Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on October 6, 2014

This gives a whole new meaning to Free Bird.

A group of animal activists saved 17 chickens from slaughter as part of a controversial Jewish Kaparot tradition before Yom Kippur.

On Friday, the activists, with the help of a few friendly cops, convinced some Orthodox Jews in Borough Park, Brooklyn, to hand over a few of the leftover redemption roosters right before the start of Yom Kippur.

The protected poultry were taken to an upstate animal sanctuary.

This is a holiday miracle, said Rina Deych, a founding member of the Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos. This is an indication of what God truly wants. And thats for all His creations to live a long happy life.

The ultra-Orthodox Jews use the chickens in a rite, observed before Yom Kippur, in which theyre swung above the head three times in a symbolic transference of ones sins. Theyre then slaughtered and ostensibly donated to the poor for a prefast meal.

But many chickens die inside small transport cases as they sit on city streets for hours -- and sometimes days-before they are used.

Last week, a group of animal rights activists held three rallies in Crown Heights denouncing the practice, which has no basis in the Torah or Talmud.

A top Orthodox-Jewish umbrella group told the protestors to worry about bigger offenders.

"We consider the ritual itselfas the religious right of those who practice it," said Avi Shafran, a spokesman for the Agudath Israel of America. "And we think animal rights activists would better expend their energies by focusing on Butterball, not Borough Park."

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Kaporos chickens freed by activists

Category: Talmud
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