A very thorough, very well-researched and quite revelatory book. It answers long-standing questions of mine with aplomb, like what exactly chasisidha shchita is and why it's so popular (partial answer: they're pretty much the only ones that do it, of COURSE it'll be their standard!) and what mashgichim do on a daily basis (answer: a LOT). She also leaves almost no stone unturned, covering every major kashrus organization, every major product and every major scandal. Ironically, the one item I can think of that doesn't get mention is...Bodek! The chapter on Postville is devastating, and makes me curious to read "Postville, U.S.A." This book has also given me a more healthy respect for kashrus in general. I used to think that removal of a hechsher was probably political poppycock. I now know better, so when a hechsher is removed, I'll do what I can to find out why and refrain from partaking until I do so. Because of this writer, I have literally done teshuva. God bless her.

Kosher Nation by Sue Fishkoff is an exploration of the kosher food industry. Like Mary Roach (Gulp [link]), Fishkoff organizes her book into a series of related topics.

While keeping kosher is a cornerstone of Judaism, not all Jews keep kosher. And those who purchase and eat kosher products aren't necessarily Jewish.

What was once a practice kept within the Jewish community, has expanded well beyond those bounds. The growing Jewish populations within urban areas combine with the rise in mass produced foods created both a need and a method for mass producing kosher food products.

As quantity increased, the kosher products expanded beyond their core, target demographic. Would any self respecting business owner try to stop that? Of course not. Quite the opposite.

Kosher Nation has three parts: the history of kosher food production in the United States, the reasons why non-Jews would have a vested interested in consuming kosher products, and finally, how businesses are now trying to court both markets. ( )

Thorough and interesting. ( )

Reading Kosher Nation is an excellent way to learn about "Kashrut" from A - Z. Kashrut is one of the most basic tenets of Judaism, covering the commandments about what food may or may not be eaten by Jews. As a kosher consumer I was surprised to learn how little I really know about what goes on BEHIND the scenes in getting kosher food to end users.

The history of Kashrut in the US, despite the best efforts of many, was wrought with corruption, greed and violence. Hence the need for a reliable way to identify foods that are truly kosher. That is how the 4 major, and many smaller, certifying agencies came into existence. They provide a tremendous service to the Jewish community, insuring that animals are "shechted" (slaughtered) according to Jewish law, that meat and dairy have not been mixed together, that all the ingredients in processed foods are kosher, that processing plants, slaughterhouses, factories, restaurants, catering halls, schools, nursing homes, etc. have "mashgichim" (kosher watchers) and enough surprise visits, and that wine and grape juice have been heat flashed so they can be handled by anyone, Jew or non-Jew.

Fishkoff describes some of the more interesting technical details that go into making a factory kosher, of shechting an animal, and the issues with certifying factories in foreign countries. She explains the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform religious and political points of view on Kashrut, and how individuals come to observe Kashrut, each in his/her own way.

No system is perfect, of course, and there have been upsetting scandals, but none as detrimental as Postville. The Rabushkin family bought empty slaughterhouses in Postville, Iowa and provided inexpensive Glatt kosher meats and chickens to thousands of customers around the country. Little by little the huge operation crumbled due to employing underage workers, illegal immigrants, not paying their employees, employee abuse, money laundering, etc. The resulting uproar among Jewish communities opened the door to the Conservative branch suggesting that companies that want to sell in the kosher market should be required to obtain certificates of social justice along with certificates of Kashrut. This additional certificate would indicate the company treated their employees fairly, limited environmental waste, and didn't abuse animals prior to slaughter. Eventually Reform and some groups of Orthodox agreed.

Many young Orthodox Jews feel that large slaughterhouses are not appropriate. They started very small operations of their own, providing for their own families and friends, and then expanding out. While Kashrut was a key factor, these pioneers cared deeply about the treatment of the animals that would be slaughtered, their diet and how they were housed and cared for. They also wanted the Shochet (ritual slaughterer) to be sensitive to the lives he was taking. And because these small operations are very, very expensive to run, part of their philosophy was that folks would eat less meat, and more vegetables and grains. Whether these small operations will thrive will depend on us, the kosher consumer. New programs are available to teach us about growing our own food organically, how to slaughter animals humanely, and how to care more about the earth so we can be more mindful of what we are actually eating and putting into our bodies.

I enjoyed this book while learning so much. Unfortunately, my husband borrowed it from the NYPL so it has to go back tomorrow! But when I see it on sale, I am definitely going to buy it! ( )