Author: Richard Schwartz

Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg – A Purimspiel

eb Henna taught: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Clearly, the chicken.  How do we know this?  We learn from the Book of Esther that when Mordecai asked Esther to go before King Ahashveros to plead for the Jewish people, she was ‘chicken,’ fearing for her life. Only when Mordecai ‘Egged’ her on, telling her that perhaps she was enabled to be queen for just this EGGcelent purpose, did she muster the courage and ‘scrambled’ to appear before the king.” Reb Roosta said, “Speaking of birds, I heard that a Heavenly voice once announced: ‘A Robin Redbreast in a cage puts all Heaven in a rage’”. (William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence”)  Reb Chicka responded,  “Not to EGGaggerate, but – If a robin redbreast in a cage puts all heaven in a rage, how feels heaven when, dies the billionth battery hen?” (Spike Mulligan, British comedian).  Reb Poultrie stated, “Since Queen Esther was a vegetarian to avoid violating the dietary laws while hiding her Jewish identity while in the palace of King Ahashveros, and since our esteemed editor, Rabbi Judah, the Prince was stricken with pain for many years because he callously treated a frightened calf, perhaps we should Egg on Jews to protest against the current horrible treatment of chickens and other.

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How Celebrating Passover Can Help Heal Our Planet…

Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet Passover and Vegetarianism and Veganism Inconsistencies in Passover Eating Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Harm Us and the Planet —————- 1. Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet There are many Passover-related messages that can be applied to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path: 1. Today’s environmental threats can be compared in many ways to the Biblical ten plagues: • When we consider the threats to our land, water, and air, we can easily enumerate ten modern “plagues.” For example, (1) climate change; (2) melting of glaciers and Arctic ice caps; (3) destruction of tropical rain forests; (4) acid rain; (5) soil erosion and depletion; (6) loss of biodiversity; (7) water pollution; (8) air pollution; (9) an increase of severity of storms and floods; (10) increased use of pesticides, chemical fertilizer, and other toxic chemicals. • The Egyptians were subjected to one plague at a time, while the modern plagues are occurring simultaneously. • The Jews in Goshen were spared the Biblical plagues, while today, every person on earth is imperiled by the modern plagues. • Instead of an ancient Pharaoh’s heart being hardened, our hearts today have been hardened by the greed, materialism, and waste that are at the root of current environmental threats. • God provided the Biblical plagues to free the Israelites, while today we must apply God’s teachings in order to save ourselves and HEAL our precious but endangered planet. 2. The seder is a time for questions, including the traditional “four questions.” Additional questions can be asked related to modern environmental threats. For example: Why is this period different than all other periods? (At all other periods, only local regions faced environmental threats; today, the entire world is threatened.) Why is there insufficient attention in the Jewish community (and other communities) about current environmental threats? Why aren’t Jewish values sufficiently applied toward the alleviation of environmental problems? 3. Rabbi Jay Marcus, former Spiritual Leader of the Young Israel of Staten Island, saw a connection between simpler diets and helping hungry people. He commented on the fact that “karpas” (eating of greens) comes immediately before “yahatz” (the breaking of the middle matzah for later use as the “afikomen” (dessert) in the seder service. He concluded that people who live on simpler foods (greens, for example) will more readily divide their possessions and share with others. The consumption of animal-centered diets involves the feeding of about 70% of the grain grown in the United States to animals destined for slaughter and the importing of beef from other countries, while an estimated nine million of the world’s people die annually of hunger and its effects. Simpler diets would also have positive environmental effects since modern intensive livestock agriculture uses vast amounts of water, fuel, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, and other resources and contributes to the destruction of habitats and many other environmental problems. It is the leading cause of climate change because cows emit methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, and over 40% of the world’s ice-free land is used for grazing snd growing feed crops for animals, significantly reducing the number of carbon-sequencing trees. 4. A popular song at the seder is “dayenu” (it would have been enough). The message of this song isvery useful today when so many people eat large amounts of meat and seek to constantly increase their wealth and amass more possessions, with little thought of the negative environmental consequences. 5. An ancient Jewish legend indicates that Job’s severe punishment occurred because, as an advisor to Pharaoh, he refused to take a stand when Pharaoh asked him what should be done regarding the Israelites. This story can be discussed as a reminder that if we remain neutral and do not get involved in working for a better environment, severe consequences may follow. 6. The main Passover theme is freedom. While relating the story of our ancestors’ slavery in Egypt and their redemption through God’s power and beneficence, Jews might also want to consider the “slavery” of animals on modern “factory farms,” and the resultant very negative environmental effects. Contrary to Jewish teachings of tsa’ar ba’alei chayim (the Torah mandate not to cause unnecessary “sorrow to a living creature”), animals are raised for food today under cruel conditions in crowded, confined spaces, where they are denied fresh air, sunlight, a chance to exercise, and the fulfillment of their natural instincts. In this connection, it is significant to consider that according to the Jewish tradition, Moses, Judaism’s most excellent leader, teacher, and prophet, was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt because, as a shepherd, he showed great compassion to a lamb (Exodus Rabbah 2:2). In view of the above points, Passover would be a wonderful time to apply Jewish values more widely in response to humanity’s many current environmental threats. 2. Passover and Vegetarianism and Veganism Can Passover be related to  vegetarianism and veganism (veg*ism henceforth)? After all, what is a seder without gefilte fish, chicken soup, chopped liver, chicken, and other meats? And what about the shank bone to commemorate the paschal sacrifice? And doesn’t Jewish law mandate that Jews eat meat to rejoice on Passover and other Jewish festivals?  Yet, an increasing number of Jews are turning to veg*ism, and they are finding ways to celebrate veg*an Passovers while being consistent with Jewish teachings. Contrary to a common perception, Jews are not required to eat meat at the Passover seder or any other time. According to the Talmud (Pesachim 109a), since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews need not eat meat to celebrate Jewish festivals. In scholarly articles by Rabbi Albert Cohen in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society and Rabbi J. David Bleich in Tradition magazine, this concept is reinforced. Also, some Israeli chief rabbis, including Rabbi Shlomo Goren, former Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rabbi Sha’ar Yashuv Cohen, former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Haifa, were or are strict vegetarians. The use of the shank bone

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An Open Letter to Rabbis

Dear Rabbi, News of war and conflict are the order of the day, but something far worse looms over us. I am writing you because you have the potential to help avert a climate catastrophe and leave a sustainable world for future generations. There is a very strong consensus composed of almost all climate experts, all the major science academies, and over a thousand peer-reviewed articles in respected science journals that climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. Animal-based diets which seriously violate fundamental Jewish teachings, are the major contributors to climate change. Your help in increasing awareness of these realities can help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. The world has been heating up rapidly in recent years. The hottest year was 2024, breaking the record set in 2023. Amazingly, the 13 consecutive months from June 2023 to June 2024 all broke monthly temperature records. All 25 years so far this century are among the 25 hottest years in recorded history. Because of the hotter temperature, glaciers worldwide and polar icecaps have been rapidly melting, raising sea levels significantly. There has also been a significant increase on the frequency and severity of droughts, heat waves, wildfires, storms, and floods, with many records being broken. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization composed of climate experts from many countries, warned that “unprecedented changes” were needed by 2030 for the world to have a chance to avert a climate catastrophe. Despite that warning, atmospheric carbon dioxide has continued to increase, indicating that the world is heading in the wrong direction. Israel is especially affected by climate change. The hotter, drier Middle East projected by climate experts makes inability, terrorism, and war more likely. Also, a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain that contains much of Israel’s population and infrastructure. As devastating as climate events have been so far, prospects for the future are even more worrisome for four very important reasons: While all the recent severe climate events have occurred at a time when the global temperature has risen about 1.5 degrees Celsius (about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since the start of the Industrial Revolution, climate experts project that this will likely at least double by the end of this century, triggering far worse climate events. While climate experts believe that 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric carbon dioxide is a threshold value to avert the worse effects of climate change, the world has reached 420 ppm, and it has been increasing by 2 – 3 ppm per year. Climate experts fear that self-reinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles) could result in an irreversible tipping point, causing climate change to rise uncontrollably, with catastrophic results. One example is that more air conditioning will be used as the world gets hotter, meaning that more fossil fuel will be burned. This will release more greenhouse gases, heating the atmosphere even more, resulting in still more use of air conditioning, etc. Military experts are warning that there will likely be tens of millions of desperate refugees fleeing from severe heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, floods, and other climate events, which will promote social and political instability, terrorism, and war. Severe droughts already caused major migrations that contributed to civil wars in both Sudan and Syria………………………………………………….. Fortunately, as you know, there are many Jewish environmental teachings that should be applied in efforts to stabilize the climate. They include: The Jewish sages interpreted the dominion that God gave humans in Genesis as responsible stewardship. This view is reinforced by Genesis 2:15, in which God tells Adam to till the land in the Garden of Eden, but also to guard it. So, we are to be guardians of the earth, co-workers with God in protecting the environment.   The Jewish sages expanded Deuteronomy 20:19, 20, which forbids the destruction of fruit-bearing trees in wartime into a general prohibition against waste and unnecessary destruction. Because of the above factors, averting a climate catastrophe must become a central focus for civilization today. Every aspect of life should be considered in terms of reducing “carbon footprints.” We need to shift from fossil fuels to solar, wind, and other renewable forms of energy; produce more efficient cars, lightbulbs, and other items; improve public transportation,; recycle and compost. As president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of “Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism,” I want to stress the approach that has by far the greatest potential to help avert a climate catastrophe  — a societal shift toward vegan diets. This shift would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions because there would be far fewer cows and other farmed animals emitting methane, a potent greenhouse gas with over 80 times the ability to heat up the planet as CO2 per unit weight during its 10 – 15 years in the atmosphere.  The shift also has the potential of dramatically reducing atmospheric CO2 by permitting reforesting of the over 40 percent of the world’s ice-free land that is currently being used for grazing and raising feed crops for animals. This could reduce the current very dangerous level of atmospheric CO2  to a much safer one. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening, because forests continue to be destroyed for animal-based agriculture. We are literally eating our way to extinction. Taking into account the lost “opportunity cost” of  permitting reforestation to draw CO2 out of the atmosphere, systems engineer Sailesh Rao, PhD argues in his paper, “Animal Agriculture Is the Leading Cause of Climate Change,” published in the Journal of Ecological Society, that animal agriculture is responsible for 87% of human-caused greenhouse gasses. The UN has stressed that the world can’t avert increasingly severe climate events without shifting to a plant-based food system. The 2019 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land emphasized that plant-based diets are essential to reducing emissions, yet this remains largely absent from mainstream climate discussions.   Shifts to animal-free diets are consistent with Jewish teachings on preserving human health, treating animals

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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, refrained from eating meat while she lived in the palace of King Achashveriosh. 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 (charity to poor people). In contrast to these acts of sharing and compassion, animal-based diets involve the feeding of about 70 percent of the grain in the United States and over a third of the grain grown worldwide to farmed animals, while an estimated nine million people die of hunger and its effects annually and almost ten percent of the world’s people are chronically hungry. During the afternoon of Purim, Jews have a seudah (special festive meal), at which family and friends gather to rejoice in the Purim spirit. Serving only vegan food at these occasions would enable all who partake to be consistent with Jewish mandates to preserve our health, protect the environment, share with hungry people, conserve resources, and treat animals with compassion. On Purim, Jews emphasize unity and friendship by sending gifts of food (shalach manot) to friends. Vegans act in the spirit of unity and concern for humanity by having a diet that best shares Earth’s abundant resources. Because of the deliverance of the Jewish people that it commemorates, Purim is the most joyous Jewish holiday. By contrast, animals on factory farms never have a pleasant day, and millions of people throughout the world are too involved in worrying about their next meal to be able to experience many joyous moments. Mordechai, one of the heroes of the Purim story, was a nonconformist. The Book of Esther affirms: “And all of the king’s servants . . . bowed down and prostrated themselves before Haman. .But Mordechai would not bow down nor prostrate himself before him” (Esther 3:2). Today, vegans represent nonconformity. At a time when most people in the wealthier countries think of animal products as the main part of their meals, when McDonald’s and similar fast-food establishments are expanding, vegans are resisting and insisting that there is a better, healthier, more humane diet. Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from the wicked Haman. Today, veganism can be a step toward deliverance for the world from modern problems such as climate change, hunger, pollution, and resource scarcities. Purim commemorates the time when conditions for the Jews changed from sorrow to gladness and from mourning to celebrating. Today, a switch to veganism could result in positive changes for many people, since plant-based diets would reduce health problems, environmental threats, and hunger. Jews hear the reading of the Megillah twice during Purim, in order to reeducate themselves about the terrible threats that faced the Jewish people and their deliverance. Jewish vegans believe that if Jews were educated about the horrible realities of factory farming and the powerful Jewish mandates about taking care of our health, showing compassion for animals, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and helping hungry people, they would seriously consider switching to vegan diets. ————————— Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg? -a Purimshpiel Reb Henna taught: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Clearly, the chicken.  How do we know this?  We learn from the Book of Esther that when Mordecai asked Esther to go before King Ahashveros to plead for the Jewish people, she was ‘chicken,’ fearing for her life. Only when Mordecai ‘egged’ her on, telling her that perhaps she was enabled to be queen for just this EGGcelent purpose, did she muster the courage and ‘scrambled’ to appear before the king.” Reb Roosta said, “Speaking of birds, I heard that a Heavenly voice once announced: ‘A Robin Redbreast in a cage puts all Heaven in a rage’”. (William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence”)  Reb Chicka responded,  “Not to EGGaggerate, but – If a robin redbreast in a cage puts all heaven in a rage, how feels heaven when, dies the billionth battery hen?” (Spike Mulligan, British comedian).  Reb Poultrie stated, “Since Queen Esther was a vegetarian to avoid violating the dietary laws while hiding her Jewish identity in the palace of King Ahashveros, and since our esteemed editor, Rabbi Judah, the Prince was stricken with pain for many years because he callously treated a frightened calf, perhaps we should Egg on Jews to protest against the current horrible treatment of chickens and other. animals. The joyous festival of Purim shares many connections with veganism. According to the Talmud (Megilla 13a), Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim story, refrained from eating meat while she lived in the palace of King Achashveriosh. 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 (charity to poor people). In contrast to these acts of sharing and compassion, animal-based diets involve the feeding of about 70 percent of the grain in the United States and over a third of the grain grown worldwide to farmed animals, while an estimated nine million people die of hunger and its effects annually and over ten percent of the world’s people are chronically hungry. During the afternoon of Purim, Jews have a seudah (special festive meal), at which family and friends gather to rejoice in the Purim spirit. Serving only vegan food at these occasions would enable all who partake to be consistent with Jewish mandates to preserve our health, protect the environment, share with hungry people, conserve resources, and treat animals with compassion. On Purim, Jews emphasize unity and friendship by sending gifts of food (shalach manot) to friends. Vegans act in the spirit of unity and concern for humanity by having a diet that best shares Earth’s abundant resources. Because of the deliverance of the Jewish people that it commemorates, Purim is the most joyous Jewish holiday. By contrast, animals on factory farms never have a pleasant day, and millions of people throughout the

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Purim Lessons That Can Help Avert a Climate Catastrophe

  There is increasing evidence that the world is approaching a climate catastrophe. The hottest year in recorded history was 2024, breaking the record set just the year before. Amazingly, all 13 months from June 2023 to June 2024 broke monthly temperature records. All 25 years in the current century are among the 26 hottest years since temperature records have been kept worldwide. Because of the hotter temperatures, there has been a significant increase in the melting of glaciers and Polar ice caps, causing sea levels to rise rapidly. There has also been a substantial increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods.,  Climate experts are issuing increasingly dire warnings, indicating that an irreversible tipping point may soon occur, when climate spins out of control, with disastrous consequences. Israel is especially threatened by climate change because the hotter, drier Middle East projected by climate experts makes instability, terrorism, and war more likely. Also, a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain that includes much of Israel’s population and infrastructure.  Hence, everything possible must be done to avert a global climate catastrophe.  Magillat Esther, read twice on Purim, tells how the Jews of ancient Persia were threatened with extinction and miraculously saved. Today, climate change threatens the entire world, and we must find a way to avert an unprecedented catastrophe. Because they recognized the great threats to their future, the Jews of ancient Persia took major steps to save themselves. They fasted for three days, seeking God’s help, and Queen Esther risked her life by appearing before King Ahasuerus without being called by the king, something that could be punished by death at the king’s discretion. Like the Jews of ancient Persia, the world’s people today must act to avert calamity. Every aspect of life should be considered in terms of reducing “carbon footprints.” Most importantly, we should shift toward plant-based diets to emulate Mordechai’s nonconformity and Esther’s not eating meat so that she could remain kosher while not revealing that she was Jewish.  Such a shift has two significant benefits for reducing climate threats. First, there would be far fewer cows and other farmed animals emitting methane, a greenhouse gas with over 80 times the capacity to heat the planet as CO2 per unit weight during the 10 – 15 years it is in the atmosphere. More importantly, such shifts have the potential to dramatically reduce CO2 presently in the atmosphere by permitting reforesting of the over 40 percent of the world’s ice-free land that is currently being used for grazing and raising feed crops for animals. The additional  trees would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its current hazardous level to a much safer one. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening, with forests continuing to be destroyed to meet the needs of animal-based agriculture. The world is committing slow suicide, eating our way to extinction. Rabbis should eliminate and speak out against animal-based diets on Purim throughout the year because of the above points and because such diets violate basic Jewish teachings on protecting our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment,  conserving natural resources, reducing hunger, and pursuing peace. Fortunately, it is much easier to shift to plant-based diets today because, in addition to the wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds available, there are many plant-based substitutes with appearances, textures, and tastes very similar to those of meat. Applying Judaism’s teachings to our diets will demonstrate the relevance of Judaism’s eternal teachings to current problems and help shift our precious but imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. There is no Planet B or effective Plan B

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My 8 Tu Bishvat-related articles

Their titles are: 1. Why Is This Night Different: Thoughts on Tu B’Shvat 2. Tu B’Shvat and Vegetarianism and Veganism 3. Preserving the Sacred Environment: A Religious Imperative – A Tu Bishvat Message 4. Lessons From Trees: a Tu Bishvat Message 5. Celebrating Tu Bishvat as if Environmental Sustainability Matters 6. Lessons From Trees that Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet 7. For Tu Bishvat: 36 Jewish Quotations About Trees 8. Questions That Can Be Considered At a Tu B’Shvat Seder No fee expected and any article can be modified to meet your needs. Thanks, Kol tuv, Richard ======== 1. Why Is This Night Different?: Thoughts on Tu B’Shvat                  One of the highlights of the Passover seder is the recitation of the four questions which consider how the night of Passover differs from all the other nights of the year. Similar questions are appropriate for Tu B’Shvat, which starts on Sunday evening, February 5, in 2023, because of the many ways that this holiday differs from Passover and all other nights of the year.   1. While four cups of red wine (or grape juice) are drunk at the Passover seder, the four cups drunk at the Tu B’shvat seder vary in color from white to pink to ruby to red. 2. While Passover is a holiday of springtime, Tu B’Shvat considers the changing seasons from winter to autumn, as symbolized by the changing colors of the wine or grape juice, to remind us of God’s promise of renewal and rebirth. 3. While Passover commemorates the redemption of the Israelites, Tu B’Shvat considers the redemption of humanity, as the kabbalists of Safed who inaugurated the Tu B’Shvat seder regarded the eating of the many fruits with appropriate blessings and kavannah (intentions) on Tu B’Shvat as a tikkun (repair) for the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. 4. While other Jewish holidays honor or commemorate events and people, Tu B’Shvat honors trees, fruits, and other aspects of nature. 6. While people generally eat whatever fruits are in season, on Tu B’Shvat, people try to eat fruits from Israel, especially fruits mentioned in the Torah. 7. While people generally take the environment for granted, on Tu B’Shvat there is an emphasis on Jewish environmental teachings and the proper stewardship of the environment. 8. While people do not generally think about trees in the winter, there is much interest in trees on Tu B’Shvat, although the spring is still months away. 9. While people generally think of Israel as the land of the Bible, as the Jewish people’s ancestral home, and as the modern Jewish homeland, on Tu B’Shvat people think of Israel in terms of its orchards, vineyards, and olive groves. 10. While people generally think of fruit as something to be purchased at a supermarket or produce store, on Tu B’Shvat people think of fruit as tokens of God’s kindness. 11. While people generally try to approach God through prayer, meditation, and study, on Tu B’Shvat people try to reach God by eating fruit, reciting blessings with the proper intensions, and by considering the wonders of God’s creation. 12. While many people eat all kinds of food including meat and dairy products during most Jewish holidays and on most other days, the Tu B’Shvat Seder in which fruits and nuts are eaten, along with the singing of songs and the recitation of Biblical verses related to trees and fruits, is the only sacred meal where only vegetarian, actually vegan, foods are eaten as part of the ritual. 13. While people generally look on the onset of a new year as a time to assess how they have been doing and to consider their hopes for the new year, Tu B’Shvat is the New Year for Trees, when the fate of trees is decided. 14. While most Jewish holidays have a fixed focus, Tu B’Shvat has changed over the years from a holiday that initially marked the division of the year for tithing purposes to one in which successively the eating of fruits, then the planting of trees in Israel, and most recently responses to modern environmental crises have became major parts of the holiday.      Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach once quipped that the most important Jewish holidays are the ones that are least celebrated. While there has been increasing interest in Tu B’Shvat recently, this holiday that is so rich in symbolism and important messages for today is still not considered to any great extent by most Jews. Let us hope that this will soon change and that an increased emphasis on Tu B’Shvat and its important lessons will help revitalize Judaism and help shift our precious, but imperiled, planet onto a sustainable path. =========== 2. Tu B’Shvat and Vegetarianism and Veganism Tu B’Shvat is the most vegetarian and vegan (henceforth veg*an) of Jewish holidays, because of its many connections to veg*an themes and concepts: 1. The Tu B’Shvat Seder in which fruits and nuts are eaten, along with the singing of songs and the recitation of biblical verses related to trees and fruits, is the only sacred meal where only vegan foods are eaten. This is consistent with the diet in the Garden of Eden, as indicated by God’s first, completely vegan dietary law:    And 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.” (Genesis1:29) 2. The Talmud refers to Tu B’Shvat as the New Year for Trees. It is considered to be the date on which the fate of trees is decided for the coming year. In recent years, one of the prime ways of celebrating Tu B’Shvat, especially in Israel, is by planting trees. Veg*ism also reflects a concern for trees. One of the prime reasons for the destruction of tropical rainforests today is to create pasture land and areas to grow feed crops for cattle. To save an estimated 5 cents

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My invitation to a 2025 Tu Bishvat seder

Shalom, You are cordially invited to a Zoom Tu Bishvat Seder on Tu Bishvat, Wednesday, February 12, from 8  to  930 PM Israel time (1:00 to 2:30 PM US Eastern time) You can attend at https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/88447791056 The link for the ten pages of source sheets that will be the basis of the Zoom seder is https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k9V0a02e2M7lJXY1MTMxYLwmavqEHdT0/view?usp=sharing:. They will be screen-shared. I have conducted many Tu Bishvat seders in the past, both in rooms with attendees and by Zoom. You may attend the Seder without participating in the Tu Bishvat rituals, but If you wish to do so, please have at least one of the following at hand: fruit or nuts that have an outer shell, fruit that has a pit; fruit with neither an outer shell nor a pit, as well as some white grape juice or wine and some red grape juice or wine. Everyone is guaranteed a good time since there will be plenty of nuts at the seder. If you would like to learn more about Tu Bishvat, you might find some of my eight Tu Bishvat-related articles at the link below helpful: https://jewcology.org/2022/01/my-eight-articles-related-to-tu-bishvat-2/ When the world is approaching a climate catastrophe and facing other environmental threats, it is an important time to celebrate Tu Bishvat, the most environmental Jewish holiday, as if global survival matters, and to start treating Tu Bishvat as a Jewish Earth Day. I look forward to seeing you at the Zoom seder. Suggestions are very welcome. Please feel free to share this message. KOL tuv, Richard =====  

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My message to rabbis urging them to stress the importance of shifts to plant-based diets in efforts to avert a climate catastrophe

  Shalom, dear rabbi, As a respected community leader, you are in an excellent position to help create a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations in a way that will promote Jewish teachings and significantly enhance the image of Judaism worldwide. It has become increasingly apparent that the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe.  In early November, 2024 was already declared the hottest year worldwide in recorded history, surpassing the record established in 2023. Amazingly. all 23 consecutive months, from June 2023 to June 2024, broke monthly temperature records. There has been a significant increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods. Climate experts warn that the world may soon reach an irreversible tipping point when climate spins out of control with disastrous consequences. Israel is especially threatened by climate change. A rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain that contains much of Israel’s population and infrastructure. And the future hotter and drier Middle Eat makes instability,  terrorism and war  more likely Everything possible must be done to reduce climate threats. Most important are shifts away from animal-based diets for two essential reasons. First, it would reduce the emissions from cows of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas. More importantly, it would enable the reforestation of the over 40% of the world’s ice-free land now used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals. The additional trees would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its current hazardous level to a much safer one, significantly reducing climate threats. It is also consistent with Jewish values, as animal-based diets and agriculture seriously violate Jewish teachings on preserving our health, treating animals compassionately, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, reducing hunger, and pursuing peace. It is also much easier to adopt a plant-based diet today because of the increasing abundance of plant-based substitutes with appearances, textures, and tastes very similar to meat and other animal products. So, please consider the points in this message with your congregation and colleagues, and please consider with them shifting to a plant-based diet.  If you have comments or suggestions, would like more information, and/or would like to be actively involved in this initiative, please respond to this email. Below are URLs for organizations’ websites and links to articles that provide further information. KOL tuv, Richard (Schwartz) —————— Center for Jewish Food Ethics    JewishFoodEthics.org  Jewish Vegan Life       JewishVeganLife.org  Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy    shamayim.us  —————— Why Jews Should Be Vegans or at least Vegetarians https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/why-jews-should-be-vegans-or-at-least-vegetarians/ ——————— Is Eating Meat and 0……………..0………Other Animal Products Halachically Justifiable Today? https://jewish-vegan.org/is-eating-meat-and-other-animal-products-halalachically-justifiable-today.html ———————— Applying Jewish Values to Help Avert a Climate Catastrophe https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/applying-jewish-values-to-help-avert-a-climate-catastrophe/ —————- My over 300 related articles plus links to some of my books, including “Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism”  Jewish-Vegan.org 

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My six Chanukah-related articles

The titles are: Chanukah and Vegetarianism and Veganism 2. Miraculously Stretching the Oil:  Dietary Connections to Energy Use 3. Celebrating Miracles at Chanukah 4. Eight Reasons to Become Vegan During Chanukah 5.  Chrismukah: Giving Thanks for Miracles! 6. Chanukah and Veganism ========================= 1. Chanukah and Vegetarianism and Veganism                Many connections can be made between vegetarianism and veganism (henceforth veg*ism)  and the Jewish festival of Chanukah: 1. According to the Book of Maccabees, the Maccabees lived on plant foods since they were unable to get kosher meat when they hid in the mountains to avoid capture. 2. The foods associated with Chanukah, latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried donuts) are vegetarian foods (and would be vegan foods if egg substitutes were used), and the oils that are used in their preparation are a reminder of the oil used in the lighting of the Menorah at the rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean victory. 3. Chanukah represents the triumph of nonconformity. The Maccabees stuck to their inner beliefs, rather than conforming to external pressure. They were willing to say: This I believe, this I stand for, this I am willing to struggle for. Today, veg*ans represent non-conformity. At a time when most people in the wealthier countries think of animal products as the main part of their meals, when the number of fast food establishments is growing rapidly, when almost all celebrations involve an abundance of animal products, veg*ans are resisting and insisting that there is a better, healthier, more compassionate, more environmentally sustainable diet. 4. Chanukah represents the victory of the few, who practiced God’s teachings, over the many, who acted according to the values of the surrounding society. Today veg*ans are a very small minority in most countries, but they believe that veg*ism is the dietary approach most consistent with Jewish values, since it is consistent with God’s original dietary regimen  (Genesis 1:29) and with religious mandates to preserve our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, preserve natural resources, and share with hungry people. 5. Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil that was enough for only one day, but miraculously lasted for eight days. A switch to veg*ism on the part of the world’s people could help cause an even greater miracle: the end of the scandal of world hunger which results in the death of an estimated nine million people annually and almost 10 percent of the world’s people being chronically hungry, while about 70 percent of the grain produced in the US and over a third of the world’s grain is fed to animals destined for slaughter. 6. The ratio of eight days that the oil burned compared to the one day of burning capacity that the oil had is the same ratio (8 to 1) that is given for the pounds of grain that are necessary to produce a pound of beef in a feedlot. The miracle of the oil brings the use of fuel and other resources into focus, and veg*an diets make resources go much further, since far less water, fuel, land, pesticides, fertilizer, and other agricultural resources are required for veg*an diets than for animal-based diets. 7. Chanukah also commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after it was defiled by the Syrian-Greeks. The Hebrew root of the word Chanukah means dedication. Today, a shift to veg*ism can be a major factor in the rededication and renewal of Judaism, because it would show that eternal Jewish values are relevant to everyday Jewish life and to addressing current problems, such as hunger, pollution, resource scarcity, global climate change, and huge health care expenditures. 8. Candles are lit during each night of Chanukah, symbolizing a turning from darkness to light, from despair to hope. According to the prophet Isaiah, the role of Jews is to be a “light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6). For many Jews, veg*ism is a way of adding light to the darkness of a world with slaughterhouses, factory farms, and other examples of oppression. 9. Chanukah commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from the Syrian Greeks. So, today, veg*ism can be a step toward deliverance from modern problems such as hunger, pollution, and resource scarcities. 10.  The prophetic portion read on the Shabbat of Chanukah indicates that difficulties can best be overcome “not by might and not by power, but by My spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Today, Jewish veg*ans are arguing that the way to a better world is not by exercising our power over animals, but by applying the spirit of God, “Whose compassion is over all of His works.” (Psalm 145:9) 11. The Hebrew root of the word Chanukah also means education, Jewish veg*ans believe that if Jews were compassionately educated about the horrible realities of factory farming and the powerful Jewish teachings about taking care of our health, showing compassion to animals, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and helping hungry people, they would feel motivated to switch toward veg*an diets. 12. At the morning services during each day of Chanukah, there is a recitation of Hallel, the psalms of praise from Psalm 113 to 118. During the Sabbath of Chanukah and every other Sabbath during the year, the morning service has a prayer that begins, “The soul of all living creatures shall praise God’s name.” Yet, it is hard for animals to join in the praise of God when about nine billion animals are killed annually in the U. S. for their flesh after suffering from cruel treatment.      In view of these and other connections, I hope that Jews will enhance their celebrations of the beautiful and spiritually meaningful holiday of Chanukah by making it a time to begin striving even harder to live up to Judaism’s highest moral values and teachings by moving toward a veg*an diet. =========================      Miraculously Stretching the Oil:  Dietary Connections to Energy Use   The Jewish festival of Chanukah commemorates the miracle of

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Chrismukah: Giving Thanks for Miracles!

  This article was co-edited by Prof. Dan Brook (Bio at end)   Christmas on December 25 and Chanukah on 25 Kislev periodically coincide and do so again in 2024 on Christmas Day, which is the first night of Chanukah. Some are calling it Chrismukah. Some are calling it another miracle! Hope springs eternal. Indeed, it’s always been an integral part of Jewish and American history, spirituality, and politics. Without hope, there wouldn’t be a Chanukah; without hope, there might not even be a Jewish community; without hope, there might not be America or Israel. That’s the power of radical hope! Christmas has been celebrated for over 1600 years and Chanukah has been celebrated for 2100 years since the 2nd century BCE. The two holidays may be united in our gratitude for Light, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Latkes. We don’t know if Jesus ever ate latkes, but as a Jew, he celebrated Chanukah, which is mentioned in the Christin Bible as the Feast of Dedication, it’s former name. Jewish survival is a miracle of hope. Increasing light at the darkest time of the year to celebrate Chanukah and Jewish survival is also a miracle. Each year, we should be grateful for our miracles and we should work and hope for further miracles. We sincerely hope that Jews and Christians will enhance their celebrations of this spiritually-meaningful Judeo-Christian holiday of Chrismukah by making it a time to strive even harder to live up to Judaism’s and Christianity’s highest moral values and teachings. For most of us, we certainly don’t need more “things” in our homes or more food in our bellies; instead, we need more meaning, purpose, gratitude, peace, love, and spirit in our lives. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this. One significant way we can do this, on a daily basis, is by moving towards plant-based lifestyles. Chanukah commemorates the single small container of pure olive oil — expected to be enough for only one day — which, according to the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), miraculously lasted for eight days in the rededicated Temple on the 25th of Kislev, two years after it was defiled by the Syrian-Greeks, who were ruled by the tyrannical King Antiochus IV. In kabalistic (Jewish mystical) thought, according to Avi Lazerson, “oil is symbolic of chochmah (wisdom), the highest aspect of the intellect from which inspirational thought is derived”. A switch to vegetarianism or veganism would be using our wisdom and compassion to help inspire another great miracle: the end of the tragedy of world hunger, therefore ensuring the survival of tens of millions of people annually. Currently, from one-third to one-half of the world’s grain, and about three-quarters of major food crops in the U.S. (e.g., corn, wheat, soybeans, oats, alfalfa), is fed to animals destined for slaughter, while about one billion poor people chronically suffer from hunger and malnutrition and their debilitating effects, tens of thousands of them consequently dying each day, one every few seconds. Billions of cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and others are bred in unnatural and brutal conditions, leading to injuries and ill-health, first for them and eventually for their consumers. Maimonides, the great rabbi, physician, and scholar known as the Rambam, who wrote that the pain of people is the same as the pain of other animals (Guide for the Perplexed), ruled that one must literally sell the clothes one is wearing, if necessary, to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the menorah and celebrating the miracle (Hil. Chanukah 4:12). Uniting physical needs and spiritual needs is vitally important for the body, the mind, and the spirit. In the joyous process of celebrating our holidays — including Christmas, Chanukah, and Chrismukah — other beings shouldn’t have to be enslaved, tortured, and killed by our tyranny over them for a passing pleasure. No one should ever have to die on our account or in our name, especially for the purpose of celebration. Chanukah represents the victory of the idealistic and courageous few, over the seemingly invincible power and dominant values of the surrounding society. We learn through both our religious studies and history that might does not make right, even if it sometimes rules the moment. Therefore, quality is more important than quantity; spirituality is more vital than materialism, though each is necessary. “Not by might and not by power, but by spirit”, says Zechariah 4:6, part of the prophetic reading for Shabbat Chanukah. Today, vegetarians and vegans are relatively few in number — though growing — and billions of captive factory farm animals are powerless to defend themselves, but the highest ideals and spirit of Judaism and Christianity — namely, peace, justice, and liberation — are on their side. Still believing in brute force, materialism, greed, and gluttony, the world presently wastes a staggering and nearly unimaginable amount on total military might annually (with about half of that amount by the U.S. alone), while half the world’s population barely survives on $2 a day or less and, as noted, some don’t even survive. Security does not come from superior physical forces or from authoritarian political conditions, as the Chanukah and Christmas stories and contemporary events remind us. Collective security lies in a peaceful, just, sustainable, and beloved society, what Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. described as the justice of “positive peace”, just as personal security lies in a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. These are deeply and intimately related. (Rev. King’s widow said she thought he would have become vegan had he lived longer as a logical extension of his philosophy of non-violence.) The Jewish anti-imperialist insurgency that inspired the Chanukah story, led by the Macabees, was sparked when a pig was killed and Rabbi Eleazar and other Jews were ordered to eat it. Those who refused, including nonagenarian Rabbi Eleazar, were summarily killed. According to the Book of Macabees, some Macabees lived on plant foods — to “avoid being polluted” — when they hid in caves and in the mountains to escape capture. Further, the major

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    Can a Climate Catastrophe Be Prevented?

Humanity’s most urgent issue is whether a climate catastrophe can be prevented. Alarming trends and recent extreme climate events suggest that the world is approaching a critical tipping point. In 2024, heat waves were so frequent and intense that by early November, the year was declared the hottest in recorded history—breaking the previous record set just one year earlier in 2023. Astoundingly, all 13 months from June 2023 to June 2024 set new monthly temperature records. Additionally, 25 of the 26 .hottest years on record have occurred in this century. This relentless warming is driving an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods. Reports of devastating climate events now occur almost daily. For instance, in November 2024, Spain was overwhelmed by catastrophic flooding after receiving a year’s rainfall in just eight hours. Also, the southeastern United States was battered by two massive hurricanes within weeks. These storms, often more severe due to rising sea levels, higher atmospheric moisture, and warmer seas, highlight the dire consequences of a warming planet. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), comprising climate experts worldwide, issued a dire warning: “Unprecedented changes” must occur by 2030 to avert a climate catastrophe. Yet, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise unabated. UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently declared the situation a “code red for humanity,” emphasizing that delay equates to devastation. While severe climate impacts already mark the present, the future looms even darker for several key reasons: Current catastrophic events have unfolded with global temperatures approximately 1.5°C (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels. Yet, scientists project that this rise could at least double by the end of the century, intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. 2. Climate experts identify 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO₂ as the threshold for avoiding the worst climate impacts. However, CO₂ levels now exceed 420 ppm and continue to increase by 2–3 ppm annually 3. Self-reinforcing positive feedback mechanisms could lead to an irreversible tipping point when climate spins out of control. For example, as temperatures rise, increased air conditioning usage leads to higher fossil fuel consumption, which emits more greenhouse gases, further exacerbating global warming in a vicious cycle. 4. Military experts warn of unprecedented refugee crises caused by heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods. This mass displacement could fuel social and political instability, terrorism, and conflict, as already evidenced by climate-induced migrations contributing to civil wars in Sudan and Syria. Israel faces especially acute climate risks. The Middle East is warming faster than most other regions and is becoming increasingly arid. Rising sea levels threaten Israel’s coastal plain, home to much of the nation’s population and infrastructure. Preventing a climate catastrophe must become the central focus of human civilization. Every aspect of modern life should be reevaluated to minimize carbon footprints. Necessary actions include transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar and wind, producing more efficient technologies, improving public transportation, and promoting recycling and composting. However, the most urgent and impactful change is transitioning away from animal-based agriculture and diets. This shift is crucial for two reasons: First, farmed animals, particularly cows, emit methane—a greenhouse gas over 80 times more potent than CO₂  per unit weight in the 10 – 15 years it is in the atmosphere. Reducing livestock numbers would significantly lower methane emissions. Second, animal agriculture currently occupies over 40% of the world’s ice-free land for grazing and feed crop production. Transitioning to plant-based diets would free up this land for reforestation, which could sequester vast amounts of CO₂ and help bring atmospheric levels back to safer thresholds. Despite these opportunities, the opposite trend persists: forests are being cleared to expand animal agriculture, propelling humanity toward ecological collapse.  As systems engineer Dr. Sailesh Rao argues in his seminal paper Animal Agriculture Is the Leading Cause of Climate Change, the total impact of animal agriculture—including its “opportunity cost” of lost reforestation—accounts for 87% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. To avert catastrophe and secure a livable, environmentally sustainable world for future generations, society must embrace plant-based diets on a large scale. This transition need not feel like a sacrifice; today, plant-based substitutes for meat and dairy offer nearly identical taste, texture, and appearance. With growing awareness and innovation, a plant-based future is not just possible—it’s necessary. It would be consistent with Jewish teachings on preserving our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, reducing hunger, and pursuing peace. Reforestation and dramatically reducing meat consumption are critical steps to mitigate climate change. Preventing a climate catastrophe requires immediate, collective action—and a transformation of our relationship with food, the environment, and one another.  There is no Planet B or effective Plan B.c

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Why Jews Should be Vegans or at Least Vegetarians

Veganism is the diet most consistent with fundamental Jewish teachings.  Judaism emphasizes pikuach nefesh, that Jews should carefully preserve our health and our lives. Of the 613 Jewish mitzvot (commandments), 610 can be overridden if it might help save a life. The only three exceptions are the prohibitions against murder, idolatry, and sexual immorality. However, many scientific studies have linked animal-based diets to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, several types of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. These findings are consistent with the fact that humans are very different from omnivorous and carnivorous animals, in terms of our hands, teeth, digestive systems, stomach acids, instincts, and other factors. Animal-based diets also significantly increase the chances of pandemics, with their many adverse health effects. Judaism forbids tza’ar ba’alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain onanimals. Jews are to be rachmanim b’nei rachmanim (compassionate children of compassionate ancestors), imitating God, ‘Whose compassion is over all His works’ (Psalms 145:9). Despite this, the vast majority of farmed animals—including those raised for kosher consumers—are reared on factory farms, where they live in cramped, confined spaces and are often drugged, mutilated, and denied fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any enjoyment of life before they are slaughtered and eaten. Billions of animals on factory farms are cruelly treated, denied satisfaction of their basic instincts. Three examples: (1) dairy cows are artificially impregnated annually on what the industry calls ‘rape racks’ so that they will constantly give milk, and their calves are almost immediately taken away, with great anguish to both, (2) male chicks are cruelly killed immediately after birth at egg laying hatcheries because they can’t lay eggs and have not been programmed to have much flesh, and (3) hens’ are kept in spaces so small that they can’t raise even one wing and their beaks are painfully cut off without the use of any pain killer, so they will not harm other hens when pecking at them in frustration at all their natural instincts being thwarted. Judaism teaches that “the human being (Adam) was put into the Garden of Eden to work the land and to guard it” (Genesis 2:15). Jews are to be God’s partners and co-workers in preserving the world. However, modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes disproportionately to climate change, soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rainforests and other habitats, desertification, and other environmental damage. Animal-based agriculture is the prime cause of climate change for two reasons..First, cows emit methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times as potent per unit weight in heating the atmosphere as carbon dioxide during its 10 – 15 years in the atmosphere. Second, about 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land is used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals. Largely due to the substantial reduction of trees, atmospheric CO2 has passed 420 parts per million( ppm), significantly above the 350 ppm that climate experts think is a threshold value for sustainability. Reforesting much of the land now used for animal agriculture would help avert a climate catastrophe, leaving a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Israel is especially threatened by climate change because, among other problems, a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain that contains much of Israel’s population and infrastructure, and (2) the hotter and drier Middle East that climate experts predict makes instability, terrorism, and war more likely, according to military experts. Judaism mandates bal tashchit (that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, and that we are not to use more resources than are needed to accomplish a purpose). Nonetheless, animal agriculture wastes grain, land, water, energy, and other resources. For example, it can take as much as 13  times as much water for a person on an animal-based diet than for a vegan diet, primarily due to the need for vast amounts of irrigation water to produce feed crops for animals.  Judaism, furthermore, emphasizes that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people. However, about 70 percent of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter, while an estimated nine million people worldwide die annually because of hunger and its effects and almost ten percent of the world’s people are chronically hungry. Making the situation especially distressing is that healthy foods like soy, corn, and oats, high in fiber and complex carbohydrates and devoid of cholesterol and saturated fat, are fed to animals, producing meat and other animal foods that have the opposite nutrients. In addition,, while Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace (Isaiah 34:14),  the wasteful use of resources associated with animal-based diets makes war more likely. Noting that the Hebrew word for bread  (lechem) and war (milchamah) come from the same root, the Hebrew sages deduced that nations are more likely to engage in war when there is a shortage of grain and other resources. This deduction has been proven correct many times throughout world history.  One could say dayenu (it would be enough) after any of the preceding arguments because each constitutes a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practices that should impel Jews to switch to a plant based diet. Combined, they make a compelling case for change. The diet for the Garden of Eden was completely animal-free (Genesis 1:29), as will be the diet during the Messianic period, the other ideal time in the Jewish tradition, according to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook, first chief rabbi of pre-state Israel. He based his belief on the prophecy of Isaiah (11:6-9): “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, … the lion shall eat straw like the ox, … and no one shall hurt nor destroy in all of God’s holy mountain.” Another reason for Jews to have animal-free diets is that it makes it far easier to be kosher when a kitchen does not include meat and dairy foods. Also, there have been scandals in the

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Code Red for Humanity: A Jewish Response to the Climate Crisis

This article was co-authored by Michael Gribov. Director of Movement Building for Jewish Vegan Life. The world is at a tipping point. The United Nations has declared a “code red for humanity” in response to the accelerating climate crisis. From rising sea levels to extreme weather events, the planet is being pushed to the brink by human activity. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, it is clear that we are running out of time to avert catastrophic damage.In the face  ofsuch an overwhelming crisis, many are left wondering: What can I, as one person, do? For the Jewish community, the answer is rooted in our long-standing tradition of ethical action and responsibility. As Jews, we are commanded to engage in tikkun olam, the repair of the world. Today, that sacred charge includes addressing the environmental destruction caused by climate change. Climate Change and Jewish Values Jewish teachings emphasize the importance of caring for creation. In Bereishit (Genesis), the Torah describes the creation of the world and places humanity in a position of stewardship. We are instructed to “work it and protect it” (l’ovdah u’lshomrah) (Genesis 2:15)—to use the earth’s resources wisely but also to safeguard its integrity for future generations. This responsibility lies at the heart of the Jewish response to the environmental crisis. Our tradition also teaches us the concept of bal tashchit, the prohibition against unnecessary waste and destruction. In Deuteronomy 20:19-20, we are specifically commanded not to destroy fruit-bearing trees during times of war. This commandment has been expanded by the rabbis to mean that we should avoid any form of reckless destruction, whether of nature, resources, or the environment. In a world where ecosystems are collapsing, forests are being destroyed, and species are going extinct, bal tashchit speaks to our moral duty to prevent further harm. As the impacts of climate change intensify, Jewish values offer a framework for action, reminding us that environmental protection is not merely an option, but an obligation. A Call to Action The climate crisis is often framed in global, abstract terms, but its impacts are deeply personal. From the deadly wildfires in California and Greece to unprecedented floods in New York, Germany, Spain, and China, no part of the world is immune. Israel, too, is increasingly affected by the crisis, facing severe droughts, heat waves, and water shortages. These events are not isolated—they are part of a larger pattern that will only worsen unless we take urgent action. According to a 2021 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human-induced climate change has already caused widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, and land. The report warns that if immediate and transformative measures are not taken, we will see temperature increases of 1.5°C to 2°Cfrom the start of the Industrial Revolution, leading to irreversible damage to ecosystems and human communities. This is the “code red” moment—the last chance to prevent irreversible consequences for humanity and the planet. In this moment of crisis, the Jewish community cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. We must be part of the solution. Our tradition compels us to take immediate action, both as individuals and as a collective. The Power of Plant-Based Living Animal-based agriculture is the prime cause of climate change for two reasons..First, cows emit methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times as potent per unit weight in heating the atmosphere as carbon dioxide during its 10 – 15 years in the atmosphere. Second, about 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land is used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals. Largely due to the substantial reduction of trees, atmospheric CO2 has passed 420 parts per million( ppm), significantly above the 350 ppm that climate experts think is a threshold value for sustainability. Reforesting much of the land now used for animal agriculture would help avert a climate catastrophe, leaving a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Israel is especially threatened by climate change because, among other problems, a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain that contains much of Israel’s population and infrastructure, and (2) the hotter and drier Middle East that climate experts predict makes instability, terrorism, and war more likely, according to military experts. A shift to plant-based diets could reduce global food-related greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70%, according to a study published in the journal Nature. This simple lifestyle change would not only help mitigate climate change, but also reduce deforestation, conserve water, and promote biodiversity. For Jews committed to tikkun olam, plant-based living represents a powerful and immediate way to make a positive difference for the planet. Jewish Vegan Life, a nonprofit advocating for plant-based living rooted in Jewish wisdom, has been at the forefront of promoting plant-based diets as part of the solution to the climate crisis. Through campaigns like Shofar for Change, which uses the symbolism of the shofar’s call to awaken us to urgent action, Jewish Vegan Life is raising awareness about the connection between our food choices and the health of the planet. To learn more about the organization and how you can take part in its life-saving initiatives, visit JewishVeganLife.org. Collective Jewish Leadership in Sustainability Judaism teaches us the power of collective action. In moments of crisis, it is not enough for individuals to act alone—communities must come together to create meaningful change. This principle is at the heart of the Jewish response to the climate emergency. Whether through advocacy, education, or direct action, the Jewish community can be a leading voice in the fight against climate change. Already, Jewish organizations around the world are stepping up. Synagogues are installing solar panels, Jewish schools are teaching environmental stewardship, and Jewish environmental organizations like Hazon are mobilizing people to live more sustainably. These initiatives reflect the deeply rooted Jewish commitment to ensuring a livable planet for future generations. But we need to do more. Every Jewish community, from local congregations to global organizations, must prioritize climate action. This includes integrating

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Review of Animal Welfare in World Religion

Joyce D’Silva’s book Animal Welfare in World Religion; Teaching and Practice points out an anomaly that is the main reason that the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe and facing other environmental threats. While about 80 percent of the world’s people belong to a religion and these religions have strong teachings about compassion for animals, the vast majority of the people have animal-based diets that involve great cruelty to animals. Animal-based agriculture is the main cause of climate change for two very important reasons. Cows and other farmed ruminants emit methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times as potent as CO2 per unit weight in heating the atmosphere during the 10 – 15 years it is in the atmosphere. Even more importantly, over 40 percent of the world’s ice-free land is currently being used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals and this is likely to increase as animal consumption is projected to continue to increase worldwide. Because of the loss of trees and the resultant reduced capacity to sequester CO2, atmospheric CO2, which was 285 parts per million (ppm) at the beginning of the industrial revolution, has reached 420 ppm, far above the 350 ppm that climate experts believe is a threshold value for climate sustainability, and it has been increasing by 2 – 3 ppm per year. Unless there is a major shift away from animal-based diets and a significant replanting of trees, it is very unlikely that a climate catastrophe can be prevented.   The important facts and cogent arguments in Animal Welfare and World Religion have the potential to make that change happen Joyce D’Silva is very well qualified to write this book because of her long time efforts to improve conditions for animals. She is Ambassador Emeritus for Compassion in World farming, the leading charity promoting the welfare of farmed animals worldwide and co-editor of The Meat Crisis: Developing More Sustainable e and Ethical Production and Consumption and Farming, Food, and Nature: ; Respecting Animals, People, and the Environment. Because of her long time activism, she was awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Winchester and the Universal of keel, UK.” In addition, she is a patron of the Animals Interfaith Alliance.      The book has separate chapters on the teachings about animals of five major religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. It also has a chapter with shorter discussions about the teachings about animals of Indigenous people, Jainism, Sikhism, and Rastafarianism.        Since I am president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Judaism and Vegetarianism and Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism, I will focus in this review on the section about Judaism.     Full disclosure: the author consulted with me about her chapter on Judaism.     The book fully presents Judaism’s  many teachings on compassion for animals, including (1) God’s compassion is over all God’s works” (Psalms 145:9), “The righteous person considers the lives of his or her animals” (Proverbs 12:10), and tsa’ar ba’alei chaim, the Torah prohibition against causing any unnecessary harm to animals, based on many Jewish teachings.     Despite these and other Jewish teachings on compassion for animals, the vast majority of Jews (and others) have diets that involve horrendous treatment of farmed animals. For example, most dairy cows are artificially impregnated annually on what the industry itself calls “rape racks.“ The calves are taken away within a day or two so that the mothers’ milk that was meant for them can be sold, causing great anguish to both. At egg-laying hatcheries, the male chicks are killed immediately after birth since they can’t lay eggs and have not been genetically programmed, as “broilers are, to have much flesh. The hens are generally kept in such small cages that they can not raise a wing and all their natural instincts are thwarted. In their frustration, the hens peck at each other, with often very harmful results. Rather than provide more space and better conditions, the industry’s response is to debeak the hens, without any painkiller, a very cruel and hurtful process.      To reinforce her case, D’Silva includes several quotes from Orthodox Rabbi David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, International President of the World Council on Religion and Peace, and, I believe, the most eloquent spokesperson for Jews to be vegans. They include;     D’Silva also quotes a statement signed by 74 rabbis: “We, the undersigned rabbis encourage our fellow Jews to transition towards animal-free, plant-based diets. This approach to sustenance is an expression of our shared Jewish values of compassion for animals, protection of the environment, and concern for our physical and spiritual well being.     Shifts to plant-based diets would have other benefits, including improving human  health, climate change and other environmental threats to humanity, and the wasteful use of land, energy, and other resources, and be far more consistent with religious teachings on preserving our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and reducing hunger.            Because of the very negative effects of the failure of religions to put their compassionate teachings into practice, D’Silva properly asks: “Is this not a sign of of a fundamental failure of the world’s faiths?” She ends with a challenge: “ . . . animals globally are suffering at our hands. We can act to change this.If you are a faith leader, please talk about this. If you are just an ordinary believer, please ask or challenge your faith elders to investigate the issue and talk about it publicly. If you are an unbeliever, then please question your faith friends or faith leaders locally or nationally and ask them to do something about this, , , ,  Let’s find creative ways to make the teachings and exemplars known in our communities.”       It is very important that Animal Welfare in World Religion be widely read and its powerful arguments heeded. It has the potential to help

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Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Shemini Atzeret, and Veganism

There are many connections between veganism and the Jewish festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret (the Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly), and Simchat Torah: 1. Sukkot commemorates the 40 years when the ancient Israelites lived in the wilderness in frail huts and were sustained by manna. According to Isaac Arama (1420-1494), author of Akedat Yitzchak, and others, the manna was God’s attempt to reestablish a vegan diet for the Israelites. 2. On Simchat Torah, Jews complete the annual cycle of Torah readings and begin again, starting with the first chapter of Genesis, which contains God’s first dietary law: “Behold I have given you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in which there is the fruit of a tree yielding seed – to you it shall be for food.” (Genesis 1:29). Also, the Torah, along with prophetic and talmudic interpretations, is the source of the Jewish mandates – to take care of our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help hungry people, and seek and pursue peace – that point to veganism as the ideal diet today. 3. Sukkot is the Jewish harvest festival called the “Feast of Ingathering.” Hence, it can remind us that many more people can be sustained on vegan diets than on animal-centered diets that presently involve about 70 percent of the grain produced in the United States being fed to farmed animals, while an estimated nine million people die due to malnutrition and its effects annually. 4. The Sukkot holiday, including Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, is known as the “Season of Rejoicing,” since people’s worries about the success of the harvest are over. Since one must be in good health in order to fully rejoice, the many health benefits of vegan diets and the knowledge that such diets are not harmful to hungry people or animals can enhance rejoicing. 5. Sukkahs, the temporary structures that Jews dwell in during Sukkot, are decorated with pictures and replicas of apples, oranges, bananas, peppers, carrots, and other fruits and vegetables, never with meats or other animal products. 6. After the sukkah, the main ritual symbol for Sukkot is related to the plant kingdom. The Torah states: “On the first day, you shall take the first fruit of hadar (goodly) trees (an etrog or citron), branches of palm trees (lulav), boughs of leafy trees (hadassim) and myrtle, and willows of the field (aravot), and you shall rejoice before the Lord thy God seven days (Leviticus 23:40). These four species represent the beauty and bounty of the land of Israel’s harvest. 7. On Shemini Atzeret, Jews pray for rain, and plead to God that it should be for a blessing, not a curse. This is a reminder of the preciousness of rain to nourish the crops so that there will be a successful harvest. Also, according to the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 1.2), the world is judged on Sukkot with regard to how much rainfall it will receive. In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, there was a joyous “Water Drawing Ceremony” (Simchat Bet Shueva), designed to remind God to pour forth water when it was needed. Modern intensive livestock agriculture requires huge amounts of water, much of it to irrigate feed crops. According to Newsweek magazine, the amount of water needed to raise one steer would float a Naval destroyer. A person on an animal-based diet requires up to 13 times as much water as a person on a vegan diet. 8. Sukkot is a universal holiday. There are at least three indications related to the festival that Jews consider not only their own welfare, but also the fate of all of the world’s people: a. In Temple days, there were 70 sacrifices for the then 70 nations of the world; b. The lulav is waved in all directions, to indicate God’s rule over and concern for the entire world; c. The roof of the sukkah is made only of natural materials such as wood and bamboo, and must be open sufficiently so that people inside can see the stars, to remind them that their concerns should extend beyond their immediate needs and should encompass the world. Veganism also considers not only a person’s health, but also encompasses broader concerns, including the global environment, the world’s hungry people, and the efficient use of the world’s resources. 9. Moving out of comfortable homes to dwell in relatively frail sukkahs indicates that it is not our power and wealth that we should rely on, but rather that our fate is in God’s hands. And it is God Who originally provided vegan diets for people, and created us with hands, teeth, and digestive systems most conducive to eating plant foods. 10. Sukkot’s prophetic readings point to the universal messianic transformation of the world. According to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook, first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel, based on the prophecy of Isaiah. “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, . . . the lion shall eat straw like the ox . . . and nobody shall hurt or destroy in all of God’s holy mountain. (Isaiah 11: 6-9)), the messianic period will be vegan. In summary, a shift to veganism is a way to be consistent with the many values and teachings related to the joyous festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah.

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Why Plant-Based Diets Are Essential to Averting a Climate Catastrophe

Michael Gribov, head of movement building for Jewish Vegan Life, is the co-author of this article. In a world grappling with the urgent realities of climate change, we often find ourselves searching for solutions—big ideas that can slow down, if not completely reverse, the damage we’ve done to our planet. One solution, however, is within our reach every single day: changing what we put on our plates. I, Richard,  am partnering with a nonprofit called Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) where we are leading a movement that links one of the most powerful actions—adopting a plant-based diet—to the critical fight against climate change. If we are to have any hope of leaving behind a habitable planet for future generations, this shift is not just a choice but a necessity. Because the issues are so critical, I have arranged to match donations to JVL up to $25,000. You can learn more about them and donate to them at JewishVeganLife.org.  The Climate Crisis: A Code Red for Humanity The data is staggering. The world’s leading climate experts have been raising alarms for decades, but we are now feeling the full force of what those warnings foretold. Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the last, with 2023 marking the hottest year ever recorded. With rising temperatures come devastating consequences: melting glaciers, raging wildfires, longer and more severe droughts, and increasingly powerful storms. The Middle East, and Israel in particular, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The region is warming faster than the global average, which is expected to result in even greater instability, with competition over dwindling resources, rising seas threatening coastal areas, and more intense heat waves. But the future doesn’t have to be bleak. By changing the way we eat, we can reduce one of the most significant drivers of climate change—animal agriculture. The Environmental Toll of Animal-Based Diets While we often hear about fossil fuels, deforestation,  the most overlooked yet potent drivers of environmental degradation. The global demand for meat, dairy, and other animal products comes with a heavy price, particularly when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and the overuse of water and land. Cows and other ruminant animals release methane—a greenhouse gas more than 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. The sheer scale of animal farming means this methane production contributes significantly to global warming. In addition, the immense amounts of land required to graze animals and grow crops to feed them mean that vast areas of the earth’s forests are being cleared. These forests, which act as vital carbon sinks by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, are being lost alarmingly. It’s estimated that over 43% of the world’s ice-free land is now used for livestock grazing or to grow animal feed. If we reforested even a portion of this land, we could significantly reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and help mitigate the effects of climate change. A Plant-Based Diet: The Key to a Sustainable Future Switching to plant-based diets is not only good for the planet, it’s also incredibly efficient. Growing plants for human consumption uses far fewer resources than raising animals for food. When we cut out the middleman—the animals themselves—we drastically reduce the land, water, and energy required to produce food. For example, producing one pound of beef requires over 1,800 gallons of water, whereas growing a pound of vegetables requires far less. But beyond the environmental efficiency, plant-based diets offer a unique opportunity to combat climate change harmoniously with Jewish teachings and values. Judaism teaches us to be stewards of the earth, to avoid causing unnecessary harm to animals (tsa’ar ba’alei chayim), and to preserve our health. Eating plants instead of animals allows us to live in alignment with these values while reducing the demand for environmentally destructive agricultural practices. The Jewish Call to Action In Jewish tradition, the pursuit of justice (tzedek) and peace (shalom) are fundamental principles, and there is no greater injustice today than the ravaging of our planet for unsustainable food choices. Moreover, Judaism teaches that we are not to destroy the world that Hashem entrusted to us. The Torah’s commandment of bal tashchit—the prohibition against needless destruction—calls on us to live sustainably and use resources wisely. When we consider that 70% of the grain grown in the United States and over one-third of the grain grown worldwide is fed to animals destined for slaughter, the inefficiency of our current food system becomes all the more apparent. In a world where millions of people suffer from hunger, how can we justify feeding grains to animals instead of people? A shift toward plant-based diets helps conserve precious resources and addresses global hunger by making more food available for direct human consumption. The Time to Act is Now As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently warned, the climate crisis is a “Code Red for Humanity.” We are running out of time to make the necessary changes to avert disaster. Every day we delay means more carbon in the atmosphere, more extreme weather events, and a greater risk of reaching an irreversible tipping point. But we still have a chance to turn things around. By embracing plant-based diets, we can make a powerful, immediate impact on the fight against climate change. And as Jews, we can lead the way, showing the world that living according to our values—values of compassion, justice, and stewardship—means not only caring for our fellow humans but for the entire planet. Answering the Call of the Shofar At Jewish Vegan Life we believe that everyone can make a positive difference on our planet because we have the power to decide what we eat, and plant-based living is the key to building a sustainable future. That’s why we’ve launched the Shofar for Change initiative, a global call to action for Jews everywhere to consider the role our food choices play in the climate crisis and to commit to a more sustainable way of living.

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An  Innovative Initiative To Avert a Climate Catastrophe and Leave a Habitable, Healthy, Environmentally Sustainable World For Future Generations

Because climate threats are increasingly apparent, Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) has started  a unique, potentially game-changing initiative to reduce them, called “Shofar for Change.” It involves a Zoom event featuring  the blowing of the shofar at the Kotel on September 29, 11 AM US Eastern time  (6 PM Israel time), followed by several talks on the seriousness of climate threats and how it can be prevented. JVL hopes the shofar blasts will awaken people to the following realities. There is a robust consensus, composed of 97% of climate experts, all the primary science academies that have taken a position on the issue, and most importantly, over a thousand peer-reviewed articles in respected scientific journals, that climate change is a significant threat to humanity, caused mainly by human activities. Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the previous decade. All 24 years in this century are among the 25 hottest years since temperature records were first recorded worldwide around 1880. 2023 was the hottest year worldwide, and 2024 will likely surpass it. All 13 months, from June 2023 to June 2024, broke monthly temperature records. As a result, glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost are rapidly melting, seas are rapidly rising, and lakes and rivers are drying up in many regions. There has also been a significant increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, floods, and other climate events.  Israel is especially threatened by climate change because the Mediterranean area is warming up much faster than the world average. Climate experts project a hotter, drier Middle East that will increase instability, terrorism, and war. The rising Mediterranean Sea could also inundate the coastal plain that contains much of Israel’s population and infrastructure.  In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization composed of climate experts from many countries, warned that “unprecedented changes” were needed by 2030 for the world to have a chance to avert a climate catastrophe. Despite that warning, atmospheric carbon dioxide has continued to increase, indicating that the world is still heading in the wrong direction regarding climate change.   Because of  many dire warnings, like the one above, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the climate situation is a “Code Red for Humanity” and that “delay means death.” As devastating as recent climate events have been, prospects for the future are even more frightening for four critical reasons: Everything possible must be done to avert a climate catastrophe. A major shift to plant-based diets is especially important for two reasons.First, cows and other ruminants emit methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times per unit weight as potent as CO2 in heating the atmosphere. Second, about 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land is now used for grazing and growing feed crops for farmed animals. If much of that land was reforested, the additional trees would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its current very dangerous level, potentially leaving a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Another vital reason to shift away from animal-based diets is that they violate at least six fundamental Jewish teachings: While Judaism emphasizes tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, the prohibition against causing needless suffering for animals, animals are raised for food today under cruel conditions, in crowded, confined cells, where they are denied fresh air, exercise, and any natural existence. While Judaism mandates that we be very careful about preserving our health and our lives, animal-centered diets have been linked to heart disease, several forms of cancer, and other degenerative illnesses. While Judaism stresses that we are to share our bread with the hungry, seventy percent of the grain grown in the United States and over one-third of the grain grown worldwide is fed to animals destined for slaughter, as millions of people die annually because of hunger and its effects. While Judaism teaches that “the earth is the Lord’s” and we are partners with God in preserving the world and seeing that the earth’s resources are properly used, a flesh-centered diet requires the wasteful use of food and other resources, and results in much pollution. While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence results from unjust conditions, flesh-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that eventually lead to instability and war. Fortunately, it is much easier to follow a plant-based diet today because of the abundance of plant-based substitutes that look, feel, and taste similar to meat and other animal products. The above factors must be recognized and acted upon to have a chance to avert a climate catastrophe and leave a habitable, healthy, and environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Therefore, JVL will email messages about their initiative to thousands of rabbis and other Jewish leaders. I have arranged with JVL to match donations to them up to $25,000. Donations will be used to place ads with the above essential messages online and in Jewish publications in the US, Israel, and the UK.  So, please donate generously to JVL to further this potentially game-changing initiative. It is the most important thing you can do to help reduce a positive future. You can learn more about Jewish Vegan Life and make a tax-deductible donation at JewishVeganLife.org. This bold initiative must succeed. There is NO Planet B or practical Plan B.

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initiative To Avert a Climate Catastrophe and Leave a Habitable, Healthy, Environmentally Sustainable World For Future Generations

Because climate threats are increasingly apparent, Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) has started  a unique, potentially game-changing initiative to reduce them, called “Shofar for Change.” It involves a Zoom event featuring  the blowing of the shofar at the Kotel on September 29, 11 AM US Eastern time  (6 PM Israel time), followed by several talks on the seriousness of climate threats and how it can be prevented. JVL hopes the shofar blasts will awaken people to the following realities. There is a robust consensus, composed of 97% of climate experts, all the primary science academies that have taken a position on the issue, and most importantly, over a thousand peer-reviewed articles in respected scientific journals, that climate change is a significant threat to humanity, caused mainly by human activities. Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the previous decade. All 24 years in this century are among the 25 hottest years since temperature records were first recorded worldwide around 1880. 2023 was the hottest year worldwide, and 2024 will likely surpass it. All 13 months, from June 2023 to June 2024, broke monthly temperature records. As a result, glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost are rapidly melting, seas are rapidly rising, and lakes and rivers are drying up in many regions. There has also been a significant increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, floods, and other climate events.  Israel is especially threatened by climate change because the Mediterranean area is warming up much faster than the world average. Climate experts project a hotter, drier Middle East that will increase instability, terrorism, and war. The rising Mediterranean Sea could also inundate the coastal plain that contains much of Israel’s population and infrastructure.  In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization composed of climate experts from many countries, warned that “unprecedented changes” were needed by 2030 for the world to have a chance to avert a climate catastrophe. Despite that warning, atmospheric carbon dioxide has continued to increase, indicating that the world is still heading in the wrong direction regarding climate change.   Because of  many dire warnings, like the one above, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the climate situation is a “Code Red for Humanity” and that “delay means death.” As devastating as recent climate events have been, prospects for the future are even more frightening for four critical reasons: Everything possible must be done to avert a climate catastrophe. A major shift to plant-based diets is especially important for two reasons.First, cows and other ruminants emit methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times per unit weight as potent as CO2 in heating the atmosphere. Second, about 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land is now used for grazing and growing feed crops for farmed animals. If much of that land was reforested, the additional trees would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its current very dangerous level, potentially leaving a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Another vital reason to shift away from animal-based diets is that they violate at least six fundamental Jewish teachings: While Judaism emphasizes tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, the prohibition against causing needless suffering for animals, animals are raised for food today under cruel conditions, in crowded, confined cells, where they are denied fresh air, exercise, and any natural existence. While Judaism mandates that we be very careful about preserving our health and our lives, animal-centered diets have been linked to heart disease, several forms of cancer, and other degenerative illnesses. While Judaism stresses that we are to share our bread with the hungry, seventy percent of the grain grown in the United States and over one-third of the grain grown worldwide is fed to animals destined for slaughter, as millions of people die annually because of hunger and its effects. While Judaism teaches that “the earth is the Lord’s” and we are partners with God in preserving the world and seeing that the earth’s resources are properly used, a flesh-centered diet requires the wasteful use of food and other resources, and results in much pollution. While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence results from unjust conditions, flesh-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that eventually lead to instability and war. Fortunately, it is much easier to follow a plant-based diet today because of the abundance of plant-based substitutes that look, feel, and taste similar to meat and other animal products. The above factors must be recognized and acted upon to have a chance to avert a climate catastrophe and leave a habitable, healthy, and environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Therefore, JVL will email messages about their initiative to thousands of rabbis and other Jewish leaders. I have arranged with JVL to match donations to them up to $25,000. Donations will be used to place ads with the above essential messages online and in Jewish publications in the US, Israel, and the UK.  So, please donate generously to JVL to further this potentially game-changing initiative. It is the most important thing you can do to help reduce a positive future. You can learn more about Jewish Vegan Life and make a tax-deductible donation at JewishVeganLife.org. This bold initiative must succeed. There is NO Planet B or practical Plan B.

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Shofar for Change: Awakening the Jewish World to the Climate Crisis

As the shofar blasts pierce the air this Rosh Hashanah, they carry with them the ancient call for reflection, repentance, and renewal. But this year, a new sound will echo through the holiest site for our people – a call to action not just for the soul, but for the planet. On September 29, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a nonprofit called Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) will host an extraordinary event as part of their groundbreaking Shofar for Change initiative. At 6 PM Israel time (11 AM US Eastern time), the shofar will be sounded in honor of global climate awareness, and a series of talks will follow on how the Jewish community can take bold steps to combat the greatest existential threat we face today: climate change. Why the Shofar? The shofar has always been a powerful symbol in Jewish tradition, serving as a wake-up call to reconnect with our values and to strive for moral and spiritual improvement. Today, that call is louder than ever. As we face the escalating threat of climate catastrophe, we are reminded of our Jewish responsibility to protect the earth and all its inhabitants. The symbolism of the shofar is twofold: it awakens the Jewish world to the urgency of the climate crisis while also reminding us of o                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ur capacity for renewal. Just as we are called to repent and repair during the High Holidays, we are also called to restore and protect the world Hashem entrusted to us. A Climate Crisis Like No Other The evidence is undeniable. The world is experiencing unprecedented changes in weather patterns, rising global temperatures, and increased frequency of extreme climate events like wildfires, droughts, and floods. Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the one before it, with 2023 setting record-breaking temperatures worldwide. The Mediterranean region, including Israel, is warming even faster than the global average, bringing with it significant risks for the Jewish state – from rising sea levels threatening our coastal cities to heightened instability and conflict fueled by resource scarcity. For the Jewish people, the climate crisis poses not just a physical threat, but a moral challenge as well. Our tradition calls on us to be stewards of the earth, to pursue justice, and to safeguard the vulnerable. The Torah’s commandments to care for the land and all living beings resonate deeply in a world where the future is threatened by inaction. The Role of Plant-Based Diets in Combatting Climate Change What can we do to avert disaster? The most significant step we can take is to shift toward plant-based diets. The connection between animal agriculture and the climate crisis is clear: raising animals for food requires vast amounts of land, water, and energy, and it produces large quantities of greenhouse gases like methane, which is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, per unit weight, during the 10 – 15yeas it is in the atmosphere in trapping heat. In fact, over 40% of the world’s ice-free land is used for grazing and growing feed crops for farmed animals. A shift to plant-based eating not only reduces the strain on the environment but also aligns with core Jewish values. Our tradition teaches us to avoid causing unnecessary harm to animals (tsa’ar ba’alei chayim), to preserve our health, and to use the earth’s resources responsibly. By reducing or eliminating our consumption of animal products, we can fulfill these mitzvot while taking meaningful action to protect the planet for future generations. The Jewish Obligation to Act The Shofar for Change initiative is not just a call to reflect on our personal lives; it’s a call to action for the entire Jewish world. Just as we gather together to pray for peace, health, and security during the High Holidays, we must now pray and act to ensure the survival of our planet. Jewish Vegan Life is leading the charge by raising awareness about the environmental impact of our food choices and promoting plant-based diets as an essential solution to climate change. At the Shofar for Change event, speakers will highlight the urgency of the crisis and the power of the Jewish community to make a difference. Join the Call for Change This Rosh Hashanah, as the shofar blasts at the Western Wall, it will serve as both a spiritual awakening and a clarion call for environmental justice. It is a moment for the Jewish world to take stock of the blessings we have been given and to recognize the responsibility we bear in safeguarding them. The climate crisis is real, but it is not inevitable. With collective action and a commitment to living aligned with Jewish values, we can create a sustainable future for ourselves, our children, and future generations. Will you answer the call? To learn more about the Shofar for Change initiative and how you can participate in this historic event, visitJewishVeganLife.org and consider joining the effort to protect the earth through compassion, action, and a return to plant-based living. Together, we can ensure that the shofar sounds are not a final warning, but the beginning of a new chapter in

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An Open Letter to Jewish Trump Supporters

You likely support former President Donald Trump because he has done some positive things for Israel, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the US consulate there, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and helping form the Abraham Accords. This is certainly understandable.  However, have you considered the two ways that Trump’s actions have greatly endangered Israel and, indeed, the entire world? First, he pulled the US out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was working very well, according to professional inspectors and most nuclear and strategic experts. His unilateral decision enabled Iran to now be much closer to being able to create nuclear weapons and to be in a much better bargaining position for future negotiations. Second,  Trump continues to call human-caused climate threats a hoax despite the overwhelming consensus of climate experts that the world is in great peril due to climate change and the recent significant increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, wildfires, storms, floods, and other climate events. He would likely appoint other climate deniers to key environmental posts and make every effort to roll back regulations designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if reelected, as he did during his presidency. He told a meeting of fossil fuel executives that he would continue doing their bidding if they collectively donated a billion dollars to his election campaign. Israelis should be especially concerned. Our country is heating up even faster than the world average, and the hotter and drier Israeli future increases the likelihood of instability, terrorism, and war. Also, Israel’s coastal plain, which contains much of our population and infrastructure, might be inundated by a rising Mediterranean Sea. Trump became hostile to Prime Minister Netanyahu for merely congratulating President Biden on winning the 2020 US presidential election. He also publicly disclosed confidential details about Israeli security and personnel to Russia’s ambassador to the US and foreign minister while hosting them in the Oval Office. So, can he be counted on to be helpful to Israel if he is reelected? Along with the vast majority of Democratic congressional members, including all its leaders, Vice President Harris has consistently supported arms and other aid to Israel. After meeting with PM Netanyahu in Washington, Harris expressed to the press, as she has many other times, “an unwavering commitment to the existence of the state of Israel, to its security, and to the people of Israel” and her support for our right to defend ourselves. As a senator, Harris supported funding for the Iron Dome, co-sponsored legislation condemning BDS, and frequently emphasized the importance of the US-Israel relationship, referring to Israel as a “steadfast” ally. The Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has also consistently supported Israel. The 2024 Democratic platform strongly supports Israel and the National Democratic convention included a talk by the parents of then hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin but none by Israeli opponents. Trump hosted notorious antisemites for dinner at Mar-a-Lago, forwarded antisemitic posts from neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups, and called white supremacists chanting, ”Jews will not replace us,” “very fine people.” He also made antisemitic statements such as that US Jews care more about Israel than they do about the US and that Jews who do not support him are disloyal to Israel and Judaism. In sharp contrast, Vice President Harris and her Jewish husband have worked intensively to reduce antisemitism. While Israel depends on a strong US democracy, a Trump presidency would threaten it. Trump has stated that if he is reelected, he would like to be a dictator “on day one.” He praises dictators, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jung Un, and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. He sparked a rebellion at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, aiming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He supports rioters who shouted “Hang Mike Pence” when his vice president defied Trump, followed the law, and certified the election results. Trump now says he would pardon those convicted of participating in the insurrection. Can you support a serial liar? Trump made over 30,000 false and misleading statements during his administration and about 30 more during the presidential debate. Also, he is still telling the big lie that he won the US 2020 presidential election despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. How can anyone believe anything that Trump says? Are you bothered that many of those who worked most intimately with him in his first term – including his vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state, chief of staff, national security adviser, press secretary, communications director, and attorney general – have warned in speeches, interviews and memoirs that Trump is erratic, immoral and someone who must never be let near the White House again. Are you concerned about Trump’s character and values?. Throughout his adult life, including his four years as President, Trump has been totally unprincipled and unscrupulous. He has shown no loyalty to people, organizations, or any set of values. In pursuit of self-gratification and self-aggrandizement, he has cheated countless people and institutions, including friends, wives, contractors, and banks. Despite his massive legacy of sexual assault victims, ruined careers, and bankrupt corporations, he has somehow convinced a sizable part of the American population that he is concerned about their well-being. There is no reason to believe that he has any concern for the welfare of Israeli citizens or the existence of Israel as a Jewish state beyond the degree to which those concerns affect his fortune. One should expect Trump to abandon Israel in a heartbeat if it suited his interests. Trump is egotistical, erratic, and narcissistic. He never admits error and has shown little interest in facts, educating himself, or engaging in intelligent governance. His main focus, evidently, has been to enrich himself through a wide range of scams and thinly veiled bribes. He only chooses advisers and administrators who express and maintain total loyalty to him, which is a recipe for disaster when difficult, challenging decisions must be made. He has sought

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