Israel's Chief Rabbi Gives Kosher Seal Of Approval To Water Buffalo

2006-05-09

[IMRA: Dr. Ari Zivotofsky told Israel Radio in a live interview broadcast today that they are also studying if the yak is kosher, noting that many Israelis find themselves traveling in areas that yak milk is available and want to know if the milk is kosher. Zivotofsky said that they are in need of some yak heads for their study.]

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Israel's Chief Rabbi Gives Kosher Seal of Approval to Water Buffalo

Chief Rabbi's Ruling Aided by Bar-Ilan University Researchers

Dr. Zohar Amar and Dr. Ari Zivotofsky

Ramat Gan -- Thanks to the initiative of two Bar-Ilan University researchers and Shmulik Friedman, Director of Grazing Land in Israel in the Ministry of Agriculture, Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi - Shlomo Amar - is granting a kosher seal of approval to the Asian water buffalo.

Dr. Zohar Amar, of Bar-Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and Dr. Ari Zivotofsky (Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences) -- experts in the kashrut of exotic birds, animals and grasshoppers -- presented Halachic, anatomic and historic evidence regarding the slaughter of water buffalo in Jewish communities to Chief Rabbi Amar. The two also presented him with testimony gathered from ritual slaughterers who slaughtered water buffalo in the past in Jerusalem, Petach Tikva, Bnei Brak and the Galilee. The Chief Rabbi then met with the research team, which included dentist Dr. Ari Greenspan and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture in the Hula Nature Reserve, where he saw firsthand the herd of water buffalo raised there and examined the dental structure of scattered skulls from deceased water buffalo.

This week Rabbi Amar again visited one of the two sites where the water buffalo are raised in Israel - Moshav Bitzaron (near Ashdod) -- and declared that he will grant kashrut following his summary of all the data presented to him. This seal of approval will enable water buffalo breeders to market the animal's kosher meat and kosher milk under the official authorization of the Chief Rabbinate.

Approximately two years ago, beef breeders applied for permission to breed the animal, Bubalus bubalis (Asian water buffalo, which is known by its Arabic name Jamus), for the purpose of marketing the beef for consumption. According to data from the British Mandate period, 5,000 of these buffalo were raised in Israel until the establishment of the Jewish state, and today a small number remain in the Hula Nature Reserve. In Israel, water buffalo have not been slaughtered over the past half century and the Chief Rabbinate has not awarded kashrut approval.

Water buffalo meat is sought after by certain populations and has market potential within Israel and abroad. Authentic mozzarella cheese is produced from water buffalo milk, which is also noted for its medicinal uses.

The researchers are hopeful that collaboration in the future between scientific researchers and the Chief Rabbi will lead to the kashrut approval of additional animals and birds.

Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis