326 results for tag: Vegetarian / Vegan


Honors thesis on the beginnings of Jewish environmental and vegetarian activism in the 1970s and 1980s

Renewing and Recycling: The Formation of American Jewish Environmentalism in the 1970s and 1980s Gabrielle Plotkin Advisor: Keith Woodhouse B.A. Thesis for Honors in History Northwestern University May 3, 2021 ii Abstract Few environmental historians have considered how American Jews interacted with the postwar environmental movement. Those that have, often characterize American Jews as “urban” and separate from nature. However, I demonstrate that American Jewry’s involvement in left-leaning politics and inclination to both assimilate and remain committed to Judaism primed the community for partici...

My interview of Jeffrey Spitz Cohan, director of Jewish Veg, formerly Jewish Vegetarians of North America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdsQSVQE6LU

Video of amazing Earth Day teach-in that involved talks by 22 fabulous speakers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ck72NqkUAA      Earth Day teach-in I aranged (on Earth Day, April 22, 2021), which involved 22 fabulous speakers .      The  theme was "Applying Religiouis Values To Help Save the World."      Here is the list of speakers the order of their appearance. Richard Schwartz : President emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of       “Judaism and Vegetarianism”and “Vegan Revolution” Rev. Fletcher Harper: Founder and director of GreenFaith, a       national interfaith environmental coalition. Rabbi David ...

Three Shavuot Articles Related To Vegetarianism and Veganism

Below are three Shavuot-related articles. They are: 1. A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets 2. Dialogue on Shavuot Night About Veganism 3. Shavuot and Vegetarianism and Veganism ============= A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets  Shavuot is "z'man matan Torateinu,” the time of the giving of the Torah to the Israelites on Mount Sinai. To honor the Torah, many dedicated religious Jews admirably stay up the entire first night of Shavuot to hear talks about and discuss Torah teachings. Yet, despite this commendable dedication, I believe that Jews, including most religious ones, are ...

Unique, potentially transformative Earth Day zoom event scheduled

In commemoration of the 51st Earth Day on Thursday, April 22, there will be a zoom teach-in, with the theme, “Applying Jewish and Other Religion’s Values to Help Save the World.” The teach-in aims to increase awareness of the seriousness of climate and other environmental threats, and the urgency of applying religious Values to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. It also aims to initiate the creation of a coalition of veg, animal rights, environmental, and other organizations and individuals that will work together to address the threats, stressing the importance of shifts toward veganism. The teach-in starts at 12:30 ...

Jewish quotations about animals

1. God’s original dietary lawAnd God said: "Behold, I have given you every herb-yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit - to you it shall be for food."Genesis 1:29God did not permit Adam and his wife to kill a creature to eat its flesh. Only every green herb shall they all eat together.Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 1:29You are permitted to use the animals and employ them for work, have dominion over them in order to utilize their services for your subsistence, but must not hold their life cheap nor slaughter them for food. Your natural diet is vegetarian....Moses Cassuto (1883 -1951), in ...

Parshat Tzav: How Meat Consumption Today Differs from The Time of the Mishkan (Sanctuary) in the Wilderness

And that which is left thereof [from the meal-offering] shall Aaron and his sons eat; it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the tent of meeting they shall eat it. . . . it is most holy as the sin-offering and the guilt-offering.    Leviticus 6:9.10When the Jewish people were in the wilderness before they entered the land of Israel, the consumption of meat was associated with holiness. Every piece of meat consumed came from an animal sacrificed in the Mishkan (Sanctuary), an act meant to bring the worshiper closer to God. The word korban (sacrifice) is related to le-...

1,600 word excerpt from my book, VEGAN REVOLUTION, SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM

 LIVING AS A JEWISH VEGAN In this book, I have attempted to present evidence that the world is in the throes of a climate catastrophe. Selfreinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles) are moving the climate system toward irreversible tipping points. If we fail to act rapidly and decisively, these will bring massive climate disruptions, with calamitous results for all life on Earth.      Because animal agriculture is a major cause of global warming, a shift toward veganism is key to the effort to avert this climate catastrophe. Such a shift is becoming easier than ever, thanks to monumental progress in simulating popular animal ...

My review of Eco Bible, edited by Rabbis Yonatan Neril and Leo Dee

         Relating Biblical Teachings to Current Environmental Threats Eco Bible: Volume 1: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus Editors and lead contributors: Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Rabbi Leo Dee Publisher: The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development No price indicate      As one who has long been advocating that Jewish values be applied in efforts to resolve current critical threats, I eagerly anticipated reading Eco Bible: Volume One: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus. Was this the book that would help end the failure of the vast majority of Jews to consider Jewish teachings as a way ...

My three Passover related articles

The titles of the articles are: Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet 2. Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet 3. Passover and Vegetarianism or Veganism ============= Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths before and during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same time, many continue eating other foods that, by Torah standards, are hardly ideal.      On Passover, Jews are prohibited from eating, owning, or otherwise benefiting from chometz, ...

Latest Review of My Newest Book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM

Richard H. Schwartz, Vegan Revolution:  Saving Our World, RevitalizingJudaism.  Brooklyn, NY: Lantern Publishing, 2020. xxxiv +230 pages.$20.00 softcover. This review appeared in the March/April online Quaker Publication, "Peaceable Table." This is now one of the basic books on veganism and Judaism for thegeneral reader.  With the passion of a convert--Schwartz becamevegetarian Jan. 1 1978 at the age of 41 and vegan in 2000--the authorpresents a convincing case for Jewish observance of a plant-baseddiet. Along with the passion, he is always respectful of those who differ,or perhaps one should rather say, have not yet come to ...

Complete text of my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM

“I consider it an honor and a mitzvah to commend Professor Richard Schwartz’s work and all his endeavors to bring Jewish teachings on diet, health, the environment, and related issues to public attention, especially to those of us who seek to lead a religiously observant lifestyle, in keeping with the precepts and goals of the Torah. May his efforts merit Divine blessing and success.”—Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland; President for Israel of the International Jewish Vegetarian Society“Few books have ever been more timely or more needed than this one. Humankind stands on the brink of one of the greatest catastrophes in ...

Request That People Share PDFs of My Latest Book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM With Many of Their Contacts

Shalom Please do me a big, important favor that would take you just a few minutes, cost you nothing, and have a potentially transformative positive impact on our imperiled planet/MANY thanks/KOL tuv/Richard (schwartz) Please forward the PDFs of the complete text and the cover picture of my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM, to all your contacts, or at least those you think would be interested in it,  perhaps along with this message. [You can get the Pdfs by emailing me at VeggieRich@gmail.com.] Also, please consider using Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media that you are involved with to let ...

Purim and Veganism (followed by my Purimshpiel)

     Purim and Veganism The joyous festival of Purim shares many connections with veganism.      According to the Talmud (Megilla 13a), Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim story, was a vegetarian while she lived in the palace of King Achashverosh. She was thus able to avoid violating the kosher dietary laws while keeping her Jewish identity secret.      During Purim it is a mitzvah to give mat’not evyonim (added charity to poor and hungry people). In contrast to these acts of sharing and compassion, animal-based diets involve the feeding of almost 70 percent of the grain in the ...

A very comprehensive interview of me about theJewish case for vegetarianism and veganism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2ZIPT0rrFcL23uC-7N-P9B_aQjKx8FXkxh9gyQO4JUEg6_E7PwBLdEAS8&v=IY85JN0Iifk&feature=youtu.be

Supporting statements about my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM

 “I consider it an honor and a mitzvah to commend Professor Richard Schwartz’s work and all his endeavors to bring Jewish teachings on diet, health, the environment, and related issues to public attention, especially to those of us who seek to lead a religiously observant lifestyle, in keeping with the precepts and goals of the Torah. May his efforts merit Divine blessing and success.”—Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland; President for Israel of the International Jewish Vegetarian Society “Few books have ever been more timely or more needed than this one. Humankind stands on the brink of one of the greatest catastrophes ...

A “Green Sabbath Project” aiming to combat climate threats

A message from Jonathan Schorsch: Dear Friend,I would like to introduce you to my initiative, the Green Sabbath Project (www.greensabbathproject.net).  In brief, the Green Sabbath Project sees a weekly green sabbath or earth day as a day on which we strive to minimize our environmental impact as much as possible -- leaving things alone, “doing nothing” -- based on the biblical command to “do no work of any kind,” which was elaborated in the rabbinic concept of the 39 types of forbidden labors.  Whether commemorated as a secular, spiritual or religious act, a green sabbath stands as a weekly interruption of the suicidal ...

Review of my latest book, “Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism,” the 8th review of the book

Vegan Revolution, Saving our World, Revitalizing Judaism by Richard H. Schwartz is primarily directed toward a Jewish audience, but its message is for everyone in the world. In Vegan Revolution, Richard Schwartz proves from both the Hebrew Bible and other texts, and scientific evidence that a vegan lifestyle saves the whole of God's creation, and that it has been God's intent since the beginning. He shows how a vegan livestyle not only saves billions of animals, but also saves human lives by preventing many diseases, and by feeding the hungry of the world, and that vegan living prevents the environmental disasters that are plaguing the world ...

Jerusalem Post writeup of my Tu Bishvat activities

■ REGULAR READERS of The Jerusalem Post may have last Friday read the review of the latest book by Richard Schwartz, PhD, Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism. Just in time for Tu Bishvat which is a celebration of nature and its bounty, Schwartz has initiated an international campaign to “Celebrate Tu Bishvat as if Global Survival Matters.” A fervent vegan, Schwartz believes that Tu Bishvat, the most vegan and the most environmental Jewish holiday, should become a Jewish Earth Day and that Tu Bishvat Seders should be used, among other things, to increase awareness that the world is approaching a climate catastrophe. ...

Article in the next issue of the Jerusalem Report about my Tu Bishvat activities

Celebrating Tu Bishvat as if global survival matters By Abigail Klein Leichman TU BISHVAT, the Jewish new year for trees– beginning this year at sundown on January 27 – has become a sort of Jewish Earth Daycomplete with its own Seder celebrating the produce and wines of the Land of Israel. For environmental and vegan activist Prof. Richard H. Schwartz, Tu Bishvat presents a perfect opportunity to promote plant-based diets and environmental stewardship as expressions of traditional Jewish values. The retired college professor plans to lead a Tu Bishvat Seder at his retirement village in Shoresh and to lead or participate in several ...