Monday’s raid at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa — the country’s largest kosher slaughterhouse — will have tremendous implications for kosher consumers all over the country. But the questions raised by the raid should go far beyond, "Where will we get our meat?" We must also ask ourselves what it means to be kosher and how a company that continues to violate both Jewish and civil law has been allowed to call itself a kosher facility.

Agriprocessors has continually demonstrated contempt for the laws of this country. Not only has it been cited repeatedly for unfair labor practices, but it now emerges that many of its allegedly abused employees are illegal immigrants, lacking the standing to complain to outside authorities. In addition, the factory has a long record of both health and safety violations, for which it has paid thousands of dollars in fines. (As regards the recent accusation that the plant was being used for narcotics production, let us hope that this proves to be groundless.)

The plant has also violated Jewish law. Controversial slaughter practices have turned the idea of kashrut, and the humane treatment of animals, on its head. Nor have employees been treated humanely, in direct violation of Jewish teachings. Forcing employees to work 12-hour shifts while denying them a fair wage flies in the face of the ethical treatment required by our sacred texts, while reports of physical mistreatment and verbal abuse of workers are truly shocking.

We commend the Conservative movement’s Hekhsher Tzedek Commission for keeping in the public eye the misdeeds of the company and insisting that kashrut is more than just a ritual matter. We also agree with its statement that Agriprocessors has brought shame upon the entire Jewish community.

We urge the Orthodox Union — which says it is awaiting the outcome of the federal investigation — to take strong and immediate action, withdrawing its certification from the plant until the company’s numerous violations have been sorted out and remedied. It is crucial that, as a community, we publicly affirm the need for kosher slaughter to be conducted in such a way that animals, and humans, are accorded respect.