Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Ultra-Orthodox In Williamsburg Really Don't Want You To See This Video
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 22, 2015
Modified Sep 22, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 22, 2015
Modified Sep 22, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Tens of thousands of chickens are being slaughtered on the streets of Brooklyn this week as ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities take part in the annual Kaporos ritual. The controversial tradition, which many rabbis have long opposed, requires adherents to swing a chicken over their heads three times while reciting prayers transferring their sins to the birds, which are then slaughtered. (The chickens are supposed to be donated to the poor, but activists say they've seen carcasses discarded in Brooklyn dumpsters.) Last night the slaughter was quietly proceeding just off of Kent Street in South Williamsburg, where participants did their best to stop passersby from photographing the ritual.
Animal rights activists have been staging increasingly high-profile demonstrations at various Kaporos locations in Brooklyn this month after a judge declined to issue an injunction stopping the slaughter. (The plaintiffs had argued that the blood and stench from the slaughter amounts to a public health risk.) Later today we'll have more from Kaporos protests last night in Crown Heights, where participants were equally determined to prevent the ritual from being documented.
Tagged
brooklyn
kaporos
ultra orthodox jews
williamsburg
original
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
More sewer diving on the UES: 5 people seen climbing out of manhole
The latest incident is one of many in a string of subterranean exploits around NYC, as police continue to investigate.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 10:37 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Are you about the 'ballhog' life?
Because hypebeasts are out, here are your early links: chic teachers, long life expectancies, the cost of living in New Jersey and more from around the city and internet.
By
Emily Nadal
News
Early Addition: Are you about the 'ballhog' life?
Because hypebeasts are out, here are your early links: chic teachers, long life expectancies, the cost of living in New Jersey and more from around the city and internet.
By
Emily Nadal
Neighborhood 'zoo' of blocked driveways leads New Yorker to boot someone’s parked car
By
Carol Chen
Several arrested in wake of ICE protest where Manhattan man was shot in the neck
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Bronx homeowners facing foreclosure are in the market for assistance
By
Willow Higgins
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .