To serve kosher meat just to spite them?

[flaquark]

I think I might be being a tad silly but..

A few of DH's work collegues are coming over for sunday dinner (with their families) tomorrow. We did all the making sure about veggies and allergies and all that.
I got a text from one of them saying that they were looking forward to coming and all that and they added on the end that could we not serve any kosher meat tomorrow as they dont agree with it.
Both me and DH dont keep kosher, at all, never have.

For some reason the text really pissed me off, and I really want to go and buy different meat that is all kosher.

I'm being ridiculous aren't I?

If you have concerns about the origins of the meat the host is preparing, then you need to simply request a vegetarian option, not demand where the meat is purchased from or how it is prepared.

I bet the guests are not Jewish.

It sounds rude to me.

Don't serve kosher, serve em real cheap battery farm shit.

Monkey nuts said it better!

If they feel really strongly about kosher meat, and had only just twigged that you were Jewish and therefore might serve Kosher meat, the polite thing to do would have been to phone you, not rely on a text. Then asked about kosher meat and if you did serve it ask if it would be OK to have the veggie option (assuming you were cooking one) and if not offer to bring a veggie dish with them. And be very apologetic about the whole thing.

Having said that, I personally think that whilst people are entitled to whatever food preferences they want, it's a bit daft to be hung up about kosher but not about other aspects of meat production/slaughter.

And if you're going to be extremely strict about practicing ethical food consumption, you're just going to have to accept that it's largely incompatible with eating food you haven't prepared yourself. I make choices when shopping which I wouldn't dream of imposing as criteria when I eat at friends' houses.

As you are Jewish, that's very rude indeed. Honestly, it's insufferable, people have no idea how to behave, full of their own importance and opinions which must always take precedence. If you feel that strongly, and fair enough you might, you don't accept the invitation or you say you're a vegetarian. You don't take that opportunity to cast a what could easily be interpreted as a cultural slur.

Just to say before anyone else picks me up on it, by "a bit daft to be hung up about kosher" I meant from perspective of someone who rejects kosher meat on ethical grounds. Not from POV of a practicing Jew!

OP the text was really rude. I don't get these posters calling you silly and ridiculous. As many other saner posters have pointed out, if you have ethical objections to some kinds of meat production, then you tell your hosts you're vegetarian.

Did you serve kosher?

I would have served them veggie and everyone else meat and told them it was because the meat was already bought and was kosher.

I'm not sure how many times it has to be said but the text only mentioned kosher not anything else that leads one to think they care about animals. That's why it's clearly about the Jewish aspect than about the meat. I'd want to find out more from them.

Why else would anyone "not agree with" kosher meat except for the animal aspect? I don't see how you're making that out to be anti-Jewish, Itsbetter, rather than animal welfare. If they were that anti-Jewish, one wouldn't expect them to accept the invitation to a Jewish household.

If they know (or think) you are Jewish then they are being rude and probably racist.

If that isn't the case, then they're being precious. If they're that worried about the provenance of meat, easier for them to stick to vegetarian when eating out.

itsbetterthan who is not herself Jewish is ignoring the posts from aermingus who is Jewish and who objects on welfare grounds to Kosher meat.

Sorry, I just saw you are Jewish. So am I, and I would have been livid to have got that text.

Three Jews, four opinions Caitlin. I can't think of many arguments where you wouldn't find Jews on either side.

Devora but itsbetterthan who is not Jewish is determined to label anyone who objects as being anti-semitic. According to her anyone who objects is doing so because they don't liked Jewish people. She's refusing to accept any one might object on the welfare issue.

Yep, and I think you would find Jews who would agree with her, with aermingus, and also with me (who thinks that guests may be anti-semitic but also might just be arses; I like to cover all possibilities )

It's a subject that leads to very heated views and a lot of dogmatic posturing (see also: circumcision). Which is why a guest with sensitivity and tact would just ask to eat vegetarian, if the animal welfare issue really was of concern to them.

OP, serve a soggy quiche. That'll learn 'em.

If they worded exactly as stated, it's rude and they are trying to make a point. If they had said they are vegetarian that's one thing - they have an ethical objection to the slaughter of animals for consumption. However, I've never known someone who is a regular meat-eater get too fussed over whether what they are being served as a guest is kosher/halal. Could they have perhaps meant they don't want you to fuss too much over seperation of milk/meat etc and that if you don't normally cook kosher, it's ok with them because they are not observant either? Maybe it just came out wrong.

I also just saw that you are Jewish, as am I. I was going to say that they are entitled and rude to make that request. However, they are also anti-Semitic. Serve them kosher.

I'm also vegetarian. I would never insist that host serve me free-range eggs or organic-only veg, even though I actually do feel quite strongly about free range. It's very kind of a host to serve me veggie food; I can't imagine splitting hairs over where the veggies came from!

But Devora, if they ARE anti-semitic, why would the accept the invitation?

eightandthreequarters does objecting to Kosher slaughter automatically equal being anti-semitic?

Is my meat-eating Jewish friend who finds it unacceptable anti-semitic or is it just me who is anti-semitic as her objection on welfare is valid but mine isn't?

Thumbwitch They are work colleagues. That's why they are coming, and telling a Jewish household not to serve you kosher is anti-Semitic (or they are just the thickest bastards ever, that's possible too). Would anyone text a Muslim host and ask them please not to serve halal?

As I said, I don't eat meat at all, so I clearly find kosher slaughter (or any type) unacceptable. It is perfectly fine to avoid purchasing kosher/halal meat for yourself and to object to it.

But to specifically text your Jewish host and tell them not to serve you kosher - that's anti-Semitic.

So eightandthreequarters you are saying that I am automatically anti - semitic if I don't want to eat meat which has been slaughtered by Kosher means?

Again where does that leave my Jewish friend who shares my objection?

I'd go with thickest and rudest bastards, tbh - I don't think it is necessarily anti-Semitic. But we can't know unless the OP knows them better, and comes back to tell us. :)