A Kosher ‘Shield of Justice’
The Conservative movement’s Hekhsher Tzedek Commission has released its newly designed logo for their proposed “Justice Certification” seal that they are proposing to affix to kosher foods that meet certain labor, environmental, and corporate standards. While the merits of the new logo (which, to this reporter, is a bit migraine-inducing) are up for debate, the real significance in the move may be in the new name being assigned to the stamp: Magen Tzedek, or “Shield of Justice.”
The Conservative movement has taken a lot of flack from Orthodox critics who argued that Hekhsher Tzedek was a move to horn in on the Orthodox-dominated kosher certification business, and who pointed to the word “hekhsher” (which translates as “certification” and commonly refers to the stamp of approval from a kosher supervisor) as a sign that Hekhsher Tzedek’s boosters were confusing Judaism’s kosher laws with its ethical precepts.
By switching the language from “hekhsher” to “magen,” it appears that the Conservative movement is trying to sidestep those charges.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.