Jewish leaders welcome Lithuania vote to allow shechita
Lithuanian Jews have thanked their country’s parliament “on behalf of European Jewry” after lawmakers voted to allow shechita, the ritual slaughter of animals without stunning.
Tuesday’s ruling means that it is now just a handful of European countries that maintain their ban, including Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland and Iceland.
“I welcome the step and express the gratitude of the Lithuanian Jewish community,” said Faina Kukliansky, the chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Lithuania.
“I thank parliament also on behalf of Jewish communities in Europe.”
Similarly, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis, said: “We welcome the news that Lithuania has committed to the European ideal that freedom of religion means freedom to practise religion and that Shechita is now permitted there.”
Brigita Kymantaite, from the Lithuanian Animals Rights Protection Organization, said she would ask the European Commission “to clarify whether the provision is in line with European laws.”
However, the vote comes as a welcome boost to Europe’s Jewish community, which is fighting an ongoing battle for the right to practice religious slaughter on the continent, with a legal battle currently being waged in Poland.
EU regulations advising that animals should be stunned, but allow individual countries can determine exceptions to the rule.
In the UK, the new president of the British Veterinary Association has led growing calls to ban slaughter without stunning.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
