Polish ban on ritual animal slaughter enrages Jews, Muslims
Michael Schudrich has dedicated much of his life to rebuilding modern Poland's Jewish community.
But a recent decision by the country's parliament to uphold a ban the ritual killing of animals as practised by Jews and Muslims is giving the New York-born chief rabbi second thoughts about continuing his work.
He describes the Sejm's decision, taken Friday, as "the worst blow to the Jewish community in Poland over the past 30 years" and pledged to resign his post if there was no compromise in the near future.
If Schudrich - who took over as chief rabbi in 2004 - went, it would be another blow to a community that used to make up 10% of the staunchly Roman Catholic country's pre-World War II population, but was nearly wiped out during the Holocaust in the 1930s and 40s.
Tomasz Miskiewicz, mufti for Poland's Muslim community, expressed similar outrage.
"This is not only a blow in our face, but above all against the constitution, which should allow free practice of religion for all of us," he said.
The ban limits the daily religious practice of Muslims and made it virtually impossible to celebrate certain Muslim festivals, Miskiewicz said.
World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder said observant Jews "have reason to ask themselves if they are still welcome in Poland."
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jigal Palmor said the decision was "completely unacceptable" and would do serious damage to reviving Jewish community life in a country which was home to the most notorious of the Nazi death camps - Auschwitz.
"This decision seriously harms the process of restoring Jewish life in Poland. We are astonished that Poland, of all EU countries, should be the one where kosher slaughter will be forbidden," he said.
"We call on the Polish Parliament to review its decision and we expect the relevant parties to find a way to prevent this brazen blow to the religious tradition of the Jewish people," he said.
The Sejm vote flies in the face of an EU directive that went into force in January allowing the slaughter of animals as laid down in kosher and halaal rules, for Jews and Muslims respectively.
But the directive also allows EU member states either to adopt the regulation as it stands or to pass its own rules.
While some countries, including Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, have banned ritual slaughter, most make allowances for kosher and halaal meat.
Poland's Constitutional Court ruled late last year that ritual slaughter, in which animals effectively bleed to death, was illegal, just weeks before the EU directive went into force.
The Polish government's new attempt aimed to create an exception and allow the practice under strict conditions. But it was unable to secure a majority in the Sejm, where members of the ruling party were among those voting down the law.
Ewa Kopacz, marshal - or speaker - of the Sejm, drew on the Hippocratic oath she took on becoming a doctor in opposing the measure. Animals also have to be spared unnecessary suffering, she said, in defending her decision to vote against the government proposal.
The debate in the Sejm turned on "humane" slaughter of animals. Politicians from all sides denied that anti-Semitism could have played a role in the vote, which went 222 against to 178 in favour.
Some noted that Jews and Muslims could buy imported meat that complied with their religious requirements.
But, even if that were acceptable to religious communities, it ignores the impact the decision might have on Poland's economy.
Livestock farmers and abattoirs specialising in catering to the Polish Jewish and Muslim communities, and to a flourishing export market, said thousands of jobs could be lost, along with millions of euros in exports.
Some 30% of Polish beef exports are currently kosher or halal, although beef consumption in Poland is relatively low.
Agriculture Minister Janusz Piechocinski, head of the PSL farmers' party, said he now expects a flood of compensation claims from farmers who have lost income.