The production of kosher food in Western Europe has become more challenging amid the coronavirus pandemic. In response, the Hungarian Jewish community decided to supply thousands of kosher chickens to Jewish communities in the UK, France, Austria and Germany.
In the UK demand for kosher meat increased by 20%, and as many people's plans to spend the holiday in Israel were postponed due to the spread of COVID-19, many Jewish families are now looking for kosher food to serve at their seders.
Additionally, in some communities people bought larger amounts of food in the hopes of not leaving their homes during the outbreak and as a way of avoiding facing a shortage.
The Chabad initiative will produce ten thousand chickens per day under the supervision of Reb Shmuel Oirechman and will offer two levels of kashrut, regular and extra strict (mehadrin).
Unlike other countries that restrict Jewish religious food production, often arguing that it is cruel to animals, Hungary allows it.
The Jewish slaughter of animals for food consumption must be done quickly with a very sharp blade to ensure the animal does not suffer. As kosher butchers must be both skilled in their work and observant, the process takes longer than non-kosher killings.