Member since 2011

Richard Schwartz

Featured Causes: Judaism and Vegetarianism, climate change


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Three Shavuot Articles Related To Vegetarianism and Veganism

Below are three Shavuot-related articles. They are: 1. A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets 2. Dialogue on Shavuot Night About Veganism 3. Shavuot and Vegetarianism and Veganism ============= A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets  Shavuot is "z'man matan Torateinu,” the time of the giving of the Torah to the Israelites on Mount Sinai. To honor the Torah, many dedicated religious Jews ...


Unique, potentially transformative Earth Day zoom event scheduled

In commemoration of the 51st Earth Day on Thursday, April 22, there will be a zoom teach-in, with the theme, “Applying Jewish and Other Religion’s Values to Help Save the World.” The teach-in aims to increase awareness of the seriousness of climate and other environmental threats, and the urgency of applying religious Values to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. It also aims to initiate the creation of a coalition of veg, ...


Jewish quotations about animals

1. God’s original dietary lawAnd God said: "Behold, I have given you every herb-yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit - to you it shall be for food."Genesis 1:29God did not permit Adam and his wife to kill a creature to eat its flesh. Only every green herb shall they all eat together.Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 1:29You are permitted to use the animals and employ them for work, have ...


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

And that which is left thereof [from the meal-offering] shall Aaron and his sons eat; it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the tent of meeting they shall eat it. . . . it is most holy as the sin-offering and the guilt-offering.    Leviticus 6:9.10When the Jewish people were in the wilderness before they entered the land of Israel, the consumption of meat was associated with ...


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

 LIVING AS A JEWISH VEGAN In this book, I have attempted to present evidence that the world is in the throes of a climate catastrophe. Selfreinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles) are moving the climate system toward irreversible tipping points. If we fail to act rapidly and decisively, these will bring massive climate disruptions, with calamitous results for all life on Earth.      Because animal agriculture is a major cause of ...


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

         Relating Biblical Teachings to Current Environmental Threats Eco Bible: Volume 1: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus Editors and lead contributors: Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Rabbi Leo Dee Publisher: The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development No price indicate      As one who has long been advocating that Jewish values be applied in efforts to resolve current critical threats, I eagerly antici...


My three Passover related articles

The titles of the articles are: Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet 2. Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet 3. Passover and Vegetarianism or Veganism ============= Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths before and during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same ...


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

Richard H. Schwartz, Vegan Revolution:  Saving Our World, RevitalizingJudaism.  Brooklyn, NY: Lantern Publishing, 2020. xxxiv +230 pages.$20.00 softcover. This review appeared in the March/April online Quaker Publication, "Peaceable Table." This is now one of the basic books on veganism and Judaism for thegeneral reader.  With the passion of a convert--Schwartz becamevegetarian Jan. 1 1978 at the age of 41 and vegan in 2000--the ...


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

“I consider it an honor and a mitzvah to commend Professor Richard Schwartz’s work and all his endeavors to bring Jewish teachings on diet, health, the environment, and related issues to public attention, especially to those of us who seek to lead a religiously observant lifestyle, in keeping with the precepts and goals of the Torah. May his efforts merit Divine blessing and success.”—Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland; President ...


Hazon announces Shmita prizes

View this email in your browserMarch 4th, 2021 | 20th Adar  Dear Richard,(If you want to go straight to info on The Shmita Prizes - click here.) But first, I want to put these prizes in context, beginning with a word about shabbat, shmita’s temporal Jewish sibling. The world needs shabbat right now. We need boundaries. We need rest. We need time when we switch off electronics. We need at least one day that we don’t buy stuff. We need at ...


Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal the World: Review of Rabbi Arthur Waskow’s book, “Dancing in God’s Earthquake”

            Dancing in God’s Earthquake: The Coming Transformation of Religion Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow Orbis Books, 2020 US $25      I looked forward eagerly to reading Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow’s latest book, Dancing in God’s Earthquake, for two reasons. First, as one who has long argued that Jews should be doing far more to apply Jewish teachings in response to current environmental and other threats, I was ...


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

Shalom Please do me a big, important favor that would take you just a few minutes, cost you nothing, and have a potentially transformative positive impact on our imperiled planet/MANY thanks/KOL tuv/Richard (schwartz) Please forward the PDFs of the complete text and the cover picture of my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM, to all your contacts, or at least those you think would be interested in it,  perhaps ...


Purim and Veganism (followed by my Purimshpiel)

     Purim and Veganism The joyous festival of Purim shares many connections with veganism.      According to the Talmud (Megilla 13a), Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim story, was a vegetarian while she lived in the palace of King Achashverosh. She was thus able to avoid violating the kosher dietary laws while keeping her Jewish identity secret.      During Purim it is a mitzvah to give mat’...


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

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


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

 “I consider it an honor and a mitzvah to commend Professor Richard Schwartz’s work and all his endeavors to bring Jewish teachings on diet, health, the environment, and related issues to public attention, especially to those of us who seek to lead a religiously observant lifestyle, in keeping with the precepts and goals of the Torah. May his efforts merit Divine blessing and success.”—Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland; ...


A “Green Sabbath Project” aiming to combat climate threats

A message from Jonathan Schorsch: Dear Friend,I would like to introduce you to my initiative, the Green Sabbath Project (www.greensabbathproject.net).  In brief, the Green Sabbath Project sees a weekly green sabbath or earth day as a day on which we strive to minimize our environmental impact as much as possible -- leaving things alone, “doing nothing” -- based on the biblical command to “do no work of any kind,” which was ...


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

Vegan Revolution, Saving our World, Revitalizing Judaism by Richard H. Schwartz is primarily directed toward a Jewish audience, but its message is for everyone in the world. In Vegan Revolution, Richard Schwartz proves from both the Hebrew Bible and other texts, and scientific evidence that a vegan lifestyle saves the whole of God's creation, and that it has been God's intent since the beginning. He shows how a vegan livestyle not only saves ...


Jerusalem Post writeup of my Tu Bishvat activities

■ REGULAR READERS of The Jerusalem Post may have last Friday read the review of the latest book by Richard Schwartz, PhD, Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism. Just in time for Tu Bishvat which is a celebration of nature and its bounty, Schwartz has initiated an international campaign to “Celebrate Tu Bishvat as if Global Survival Matters.” A fervent vegan, Schwartz believes that Tu Bishvat, the most vegan and the most ...


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

Celebrating Tu Bishvat as if global survival matters By Abigail Klein Leichman TU BISHVAT, the Jewish new year for trees– beginning this year at sundown on January 27 – has become a sort of Jewish Earth Daycomplete with its own Seder celebrating the produce and wines of the Land of Israel. For environmental and vegan activist Prof. Richard H. Schwartz, Tu Bishvat presents a perfect opportunity to promote plant-based diets and environmental ...


You are cordially invited to a Tu Bishvat Seder by zoom

Shalom, At a time when the world is approaching a climate catastrophe and other environmental threats, it is time to celebrate Tu Bishvat, the most environmental Jewish holiday, as if global survival matters, and to start treating Tu Bishvat as a Jewish Earth Day. Therefore, I will be facilitating four Tu Bishvat seders this year on Tu Bishvat, which starts on January 27 this year: One at the retirement village, Protea Hills, where my wife ...