The European Jewish Congress (EJC) has welcomed the decision by Poland�s parliament to permit the continuation of Shechita, Jewish kosher slaughter for meat, to meet the needs of the community.

�We are satisfied that the representatives of the Polish people have decided that the Jewish communities’ religious freedom will not be harmed,� Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the EJC said. �We welcome the decision and hope that it will put an end to the attempts to curtail Jewish practices that meet the highest and most humane standards.�

The statement appeared in a position paper by the Sejm, Poland�s Parliament, that was sent recently to the country�s Constitutional Tribunal. While commercial activity around Jewish slaughter, or Shechita, remains forbidden, �in its current form, Polish law does not permit penalizing slaughter for internal Jewish communities,� the letter read

�We hope that the spirit of compromise which involves the safeguard of religious freedoms enshrined in the European Union will be an example for other nation�s which are seeking to ban Jewish practices,� Kantor said. �We hope the Danish
Government will study this decision carefully and reopen their own decision to ban Shechita.�

Denmark recently banned Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter on the orders of Agriculture and Food Minister Dan J�rgensen.

�The EJC with its affiliate, Poland�s Union of Jewish Religious Communities, which played an important role in this decision, will continue to fight for religious freedom across Europe,� Kantor said. �It is vital that Jews, like all law-abiding Europeans, are allowed to practice their religion without impediment or obstruction.�

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)