Giraffe is kosher, rabbis rule in Israel

The Telegraph ^ | 6/6/2008 | Tim Butcher

[bruinbirdman]

A chance encounter in Israel between vets and a giraffe has led to a rabbinical ruling that the African animal is kosher.

According to a report in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, vets were asked to treat an adult, female giraffe at Israel's largest zoo, the Safari Park in Ramat Gan.

Giraffe meat and milk has been ruled acceptable for observant Jews

The team, led by Professor Zohar Amar, took a routine sample of milk and found that it clotted in the way required by Jewish law for kosher certification.

They submitted more milk for verification by the rabbinical authorities and the paper reported that a ruling was made that giraffe meat and milk are acceptable for observant Jews.

The giraffe belongs to the family of grazing animals that have cloven hooves and chew the cud, thereby making them consistent with kosher rules, but the milk test was the final confirmation.

"Indeed, the giraffe is kosher for eating," Rabbi Shlomo Mahfoud, who accompanied the researchers in their work, said.

"The giraffe has all the signs of a ritually pure animal, and the milk that forms curds strengthened that."

But Dr Yigal Horowitz, the zoo's chief vet, said this did not mean there would suddenly be a surge in demand of giraffe food products in Israel.

"This does not mean that tomorrow we are going to drink giraffe milk or eat soup made from giraffe necks," he said.

"After all, this is an animal in danger of extinction."

[Graybeard58]

I’ve been wantin’ me a giraffe burger.

[TheWasteLand]

Thank goodness, now I can convert.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[alecqss]

I guess, slow news day in the UK...

[Alouette]

FReepMail to be added or removed from this pro-Israel/Judaic/Russian Jewry ping list.

Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.

[Revolting cat!]

Mmmmmmm.... giraffe!

[Past Your Eyes]

Now there’s some welcome news. I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting for it.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

eat soup made from giraffe necks,

Now thats a lota soup!

Zebra is tastier then giraffe but I do not think it is kosher

[Alouette]

Tastes like chicken.

[Revolting cat!]

It tastes like chicken.

[hole_n_one]

You’d eat anything.

[Revolting cat!]

Damn, beat me by 3 earth seconds!

[Past Your Eyes]

Is that faster than a New York minute?

[TheWasteLand]

It tastes like chicken.

I thought it tastes like cat, which is pretty revolting.

[mikrofon]

The giraffe belongs to the family of grazing animals that have cloven hooves and chew the cud, thereby making them consistent with kosher rules, but the milk test was the final confirmation

They didn't want to stick their neck out and make a premature detemination...

[fieldmarshaldj]

Mazel tov !

[flowerplough]

The giraffe parteth the hoof and cheweth the cud, hayna?

[EveningStar]

TaЯd ping!

"Tard" refers to the ping list members and not to the subject of the thread!

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[chadwimc]

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