Author: Richard Schwartz

Passover and vegetarianism and veganism (veg*ism henceforth)? Can they be related? After all, what is a seder without gefilte fish, chicken soup, chopped liver, chicken, and other meats? And what about the shankbone 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, 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 shankbone originated in the time of the Talmud as a means of commemorating the paschal lamb. However, since the talmudic scholar, Rabbi Huna, states that a beet can be used for this purpose, many Jewish veg*ans substitute a beet for the shankbone. The important point is that the shankbone is a symbol and no meat need be eaten at the seder.      Jewish veg*ans see veg*an values reinforced by several Passover themes: 1. At the seder, Jews say, “Let all who are hungry come and eat”. As on other occasions, at the conclusion of the meal, bircat hamazon is recited to thank God for providing food for the world’s people. This seems inconsistent with the consumption of animal-centered diets which involves the feeding of 70% of the grain grown in the United States while an estimated nine million of the world’s people die of hunger and its effects annually.      Although he is not a vegetarian, 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 those who live on simpler foods (greens, for example) will more readily divide their possessions and share with others.      Many Jewish veg*ans see connections between the oppression that their ancestors suffered and the current plight of the billions of people who presently lack sufficient food and other essential resources.  Veg*an diets require far less land, water, fuel, pesticides, fertilizer, and other resources, and thus enable the better sharing of God’s abundant resources, which can help reduce global hunger and poverty. 2. 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, many Jewish veg*ans also consider the “slavery” of animals on modern “factory farms.” Contrary to Jewish teachings of tsa’ar ba’alei chayim (the Torah mandate not to cause unnecessary “pain 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 greatest 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) 3. Many Jewish veg*ans advocate that we commemorate the redemption of our ancestors from slavery by ending the current slavery to harmful eating habits through the adoption of veg*an diets. 4. Passover is the holiday of springtime, a time of nature’s renewal. It also commemorates God’s supremacy over the forces of nature. In contrast, modern intensive livestock agriculture and animal-centered diets have many negative effects on the environment, including air and water pollution, soil erosion and depletion, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, and contributions to climate change      Jewish veg*ans view their diet as a practical way to put Jewish values into practice. They believe that Jewish mandates to show compassion to animals, take care of our health, protect the environment, conserve resources, and share with hungry people, and the negative effects that animal-centered diets have in each of these areas, point to veg*ism as the ideal diet for Jews (and others) today.

And that which is left thereof [from the meal-offering] shall Aaron and his sons eat; it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the tent of meeting they shall eat it. . . . it is most holy as the sin-offering and the guilt-offering.   Leviticus 6:9.10 When the Jewish people were in the wilderness before they entered the land of Israel, the consumption of meat was associated with holiness. Every piece of meat consumed came from an animal sacrificed in the Mishkan (Sanctuary), an act meant to bring the worshiper closer to God. The word korban (sacrifice) is related to le-karev, to come close. Through the sacrifice, worshipers felt that they were giving themselves vicariously to God and being received by Him. If an animal was slaughtered in a place other than the altar of the Sanctuary, it was deemed unlawful bloodshed, and the perpetrator was deserving of Divine punishment. (Leviticius 17:3,4) The consumption of meat was not something taken for granted, as it generally is today. Worshipers were very much involved with the entire process. Each sacrifice had a definite purpose: to offer thanksgiving, to atone for a sin, to commemorate a holy day (such as the Korban Pesach, or Paschal Lamb), or to make one feel closer to God. Those offering a sacrifice felt that they were giving up something from their prized possessions. People owned animals as sources of labor or food, as well as a form of capital; hence slaughtering them in connection with the Temple rites was a sacrifice of a precious source of income and food. The animal was not considered just a distant commodity as is generally the case in today’s world of corporate agriculture; rather, it was a creature that the owner raised and saw on a daily basis, and whose needs were a matter of personal responsibility and even concern. Since a mother animal and its offspring could not be slaughtered on the same day (Leviticus 22:26-28), those who offered sacrifices needed to be aware of familial relationships among animals to be offered as sacrifices. Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi of Efrat, points out that worshipers were very much involved in the sacrificial process. For sin offerings, they were required to lean their hands on the animal, and make a confession prior to the act of slaughter. Rabbi Riskin explains that the emotional result on the one who brought the sacrifice and watched it being killed was to contemplate that because of their sin they deserved to be the ones on the altar. Thus they would experience feelings of teshuvah (repentance) and become transformed, worthy of a renewed lease on life. (Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, “There, But For the Grace of God,” Jerusalem Post International edition, March 28, 1998) The relatively small number of sacrifices performed daily meant that attention was given to the death of each animal. Sanctity was related to physical wholeness and perfection. The Kohanim (Priests) had to be free of bodily imperfections, and the animals to be sacrificed had to be free of blemishes. Hence, the notion of holiness was given physical expression in the concept of holiness of body and limb.  Far different is the eating of meat today. Rather than an infrequent act, many people in modern societies consume meat daily, if not more than once a day. Instead of an individual sacrifice of one person’s animal in a special ceremony, animals are currently raised by mass-production procedures on “factory farms” in huge numbers. In place of slaughter by a Kohen (Priest) focusing his intention in the Sanctuary imbued with holiness, today the slaughter is generally done by a shochet (ritual slaughterer) who slaughters hundreds of animals a day in an industrial facility. Because of these major changes, the large-scale production and widespread consumption of meat today have negative effects that did not occur in the days of the Sanctuary. In some cases, these negative effects violate or compromise Halakhah (Jewish law),  and often contravene the ethical sensitivities that the Torah wishes to instill in us. Mistreatment of animals While the Torah forbids tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on animals, most farm animals — including those raised for kosher consumers — are raised 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.  Negative health effects The Torah mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives. Yet, numerous scientific studies have linked animal-based diets directly to heart disease, stroke, many forms of cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases. In addition, modern methods of raising animals have raised new health threats, including the potential for the human variant of “mad-cow’s disease,” bird flu, E-coli contamination, and other negative effects from the use of large amounts of hormones, pesticides, and other chemicals. Negative environmental effects Judaism teaches that “the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalms 24:1), and that we are meant to be God’s partners and co-workers in preserving the world. In conflict with this ethic, modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to global warming, soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats and other environmental damage. As a recent indication of just how significant this is, a November 2006 report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization indicated that animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (18 percent, in CO2 equivalents) than the entire transport sector.   Inefficient use of resources While the Torah mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, animal agriculture requires the wasteful use of grain, land, water, energy, and other precious resources. As one example, it is estimated that over half of the world’s population will live in areas chronically short of water by the middle of this century; yet animal-based diets typically require up to 14 times as much water than diets completely free of animal products. Contributions to widespread hunger

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) depletion of the ozone layer; (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 threatening us 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 our precious but endangered planet. Because of the above factors, some Jews have started a tradition to spill an additional ten drops of wine or grape juice at the seder to recognize the significance of the modern plagues. 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 those 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 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 nine0 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. 4. A popular song at the seder is “dayenu” (it would have been enough). The message of this song would be very useful today when so many people 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 when he was an advisor to Pharaoh; he refused to take a stand when Pharaoh asked him what should be done with regard to 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 greatest 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 increasingly apply Jewish values in response to the many current environmental threats to humanity.

“Now we come to the great embarrassment.” Those were the opening words of a sermon delivered years ago by an assistant rabbi at the Young Israel of Staten Island, referring to the biblical animal sacrifices discussed in Parshat Vayikra (Leviticus). In his book, Jewish Law as Rebellion: A Plea for Religious Authenticity and Halachic Courage, Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Dean of the David Cardozo Academy, states: “Does Judaism really need animal sacrifices? Would it not be better off without them? After all, the sacrificial cult compromises Judaism. What does a highly ethical religion have to do with the collection of blood in vessels and the burning of animal limbs on an altar? No doubt Judaism should be sacrifice-free. Yet it is not. . . How much more beautiful the Torah would be without sacrifices!” The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides believed that the sacrifices were a concession to the common practices in biblical times, when all nations worshiped by means of animal sacrifices. He stated that God did not command the Israelites to discontinue these manners of service because “to obey such a commandment would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is accustomed.” For this reason, God allowed Jews to make sacrifices, but, “He transferred to His service that which had previously served as a worship of created beings and of things imaginary and unreal.” All elements of idolatry were removed. Instead, limitations were placed on sacrifices. They were confined to one central location (instead of each family having a home altar), and the human sacrifices and other idolatrous practices of the neighboring pagan peoples were forbidden.  Maimonides concluded, ”By this divine plan it was effected that the traces of idolatry were blotted out, and the truly great principle of our faith, the existence and unity of God, was firmly established; this result was thus obtained without deterring or confusing the minds of the people by the abolition of the service to which they were accustomed and which alone was familiar to them.” The Jewish philosopher Abarbanel reinforced Maimonides’ argument. He cited a midrash (rabbinic teaching) that indicated that the Jews had become accustomed to animal sacrifices in Egypt. God tolerated the sacrifices but commanded that they be offered in one central sanctuary: “Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Let them at all times offer their sacrifices before Me in the Tabernacle, and they will be weaned from idolatry, and thus be saved.’” Rabbi J. H. Hertz, the late Chief Rabbi of England, stated that if Moses had not instituted sacrifices, which were believed by all to have been the universal expression of religious homage, his mission would have failed and Judaism would have disappeared. Biblical commentator David Kimhi (1160–1235) argued that the sacrifices were voluntary. He ascertained this from the words of Jeremiah (7:22–23): “For neither did I speak with your forefathers nor did I command them on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning a burnt offering or a sacrifice. But this thing did I command them, saying: Obey Me so that I am your God and you are My people, and you walk in all the ways that I command you, so that it may be well with you.” Kimhi noted that nowhere in the Ten Commandments is there any reference to sacrifice, and even when sacrifices are first mentioned (Leviticus 1:2), the expression used is “when any man of you brings an offering,” the first Hebrew word ki being literally “if,” implying that it was a voluntary act. Many Jewish scholars, such as Rav Kook, think that animal sacrifices will not be reinstated in Messianic times, even with the establishment of the third Temple. They believe that at that time human conduct will have advanced to such high standards there will no longer be a need for animal sacrifices to atone for sins. Only non-animal sacrifices (grains, for example) to express gratitude to God would remain. There is a midrash that states: “In the Messianic era, all offerings will cease except the thanksgiving offering (which need nonuse animals), which will continue forever. ”This is consistent with the belief of Rav Kook and others, based on the prophecy of Isaiah (11:6–9), that people and animals will be vegan in that time, when “‘they shall neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mount.’” Sacrifices, especially animal sacrifices, are not the primary concern of God. Indeed, they could be an abomination to God if not carried out together with deeds of loving kindness and justice. Consider the following words of the prophets, the spokesmen of God: * “Of what use are your many sacrifices to Me?” says the Lord. “I am sated with the burnt-offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle; and the blood of bulls and sheep and he-goats I do not want. . . .You shall no longer bring vain meal offerings. . . Your New Moons and your appointed seasons My soul hates; . . . and when you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you, even when you pray at length, I do not hear; your hands are full of blood.” (Isaiah 1:11–16) Deeds of compassion and kindness toward all creation are of greater significance to God than sacrifices: “Performing charity and justice is preferred by God to a sacrifice.” (Proverbs 21:3) Perhaps a different type of sacrifice is required of us today. When Rabbi Shesheth kept a fast for Yom Kippur, he used to conclude with these words: “Sovereign of the Universe, You know full well that in the time of the Temple when a man sinned he used to bring a sacrifice, and though all that was offered of it was fat and blood, atonement was made for him. Now I have kept a fast and my fat and blood have diminished. May it be Your will to account my fat and blood which have been diminished as if

This year, Earth Day (April 22) falls on a Saturday, providing an excellent opportunity to turn the day into an “Environmental Shabbat.” I am working with others to encourage rabbis all over the world to give sermons and/or classes on that day about Judaism’s splendid environmental teachings and how they can be applied to reduce current environmental threats.A list of supporting organizations is at the end of this article.Among the many rabbis supporting this initiative are Nathan Lopes Cardozo, dean of the David Cardozo Institute and author of many Judaica books, including Jewish Law as Rebellion; Yitz Greenberg, President of the J.J. Greenberg Institute for the Advancement of Jewish Life; Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and co-editor of Eco Bible, volumes 1 and 2; David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland and now Director of International Inter-religious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee; Jonathan Wittenberg, leading UK Masorti rabbi; David Wolpe, leading US Conservative rabbi and author; and Shmuly Yanklowitz, founder and director of Uri l’Tzekek and Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy, and author of many Judaica books.Many activities suitable for an “Environmental Shabbat” are at the website of the Green Sabbath Project, https://www.greensabbathproject.net/sabbath-activities Reinforcing this initiative, the Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA) is encouraging Christian clergy to give environmentally-related sermons and/or classes on the Sunday immediately after Earth Day. Aytzim: Ecological Judaism, Parent organization of: EcoJews, Green      Zionist Alliance, Jewcology.org, Jews of the Earth, Shomrei Breishit:      Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth (aytzim.org)Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (chai.org.il ) EcoJews (jewcology.org/initiative/ecojews/)Hakol Chai (chai.org.il) Green Zionist Alliance (aytzim.org/greenisrael) Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (interfaithsustain.com)International Jewish Vegetarian Society (Jerusalem)Jewcology (jewcology.org)  Jewish Vegetarian Society of the UK.   (jvs.org.uk) Jews of the Earth (aytzim.org/jote) Own Your Judaism (ownyourjudaism.org)Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy (shamayim.us ) Shomrei Breishit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth (aytzim.org) ——————

Many Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths before and during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same time, many continue eating other foods that, by Torah standards, are hardly ideal.      On Passover, Jews are prohibited from eating, owning, or otherwise benefiting from chometz, foods such as breads, cakes, and cereals, that are made from one of the five grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats) that ferment from contact with liquid. These prohibitions are based on several Torah verses and are observed with great care by religious Jews.      Many Jews spend weeks before Passover cleaning their houses, cars, and other possessions to make sure that not even a crumb of chometz will remain during the holiday. Moreover, many Ashkenazi Jews accept the additional stringency of abstaining from eating kitniyot, a category of grains and legumes, including rice, corn, lentils and beans.      So important are the chometz prohibitions that, while a common greeting on other Jewish festivals is “chag sameach”  (may you have a joyous holiday), on Passover it is often “chag kasher v’sameach” (may you have a kosher and joyous holiday).       Jews should be highly commended for the great dedication to Jewish commandments and traditions shown by their adherence to chometz prohibitions. But I would like to suggest that they could be even more consistent with Jewish values and teachings by giving up foods that Jews eat on Passover (and at other times), including meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs.      Please consider: 1. Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives. But numerous scientific studies have linked animal-based diets directly to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, many forms of cancer, and other chronic, degenerative diseases. 2. Judaism forbids tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, the inflicting of unnecessary pain on animals. Yet most farm animals — including those raised for kosher consumers — are raised 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. That’s all before they are transported, often under abominable conditions, to slaughterhouses and violently killed. 3. Judaism teaches that “the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24:1) and that we are to be God’s partners and co-workers in preserving the world. In contrast, modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to climate change, soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, species extinction, and other environmental damage. 4. Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, and that we are not to use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose. But animal agriculture requires the wasteful use of grain, land, water, energy, and other resources. For example, it takes up to 20 times as much land, 13 times as much water, and 10 times as much energy to feed a person on an animal-based diet than to feed a person on a plant-based diet. 5. Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people. Yet about 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to farmed animals, while an estimated nine million people worldwide die due to hunger and its effects each year.     One could say “dayenu” (it would be enough) after any of the points above, because each one constitutes by itself a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practice. Thankfully, more and more Jews are shifting to a plant-based diet, recognizing that the Jewish case for vegetarianism and veganism is quite compelling.      After all, if God is concerned about us getting rid of every speck of chometz that we can, God surely must want our diets to avoid harming our health, inflicting suffering and violence on animals, damaging the environment, and depleting our natural resources. It is time to apply Judaism’s important teachings to our diets, demonstrating the relevance of Judaism’s eternal teachings to current issues, and helping move our precious, but imperiled, planet onto a sustainable path.      Since Passover is the holiday of freedom, it presents a wonderful opportunity to free ourselves from harmful eating habits and to shift to ones that are beneficial for our health, for our souls, for animals, and for our imperiled planet.

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 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.

by Richard Schwartz 8 articles about Tu B’Shvat: 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 B’Shvat Message 4. Lessons From Trees: a Tu B’Shvat Message 5. Celebrating Tu B’Shvat as if Environmental Sustainability Matters  6. Lessons From Trees that Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet 7. For Tu B’i’Shvat: 36 Jewish Quotations About Trees 8. Questions That Can Be Considered At a Tu B’Shvat Seder —————- 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 through the planting of trees. Veg*ism also reflects a concern for trees. One of the prime reasons for the destruction of tropical rain forests today is to create pasture land and areas to grow feed crops for cattle. To save an estimated 5 cents on each imported quarter-pound fast food hamburger patty, we are destroying

Shalom Rabbi, Over my 88 years, I have had many positive interactions with rabbis. I have been impressed with their inquisitiveness, thoughtfulness, and openness to new ways to interpret and understand our Jewish scriptures. It is because of these and other positive attributes that I have written this open letter appealing to you and other rabbis to come out very strongly against a very common practice in the Jewish community (and others) that violates basic Jewish teachings and is the main reason the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe.      Please consider:       With the future of humanity so much at stake, it is urgent that you help increase awareness of the above two points. As Mordechai exclaimed to Queen Esther, when the Jews of Persia were in great danger, “Perhaps you were put into your present position for just such a purpose.” As an added incentive, please note that plant-based diets are most consistent with basic Jewish teachings on take=ing care of our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and helping hungry people.      To help you increase awareness of the urgency of the situation and the need to rapidly make positive changes, the following analyses are provided: The Seriousness of the Climate Crisis Climate scientists have issued increasingly dire warnings about the climate threats. 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, carbon dioxide levels continue to increase steadily. Indeed,, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that the climate situation is a “Code Red for Humanity” and “delay means death.”     Facts on the ground reinforce the warnings. The last eight years were the hottest since 1880, when climatologists started to record worldwide temperatures. There has been rapid melting of glaciers, Arctic ice sheets, and permafrost. Sea levels are rising rapidly, with “sunny day” flooding in some coastal cities. The year 2022 continued a trend of increased frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods, with many records being broken.          As devastating as recent climate events have been, prospects for the future are even more frightening. Climate scientists project increasing temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. They fear that self-reinforcing positive feedback loops may soon cause the world to reach an irreversible tipping point, causing climate change to spin out of control. with disastrous consequences. Why Shifts to Plant-Based Diets Are Essential to Efforts to Avert a Climate-Catastrophe       Clearly, averting a climate catastrophe must become a central focus for civilization today. There are many ways we can reduce our “carbon footprints,” many of which are quite simple and painless. For example, we need to shift from fossil fuels to more environmentally-friendly energy sources, such as solar and wind energy. We need more efficient vehicles, more recycling, and more composting.  And, we need to stop population growth, which might require educating and empowering women.      As president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of “Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism,” I want to stress that there is one approach that has by far the greatest potential to avert a climate catastrophe. A society-wide shift toward plant-based diets is the only approach that both significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric CO2. Such a shift would reduce CO2 emissions by several means, and it would also result in far fewer farmed animals emitting methane, a very potent greenhouse gas  It also has the potential to dramatically reduce atmospheric CO2 by permitting reforestation of land that is currently being used for grazing and raising feed crops for animals. Over one-third of the world’s ice-free land is currently used for this purpose.  There once was six trillion trees in the world, but that number has been halved to 3 trillion, largely due to animal agriculture. A major consequence is that atmospheric CO2, which was 285 parts per million (ppm) before the industrial revolution, has increased to about 420 ppm, well above the 350 ppm that climate experts believe is a threshold level for safety. Reforestation would make it possible to reduce atmospheric CO2 to this safer level.      Unfortunately, the opposite is happening. It was recently reported that deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest reached a new record.” We are literally eating our way toward extinction.      So I am appealing to you to speak out and help increase awareness of the urgency of shifts to plant-based diets in order to avert a climate catastrophe and help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path, This is essential toward leaving future generations with a hospitable, sustainable world.        Obtaining a society-wide shift to plant-based diets may seem like an impossible dream, but there are several factors that increase its likelihood:      As you ponder the above material, please consider: There is no planet B. Nor is there an effective Plan B. Your involvement can make such a positive difference.

  Israeli Rabbi Asa Keisar is on a mission. He wants to increase awareness of Jewish teachings about compassion for animals and how far the realities for animals on modern, intensive factory farms are from these teachings. To accomplish this, he has given away about 35,000 complimentary copies of the Hebrew version of his book, Before the Blind, mostly to students at yeshivas and other schools throughout Israel. Now the book has been published in English and Rabbi Keisar is continuing his efforts to get his book to as many people as possible. He is considered by many as the national voice for veganism in Israel and his many passionate talks about the issues have over two million views online.      Rabbi Keisar’s book  provides a very wide collection of sources from the Tanach (Hebrew Bible), the Talmud, and recent rabbinic writings to present a very powerful case that Jews should not be eating meat and other animal products because of the horrible ways that farmed animals are treated today.      The book’s title is based on the Torah prohibition against putting a stumbling block in front of the blind (Leviticus 19:14). I initially was puzzled about this title for a book on Jewish teachings on compassion for animals. But Rabbi Keisar explains that, in addition to actual blindness, the prohibition includes “intellectual blindness,” which involves the prohibitions against giving another person wrong advice or misleading information or failing to give appropriate good advice or relevant information, as well as he prohibition against causing or assisting others to commit a transgression.       In this sense I believe the prohibition is being violated by farmers who raise animals for slaughter; doctors who fail to explain the many health benefits of plant-based diets to their patients; rabbis who fail to address the many ways animal-based diets are inconsistent with basic Jewish teachings; environmentalists who fail to increase awareness that animal-based agriculture is the main cause of climate change and many other environmental threats; and many others.      Among the Jewish teachings on compassion for animals that Rabbi Keisar discusses are:      Among the common and accepted practices in the animal food industry that violate Jewish teachings on compassion to animals that Rabbi Keisar discusses are:      Because of these and other very grave Torah transgressions, Rabbi Keisar asks: ” How can a food product be kosher if it is obtained by transgressing the commandment not to cause pain and anguish to an animal?”     The book includes very positive endorsements from Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin, former president of Israel and from Israeli Rabbis David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland; Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Dean of the David Cardozo Academy; Daniel Sperber, Professor of Talmud and President of the Institute of Advanced Torah Studies; Moshe Zuriel, author of over 50 Judaica books; and Benayahu Brunner, President of the Tzfat Hesder Yeshiva. Among the statements these distinguished Jews make are: Reuven Rivlin: “Veganism is not only a moral imperative, but also a Jewish imperative.” Rabbi David Rosen: “The grave transgressions in the current animal food industry . . . involve brutality on a scale never known before.” Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: “Violating [Jewish teachings on compassion to animals] puts all of Judaism in a bad light, undermining its great teachings and losing its very mission.” Rabbi Moshe Zuriel: “Rabbi Asa Keisar’s book represents an important awakening call.”       Reinforcing Rabbi Keisar’s strong case are his discussions of the facts that God’s first dietary regimen (Genesis 1:29) was strictly vegan and, according to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook, first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel and other Jewish scholars, the Messianic Period that Jews yearn for will also be vegan, based on the prophecy of Isaiah: “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.”      Making the book even more valuable is its inclusion of a question and answer section and a 15-page index.     While Rabbi Keisar’s focus is on the mistreatment of animals, animal-based diets and agriculture also violate basic Jewish teachings on preserving our health, protecting  the environment, conserving natural resources, and helping hungry people, reinforcing his case that Jews should eliminate meat and other animal products from their diets.       It is essential that this happen so that we have a chance of averting a climate catastrophe. There used to be six trillion trees in the world but this has been reduced to three trillion,  mainly because vast previously-forested lands have been converted into land for grazing and growing feed crops for animals. It is essential that much of these areas be reforested so that much atmospheric CO2 can be sequestered by the added trees. This would reduce the current very dangerous level of atmospheric CO2 to a much safer level, significantly reducing climate threats.     The world really has a choice between a mainly vegan future and a devastated one. It is essential that Rabbi Keisar’s splendid, pioneering book be widely read and heeded, leading to many people giving up or sharply reducing their meat consumption, helping to create a habitable, healthy, compassionate, sustainable world for future generations.       There is no planet B nor effective Plan B. —————— Before the Blind Rabbi Asa Kesar Book distributed freely by the authorto as many people as he can —————- To get a free PDF of the book, please visit https://asakeisar.com/en/get-free-book/ To hear a comprehensive,  inspirational talk by Rabbi Keisar, please visit https://asakeisar.com/en/ .

By Richard Schwartz      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 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 over 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 educated about the horrible realities of factory farming and the powerful Jewish mandates 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.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented climate catastrophe, so severe that all of human life would be very negatively affected and possibly even eliminated before the end of this century, unless major positive changes soon occur. This article discusses why the situation is so serious and then the one possibility of averting the catastrophe and shifting our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path.  Climate groups have been issuing increasingly dire warnings of the seriousness of climate threats. 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, in May 2022 it was announced that atmospheric carbon dioxide had reached a record level, indicating that the world is still heading in the wrong direction with regard to climate change.  Because of  many stark warnings, like the one above, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated at the recently concluded COP27 climate conference that, “the world is on a highway to climate hell,” and previously, that the climate situation is a “Code Red for Humanity” and “delay means death.” Facts on the ground reinforce the warnings. The last eight years were the hottest since 1880, when climatologist started to record worldwide temperatures. There has been very rapid melting of glaciers worldwide, Arctic ice sheets, and permafrost. Sea levels are rising rapidly, with “sunny day” flooding due to higher tides already in some coastal cities. The year 2022 continued a trend of increased frequency and severity of droughts, heat waves, wildfires, storms, and floods, with many records being broken.          As devastating as recent climate events have been, prospects for the future are even more frightening, for four very important reasons:       Israel is especially threatened by climate change because the Middle East is becoming hotter and drier than most areas, increasing the potential for future violence, and the coastal plain where most of Israel’s population and infrastructure are located could be inundated by a rising Mediterranean Sea. A Jerusalem Post article, “Unprecedented, extreme weather to hit Mideast, Med” (September 8, 2022), indicated that, by the end of this century there could be “an overall warming of 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit), more than four times the present warming since the start of the industrial revolution, and Israel and neighboring countries “are going to be affected by unprecedented and societally disruptive extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, dust storms, and torrential rains.”       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.” Among the many positive steps that should be taken are shifting away from fossil fuels to solar, wind, and other renewable forms of energy; designing more efficient cars, lightbulbs, and other items; improving public transportation so that more people will use it; recycling; and composting.      However, as president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of “Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism,” I have come to realize that there is one approach that has by far  the greatest potential to help avert a climate catastrophe. We need a society-wide shift toward plant-based diets. This is  the only approach that both significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and also reduces atmospheric CO2. Such a shift would result in far fewer cows and other farmed animals emitting methane, a very potent greenhouse gas with about 80 times the ability to heat up the planet as CO2 per unit weight during the 10 to 20 years it remains in the atmosphere. It also has the potential of dramatically reducing CO2 presently in the atmosphere by permitting reforesting of the over a third of the world’s ice-free land that is currently being used for grazing and raising feed crops for animals. This would reduce the current very dangerous level of CO2 in the atmosphere to a much safer one.       Unfortunately, the opposite is happening.  According to a Jerusalem Post August 14, 2022 article, “Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest through July hits new record.”We are literally eating our way toward extinction.           Bottom line: To have a chance for a decent, habitable, environmentally sustainable world for future generations, there  must be a society-wide shift toward vegan diets. A Utopian dream? Perhaps, but, as the title of a book by Buckminster Fuller puts it, we may have a choice today between “Utopia or Oblivion.” And it would not be utopian if people become aware that the climate situation is a “Code Red for humanity,” with all of human life threatened, and that they can get plant substitutes with the appearance, texture, and taste indistinguishable from meat and other animal products.       It is essential that we Jews “choose life” by shifting to plant-based diets that are good for our lives and health, the lives of animals, and the life of our precious planet. This would be consistent with the Jewish mandate to be a “light unto the nations,” and could inspire many others to make similar dietary changes, helping to shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. It would also be consistent with basic Jewish mandates to preserve our  health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help the hungry, and pursue peace.       It is essential that this reforestation happens because there is no planet B. Nor is there an effective Plan B.

There are many reasons why Jews should not support Republican candidates in the potentially very consequential US midterm elections. They include: 1. Republican politicians have become like a cult, supporting former President Trump’s “big lie” that he won the 2020 presidential election and his many other lies, misrepresentations, and conspiracy theories. They contend that Trump won despite the very strong evidence to the contrary, including: (1) all of the pre-election polls, including those conducted by Fox News, showed Joe Biden with major leads, (2) Republican claims of fraud were denied by 61 US judges, including many appointed by Trump, and several times by the US Supreme Court, with its 6-3 Conservative majority, and (3) Republicans did well, better than predicted, in the 2020 congressional elections on the same ballots that Trump and other Republicans claim involved fraud.           Most Republicans still support Trump, despite his making 30,573 false or misleading statements during his four years as president, according to the Washington Post fact checker. 2. Based on the false claim that Trump won the 2020\ election, Republicans are doing everything possible to make it difficult for certain groups to vote and backing other steps to undermine democratic values, in order to regain power, despite the wishes of the majority of the American people. They are even promoting candidates for state positions who would have the ability and willingness to overturn the results of fair elections that produce Democratic victories.      Since the Republicans already control the Supreme Court,  if they regain power in the House and Senate in 2022 and the presidency in 2024 based on their undemocratic efforts, the US would likely become an autocracy, with the will of the people thwarted.      3. Despite climate events becoming more frequent and severe and the increasingly dire predictions of climate experts, the Republican Party has consistently opposed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At a time when UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has declared that the climate crisis is a “Code Red for humanity” and that “delay means death,” the world can’t afford renewed Republican rule, involving additional pullback from efforts to reduce climate change.           Israelis should be especially concerned about climate threats. Because of climate change, the Middle East is becoming hotter and drier and, according to military experts, this makes violence, terrorism , and war more likely. If the rapid melting of polar icecaps and glaciers continue, the coastal plain that contains most of Israel’s population and infrastructure will be inundated by a rising Mediterranean Sea. Climate experts have projected a possible rise of one meter (over three feet) by 2050 and a rise of 2.5 meters (over 8 feet) by 2100, and a possible increase of five degrees Celsius above pre-industrial conditions by 2100. 5. Instead of working with Democrats on legislation that benefits Americans, every Republican Congress member opposed the recently passed “Inflation Reduction Act,” although it included many positive features, including: the largest US investment in history to reduce climate threats, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030; a reduction in the costs of prescription drugs for older Americas; health care subsidies for Americans; and the potential to reduce inflation and the US national debt.  6. Despite the many mass shootings that have taken place in the US, almost all, if not all, US Republican Congressional members have consistently opposed efforts to impose background checks for people wishing to buy guns and also efforts to prevent them from having easy access to weapons of war. They are putting the interests of the National Rifle Association ahead of the safety of the American people. 7. Republican policies are contrary to basic Jewish values in terms of concern for the disadvantaged, the stranger, the hungry , and the poor. Rather than improving ObamaCare, which provided health insurance to tens of millions of Americans, Trump and other Republicans supported health legislation that would have caused up to 32 million Americans to lose their insurance and others to pay higher premiums. Rather than supporting efforts to rebuild the US crumbling infrastructure, given a grade of  D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Republicans seek to provide tax benefits to the wealthiest Americans and highly profitable corporations, even if it increases the national debt. Republicans have long ought to cut social security, medicare, medicaid, and environmental and health protections. 8. The unprecedentedly extreme and untethered Supreme Court, with five of its six conservative members appointed by Republican presidents who lost the popular vote, opposes the long-entrenched legal bases for privacy, abortion rights, contraception, marriage rights, gun restrictions, and environmental and other necessary regulations.  9. Trump and many Republican legislators have made antisemitic statements and have failed to condemn white nationalist and other biased organizations. 10. Republicans downplayed the importance of wearing masks and vaccinations, causing the unnecessary loss of tens of thousands of innocent lives from the coronavirus epidemic, while Democrats have worked to minimize coronavirus infections.       So, there are many reasons Jews should support Democrats rather than Republicans in the upcoming midterms. But it is important to respond to some counterarguments. Counterargument 1: Republicans deserve credit for their strong support of Israel. Response: Yes, Trump did some positive things related to Israel, but he did two very negative things related to Israel and the world: (1) pulling out of the 2015 UN Paris climate change agreement that assigned by leaders of 195 nations, including the US and Israel, impeding progress toward reducing climate threats, and (2) pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, resulting in Iran being much closer to a nuclear weapon and being in a far better bargains position in negotiations for a renewed agreement. Also, except for a handful of extremists, Democratic Congressional members, including all their leaders, have been strongly supportive of Israel, voting constantly in support of funding for the Iron Dome and other Israeli defense needs.  Counterargument 2: Republicans deserve support because of the current terrible US economic conditions: Response: Yes, inflation is extremely high in the US

    The many very severe climate events this summer and the increasingly dire warnings of climate experts have made people more aware of the seriousness of climate threats. Yet, polls have shown that the climate issue is way down on the list of people’s concerns when deciding how to vote in the midterm elections.      The Democrats can gain greatly in these very consequential  elections by emphasizing the seriousness of climate threats and why they are likely to soon become far worse and the potential harm if Republicans regain power due to their resistance to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.      First, it is important to recognize how strong the scientific consensus about climate change is. Science academies worldwide, 97% of climate scientists, and virtually all the peer-reviewed papers on this issue in respected scientific journals agree that climate change is largely caused by human activities, and poses great threats to humanity.  In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization composed of climate experts from many countries, warned that “unprecedented changes” are necessary by 2030 to have a chance at averting a climate catastrophe. Yet, four years later, in May 2022, atmospheric CO2 reached a record level. Clearly, a change in direction is essential.      The world is already seeing very negative effects from climate change.      Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the previous decade and all of the 23 hottest years since temperature records were kept in 1880 have been since 1998. 2020 tied 2016 as the hottest year worldwide. June 2021 was the hottest June on record and July 2021 was the hottest month on record. The hottest seven years in recorded history all occurred in the past seven years.      There have been many negative effects of this increased temperature. Glaciers worldwide are rapidly melting, threatening future food production which depends on glacial water each spring for irrigation. Greenland and polar ice caps are also melting rapidly, rising sea levels and increasing the potential for future flooding. Already coastal cities, including Miami, Florida, have experienced “sunny day flooding” during high tides. Permafrost is also starting to melt, releasing trapped greenhouse gases, which would accelerate climate change.      There has also been an increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods. This was especially true in the summer of 2022 when there seemed to be severe, sometimes record-breaking climate events almost daily. California has been subjected to so many severe climate events over the years that its former governor, Jerry Brown, stated that, “Humanity is on a collision course with nature.”      Unfortunately, there are many reasons why prospects for the future are even more frightening, including: While all the severe climate events mentioned above are due to a temperature increase of about 1.2 degrees Celsius (about 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit), the world is now on track for an average increase of three or more degrees Celsius by the end of this century, which would result in even greater human suffering and significant threats to human civilization.  Due to self-reinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles), many climate experts believe that we are close to an irreversible tipping point when climate change will spiral out of control, with disastrous consequences, unless major positive changes soon occur.  While many climate scientists think that 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2 is a threshold value for climate stability, it just reached 420 ppm in May, and the amount has been increasing by 2 – 3 ppm per year. The Pentagon and other military groups think that climate change will increase the potential for instability, terrorism, and war by reducing access to food and clean water and by causing tens of millions of desperate refuges to flee from droughts, wildfire, floods, storms, and other effects of climate change.       Israel is especially threatened by climate change. The Middle East is becoming hotter and drier than most areas, increasing the potential for future violence. Also, the coastal plain where most of Israel’s population and infrastructure are located could be inundated by a rising Mediterranean Sea.      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.” Among the many positive steps are shifting away from fossil fuels to solar, wind, and other renewable forms of energy, reducing the consumption of meat and other animal products, designing more efficient cars, lightbulbs, and other items, improving public transportation, recycling, and composting.      Despite these very alarming facts, the Republican Party largely denies climate change. Most Republicans still support former president Donald Trump, who is not only in denial, but appointed other climate deniers to key environmental positions and did everything possible to repeal or weaken legislation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.      Trump has called climate change “mystical,” “nonexistent,” and “an expensive hoax.” He stated that it was “created by the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.” He pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement that was signed by the leaders of the 195 nations attending, most of whom pledged to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saying “the badly flawed Paris Climate Agreement protects polluters, hurts Americans, and costs a fortune.”      Republican members of Congress have been united in efforts to block Democrats’ proposed legislation to combat climate threats. Every Republican member voted against the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which provided the largest U.S. investment in history in climate and energy initiatives to fight climate change, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.      Democrats are well positioned to benefit politically by stressing the urgency of climate threats and the general Republican denial.       At debates and other occasions, they should ask their Republican opponent if they agree with Trump’s climate change denial or the views of the overwhelming

Most Republicans running for office in the US midterms are claiming that Donald Trump won the US 2020 presidential election, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. And many other Republicans who may not believe that big lie are supporting politicians who do. Trump constantly repeats his assertion that he won the election and polls indicate that about 70 percent of Republicans believe him.       Democrats running for office can gain significantly by asking their opponents whether or not they believe that Trump won by a landslide, as he has often claimed. Their responses would alienate either hard core Trump supporters or moderate and independent voters, greatly increasing the chances for Democratic victories.        There are at least five important factors that disprove the argument that Trump was really victorious in 2020. 1. Pre-election polls consistently showed Joe Biden with substantial leads. An average of nine major polls just before the election showed Biden leading by eight percent (51 – 43). Polls conducted by conservative Fox News showed Biden leading by as much as nine percent. So, Trump actually did far better than polls projected, since the actual vote had Biden ahead by only about four percent.      The congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol was told that, based on these polls and internal Republican polling, the lead data person with the Republican campaign told Trump in “blunt terms that he was going to lose.” 2. Appeals by Trump and his supporters to overturn election results were turned down by 61 courts, many with conservative judges, several appointed by President Trump.  Some judges, including Trump appointees, noted that there was no evidence of fraudulently cast votes.      Judge Matthew Brann, a conservative US District jurist in Pennsylvania, dismissed the Trump campaign’s appeal, stating: “One might expect that when seeking such a startling outcome, a plaintiff would come formidably armed with compelling legal arguments and factual proof of rampant corruption. Instead, this Court has been presented with strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations.” In response to one of the Trump campaign assertions, he said, “This claim, like Frankenstein’s Monster, has been haphazardly stitched together.”     Also, the US Supreme Court, with its 6 – 3 conservative majority and three judges appointed by Trump,  twice rejected Republican appeals. 3. The same ballots that Trump and his supporters say involved fraud resulted in major victories for Republicans in congressional and gubernatorial races, surprising many survey researchers and Republican political operatives. 4. Many key Republicans and independent organizations expressed their belief that Biden won in a very fair election. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and its partners, “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history. . . There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.”      Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican said, ”Nothing before us proves illegality anywhere near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election – nor can public doubt alone justify a radical break when the doubt itself was incited without any evidence,”       Former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr told Trump that he did not agree with calling the election “stolen” and that his allegations about voting machine fraud were “nonsense.”      Despite additional evidence that President Donald Trump’s advisers told him directly that he had lost the election, Trump still promoted falsehoods that the election was “rigged.”  5. Audits and recounts in battleground states, including Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin found no evidence of wrongdoing and affirmed Biden’s win.      After contacting  over 300 local election offices as well as state officials, The Associated Press found less than 475 voter potential fraud cases in six battleground states, representing only 0.15% of Biden’s victory margin in those states. This is far less than enough to affect any election outcomes.      In addition, the top U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies concluded that there was no widespread voter fraud in the presidential election.      It should be noted that at one point, Trump admitted that he lost the election. In a phone interview with Fox News Sean Hannity, he said: “Shockingly, we were supposed to win easily at 64 million votes, and we got 75 million votes, and we didn’t win,     So, once again, every Republican candidate should be asked, especially in debates, if they believe that Trump actually won the election. If they respond that they believe the Big Lie, they should be asked how they respond to the points raised above.      Voters should also be asked if they refer politicians who support the truth or support Donald Trump. They can be reminded that, according to the Washington Post fact checker, Trump told over 30,000 lies or misrepresentations during his administration.     It is very important that Republicans not gain from their efforts to mislead the American people about the 2020 election and to use their false claims of fraud to prevent certain groups from voting and undermine democracy in other ways in order to regain power. Otherwise, they will be encouraged to continue using such tactics, with many very negative consequences for the American people.

The conditions under which animals are raised for food today are completely contrary to Jewish teachings about compassion for animals: While Judaism teaches that 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), egg- laying hens are kept in cages so small that they can’t raise even one wing and they are debeaked without anesthetic to prevent them from harming other birds by pecking from frustration in their very unnatural conditions. Male chicks fare even worse as they are killed almost immediately after birth, since they can’t lay eggs and have not been genetically programmed to produce much flesh; While Judaism asserts that “the righteous person considers the life of his or her animal (Proverbs 12:10), dairy cows are artificially impregnated annually on what the industry calls “rape racks,” so that they will be able to continue ‘giving’ milk, and their babies are taken away almost immediately, often to be raised as veal under very cruel conditions; While Judaism mandates the avoidance of tsa’ar ba’alei chaim (causing harm to animals), about nine billion animals in the US alone are raised under very cruel conditions on modern factory farms, where all of their natural instincts are thwarted.      To increase awareness of these inconsistencies, I, along with other Jewish activists, am championing an initiative to restore the ancient Rosh Hashanah L’ma’aser Beheimah, a day initially for tithing animals for sacrifices, and to transform it into a Rosh Hashanah LaBeheimot  (a New Year for Animals), a day devoted to increasing awareness of Judaism’s powerful teachings on compassion for animals and to considering a tikkun (healing) for the horrible ways that animals are treated today on factory farms and in other settings.      Just as Tu Bishvat, a day initially intended for tithing fruit trees for Temple offerings, was reclaimed in the sixteenth Century by mystics in Israel as a day for healing the natural world, it is important that Rosh Hashanah LaBeheimot  be reclaimed and transformed as well.      Another important reason for renewing the New Year for Animals today is that animal-based diets and agriculture contribute to many current problems: While an estimated nine million people die of hunger and its effects worldwide annually and over ten percent of the world’s people are chronically hungry, about 70 percent of the grain produced in the United States and about 40 percent of the grain produced worldwide is fed to animals destined for slaughter; In an increasingly thirsty world, a person on an animal-based diet requires up to 13 times as much water as a person on a vegan diet; Animal-based diets contribute significantly to heart disease, stroke, several forms of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases, as well as the potential for future pandemics; Most important, animal-based agriculture is arguably the major cause of climate change, the greatest threat to humanity today. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called climate change a “Code Red for Humanity,”and said that “delay means death.” Climate experts have been issuing increasingly dire warnings that climate change may soon reach an irreversible tipping point and spin out of control, with catastrophic consequences.       A society-wide shift to plant-based diets is the most effective approach to averting a climate catastrophe. This is the only approach that would not only reduce emissions of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas from cows. It would also enable the reforestation of the vast areas now used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals.This would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its present very dangerous level to a much safer one. Such a shift is much easier  today since there are now many plant-based substitutes with the appearance, texture, and taste so close to meat and other animal products that even long-time meat-eaters can’t tell the difference.      The case for dietary shifts is especially strong for Jews, since animal-based diets and agriculture seriously violate Jewish teachings about preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace. Also, Israel is especially threatened by climate change as the hotter, drier Middle East that climate experts are predicting makes stability, terrorism and war more likely, and the coastal plain that contains most of Israel’s population and infrastructure could be inundated by a rising Mediterranean Sea.      Hence, it is essential that major steps be soon taken to alert society of the dangers and the need to take immediate actions.       Despite the above points, there is currently much denial, apathy, and lack of awareness among Jews and others about the urgency of making the saving of the planetary environment a major focus of life today.                 Along with most other people, Jews are generally “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” as we head toward a giant iceberg. Hence, it is essential that  the renewed/transformed New Year for Animals increase awareness of the urgency of a shift away from animal-based diets, in order to avoid the current potential disasters.      The reestablished holiday occurs on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul. In 2022, this is from sunset on Saturday, August 27 to sunset on Sunday, August 28. This is an excellent time for this renewed holiday since this date is the beginning of a month-long period of introspection, during which Jews are to examine their deeds before the high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.        Starting on Rosh Chodesh Elul and for the entire month (except on Shabbat), the shofar is blown in synagogues during morning services to awaken people to their responsibilities, and that is an appropriate time to consider how we can improve conditions for animals. It is significant that Judaism considers that for hiddur mitzvah  (to enhance mitzvot) the shofar and other ritual objects should ideally come from animals that have been raised without cruelty and have died natural deaths.     

There are many connections between the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av and veganism: 1. Tisha B’Av (the 9th day of the month of Av) commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. Today the entire world is threatened by climate change, and modern intensive livestock agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. 2. In Megilat Eichah (Lamentations), which is read on Tisha B’Av, the prophet Jeremiah warned the Jewish people of the need to change their unjust ways in order to avoid the destruction of Jerusalem. Today, climate scientists are warning that the world may be very close to an irreversible climate tipping point when climate change will spin out of control, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes are soon made. Vegans join in this warning, and add that a switch toward veganism is an essential part of the major changes that are required. 3. On Tisha B’Av, Jews fast to express their sadness over the destruction of the two Temples. Fasting also awakens us to how hungry people feel. So severe are the effects of starvation that the Book of Lamentations (4:10) states that, “more fortunate were the victims of the sword than the victims of famine, for they pine away stricken, lacking the fruits of the field.” Yet, today about 70% of the grain grown in the United States and over a third is fed to animals destined for slaughter, as an estimated nine million people worldwide die annually because of hunger and its effects and over 10 percent of the world’s people are chronically malnourished.. 4. During the period from Rosh Chodesh Av to Tisha B’Av known as the “nine days,” Jews do not eat meat or fowl, except on the Sabbath day. After the destruction of the second Temple, some sages argued that Jews should no longer eat meat, as a sign of sorrow. However, it was felt that the Jewish people would not be able to obey such a decree. It was also believed then that meat was necessary for proper nutrition. Hence, a compromise was reached in terms of Jews not eating meat in the nine days immediately before Tisha B’Av. 5. Jewish sages connected the word eichah (alas! what has befallen us?) that begins Lamentations and a word that has the same root ayekah (“Where art thou?”), the question addressed to Adam and Eve after they had eaten the forbidden fruit. Vegans are also respectfully asking, “Where art thou?” What are we doing re widespread world hunger, the destruction of the environment, the cruel treatment of farm animals, etc.? Perhaps failure to properly hear and respond to ayekah in terms of stating “Hineni” – here I am, ready to carry out God’s commandments so that the world will be better – causes us to eventually have to say and hear eichah. 6. The book of Lamentations was meant to wake up the Jewish people to the need to return to God’s ways. Since vegism is God’s initial diet (Genesis 1:29), vegans are also hoping to respectfully alert Jews to the need to return to that diet. 7. Tisha B’Av is not only a day commemorating negative events. It is also the day when, according to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will be born, and the days of mourning will be turned into joyous festivals. According to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook (Rav Kook). , first chief rabbi of pre-state Israel, the Messianic period will be vegan. He based this view on the prophecy of Isaiah, “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,” (Isaiah 11: 6-9) 8. After the destruction of the second Temple, the Talmudic sages indicated that Jews need not eat meat in order to rejoice during festivals. (Pesachim 109a)They stated that the drinking of wine would suffice, 9. The Book of Lamentations ends with “Chadesh yameinu k’kedem – make new our days as of old.” We can help this personal renewal occur by returning to the original human diet, the vegan diet of Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden), a diet that can help us feel renewed because of the many health benefits of plant-based diets. 10. The Book of Lamentations has many very graphic descriptions of hunger. One is: “The tongue of the suckling child cleaves to its palate for thirst. Young children beg for bread, but no one extends it to them.” Today, agricultural experts are predicting major shortages of food in the near future, and one major reason is that people in China, Japan, India, and other countries where affluence has been increasing, are moving to animal-centered diets that require vast amounts of grain.      In view of these and other connections, I hope that Jews will enhance their commemoration of the solemn but spiritually meaningful holiday of Tisha B’Av by making it a time to begin striving even harder to live up to Judaism’s highest moral values and teachings. One important way to do this is by adopting a vegan diet.

Tisha B’Av, which we commemorate this year starting in the evening of August 6, reminds us that over 2,600 years ago Jews failed to heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah about the importance of changing their ways, with the result that the first Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, one of many tragedies that occurred on that day, including the destruction of the second Temple as well.       Today there are no prophets like Jeremiah to issue warnings, but there areincreasingly dire warnings from climate scientists that now it is not just Jerusalem but the entire world that is threatened by climate change. A strong consensus is represented by 97 percent of climate experts, all the world’s science academies that have addressed the issue, and almost every one of thousands of peer-reviews articles on the issue in respected science journals, that all agree agree that climate change is real, is largely caused by human activities, and poses great threats to humanity. All the almost 200 nations at both the December 2015 Paris and the November 2021 Glasgow climate change conferences agreed that immediate steps must be taken to combat climate change.  Recent warnings have been so dire that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called the situation a “Code Red for Humanity, and said that “delay means death.”      And, unlike in the time of Jeremiah, the world is getting many wake-up cals that reinforce the warnings.        Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the previous decade and all of the 23 hottest years since temperature records were kept in 1880 have been since 1998. As I write this in late July, many areas of the world are suffering from major, sometimes record breaking heat waves.       Polar icecaps and glaciers worldwide have been melting rapidly, faster than scientific projections. This has caused an increase elevation in oceans worldwide with the potential for major flooding. Permafrost is also starting to melt, releasing several greenhouse gases, increasing future climate threats.      There has been an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods. Because of the severity of the droughts, wildfires have become increasingly frequent and severe.California has been subjected to so many severe climate events recently that its former governor, Jerry Brown, stated that, “Humanity is on a collision course with nature.”     There are several important reasons why future climate conditions are likely to become far worse: Due to self-reinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles), many climates experts believe that we are close to an irreversible tipping point when climate change will spiral out of control, with disastrous consequences, unless major positive changes soon occur.  While many climate scientists think that 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2 is a threshold value for climate stability, it just reached 420 ppm in May, and the amount is increasing by 2 – 3 ppm per year. While all the severe climate events mentioned above are due to a temperature increase of about 1.2 degrees Celsius ( slightly above two degrees Fahrenheit), the world is now on track for an average increase of three or more degrees Celsius, which would result in even greater human suffering and significant threats to human civilization.]  The Pentagon and other military groups think that climate change will increase the potential for instability, terrorism, and war by reducing access to food and clean water and by causing tens of millions of desperate refuges to flee from droughts, wildfire, floods, storms, and other effects of climate change.       Given the above considerations, it is essential that we don’t repeat the mistake made by our ancestors who failed to heed Jeremiah’s warnings, but that we make averting a climate catastrophe a central focus of civilization today, in order to leave a healthy, habitable, environmentally sustainable world world for future generations.       However, while climate change is an existential threat to Israel, the United States, and, indeed, the entire world, there has not been sufficient attention to it by most people. Unfortunately, “denial is not just a river in Egypt,” and most people today are, in effect, “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, as we head toward a giant iceberg.”      When I hear of friends’ children or grandchildren getting married or having grandchildren, I wonder how the lives of the new couples and grandchildren will be affected by our rapidly warming world, with its increasingly severe storms and rising oceans. This is especially relevant to me as since I made Aliyah in 2016, my wife and I have been blessed with four grandchildren getting married and the births of five great grandchildren.      To reduce climate threats, every aspect of life should be considered. We should shift to renewable forms of energy, improve our transportation systems, produce more efficient cars and other means of transportation, and do everything else possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.      As president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author, most recently,  of Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism,  I want to stress that the most important  component of efforts to avert a climate catastrophe is a major shift to plant-based, animal-free diets. This would not only sharply reduce emissions from cows of methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times as potent as CO2 per unit weight in heating the atmosphere. Most importantly, it would also enable the reforestation of the vast areas now used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals, resulting in the sequestering of much atmospheric CO2, reducing it to a safer level.       A utopian dream? Not if people recognize that the climate situation is a “Code red for humanity” and that there are now many plant-based substitutes with the appearance, texture, and taste so close to the animal products that even long time meat-eaters can’t tell the difference.          It is essential that this time we listen to the warnings

Over 2,600 years ago, Jews failed to heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah about the importance of changing their ways, with the result that the first Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, one of many tragedies that occurred on that day, including the destruction of the second Temple as well.      There are comparisons between the warnings and threats in Jeremiah’s lifetime and those today that can provide insights that can be valuable in responding to current threats. 1. There are no prophets today like Jeremiah warning of the potential dangers. Instead, we are getting increasingly dire warnings from climate scientists. A strong consensus, represented by 97 percent of climate experts, all the world’s science academies that have addressed the issue, and almost every one of thousands of peer-reviews articles on the issue in respected science journals agree that climate change is real, is largely caused by human activities, and poses great threats to humanity. All the almost 200 nations at both the December 2015 Paris and the November 2021 Glasgow climate change conferences agreed, based on recommendations by their climate experts, that immediate steps must be taken to combat climate change.  Recent warnings have been so dire that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called the situation a “Code Red for Humanity, and said that “delay means death.” 2. Unlike in the time of Jeremiah, the world is getting many wake-up calls today that reinforce the warnings.        Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the previous decade and all of the 23 hottest years since temperature records were kept in 1880 have been since 1998. The previous eight years are the hottest eight years in recorded history, with temperature records broken or tied in 2014,  2015, 2016, and 2020.       Polar icecaps and glaciers worldwide have been melting rapidly, faster than scientific projections. This has caused an increase elevation in oceans worldwide with the potential for major flooding. Permafrost is also starting to melt, releasing several greenhouse gases, increasing future climate threats.      There has been an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods. California has been subjected to so many severe climate events recently that its former governor, Jerry Brown, stated that, “Humanity is on a collision course with nature.” 3. While Jeremiah warned about threats to the Temple in Jerusalem, today it is the entire world that is threatened. In the summer of 2022, there were simultaneous or almost simultaneous severe, sometimes record breaking heat waves in Israel and in many parts of the US, Europe, and Asia. At the same time, largely because of the high temperatures and very dry conditions, there were major, sometimes record breaking wildfires in many parts of the US, several European countries, China, and Australia. Many areas of the world also experienced major flooding during this period. 4. The Jewish community recovered after the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem. After the first Temple was destroyed, Jews moved to Babylonia where the Babylonia Talmud was created and then many returned to Israel. After the second Temple was destroyed, Jews were dispersed to many other countries, but Judaism continued because the rabbis stressed that prayer, study, and good deeds could replace the Temple sacrifices.     By contrast,  climate threats could result in human extinction and the extinction of all life on Earth. An outrageous exaggeration? Unfortunately, no. Please consider. Due to self-reinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles), many climates experts believe that we are close to an irreversible tipping point when climate change will spiral out of control, with disastrous consequences, unless major positive changes soon occur.  While many climate scientists think that 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2 is a threshold value for climate stability, it just reached 420 ppm in May, and the amount is increasing by 2 – 3 ppm per year. While all the severe climate events mentioned above are due to a temperature increase of about 1.2 degrees Celsius ( slightly above two degrees Fahrenheit), the world is now on track for an average increase of three or more degrees Celsius, which would result in even greater human suffering and significant threats to human civilization. The Pentagon and other military groups think that climate change will increase the potential for instability, terrorism, and war by reducing access to food and clean water and by causing tens of millions of desperate refuges to flee from droughts, wildfire, floods, storms, and other effects of climate change.       Given the above considerations, it is essential that we don’t repeat the mistake made by our ancestors who failed to heed Jeremiah’s warnings, but that we make averting a climate catastrophe a central focus of civilization today, in order to leave a healthy, habitable, environmentally sustainable world world for future generations.       However, while climate change is an existential threat to Israel, the United States, and, indeed, the entire world, there has not been sufficient attention to it by most people. Unfortunately, “denial is not just a river in Egypt,” and most people today are, in effect, “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, as we head toward a giant iceberg.”      When I hear of friends’ children or grandchildren getting married or having grandchildren or grandchildren, I wonder how the lives of the new couples and grandchildren will be affected by our rapidly warming world, with its rising oceans and increasingly severe storms. This is especially relevant to me as since I made Aliyah in 2016, my wife and I have been blessed with four grandchildren getting married and the births of five great grandchildren.      To reduce climate threats, every aspect of life should be considered. We should shift to renewable forms of energy, improve our transportation systems, produce more efficient cars and other means of transportation, and do everything else possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.      As president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author, most recently,