrew Union College, knew about the menu beforehand. Wise often changed his views. He chose not to apologize for the banquet. Instead, he said that "kitchen Judaism" was not important. He argued that the old food laws made the religion seem less serious to others.

Many people believe that the outrage over the Trefa Banquet was a key moment. It helped lead to the split of Conservative Judaism from the larger Reform Judaism movement. It "furnished the opening to the movement that culminated in the establishment of a rabbinical seminary of a Conservative birth."

More accurately, following kashrut was one of several important issues. These issues caused many traditional American Jews to leave the Reform movement. After Wise passed away, some said that the Trefa Banquet was not the only reason for the split. They believed that traditional congregations were already looking for a reason to leave the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The banquet gave them that reason.

On January 7, 2018, a group of Reform Jews in the San Francisco Bay Area held a "Trefa Banquet 2.0." This was an educational event. They listened to a professor talk about the original banquet. They also ate treyf dishes made by Jewish chefs. These dishes included meat that was raised in an ethical and sustainable way.

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