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Comment by mmanfrin | Hacker News Reader

Interesting -- this likely explains why Tel Aviv has such a high concentration of vegans.

No, i doubt that is the reason. It's just higher level of global awareness and a touch of hipster that is the likely cause. Israel is still largely a country of meat eaters. And personally, as a former vegetarian/current carnivore, I don't see how kosher slaughter is related the welfare of animals. Surely a swift instant death is better than letting the animal suffocate and/or bleed to death.

> I don't see how kosher slaughter is related the welfare of animals.

not jewish so commenting outside of my area, but, I think that when the practices were installed, the methods were the 'best available' (and so in line with this thinking), but the problem is that now there is so much tradition bound up with the practice that it's hard to install an alternative practice if one indeed is better (also not up on butchering, so cant comment here either)

I think you're right (I am Jewish by some default, but very much non-kosher). The practice itself is what makes the Kosher "Kosher". If the animal was killed in a different way, it's not Kosher. I know that as a carnivore I might be frowned upon by militant vegans for saying it, but I'm very aware i'm eating dead animals, not apologetic about it, and would rather eat animals that had a good healthy life and a swift painless death. Kosher slaughter to me is not a swift painless death (not to mention I have a lot of "beef" with the whole "Kosher" rabbinical institute).

True. I'd also add that it's easier to be vegan in Israel since vegetables are big part of the local cuisine and Israelis love falafel, hummus, etc. In Tel Aviv there's a falafel joint every few blocks. (good falafel, not like most falafel in the US)

This absolutely has nothing to do with Tel Aviv having a high concentration of vegans.

Tel Aviv is quite secular.

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