459 results for author: Richard Schwartz

    Can a Climate Catastrophe Be Prevented?

Humanity's most urgent issue is whether a climate catastrophe can be prevented. Alarming trends and recent extreme climate events suggest that the world is approaching a critical tipping point. In 2024, heat waves were so frequent and intense that by early November, the year was declared the hottest in recorded history—breaking the previous record set just one year earlier in 2023. Astoundingly, all 13 months from June 2023 to June 2024 set new monthly temperature records. Additionally, 25 of the 26 .hottest years on record have occurred in this century. This relentless warming is driving an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts, ...

Why Jews Should be Vegans or at Least Vegetarians

Veganism is the diet most consistent with fundamental Jewish teachings.  Judaism emphasizes pikuach nefesh, that Jews should carefully preserve our health and our lives. Of the 613 Jewish mitzvot (commandments), 610 can be overridden if it might help save a life. The only three exceptions are the prohibitions against murder, idolatry, and sexual immorality. However, many scientific studies have linked animal-based diets to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, several types of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. These findings are consistent with the fact that humans are very different from omnivorous and carnivorous animals, in ...

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

This article was co-authored by Michael Gribov. Director of Movement Building for Jewish Vegan Life. The world is at a tipping point. The United Nations has declared a “code red for humanity” in response to the accelerating climate crisis. From rising sea levels to extreme weather events, the planet is being pushed to the brink by human activity. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, it is clear that we are running out of time to avert catastrophic damage.In the face  ofsuch an overwhelming crisis, many are left wondering: What can I, as one person, do? For the Jewish community, the answer is rooted in our long-standing ...

Review of Animal Welfare in World Religion

Joyce D’Silva’s book Animal Welfare in World Religion; Teaching and Practice points out an anomaly that is the main reason that the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe and facing other environmental threats. While about 80 percent of the world’s people belong to a religion and these religions have strong teachings about compassion for animals, the vast majority of the people have animal-based diets that involve great cruelty to animals. Animal-based agriculture is the main cause of climate change for two very important reasons. Cows and other farmed ruminants emit methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times as potent as ...

Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Shemini Atzeret, and Veganism

There are many connections between veganism and the Jewish festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret (the Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly), and Simchat Torah: 1. Sukkot commemorates the 40 years when the ancient Israelites lived in the wilderness in frail huts and were sustained by manna. According to Isaac Arama (1420-1494), author of Akedat Yitzchak, and others, the manna was God's attempt to reestablish a vegan diet for the Israelites. 2. On Simchat Torah, Jews complete the annual cycle of Torah readings and begin again, starting with the first chapter of Genesis, which contains God's first dietary law: "Behold I have given you every herb yielding ...

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

Michael Gribov, head of movement building for Jewish Vegan Life, is the co-author of this article. In a world grappling with the urgent realities of climate change, we often find ourselves searching for solutions—big ideas that can slow down, if not completely reverse, the damage we’ve done to our planet. One solution, however, is within our reach every single day: changing what we put on our plates. I, Richard,  am partnering with a nonprofit called Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) where we are leading a movement that links one of the most powerful actions—adopting a plant-based diet—to the critical fight against climate change. If we ...

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

Because climate threats are increasingly apparent, Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) has started  a unique, potentially game-changing initiative to reduce them, called “Shofar for Change.” It involves a Zoom event featuring  the blowing of the shofar at the Kotel on September 29, 11 AM US Eastern time  (6 PM Israel time), followed by several talks on the seriousness of climate threats and how it can be prevented. JVL hopes the shofar blasts will awaken people to the following realities. The world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe. Significant shifts to plant-based diets are essential to efforts to avert it. Animal...

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

Because climate threats are increasingly apparent, Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) has started  a unique, potentially game-changing initiative to reduce them, called “Shofar for Change.” It involves a Zoom event featuring  the blowing of the shofar at the Kotel on September 29, 11 AM US Eastern time  (6 PM Israel time), followed by several talks on the seriousness of climate threats and how it can be prevented. JVL hopes the shofar blasts will awaken people to the following realities. The world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe. Significant shifts to plant-based diets are essential to efforts to avert ...

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

As the shofar blasts pierce the air this Rosh Hashanah, they carry with them the ancient call for reflection, repentance, and renewal. But this year, a new sound will echo through the holiest site for our people – a call to action not just for the soul, but for the planet. On September 29, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, a nonprofit called Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) will host an extraordinary event as part of their groundbreaking Shofar for Change initiative. At 6 PM Israel time (11 AM US Eastern time), the shofar will be sounded in honor of global climate awareness, and a series of talks will follow on how the Jewish community can ...

An Open Letter to Jewish Trump Supporters

You likely support former President Donald Trump because he has done some positive things for Israel, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the US consulate there, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and helping form the Abraham Accords. This is certainly understandable.  However, have you considered the two ways that Trump’s actions have greatly endangered Israel and, indeed, the entire world? First, he pulled the US out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was working very well, according to professional inspectors and most nuclear and strategic experts. His unilateral decision enabled Iran to ...

Who Would Be Better for Israel, Trump or Harris?

Trump is wrong for America, for Israel, for Jews, and for a human future of generosity and safety.  We must repudiate him and his selfish, destructive worldview. Given everything above, Harris would be far better for Israel than Trump.

Climate Change: An Issue That Should Defeat Donald Trump

Climate Change: An Issue That Should Defeat Donald Trump In what could be the most consequential election in US history, former President Trump must be defeated. Among the many reasons is his longtime denial of climate change, which is increasingly seen as an existential threat to Israel, the US, and, indeed, the entire world. There is a very strong consensus, composed of 97% of climate experts, all the major science academies that have taken a position on the issue, and most importantly, over a thousand peer-reviewed articles in respected scientific journals, that climate change is a major threat to humanity, caused mainly by human activitie...

Outline for a New Year for Animals (Aleph b’Elul) Seder

The Seder will be divided into four parts. Each part will end with the drinking of a cup of grape juice or wine and the eating of a vegan food. If conducted via Zoom, drinking and eating would be optional and up to each participant. Since the entire Seder should be about 90 minutes, each of the four parts should be about 20 minutes, leaving some time for opening and closing statements by the moderator. Thus, the moderator should decide which quotations should be read and discussed. The Seder will start with a brief introduction by the moderator. Part 1 consists of the reading by the participants of some of the following Jewish quotations about ...

My three articles about a Zoom event that aims to restore and transform the ancient New Year for Animals as part of a campaign to increase awareness that shifts to plant-based diets are essential to efforts to avert a climate catastrophe and will be honoring me

Longtime Vegan To Be Honored For 50 Years of Activism Richard H. Schwartz, PhD, is to be honored for his 50 years of activism promoting vegetarianism and veganism, animal rights, and environmental sustainability by Jewish Veg and Jewish Initiative for Animals, two organizations dedicated to helping make Jewish institutions and individuals more plant-based . He taught at the College of Staten Island from 1970 until 1999.  While there he created a unique course, Mathematics and the Environment, in order to motivate liberal arts/non-science students in their study of mathematics in a course they needed to take as a graduation requirement. He ...

My three Tisha B’Av-related articles

Relating Tisha B’Av To Today’s Environmental Crises 2. A Tisha B’Av Message: Will We Fail To Heed the Warnings Again? 3. Tisha B’Av and Veganism and Vegetarianism ----------------- 1. Relating Tisha B'Av to Today’s Environmental Crises                         Tisha B'Av (the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av), which we commemorate this year on August 12 -13, reminds us that over 2,600 years ago Jews failed to heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah, with the result that the first Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, one of many negative events that ...

Ways of Commemorating and Celebrating Rosh Hashanah LaBeheimot

 Ways of Commemorating and Celebrating Rosh Hashanah LaBeheimot Since we are trying to restore an ancient holiday and transform it from its original purpose of tithing animals for sacrifices, there is no single established way to commemorate it. Hopefully, different Jewish congregations, schools, community centers, and families will adapt approaches that best suit them, as the restored holiday continues to be developed. I would very much welcome learning about people’s ideas and experiences (at VeggieRich@gmal.com), so that the later editions of this book will be more helpful in guiding people in planning and carrying out future commemora...

Complete text of my eBook, “Restoring and Transforming the Ancient Jewish New Year for Animals: An Idea Whose Time Has Come”

Restoring and Transforming the Ancient Jewish New Year for Animals: An Idea Whose Time Has Come Richard H. Schwartz, President Emeritus, Jewish Veg Messages of Support from Rabbis and Other Jewish Leaders About Renewing the New Year for Animals and About This Book Restoring and adapting an ancient Jewish holiday to modern practice may seem insurmountable, but many Jews today believe it is possible. As Thomas Paine wrote: “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” The following rabbis and activists not only believe it can be done, but also wholeheartedly endorse the process. Lists of supporting Jewish ...

All About Shavuot: 3 articles

by Richard Schwartz, PhD 1. A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets 2. Dialogue on Shavuot Night About Veganism 3. Shavuot and Vegetarianism and Veganism ============= A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets  Shavuot is "z'man matan Torateinu,” the time of the giving of the Torah to the Israelites on Mount Sinai. To honor the Torah, many dedicated religious Jews admirably stay up the entire first night of Shavuot to hear talks about and discuss Torah teachings. Yet, despite this commendable dedication, I believe that Jews, including most religious ones, are ignoring or not properly ...

Passover 2024 and Earth Day

           This year, the start of Passover and the annual Earth Day occur on April 22nd. Hence, this is an excellent time to consider environmental messages related to Passover and the events and concepts associated with the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt: 1. Today's environmental threats can be compared in many ways to the Biblical ten plagues: When considering the threats to our land, water, and air, we can easily enumerate ten modern “plagues." For example, (1) climate change, (2) deforestation, (3) increasing droughts, (4) widening deserts, (5) soil erosion and depletion, (6) loss of biodiversity (7) water pollution, (8) ...

Celebrating Passover As If Global Survival Matters

As I write this in early April 2024, the war is raging in Gaza. Hence, our main focus must be on the devastation of Hamas, bringing all the hostages home safely, and reducing antisemitism. However, we should also address climate threats since they are an existential threat to the US, Israel, and entire world. March  2024 was declared the hottest March in recorded history, making it the tenth consecutive month to break a temperature record! The last nine years were the hottest since temperature records were widely recorded. This has resulted in a substantial increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and ...