A Biblical Feast of Birds and Beasts
in Lawrence, New York
Featuring an amazing menu of unusual species and foods eaten in the Bible
Accompanied by presentations by museum director Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin
Sunday, 17th November 2019
Kashrut supervision: Kaf-K
Price: $500 per couple for Museum Patrons and for Exhibit Donors. Click here for details about becoming a museum patron.
Non-patron seats: $500 per person.
Table of ten: $5000 (includes patronage)Non-patron seats: $500 per person.
I know that organizations such as the Biblical Museum need to find ways to fund their efforts, but I think this Biblical Feast is the wrong way to do it. Among the goals of modern zoos and natural history museums (having worked in one for years) is conservation of (endangered) species. They certainly don't sponsor feasts of the organisms that they study (as far as I can see). I know the goal is to preserve the m'sorah but some of the animals that were included in the last such event (such as the swordfish) are endangered. The idea of killing such a (glorious) creature especially when most of it won't even be eaten is a waste. There are plenty of domestic animals that are raised for consumption. There is no need to go out of the way to eat animals whose numbers are decreasing in the wild because of habitat destruction and poaching. The Museum should set an example and not encourage the killing of such species. I would like to see this event cancelled.
ReplyDeleteRest assured that there are no endangered species being served at this event.
DeleteHow many endangered species will they eat already? The real problem is a gathering that resembles public gluttony with the trappings of science and religion. It's past nisht.
DeletePublic Gluttony??? Mah Nishtanah HaLaylah Hazeh MiKol HaLailos? :)
DeleteYou are funny. The trappings of religion and science obviously. Eating is a phisiological function and the optics aren't very good. To celebrate the tasting of exotic creatures is completely bizarre to me. Generally a charity event focuses on the project itself, not on the food or consuming the exibits.
DeleteOften a charity event DOES NOT focus on the charity. In fact, the best events do not. People come for the activity and justify it as being for the charity.
DeleteAnyway, there IS additional motivation for these Biblical Feasts: continuation of Mesorah.
@JD and @Yakov - I attended the feast that was held last year in New Jersey. It involved neither the consumption of endangered species nor gluttony. Indeed, the meal included eating only those foods found in Tanach and was highly educational. This was not some shabbos morning kiddish binge nor an only-here-for-the-shmorg-wedding spread. Participants sat at a series of tables, were served about 6-7 unique, modestly portioned dishes, and had an opportunity to hear divrei torah before each dish, all designed to appreciate parshanut, halachic, zoological and other related discussions pertinent to the dish. If anything was celebrated at the meal, it was the vitality of our mesorah. Admittedly, the cost was substantial (fyi: no money is made on the meal itself - the price is directly correlated to the expenses and efforts involved in preparing such an event) and while I'll readily admit participating was a luxury, the objective was not to be a glutton but to use the time to learn and connect to our ancestors through the shared sense of taste, which transcends the generations.
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
Delete