Where does Liberal Judaism stand on kashrut?
Liberal Judaism recognises a religious dimension to the consumption of food and encourages blessing and thanksgiving to God before and after meals. At the public level a reasonable degree of kashrut is observed – on our Synagogue premises and at the headquarters of the ULPS – but at a personal level the Liberal Jew is free to choose observance or non-observance of kashrut in accordance with the dictates of informed conscience. Although it is customary in ULPS circles to employ “kasher” wine for ritual purposes, Liberal Judaism categorically rejects the traditional reason for prohibiting wine produced by gentiles, namely that such produce may have been used for idolatrous libations. In the unlikely event of such pagan practices re-emerging, what would prevent the offering of “kasher” wine as a libation? A significant number of Liberal Jews regard kashrut as wholly irrelevant to their religious lives and are strengthened in their attitude by what they see as an undue emphasis placed upon
