Nat'l, Georgia ACLU, Local Rabbi Take On Kosher Laws

Rabbi Shalom Lewis, of (Conservative) Congregation Etz Chaim in Cobb County, says he can't fulfill his rabbinical food supervision duties because his take on kosher laws differs from that of Orthodox Judaism.

"I don't want to have to choose between abiding by state law and practicing my religion according to my beliefs," Lewis says, according to an ACLU statement:

"The State of Georgia’s Kosher Food Labeling Act (KFLA) mandates that any food labeled kosher in that state must be certified to be in accordance with 'orthodox Hebrew religious rules and requirements.'"

From The Atlanta Journal Constitution:

"The Kosher Food Labeling Act, enacted in 1980, mandates that any food sold as kosher must meet “orthodox Hebrew religious rules and requirements.”

"Lewis, a conservative Jew, said he cannot fulfill his rabbinical duties because his theological interpretation of the state’s kosher laws differs from that of Orthodox Judaism. He said he violates state law when he approves some foods as kosher that are not kosher under Orthodox definitions."

...And this just in: Matzah ice cream in Israel (updated to an, umm, fuller meal)

Seders will never be the same (and I'm not real sure that's a good thing...)

Ben & Jerry’s is marketing a matzah-flavored ice cream in Israel.

"Matzah Crunch" was developed exclusively for the Jewish state, Avi Singer, the general manager of Ben & Jerry's in Israel, was quoted as saying in Israel's Maariv newspaper on Sunday.

The French vanilla-flavored ice cream contains chips of chocolate-covered matzah. It must be bought directly from the Ben & Jerry's factory in Yavne and costs about $4.50 a pound.

Maariv said the new flavor could be sold in Israeli supermarkets next year.

You know, a kosher-for-Passover Coke and kosher-for-Passover Pizza would go well with this...

A few questions for tomorrow night at the Seder - (NOT the "Famous Four," and not to be confused with the Fantastic Four...):

• Do Ben & Jerry - well-known for supporting left-of-center causes, know about PizzaIDF, and would they do a co-branding deal?
• Does this go as dessert (aka - "afikomen") after the matzah-based pizza at Reform Seders?
• Can the "Days of the Redeemer of Israel" be far behind?