Shechitah update following last Thursday’s front page story in the Times The Times chose to run as its lead story on the front page last Thursday a call by the incoming President of the British Veterinary Association, John Blackwell, for shechita (and halal) to be banned.  Mr Blackwell’s comments were deeply regrettable and ill-informed.  As you would expect, the Board has led the Jewish community’s very strong response to Mr Blackwell’s misleading and prejudicial comments.  We have worked very closely with Shechita UK and indeed, with representatives of the Muslim communities. I wish to take this opportunity to emphasise, once more, that the professionalism and skill of Shechita UK is invaluable, and demonstrates how effective we can be when all sections of our community come together with a common purpose. I spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme (later repeated in part on the hourly BBC radio news), Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio London phone-in and BBC TV News which ran throughout the evening, arguing robustly against Blackwell’s position.  You can view the links in our BoD in the News section below. There were also several newspaper interviews, including with the Times and The Guardian.  The Times ran a follow-up story on p2 on Friday which included quotes from me, letters from readers of which the majority was in support of shechita and a strong ‘Thunderer’ column written by Stephen Pollard, Editor of the Jewish Chronicle.  The Guardian has printed a joint OpEd which I co-signed with Dr Shafi, a leading Muslim spokesman. In addition Shechita UK were prominent in at least 19 radio interviews and numerous press articles. The community’s strong counter-attack to Blackwell has been effective and is continuing.  Moreover, it has attracted notable support from outside the Jewish community.  Importantly, the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, has reiterated the Government’s support for the community’s rights to perform shechita in accordance with its values and traditions.  The All Party Parliamentary Group on British Jews, established at the behest of the Board last summer, also issued a strong statement. The Jewish method of slaughter of an animal for food reflects the greatest possible concern for the well-being of animals, and renders the act of slaughter as painless as possible. This latest attack on Shechita is regrettable and misleading, not least as it fails to mention the high incidence of mis-stunned meat in the general market.   We will continue to fight ignorance around religious practices, consistent with the duty of the Board’s Defence Division. If any community member has any comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will respond as soon as possible. To read the full article click here. Regards  Jonathan Arkush Vice President and Defence Chair