Are Circuses Kosher?

Elephants, tigers, bears and other animals are used for entertainment in circuses. Extravagant animal acts at the circus seem like an age-old tradition that has been part of the fabric of society for eons. The circus is a rite of passage of childhood. But are they Kosher?

I hadn’t considered too much the moral or Halachic implications of the circus until a recent conversation with animal conservationist “>Rabbi Howard Jachter, the Torah expresses its concern for tzaar ba’alei chaim many times. For example, “the Mitzva to unload a donkey from its heavy load, the prohibition to muzzle an animal while it is threshing, the prohibition to plow with two different types of animals…are a few examples of expressions in the Torah that we not harm an animal needlessly.” The same laws form the basis of the prohibition on recreational hunting,

If circuses are not “kosher” what can be done?

Adi believes that one of the ways we can do something about the fate of these animals is simply to not support circuses that have animal acts. While this may sound like a bummer, most kids would be upset if they learned that animals can be mistreated as part of the training and performance regimen.  The use of animals for the circus is certainly unnecessary to create a marvelous experience. Consider that the most popular circus company in the world, CIrque Du Soleil, creates memorable, incredible circus performances without the use of live animals.

Why is this issue pressing now for Adi? The main purveyor of these acts today, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, are performing now at the Honda Center in Anaheim and then in Ontario and Bakersfield, over the next weeks. If you think that these circuses are not “kosher” you may want to consider another family activity.  Adi’s points out that without an audience, animal-centered circuses will not be profitable, and they will forgo these acts or fold altogether. In addition, there are animal groups that adopt unwanted circus animals.

And keep your eyes open — Adi has purchased billboards and even driven mobile advertising trucks he created in order to educate the public about the circus.

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Yonah Bookstein, a leading voice of the next generation of American Jewry, is an internationally recognized expert in Jewish innovation, founder of the ” title=”JConnectLA” target=”_blank”>JConnectLA. Follow him on Twitter