As the Chosen People, created in God’s image, we were told in Deuteronomy to avoid eating any ‘abominable thing’.  Later, this was translated by the sages to the laws of Kashrut, banning the mixing of milk and meat and the eating of pork and shellfish, among many other restrictions.  Many of us have chosen not to follow these rules in our daily lives, or only in some situations, but most of us know little about their origins or their aims or even their application in the world today for those who do observe them.  Moreover, the world today raises broader questions of ethics than the Talmudic laws ever considered, issues of worker safety and compensation, factory farming, environmental conservation, fair-trade...the list seems endless.  No area seems more ripe for discussion and consideration than this one in 2010 and Temple Beth David is ready to step up; the Adult Education Committee is putting together a program of lectures, book group readings and other presentations aimed at getting all of us to think about what we eat and how.  The goal is not to make us all into vegans (although that may happen for some) but to make us all aware that we are, essentially, what we eat, and we should make our decisions carefully.  Come learn from such writers as Katharine Weber who will talk about how chocolate is manufactured in ways that may make you think before wolfing down that next Snicker’s bar.  We will read Jonathan Safran Foer’s brilliant new book “Eating Animals” about the horrors of factory farming. We’ll revisit the issue from another angle when we consider the case of Agriprocessors, the nation’s largest Kosher slaughterhouse closed down over a labor scandal, and again when we view ‘Fast Food Nation’.  We’ll enjoy cooking programs aimed at learning how to better use the local and sustainably-grown options available to us.  Hopefully, our new rabbi will help us to understand the Jewish aspects of our dilemma and find a place where we can each enjoy the food we choose, well-informed and with a clear conscience.  If you are interested in joining the committee, please call Linda Leff at 203-250-1222.