Six Israeli cities ban live chickens for Yom Kippur kapparot, animal rights org. urges more to join

The campaign marks the second consecutive year Let the Animals Live has approached heads of local authorities about the practice.

Six Israeli local authorities have said they will not permit the use of live chickens for the traditional kapparot ceremony ahead of Yom Kippur, following an appeal by animal rights organization Let the Animals Live to dozens of municipal leaders across the country.

Tel Mond, Yeruham, Mevaseret Zion, and Yavne joined the initiative this year, while Kiryat Bialik and Rishon Lezion, which responded to the organization's appeal last year, renewed their commitments.

They join Kfar Saba, Ra'anana, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Beersheba, Ashkelon, Ramle, and Petah Tikva, which the organization said have prohibited the practice within their jurisdictions for several years.

The campaign marks the second consecutive year Let the Animals Live has approached heads of local authorities about the practice.

According to the organization, Veterinary Services procedures governing kapparot allow a local authority to prohibit ceremonies using live chickens within its jurisdiction. In any case, organizers must obtain authorization from the municipality's veterinary department, whether or not slaughter takes place at the site.

The use of live chickens in kapparot has long prompted animal welfare objections. In 2019, the Environmental Protection Ministry similarly urged the public to use alternatives, including donating money to charity rather than performing the ceremony with a chicken. 

Let the Animals Live said chickens used in the ceremony can undergo severe distress beginning with their transport to the site. According to the organization, the birds are packed into small cages, sometimes without food or water, and subjected to movement, noise, and overcrowding.

What does the ceremony entail?

During the ceremony, the chickens are held and raised into the air, which the organization said can cause extreme fear, injuries, and broken bones. Most are subsequently sent for slaughter, while in some cases they are slaughtered at the ceremony site.

The organization stressed that kapparot can also be observed without harming animals, primarily by giving money to charity or donating to charitable institutions.

"Yom Kippur represents introspection, compassion, and mercy, and there is no justification for marking it through a custom that involves fear and severe suffering for animals," Let the Animals Live CEO Yael Arkin said.

"The kapparot custom can be observed in a way that respects tradition while at the same time helping people in need, through a donation to charity. We welcome the authorities that have already made a clear decision and call on additional heads of local authorities to join them: Do not grant permits for the chicken kapparot custom, and ensure that the public space under their responsibility is not used to harm animals," she added.