In response to your news article about the animal rights activists in Postville, as a person of Jewish faith, I am writing to express the disbelief and outrage I felt after viewing the footage captured by a PETA investigator inside AgriProcessors Inc.

The AgriProcessors slaughterhouse is the largest producer of glatt kosher meat in the world, so its managers and employees should be striving to strictly uphold the humane slaughter methods prescribed in both Jewish and federal law. The undercover video shows that nothing could be further from the truth.

Kosher slaughter is supposed to be fast and painless, rendering the animals insensible with a quick cut to the neck. The footage, available on PETA’s Web site, shows animals being dumped into a pool of blood after their necks are cut and then standing, thrashing around, and slamming into walls.

AgriProcessors Inc. is an embarrassment to the Jewish people and an abomination under Jewish law. And while I am heartened that the Orthodox Union has urged AgriProcessors, Inc. to change some of its crueler practices, I hope the authorities are working quickly to shut this ghastly slaughterhouse down.

Stephen Goldsmith

Salt Lake City