News/Press releases
SHECHITA UK BRIEFS FRENCH PRESIDENCY
Chanoch Kesselman of Shechita UK met on Thursday in Paris, at the Consistoire, with Le Grand Rabbin de France Rabbi Gilles Bernheim and Grand Rabbin Bruno Fiszohn, Chief Rabbi of Metz and the Moselle.
Mr Kesselman discussed recent developments in France mainly the recent pronouncements by Brigitte Bardot who has become a champion of animal rights in France. Married to Bernard d'Ormal a leader of Jean-Marie Le Pen’s right- wing French “Front National” party, Ms Bardot aims to get all “Abattages Rituels, Juif et Musulmans” (“religious slaughter for Jews and Muslims”) banned.
The French Jewish Community is concerned that Bardot’s animal rightist pressure on President Sarkozy will lead him to make changes affecting shechita in France. The Chief Rabbinate of France asked for a detailed briefing from Shechita UK on the latest expert opinions to counter such arguments.
Immediately following the two-hour meeting with Mr Kesselman, Rabbi Fiszon accompanied Chief Rabbi Bernheim to a meeting at the Élysée Palace with President Sarkozy’s Directeur de Cabinet to provide a point-for-point briefing to the President's office.
The President's office was advised that any attempted changes to Shechita would be a major interference with the rights of the Jews in France, and Shechita UK together with Rabbi Fiszon received clear assurances from the Élysée Palace that "France will continue supporting the Jewish community's right to practise shechita."