Yom Kippur kicks off at sundown tonight, but first there's a lot of atoning to do today! On our way to work this morning, we passed by one of the controversial Kapparot rituals on Kent Avenue In Williamsburg, in the heart of the Orthodox Satmar community. The tradition, which dates back to the middle ages, involves swinging a chicken overhead and then slaughtering it—and has drawn protests from animal rights' activists. But there were no demonstrators this morning, just a police van, hundreds of Satmars, and a truckload of doomed chickens. more ›

Rosh Hashanah is here which means Yom Kippur is around the corner and you know what that means? Time for the annual protests of the annual chicken swinging ritual known as kapparot. The generally fatal chicken "swinging" and slaughtering most often performed on the day before Yom Kippur (but can be held anytime between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) and has some very vocal adversaries. Opponents, who this year advertised briefly in Times Square, aren't against the ritual so much as they're against the chicken killing. more ›

With Yom Kippur coming up this Monday, South Williamsburg will be the stage for many a sacrificial chicken slaughter on Sunday. The Jewish ritual known as kapparot raises eyebrows each year, and now Dr. Allan Kornberg, Executive Director for Farm Sanctuary, has released a statement. more ›