Author: Richard Schwartz

      Thanks to Dr. Steve Kaufman and Jonathan Wolf for valuable suggestions about this article. Many Jews support former President Trump because he had some positive accomplishments 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. However, these actions are outweighed by two ways that Trump’s actions have greatly endangered Israel and, indeed, the entire world and other Trump negatives.. First, he pulled the US out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was working very well, according to professional inspectors and most nuclear and strategic experts. His unilateral decision enabled Iran to now be much closer to being able to create nuclear weapons and to be in a much better bargaining position for future negotiations. Second,  Trump continues to call human-caused climate threats a hoax despite the overwhelming consensus of climate experts that the world is in great peril due to climate change and the recent significant increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, wildfires, storms, floods, and other climate events. He would likely appoint other climate deniers to key environmental posts and make every effort to roll back regulations designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if reelected, as he did during his presidency. He told a meeting of fossil fuel executives that he would continue doing their bidding if they collectively donated a billion dollars to his election campaign. Israelis should be especially concerned. It is heating up even faster than the world average, and the projected hotter and drier Israeli future increases the likelihood of instability, terrorism, and war. Also, Israel’s coastal plain, which contains much of our population and infrastructure, might be inundated by a rising Mediterranean Sea. Trump became hostile to Prime Minister Netanyahu for merely congratulating President Biden on winning the 2020 US presidential election. He also publicly disclosed confidential details about Israeli security and personnel to Russia’s ambassador to the US and foreign minister while hosting them in the Oval Office. So, can he be counted on to be helpful to Israel if he is reelected? Along with the vast majority of Democratic congressional members, including all its leaders, Harris has consistently supported arms and other aid to Israel. After meeting with PM Netanyahu in Washington, she expressed to the press, as she has many other times, “an unwavering commitment to the existence of the state of Israel, to its security, and to the people of Israel” and her support for our right to defend ourselves. As a senator, Harris supported funding for the Iron Dome, co-sponsored legislation condemning BDS, and frequently emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, referring to Israel as a “steadfast” ally. Trump hosted notorious antisemites for dinner at Mar-a-Lago, forwarded antisemitic posts from neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups, and called white supremacists shouting, ”Jews will not replace us,” “very fine people?” He also made antisemitic statements such as that US Jews care more about Israel than they do about the US and that Jews who do not support him are disloyal to Israel and Judaism. In sharp contrast, Vice President Harris and her Jewish husband are leading efforts to reduce antisemitism. A strong US democracy is essential to Israel, but a Trump presidency would be a threat to it. He has stated that if he is reelected, he would like to be a dictator “on day one.” He told a Christian group that if they voted for him and he was elected, he would “fix it” so they would not have to vote again. He praises dictators, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jung Un, and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. He sparked a rebellion at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, aiming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He supports rioters who shouted “Hang Mike Pence” when his vice president defied him and certified the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump now says he would pardon those convicted of participating in the insurrection. Israel depends on the integrity of a US president, but Trump is a serial liar. He made over 30,000 false and misleading statements during his administration and about 30 more during the presidential debate. Also, he is still telling the big lie that he won the US 2020 presidential election despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. How can anyone believe anything that Trump says? The character and values of a US president are important to Israel.   Throughout his adult life, including his four years as president, Trump has been unprincipled and unscrupulous. He has shown no loyalty to people, organizations, or values. In pursuit of self-gratification and self-aggrandizement, he has cheated countless people and institutions, including friends, wives, contractors, and banks. He has a massive legacy of sexual assault victims, ruined careers, and bankrupt corporations. There is no reason to believe that he has any concern for the welfare of Israeli citizens or the existence of Israel as a Jewish state beyond the degree to which those concerns affect his fortune. One should expect Trump to abandon Israel in a heartbeat if it suited his interests. Trump is egotistical, erratic, and narcissistic. He never admits error and has shown little interest in facts, educating himself, or engaging in intelligent governance. His main focus has been to enrich himself through a wide range of scams and thinly veiled bribes. He only chooses advisers and administrators who express and maintain total loyalty to him, a recipe for disaster when difficult decisions must be made. He has sought to corrupt every component of the government department to make them serve his personal and/or political ambitions, from the justice department to the military, to the scientific establishment, and even to the postal service and the weather service. Trump’s approach to alliances is similarly self-serving and one-sided .He rails against NATO and praises Putin.  How can we have any confidence that Trump will not distance himself from Israel as he has

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 activities. Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the previous decade. All 24 years in this century are among the 25 hottest years since temperature records were first recorded worldwide around 1880. 2023 was the hottest year worldwide, and 2024 will likely surpass it. All 13 months, from June 2023 to June 2024, broke monthly temperature records. As a result, glaciers, ice caps, and permafrost are rapidly melting, seas are rapidly rising, and lakes and rivers are drying up in many regions. There has also been a very significant increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, floods, and other climate events.  Israel is especially threatened by climate change because the Mediterranean area is warming up much faster than the world average. Climate experts project a hotter, drier Middle East that will increase instability, terrorism, and war. The rising Mediterranean Sea could also inundate the coastal plain that contains much of Israel’s population and infrastructure.  In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization composed of climate experts from many countries, warned that “unprecedented changes” were needed by 2030 for the world to have a chance to avert a climate catastrophe. Despite that warning, atmospheric carbon dioxide has continued to increase, indicating that the world is still heading in the wrong direction regarding climate change.   Because of  many dire warnings, like the one above, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the climate situation is a “Code Red for Humanity” and that “delay means death.” As devastating as recent climate events have been, prospects for the future are even more frightening for four very important reasons: Everything possible must be done to avert a climate catastrophe. Yet, despite everything mentioned above, Trump has often claimed that human-induced climate change is a hoax and has pledged to expand oil and gas production from already record highs. If elected, he would likely appoint other climate deniers to key environmental posts and make every effort to roll back regulations designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as he did during his administration. He told a meeting of fossil fuel executives that he would continue doing their bidding if they collectively donated a billion dollars to his election campaign. This alone should be enough to reject  Trump’s election bid. However, there are many additional reasons to oppose him. A Trump presidency would be a threat to US democracy. He said that if he is reelected, he would like to be a dictator on day one; he sparked a rebellion at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021; he sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election by having the vice-president refuse to certify the results.. Trump is a serial liar. He made over 30,000 false and misleading statements during his administration and about 30 more during the presidential debate. Also, he is still telling the big lie that he won the US 2020 presidential election despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.   Trump hosted two notorious antisemites for dinner at Mar-a-Lago, forwarded antisemitic posts from neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, and called white supremacists shouting, ”Jews will not replace us,” “very fine people.” He also made antisemitic statements such as that US Jews care more about Israel than the US and that Jews who do not support him are disloyal to Israel and Judaism. Character and values matter. Throughout his adult life, including his four years as President, Trump has been totally unprincipled and unscrupulous. He has shown no loyalty to people, organizations, or any set of values. In pursuit of self-gratification and self-aggrandizement, he has cheated countless people and institutions, including friends, wives, contractors, and banks. Despite his massive legacy of sexual assault victims, ruined careers, and bankrupt corporations, he has somehow convinced a sizable part of the American population that he is concerned about their well-being. There is no reason to believe that he has any concern for the welfare of Israeli citizens or the existence of Israel as a Jewish state beyond the degree to which those concerns affect his fortune. One should expect Trump to abandon Israel in a heartbeat if it suited his interests

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 the proper treatment of animals, with brief discussions of some of them. 1. “A righteous person regards the life of his or her animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”     Proverbs 12:10 2. “The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all His works.”  Psalms 145:9 3. “The tzaddik (righteous person) acts according to the laws of justice; not only does he act according to these laws with human beings, but also with animals.” The Malbim 4. “Living creatures possess a soul and a certain spiritual superiority which in this respect make them similar to those who possess intellect (people) and have the power of affecting their welfare and their food and they flee from pain and death.”     Nachmanides, commentary on Genesis 1:29 5. “There is no difference between the pain of humans and the pain of other living beings since the love and tenderness of the mother for the young are not produced by reasoning, but by feeling, and this faculty exists not only in humans but in most living beings.”     Maimonides Guide for the Perplexed 6. “For that which befalls the sons of men befalls animals; even one thing befalls them; as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they all have one breath; so that man has no preeminence above an animal; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are of the dust. Who knows the spirit of men whether it goes upward; and the spirit of the animal whether it goes downward to the earth?”     Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 7. “It is forbidden, according to the law of the Torah, to inflict pain upon any living creature. On the contrary, it is our duty to relieve the pain of any creature, even if it is ownerless or belongs to a non Jew.”      Code of Jewish Law 8. “When horses, drawing a cart, come to a rough road or a steep hill, and it is hard for them to draw the cart without help, it is our duty to help them, even when they belong to a non-Jew, because of the precept not to be cruel to animals, lest the owner smite them to force them to draw more than their strength permits.”     Code of Jewish Law 9. “It is forbidden to tie the legs of a beast or of a bird in a manner as to cause them pain.”     Code of Jewish Law 10. “While our teacher Moses was tending the flock of Jethro in the wilderness a kid ran away from him. He ran after the kid until it reached Hasuah. Upon reaching Hasuah, the kid came upon a body of water and began to drink. When Moses reached him he said,  ‘I did not know that you were running because [you were] thirsty. You must be tired.’ He placed the kid on his shoulder and began to walk. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘You are compassionate in leading flocks belonging to mortals; I swear you will similarly shepherd my flock, Israel.’”     Midrash Exodus Rabbah 2:2 11 “As God is merciful, so you also be merciful. As he loves and cares for all His creatures and His children and are related to Him, because He is their Father, so you also love all His creatures as your brethren. Let their joys be your joys, and their sorrows yours. Love them and with every power which God gives you, work for their welfare and benefit, because they are the children of your God, because they are your brothers and sisters.”      Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch, Horeb, Chapter 72, Section 482. 12. Here you are faced with God’s teaching, which obliges you not only to refrain from inflicting unnecessary pain on any animal, but to help and, when you can, to lessen the pain whenever you see an animal suffering, even through no fault of yours.”      Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch, Horeb, Chapter 60, Section 416. 13. “There are probably no creatures that require more the protective Divine word against the presumption of man than the animals, which like man have sensations and instincts, but whose body and powers are nevertheless subservient to man. In relation to them man so easily forgets that injured animal muscle twitches just like human muscle, that the maltreated nerves of an animal sicken like human nerves, that the animal being is just as sensitive to cuts, blows, and beating as man. Thus man becomes the torturer of the animal soul.”   Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch, Horeb, Chapter 60, Section 415 14. “Therefore, compassion for all creatures, including animals, is not only God’s business; it is a virtue that we too must emulate. Moreover, compassion must not be viewed as an isolated phenomenon, one of a number of religious duties in the Judaic conception of the Divine service. It is central to our entire approach to life.”       Rabbi David Sears in The Vision of Eden: Animal Welfare and Vegetarianism in Jewish Law and Mysticism This will be followed by the drinking of a cup of grape juice or wine and the eating of a fruit, preceded by proper blessings led by the moderator. Again, the

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 wrote several editions of a textbook, Mathematics and Global Survival for the course.        Schwartz was president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America for many years and is now president emeritus of the organization, which has changed its name to Jewish Veg. He is the author of many books, including “Judaism and Vegetarianism” (three editions), “Judaism and Global Survival” (three editions, including the recently published 20th-anniversary edition), “Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism,” “Who Stole My Religion: Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet,” and ”Restoring and Transforming the Ancient Jewish New Year For Animals: An Idea Whose Time Has Come.” He also has over 300 related articles at Jewish-Vegan.org. He frequently gives talks and has been interviewed many times about the issues in the book.  Schywartz argues that (1) veganism is the diet most consistent with Jewish teachings on protecting our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting  the environment, conserving natural resources, reducing hunger,  and pursuing peace, (2) that shifts to veganism are essential to efforts to avert a climate catastrophe, for reasons indicated later,  and (3) there its no reason for people not to be vegans today because there are many plant-based substitutes with appearances, textures,  and tastes very similar to meat and other animal product Schwartz will be honored at a Zoom event sponsored by the two animal rights/vegan organizations that aim to restore the ancient Jewish New Year for Animals.  It will take place on 1:30 PM EDT on September 4, Rosh Chodesh Elul (Aleph b’Elul) this year, the date that the ancient holiday occurred. The initial purpose of the holiday was to tithe animals for sacrifices in the Jerusalem Temple. The sponsoring organizations aim, working with other organizations, to transform it through annual celebrations into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Jewish teachings on compassion for animals and how far current realities for animals are from these teachings. After a brief ceremony honoring Schwartz and a short response by him, the event will feature a lecture by Professor Beth Berkowitz, Ph.D., on “Making Animals a Part of the Jewish Family.”  Professor Berkowitz, a scholar of Jewish Studies at Barnard College, will explore the profound relationship between Judaism and the welfare of animals, emphasizing how Jewish traditions can guide us in making animals an integral part of our community. One of the reasons the sponsoring organizations are promoting the restoration and transformation of the ancient holiday is their hope that it will help reduce the consumption of meat and other animal products, which is essential to efforts to avert a climate catastrophe. Animal-based agriculture is the leading cause of climate change for two essential reasons. First, cows and other ruminants emit methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times as potent per unit weight as CO2 in heating the atmosphere, and second, 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land is currently being used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals. Shifts to plant-based diets would enable reforestation of much of that land. The additional trees would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its current very dangerous level to a safer one,  potentially leaving a habitable, healthier, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. The sponsoring organizations believe their initiative is especially important today because of the increasing evidence that the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe. Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the previous decade and all 24 years in this century are among the hottest 25 years since temperature records have been kept around 1880. 2023 was the hottest year worldwide and 2024 is on track to be even hotter. Since June 2023, thirteen consecutive months have broken temperature records for the month.  The higher temperatures have resulted in rapid melting of glaciers and polar ice caps,  resulting in rapidly rising seas and a significant increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves, wildfires, storms and floods. Hence, the future of our precious but imperiled planet may depend on the success of this initiative. Rabbi Jonathan Bernhard, Executive Director of the Jewish Initiative for Animals, said, “We are thrilled to launch the Aleph blue series and bring together our community to discuss and celebrate the intersection of Jewish values and animal well-being. Professor Schwartz is so worthy of recognition for his courage and commitment, and Professor Berkowitz’s insights will be invaluable as we continue to deepen our understanding and commitment to these important issues.”  For additional information, please contact: Jonathan Bernhard at . ————————— Animal Rights/Vegan Organizations Seek to Restore and Transform the Jewish New Year for Animals Jewish Veg and Jewish Initiative for Animals, two organizations dedicated to helping make Jewish institutions and individuals more plant-based,  are planning an event dedicated to restoring the ancient Jewish New Year for Animals. It will take place on 1:30 PM EDT on September 4, Rosh Chodesh Elul (Aleph b’Elul) this year, the date that the ancient holiday occurred. The initial purpose of the holiday was to tithe animals for sacrifices in the Jerusalem Temple. The sponsoring organizations aim, working with other organizations, to transform it through annual celebrations into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Jewish teachings on compassion for animals and how far current realities for animals are from these teachings. The event will feature a lecture by Professor Beth Berkowitz, Ph.D., on “Making Animals a Part of the

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 occurred to Jews on that day, including the destruction of the second Temple as well.      Today there is no Jeremiah or other prophet to warn us, but there are thousands of climate exerts warning us that now it is not just Jerusalem, but the entire world that is threatened by climate change and its effects, air and water pollution, species extinctions, soil erosion, destruction of tropical rain forests and other valuable habitats, and many other environmental dangers.       As long ago as 1992, over 1,700 of the world’s leading scientists, including 104 Nobel Laureates, signed a “World Scientists Warning to Humanity,” stating that “human beings and the natural world are on a collision course,” and that “a great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated.” More recently, in October 2019, the. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization composed of leading scientists from many nations, stressed that “unprecedented changes” must occur by 2030 in order to avert a climate catastrophe. Some climate scientists are warning that self-reinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles) may soon produce an irreversible tipping point when climate change will spin out of control with disastrous consequences, if major changes do not soon occur. Therefore, it is essential that Jews become actively involved in efforts to reduce climate change and other environmental threats.       On Tisha B’Av, Jews fast to express their sadness over the destruction of the two Temples and to awaken us to how hungry people feel. So severe are the effects of starvation that the Book of Lamentations (4:10), which is read on Tisha B’Av, 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 is fed to animals destined for slaughter, as an estimated nine million people worldwide die annually because of hunger and its effects and over ten percent of the world’s people experience chronic hunger.      Jewish sages connected the word “eichah” (“Alas! what has befallen us?”), which begins Lamentations with a word that has the same letters “ayekah” (“Where are you?”), the question addressed by God to Adam and Eve after they had eaten the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Perhaps failure to properly hear and respond to “ayekah” in terms of stating “Hineini” – here I am, ready to carry out God’s commandments so that the world will be better – causes us to eventually have to hear “eichah.”      The reading of the book of Lamentations on Tisha B’Av is meant to awaken the Jewish people to the need to return to God’s ways by showing the horrors that resulted when God’s teachings were ignored. The readings should sensitize us so that we will hear the cries of lament and change our ways. Rabbi Yochanan stated, “Jerusalem was destroyed because the residents limited their decisions to the letter of the law of the Torah, and did not perform actions that would have gone beyond the letter of the law” (lifnim meshurat hadin) (Baba Metzia 30b). In this time of factory farming, climate change and other environmental threats, widespread hunger, and widespread chronic degenerative diseases, Jews should go beyond the strict letter of the law in efforts to prevent further climate change, health problems, and environmental degradation.      As president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism and three editions of Judaism and Vegetarianism, ”I want to stress that a meaningful way to do this is to shift toward a plant-based diet. This would reduce risks for several life-threatening diseases, and would reduce the massive mistreatment of animals, climate change and other environmental threats, the wasteful use of land, energy, water, and other scarce resources, and hunger. It would also be a diet consistent with basic Jewish teachings on preserving. Human health,  treating animals with. compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and reducing hunger.      In view of the many threats to humanity today, I hope that Jews will enhance their commemoration of the solemn but spiritually meaningful holiday of Tisha B’Av by heeding its messages and striving even harder to live up to Judaism’s highest moral values and teachings. One important way to do this is by applying Jewish values in efforts to shift our precious but imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. We must make tikkun olam (the repair and healing of the planet) a major focus in Jewish life today, and consider personal and societal changes that will improve the environment. By doing this, we would be performing a great kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God’s Name). ——————————- 2.  A Tisha B’Av Message: Will We Fail To Heed the Warnings Again? Tisha B’Av, which we commemorate starting on the evening of August 12 in 2024, 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. This resulted in destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem, one of many tragedies that occurred on that day, including the destruction of the Second Temple also. Today, there are no prophets like Jeremiah to issue warnings,

 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 ), so that the later editions of this book will be more helpful in guiding people in planning and carrying out future commemorations.     Below are some possibilities, starting with the simplest ones. For suggestions on organizing and carrying out any of the proposed activities, please feel free to email me at . A.  A Rabbinic Sermon       Complimentary PDFs of this complete book and my other book, Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism, will be emailed to many rabbis and other influential Jews throughout the world, with the hope that many of them will  use it as a basis for sermons or other holiday events. The material in the previous two chapters, the preface, and the appendices, especially Appendix D, with many quotations about Jewish teachings about compassion for animals, should also be helpful for rabbinic sermon preparations. B. A Class Presented by a Rabbi or Other Knowledgeable Jew      The discussion above applies in this case as well. C. Talk by Zoom or in Person by a Rabbi or Other Knowledgeable Jew      Once again, the discussion above for a rabbinic sermon applies here. Having a Zoom event provides the possibility of a far bigger audience, and it can be recorded and posted on social media, so that even more people can view it. D. Interview of a Person Knowledgeable about the Issues.      Appropriate interviewees can be obtained using links to veg, animal rights, and environmental organizations in Appendix F.  E. A Dialogue, Group Discussion, or Debate     This enables the sharing of different perspectives. Again, the abundance of resources in the appendices, especially the many Jewish quotations related to  Jewish teachings on animals in Appendix D should be very valuable for preparations.     Especially relevant I think is my article; “A Dialogue Between a Jewish Vegan Activist and a Rabbi.” It can be read at https://jewcology.org/2021/11/a-dialogue-between-a-jewish-vegan-and-a-rabbi/?fbclid=IwAR0aDN5mIBg7ypuQKsUdKA6S6XdZjuP-U476RexIA44keCyMxrddxygcEVU and my Jerusalem Report cover story in the August 9, 2021 Jerusalem Report, “Why Jews Should Be Vegans.” It can be read at https://jewcology.org/2021/07/my-cover-story-in-the-august-9-2021-jerusalem-post-on-why-jews-should-be-vegans/. I also had an article on “Why Jews should be vegans” in the Jerusalem Post on February 17, 2022. It can be read online, with the title “All Jews should be vegan: Here are six reasons why” at https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-696715.  F. A festive meal, with several divrei Torah on Jewish teachings on compassion to animals, why it is important that the ancient Jewish New Year for Animals be restored and transformed, and related issues.      This provides an opportunity for many personal conversations and for a variety of ideas to be shared by several presenters.      Some suggestions include: Provide plant-based meat alternatives to show people many options are available and delicious. During the meal, hold a guided discussion regarding the connection of Jewish values to animal welfare.  Discuss how the ways in which animals are treated today within the food industry do not align with Jewish ideals. G. Play Acting An example of this is the “Council of All Beings,” a kind of play/ritual proposed by Rabbi David Mevarach Seidenberg, during which participants take on the role of an animal, or the spirit representative of some habitat or aspect of the Council of All Beings natural world, and discuss how human beings are affecting them. It is a powerful activity for developing mindful awareness that can lead us to renew our sense of responsibility for our actions that impact the lives and homes of all the creatures and communities we share this precious world with.       Rabbi Seiidenberg has put up a Jewish-related presentation of it on his website: http://www.neohasid.org/stoptheflood/council/ . It is also on open siddur at https://opensiddur.org/prayers/lunisolar/days-of-judgement-new-year-days/for-domesticated-animals/the-council-of-all-beings-on-rosh-hashanah-labehemah/.  More information about this activity can be found athttps://opensiddur.org/prayers/lunisolar/days-of-judgement-new-year-days/for-domesticated-animals/the-council-of-all-beings-on-rosh-hashanah-labehemah/and at http://opensiddur.org/2013/07/the-council-of-all-beings-on-rosh-hashanah-labeheimot-alef-belul/ H.  A Seder Rosh Hashanah LaBeheimot is patterned to some extent after Rosh Hashanah LaIlanot, the New Year for Trees, Tu Bishvat. Since that holiday has a Seder as a central feature of its celebration, some Jewish groups might want to create a Seder for the New Year for Animals.      Like the Passover Seder, the Tu Bishvat Seder involves the drinking of four cups of wine or grape juice. For Passover, the four cups represent four promises by God of the redemption of the Israelites; for Tu Bishvat, they represent the four Kabbalistic worlds and the four changing seasons from winter to fall, represented by changing the colors of the wine or grape juice from white to pink to ruby to red.      Therefore, one possibility is to have a Rosh Hashanah LaBeheimot Seder also divided into four parts separated by the drinking of four cups of wine or grape juice.      One possible approach follows:      Before cup one, discuss Jewish teachings on compassion for animals. The many quotations in Appendix D, Rabbi David Rosen’s discussion about Jewish teachings about compassion for animals in the foreword, and several books listed in the Bibliography would be very helpful for this segment.      Before cup two, discuss how animals are being mistreated today, very contrary to Jewish teachings; While, as considered in the previous section, Judaism has very strong teachings on compassion for animals, the realities for animals differ substantially from these teachings. For example: ·      Egg-laying hens are kept in cages so small that they can’t raise even one wing and their beaks are painfully seared off, without an anesthetic or pain killer, in order to prevent them from harming other birds due to pecking from frustration in their very unnatural conditions. ·      Male chicks at

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 organizations, rabbis, and influential Jews are in Appendices A, B, and C, respectively.      There will likely be be many more supporting statements and endorsements after this book is widely distributed. This will help increase awareness that restoring and transforming the ancient Jewish New Year for Animals is indeed an idea whose time has finally come. A. Endorsements From Rabbis (listed alphabetically) From Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe Bernhard, Director of  the Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA); Former Executive Director, Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy:  Becoming the people the Torah envisions will only happen through a reassessment of our relationship to animals.  Re-Imagining and Re-Vitalizing this ancient tradition is a step in that process that also allows for a Re-Engagement with an authentic expression of Jewish values and ritual. From Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Dean of the David Cardozo Academy, Jerusalem, and author of many Judaica books, including Jewish Law as Rebellion: A Plea For Religious Authenticity and Halachic Courage:   As always, my dear friend Professor Richard Schwartz makes us aware of one of the top priorities in Judaism. May this book have much influence and inspire, and may we all take notice of his important words. From Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, M.D. Director of Tree of Life Foundation and author of many Judaica and health books, including Torah as a Guide to Enlightenment: It is a great joy that we should reactivate a day to honor the holy relationship between the human and animal worlds, as per Genesis 1:29 and 1:30, where all of the animal and human species will be restored to a vegan way of life, and with that a new level of peace will unfold on the planet. This is something to bring about and celebrate.   From Rabbi Adam Frank, Israeli Masorti rabbi and teacher: I applaud this initiative and effort to bring to fruition the awareness that Jewish tradition expects of humanity toward the animal kingdom.  From Rabbi Akiva Gersh, the “vegan rabbi,” active blogger, author, and speaker about veganism.      \ This important work is yet another example of how Richard Schwartz has changed the conversation in the Jewish world around environmental issues and specifically animal welfare. He had the foresight decades ago to see the importance of Jews learning about, as well as applying, ancient Jewish teachings that can help us deal with, and even solve, our planet’s growing list of environmental problems. This book will increase awareness amongst Jews of the strong support Judaism has for compassion for animals and for challenging us to make sure our food choices don’t cause suffering to animals or destruction to the environment. It is an essential for all Jews living today. FromRabbi Yonassan Gershom, writer and activist; his blog “Notes from a Jewish Thoreau” is at http://rooster613.blogspot.com/: Transforming this holiday, which was originally a time to tithe one’s flocks, into a day to focus on the treatment of animals on modern farms, provides an excellent educational opportunity.  Unlike our farmer/herder ancestors who had daily contact with animals, modern Jews are often completely out of touch with where their food comes from, or how it is produced. From  Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, former President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; author of The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays and many other books: It is a beautiful idea to renew/revive a classic day – Rosh Hashanah for counting and giving ma’aser beheima – that lost its actual function with the destruction of the Temple and the Exile. Addressing humanity’s relationship to animal life – and the widespread mistreatment of food animals and environmental abuse in today’s economy, marked by industrial farming and animal husbandry – is inspired. I wish great success to this project because it would have a morally positive effect on our treatment of animals and the planet, and bring great benefits to human health in switching to a healthier diet and life enhancing eating. In this way, the project fulfills and advances the central mitzvah of the Torah: choose life. From Rabbi Jill Hammer, Director of Spiritual Education for the Academy of Jewish Religion (Riverdale, NY): Rosh Chodesh Elul, the Talmudic New Year for Animals, is a wonderful time to reclaim our connection to our brothers and sisters of all species, examine our ethics around treatment of animals, and celebrate the ways humans are and can be in partnership with all life. I, for one, look forward to blessing the animals in a Jewish context! From Rabbi Dalia Marx, Professor of Liturgy and Midrash at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and author of several Judaica books: Israel, the only Jewish state in the world, holds the dubious record of being one of the top two countries for consumption of single-use dishes per capita. We create mountains of plastic every year. This shameful record indicates we have a long way to go in fulfilling our moral call as humans and as Jews l’ovdah u’l’shomrah, to preserve and sustain creation. I believe Richard Schwartz’s book presents a prophetic call, compelling for an urgent response. I believe it will enter the canon of Jewish texts that resulted in significant changes. From Rabbi David Rosen, KSG, CBE, International Co-President, Religions for Peace; Member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s Commission for Dialogue with Religions; former chief rabbi of Ireland: Professor Richard Schwartz continues with his inspiring and indefatigable efforts to highlight Jewish teachings for compassion towards animal life and the enormously beneficial consequences of such

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 applying these sacred Jewish teachings with regard to our everyday diets. This is an audacious statement, but I feel that I must respectfully argue it because the integrity of Judaism, the health of Jews, and the future of our imperiled planet are at stake. Meat consumption and the ways in which meat is produced today conflict with at least six fundamental Torah teachings: 1. While the Torah mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives (Deuteronomy 4:9 and 4:15), numerous scientific studies have convincingly linked animal-based diets to heart disease, stroke, many forms of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. 2. While the Torah forbids tsa’ar ba’alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on animals (based on Exodus 23:5, Deuteronomy 22:1, 10; 23:4, and other Torah verses), 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. 3. While the Torah teaches that we are to be God’s partners and co-workers in preserving the environment (Genesis 2:15, for example), modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to climate change, soil erosion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, and other environmental damage. 4 While the Torah mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value (Deuteronomy 20:19. 20), and that we are not to use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose, animal agriculture involves the wasteful use of grain, land, water, energy, and other resources. 5. While the Torah stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people (Leviticus 19:9, 10; Deuteronomy 24: 17 – 22), over 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter, while almost a billion of the world’s people are chronically malnourished and an estimated nine million people worldwide die because of hunger and its effects each year. 6. While Judaism teaches that we must seek and pursue peace (Psalms 34:14) and that violence results from unjust conditions (Pirke Avot 5:8), animal-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that eventually lead to instability and war. One could say “dayenu” (it would be enough) after any of the arguments above, because each one constitutes by itself a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practice that should impel Jews to seriously consider a plant-based diet. Combined, they make an urgently compelling case for the Jewish community to address these issues. The first chapter of the Torah has God’s original, strictly vegan, dietary regimen: “And God said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed – to you it shall be for food’” (Genesis 1:29). A comparison of humans with carnivorous animals reinforces the conclusion that we were designed to eat plant foods. Humans do not have the claws and sharp, hard, dagger-like teeth of carnivorous animals, and our intestinal system is four times longer and our stomach acids twenty times weaker than is the case for carnivorous animals. While God did give permission for humans to eat meat after the flood during the life of Noah (Genesis 9:3), biblical commentators believe that this was a concession. According to Isaac Arama, God provided a second vegetarian attempt in the form of manna while the Israelites were in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. When flesh was reluctantly provided in the form of quails in response to complaints, a great plague broke out and many Israelites died at a place named, “the Graves of Lust.”  While the Torah speaks positively about plant foods, including the “seven species” mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:8, flesh foods are associated negatively with lust, and even called basar ta’avah, the meat of lust.  According to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel and others, the Messianic Period will be vegan, just as was the case in the Garden of Eden. They base this on the prophecy of Isaiah that in that future ideal time that Jews yearn for, “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)  In view of Torah mandates that Jews preserve human health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help feed hungry people, and pursue peace, and since animal-centered diets violate and contradict each of these responsibilities, Jews should sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products.  Such dietary shifts would help revitalize Judaism by showing the relevance of eternal Jewish teachings to current issues, improve the health of Jews, and shift our precious but imperiled planet onto a sustainable path.   ——————— A Dialogue on Shavuot Night About Veganism       For many years Danny Shapiro looked forward to staying up all night at his synagogue with his friends on the first night of Shavuot, hearing talks about and discussing Torah teachings. This year he especially anticipated this annual commemoration of the giving of the

           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: 2. The seder is a time for questions, including the traditional”four questions.” Additional questions related to modern environmental threats can be asked. For example, why is this period environmentally different from all other periods? (At all other periods, only local regions faced environmental threats; today, the entire world is threatened.) Why is there insufficient activism in the Jewish community about current environmental threats? Why aren’t Jewish values applied more 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” (desert)) 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 while an estimated nine million of the world’s people die of hunger and its effects annually. This simpler diet 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.     Today’s world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe, and everything possible must be done to prevent it. Shifts toward vegan diets are especially valuable because they would (1) reduce emissions from cows and other ruminants of methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times as potent per unit weight as CO2 in heating the atmosphere, and (2) it would enable reforestation of much of the 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land that is currently being used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals. The additional trees would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its current very dangerous level to a much safer one, potentially leaving a healthier, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. 4. A popular song at the seder is “dayenu” (it would have been enough). The message of this song would be beneficial 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, as an advisor to Pharoah, he refused to take a stand when Pharoah asked him what should be done regarding the Israelites. This story can be discussed as a reminder that severe consequences may follow if we remain neutral and do not get involved in working for a better environment. 6. The central Passover theme is freedom. While relating the story of our ancestors’ slavery in Egypt and their redemption through God’s power and benevolence, Jews might also want to 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 instincts. In this connection, it is significant to consider that according to the Jewish tradition, Moses, Judaism’s most outstanding leader, teacher, and prophet, was chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt because, as a shepherd, he showed great compassion to a lamb (Exodus Rabbah 2:2).      In view of the above points, Passover would be a wonderful time to apply Jewish values more widely in response to humanity’s many current environmental threats.

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 floods. Climate experts are issuing increasingly dire warnings, indicating that an irreversible tipping point may soon be reached when the climate spins out of control, with disastrous consequences. Israel is especially threatened by climate change because the hotter, drier Middle East projected by climate experts makes instability, terrorism, and war more likely. Also, a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain that includes much of Israel’s population and infrastructure.  Hence, everything possible must be done to avert a global climate catastrophe. The most essential change is a shift away from animal-based diets, for two very important reasons. First, cows and other ruminants emit methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times as potent as CO2 per unit weight during the 10-15 years it is in the atmosphere. Second, forests are being destroyed to create land for grazing and growing feed crops for animals, adding to the 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land already being used for these purposes. If much of that land were reforested, much atmospheric CO2 would be sequestered, reducing it from its current very dangerous level to a  much safer one. This would help leave a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Many Jews commendably spend many hours getting rid of chometz before Passover. Then they partake in the seder and other meals containing much meat and other animal products, contributing substantially to climate threats. If G-d is concerned about us getting rid of every speck of chometz, G-d 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 their relevance to current problems and helping shift our precious but imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. Passover, the holiday of freedom, presents a wonderful opportunity to free ourselves from personally and globally harmful and destructive eating habits. Jewish teachings advocate protecting our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment,  conserving natural resources, reducing hunger, and pursuing peace. It is easy to shift to plant-based diets today because besides a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, there are now many plant-based substitutes with appearances, textures, and tastes very similar to those for meat and other animal products. Our well-being and survival depend on this. There is no Planet B or effective Plan B.

The Judaism of Richard A Study Evening Celebrating Prof. Richard Schwartz’s 90th birthday Tuesday, April 9th (Aleph B’Nisan), 7:30 pm Israeli time, 12:30 PM US Eastern time 8 Balfour Street, Jerusalem. With speakers Rabbi David Rosen, Professor Yael Shemesh, Rabbi Adam Frank and Prof. Richard Schwartz himself. “Judaism and Vegetarianism,” “Judaism and Global Survival,” “Vegan Revolution,” and “Who Stole My Religion” are just some of the books by pioneering Jewish scholar Richard Schwartz. He also has over 300 articles at Jewish-Vegan.org. For decades Prof. Schwartz has been a leading voice advancing Jewish responses to our current pressing problems. Eight years ago Richard made aliya from the US with his wife, and he keeps writing and raising alarm calls from his new home in the Judean Hills. This study-evening will be inspired by his vision of Tikkun Olam and his ideas on the way Jewish teachings project on our diet in this imperiled world of the 20th and 21st centuries. Admission free. Light vegan refreshments will be served.  No presents are expected! The event can be watched via Zoom, starting at 7:45  PM Israeli time (12:30 PM E https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/82859620250 About our other speakers: The International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee for more than two decades, Rabbi David Rosen has taken leave from this position to serve as the Special Advisor to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. He is the former chief rabbi of Ireland. Prof. Yael Shemesh is a professor in the Bible department of Bar Ilan University. In addition to her scholarly work, which concerns , inter alia, the issue of compassion towards animals, Prof. Shemesh is a long-distance runner and author of the blog “Long Distance Vegan.” Rabbi Adam Frank served as rabbi of the Conservative Movement’s Congregation Moreshet Yisrael in downtown Jerusalem, from 2005 to 2019. He is an activist in the areas of religious pluralism and animal welfare in Israel (co-chair of the Jerusalem Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). ——————- Message in the Jerusalem Post Vegans and Vegetarians flock to Balfour Street ■ VEGANS AND vegetarians will be flocking to 8 Balfour Street, Jerusalem, on Tuesday evening, April 9, to celebrate the 90th birthday of leading vegetarian advocate Prof. Richard Schwartz, who, together with speakers Rabbi David Rosen, Prof. Yael Shemesh, and Rabbi Adam Frank, will expound on Judaism and vegetarianism, and how abstaining from nonvegetarian and non-vegan products fits in with the Jewish concept of tikkun olam – fixing the world. A prolific writer, Schwartz has written extensively on the topic. Rosen, the longtime international director of interreligious affairs of the American Jewish Committee, has taken leave from this position to serve as the special adviser to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. Shemesh, in addition to being an eminent Bible scholar, is a long-distance runner. She is a faculty member of the Bible department of Bar-Ilan University, and her various areas of interest include compassion toward animals. Frank, who is the former spiritual leader of the Moreshet Israel Conservative Congregation in Jerusalem, is an activist in the spheres of religious pluralism and animal welfare, and cochairman of the Jerusalem Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Needless to say, the refreshments to be served will be vegan.

There is an apparent contradiction between two verses in Psalms: “The earth is the Lord’s” (Ps. 24:1) and “The heavens are the heavens of God, but the earth has given by God to human beings” (Ps. 115:16). According to the Talmud, the apparent discrepancy is cleared up in the following way: Before a person says a b’racha (a blessing), before he/she acknowledges God’s ownership of the land and its products, then “the earth is the Lord’s”; after a person has said a b’racha, acknowledging God’s ownership and that we are stewards to see that God’s works are properly used and shared, then “the earth has been given by God to human beings.”Unfortunately, few people have heeded this important lesson. The prevalent view today seems to be not that “the earth is the Lord`s” and that people have an important stewardship role, but rather that people have complete freedom to use and exploit the world for maximum profit. Largely because of this attitude, our world is currently facing many environmental threats related to acid rain, the greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion, erosion of topsoil, destruction of forests and other habitats, pollution of air, water, and soil, and toxic wastes. It is significant that in its first issue of 1989 Time magazine, instead of choosing its usual person of the year, selected our endangered earth as “planet of the year”.In view of the above, one might wonder where organized religion has been while the earth has been so ravaged. In this context, Lewis Regenstein`s Replenish the Earth provides some extremely good news. It carefully documents that there are very powerful messages in all the world`s major religions and many minor religions on stewardship, conservation, and compassion for animals. Also, it discusses many examples of the recent surge of interest and activity on environmental issues in many religious communities, including Jewish communities.While the book has material of value to people of all religions, and even to people who profess no religion, there are several sections that are of particular interest to concerned Jews:1. The opening chapter discusses the message in the Torah (although that word isn`t used) and other traditional Jewish sources on conservation and kindness to animals;2. The views of the prophets on sacrifices is considered;3. There is a 38 page chapter on “Judaism: The Jewish Tradition of Kindness” that considers Jewish teachings on vegetarianism, hunting, caring for domestic animals, blood sports, nature and animals in worship, and wildlife conservation. The chapter includes Talmudic and current Jewish writings as well as several stories about Jewish heroes and their relationships with animals.4. The book points to vegetarianism as being the diet most compatible with Jewish values, as well as those of other religions.Mr. Regenstein is superbly qualified to write this book. He is the author of America the Poisoned and How to Survive in America the Poisoned., a book that was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. His articles have appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. He is the Director of the Interfaith Council for the Protection of Animals and Nature in Atlanta, Georgia, an affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States, and vice-president of Help Our Planet Earth. Hence he has an extensive background on both environmental problems as well as religious views on the issues.As is inevitable in a work of this scope, there are some statements that can be challenged. For example, contrary to Mr. Regenstein`s assertion, the general view of Biblical scholars is that the Biblical prophets condemned not sacrifices as an institution but sacrifices when carried out along with acts of injustice. His statement that through the prophets, “the Lord ordered that (sacrifices) be ended”, would be questioned by many people. Also, he should be clearer in indicating that shackling and hoisting are not integral parts of shechita. (Jewish kosher slaughter).These are relatively small problems in a book that superbly captures the essence of religion`s teachings with regard to nature and to animals. Such teachings provide one more reason why additional knowledgeable, committed religious people should get involved in increasing study and dialogue on connections between religion and the natural world. The realities of today`s environmental crises demand no less. Replenish the Earth is very helpful in efforts to continue dialogues on the important issues that it considers since it has quotes from many religious leaders, 30 pages of footnotes, and an index.This is an extremely important and timely book. I hope that it will be widely read and that people committed to religious mandates to preserve the earth will see that it gets into the hands of religious leaders of all faiths, that it is widely discussed by religious groups, and that its message is brought to the attention of religious educators.

As I write this in mid-March 2024, the war is raging in Gaza. Hence, our primary 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, indeed, the entire world.     February was declared the hottest February worldwide in recorded history, making it the ninth 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 heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods. Climate experts are issuing increasingly dire warnings, indicating that an irreversible tipping point may soon be reached when climate spins out of control, with disastrous consequences.        Israel is especially threatened by climate change because the hotter, drier Middle East projected by climate experts makes instability, terrorism, and war more likely. Also, a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain that includes much of Israel’s population and infrastructure. Hence, everything possible must be done to avert a global climate catastrophe.       Magillat Esther, read twice on Purim, tells how the Jews of ancient Persia were threatened with extinction and miraculously saved. Today, climate change threatens the entire world, and we must find a way to avert an unprecedented catastrophe.      Because they recognized the great threats to their future, the Jews of ancient Persia took major steps to save themselves. They fasted for three days, seeking God’s help, and Queen Esther risked her life by appearing before King Ahasuerus without being called by the king, something that could be punished by death at the king’s discretion.       Like the Jews of ancient Persia, the world’s people today must act to avert calamity. Every aspect of life should be considered in terms of reducing “carbon footprints.” Most importantly, we can shift toward vegan diets to emulate Mordechai’s nonconformity and Esther’s not eating meat, so that she could remain kosher while not revealing that she was Jewish.        Such a shift has two major benefits for reducing climate threats. It would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions because there would be far fewer cows and other farmed animals emitting methane, a very potent greenhouse gas with about 80 times the ability to heat the planet as CO2 per unit weight during the 10 – 15 years it is in the atmosphere. More importantly, such shifts have the potential to dramatically reduce CO2 presently in the atmosphere by permitting reforesting of over 40 percent of the world’s ice-free land that is currently being used for grazing and raising feed crops for animals. This could reduce the current very dangerous level of CO2 in the atmosphere to a much safer one. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening, with forests continuing to be destroyed to meet the needs of animal-based agriculture. The world is committing slow suicide, eating our way to extinction.      Rabbis should eliminate and speak out against animal-based diets on Purim and throughout the year because such diets violate basic Jewish teachings on protecting our health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment,  conserving natural resources, reducing hunger, and pursuing peace.       Fortunately, it is much easier to shift to plant-based diets today because, in addition to the wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds available, there are many plant-based substitutes with appearances, textures, and tastes very similar to those for meat and other animal products.        Such shifts must soon occur because our well-being and survival depend on them. Applying Judaism’s teachings to our diets will demonstrate the relevance of Judaism’s eternal teachings to current problems and help shift our precious but imperiled planet onto a sustainable path.      There is no Planet B or effective Plan B.

     Megillat Esther, which is read twice on Purim,  tells how the Jews of ancient Persia were threatened with extinction and how they were miraculously saved. Today, it is the entire world that is threatened by climate change, and we have to find a way to avert an unprecedented catastrophe.      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 hat the world is still heading in the wrong direction with regard to climate change.      Because of  many dire warnings, like the one above, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that the climate situation is a “Code Red for Humanity” and that “delay means death.”      The years 2022 and 2023 were unprecedented for the frequency and severity of droughts, heat waves, wildfires, storms, and floods, with many records being broken.      As devastating as climate events have been recently, prospects for the future are even more frightening, for four very important reasons:        Because they recognized the great threats to their future, the Jews of ancient Persia took major steps to save themselves. They all fasted for their days, seeking God’s help, and Queen Esther risked her life by appearing before King Ahasuerus without being called by the king, something that could be punished by death at the king’s discretion.       Like the Jews of ancient Persia, the world’s people today must act to avert a calamity.. 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.      Most importantly, we can emulate Mordechai’s nonconformity and Esther’s not eating meat, so that she could initially remain kosher while not revealing that she was Jewish, by shifting toward vegan diets.  Such a shift has two major benefits  for reducing climate threats.  It would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because there would be far less 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. IMore importantly, it has the potential of dramatically reducing CO2 presently in the atmosphere by permitting reforesting the over 40 percent of the world’s ice-free land that is currently being used for grazing and raising feed crops for animals. This could reduce the current very dangerous level of CO2 in the atmosphere to a much safer one. Unfortunately, the opposite is happening.  According to an August 14, 2022 article,  “Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest through July hits new record.” We are literally committing sow suicide, eating our way to 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.” It would not be utopian if people became aware that the climate situation is a “Code Red for humanity” and that they can get plant substitutes with the appearance, texture, and taste indistinguishable from meat and other animal products.       In conclusion, to help leave a decent, habitable, environmentally stable world for future generations, it is essential that meat consumption be sharply reduced and that major reforestation occurs.         There is no planet B, nor is there an effective Plan B. Lessons That Can Help Save Our Imperiled Planet      Megillat Esther, which is read twice on Purim,  tells how the Jews of ancient Persia were threatened with extinction and how they were miraculously saved. Today, it is the entire world that is threatened by climate change, and we have to find a way to avert an unprecedented catastrophe.      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 hat the world is still heading in the wrong direction with regard to climate change.      Because of  many dire warnings, like the one above, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that the climate situation is a “Code Red for Humanity” and that “delay means death.”      The years 2022 and 2023 werewas unprecedented for the frequency and severity of droughts, heat waves, wildfires, storms, and floods, with many records being broken.      As devastating as climate events have been recently, prospects for the future are even more frightening, for four very important reasons:        Because they recognized the great threats to their future, the Jews of ancient Persia took major steps to save themselves. They all fasted for their days, seeking God’s help, and Queen Esther risked her life by appearing before King Ahasuerus without being called by the king, something that could be punished by death at the king’s discretion.       Like the Jews of ancient Persia, the world’s people today must act to avert a calamity.. 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;

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 Article in the Jerusalem Post–January 28, 2024 Tu Bishvat, the New Year for Trees, celebrated on January 25 this year, has many environmental connections. It is the most vegan Jewish holiday, since all the traditional foods at Tu Bishvat seders are vegan. The values of Tu Bishvat conflict dramatically with modern animal-based agriculture. Almost all of the 80 billion farmed animals slaughtered annually experience horrible lives on factory farms. Producing meat also has very negative environmental effects, and these greatly increase the chances for war in at a least two ways. How eating meat can increase the chances for war First, animal-based diets are very wasteful, and history has shown that many wars are caused by nations competing for scarce, essential resources. In the US, about 70% of the grain produced is fed to animals to fatten them up for slaughter. Because huge amounts of water are needed to irrigate feed crops for the animals and for other needs of animal-based agriculture, it can take up to 13 times more water to provide food for a person on an animal-based diet than an animal-free diet. The production of meat and other animal products also requires much more land and energy than the production of plant foods.  The Jewish sages, noting that the Hebrew words for “bread” (lechem) and “war” (milchama) come from the same root, deduced that when there is a shortage of grain and other resources, nations are more likely to go to war. In biblical times, there were conflicts over obtaining clean water; and, more recently, competition for sufficient energy resources has been a major cause of conflict. A second reason that animal-based agriculture makes future conflicts more likely is that the production of meat and other animal products is the leading cause of climate change. Military experts believe that the hotter world that climate scientists are projecting will result in millions of desperate refugees fleeing from heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, floods, and other negative climate effects, and this will make political instability, violence, terrorism, and war more likely. Climate change has already sparked civil wars in Syria and Sudan. In both countries, years of drought caused the farms to fail, and farmers moved into overcrowded cities, leading to conflicts. How not being vegan makes climate change worse The major reason that animal-based agriculture is the leading cause of climate change is that 43% of the world’s ice-free land is now used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals. Since much of that area was previously forested, there has been a decrease from the six trillion trees in the world millennia ago to about three trillion today. This sharp reduction in carbon-sequestering trees is a major reason that atmospheric carbon dioxide, which was 285 parts per million (ppm) at the start of the Industrial Revolution, has reached a very dangerous 420 ppm — far above the 350 ppm that climate experts think is a threshold value for climate stability — and to be increasing by two to three ppm annually. Consistent with the vegan and environmentally orientated Tu Bishvat, a major shift to plant-based diets would enable significant reforestation, and the additional trees would sequester a huge amount of CO2, reducing it to a safer level. Another reason that animal-based agriculture is such a major contributor to climate change is that cows and other ruminants emit methane, a greenhouse gas that is over 80 times as potent per unit weight as CO2 during the 15-20 years it remains in the atmosphere. The major focus of most Israelis today is on the current Israel-Hamas war and the fate of the hostages. However, that should not blind us to the need to address the long-term causes of conflicts and wars. We need to move toward plant-based diets that can greatly reduce threats of future wars and can help leave a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. Fortunately, this is starting. Many people, especially young people, are increasingly recognizing the benefits of plant-based diets for human health, animals, and the environment. Dietary shifts are much easier today because of the many wonderful, tasty plant foods available and the increasing abundance of plant-based foods that are very similar in appearance, texture, and taste to the meat and other animal products to which many people are accustomed. To read article in Post: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-783461 Richard Schwartz is Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island, and author of Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism; Judaism and Vegetarianism; Judaism and Global Survival; Mathematics and Global Survival; and Who Stole My Religion? Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet; and over 250 articles at JewishVeg.org/schwartz.

Tu Bishvat is the New Year for Trees. It honors trees, fruits and other aspects of nature. It is a Jewish holiday that is typically vegetarian or vegan as nuts and fruits are eaten as part of the ritual. To learn more take a look at the eight articles that follow: 1. Why Is This Night Different: Thoughts on Tu B’Shvat 2. Tu B’Shvat and Vegetarianism and Veganism 3. Preserving the Sacred Environment: A Religious Imperative – A Tu Bishvat Message 4. Lessons From Trees: a Tu Bishvat Message 5. Celebrating Tu Bishvat as if Environmental Sustainability Matters  6. Lessons From Quotations About Trees that Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet 7. For Tu Bishvat: 36 Jewish Quotations About Trees 8. Questions That Can Be Considered At a Tu B’Shvat Seder ======== 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 Wednesday evening, January 24, in 2024, 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 to 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

(NOTE: A vegetarian diet is mostly vegetables, fruits, grains, beans (i.e. tofu) and nuts but no meat, poultry or fish. A vegetarian may eat dairy products and eggs. A vegan diet usually eliminates all dairy products and eggs. How a person eats can be changed gradually; for example you can start by trying one vegetarian day a week and when you feel comfortable, you can add more. There are many resources for vegetarian meals–see the end of this article for the link to Meatless Monday website)**      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, some 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 (vegan if made without eggs), and the oils that are used in their preparation are a reminder of the oil used in the lighting of the Menorah in the rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean victory. 3. Chanukah represents the triumph of non-conformity. 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 humane 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 diet (Genesis 1:29) and with religious mandates to preserve our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, preserve natural resources, and share food 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, while over a third of the world’s grain is fed to animals destined for slaughter. 6. Similar to 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 often given for the pounds of grain that are necessary to produce a pound of beef in a feed lot. 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 plant-based diets than for animal-centered 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 Jewish values are relevant to everyday Jewish life and to addressing current societal 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 vivisection laboratories, as well as other symbols 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. On the Sabbath during Chanukah, the prophetic portion 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 tender mercies are 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 all 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 resources, and helping hungry people, they would feel compelled to switch to 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 Shabbat of Chanukah and every other Shabbat 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 70 billion animals are killed annually in worldwide for their flesh after suffering from very 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. ** www.MeatlessMonday.com ========================= 2. Celebrating Miracles by Daniel Brook, Ph.D. &

Based on increasingly dire warnings from climate experts and a significant increase in the frequency and severity of  climate events, it is clear that the world faces great danger from climate change. As discussed below, averting a climate catastrophe depends very much on a major societal shift to plant-based diets. That would be helped significantly if rabbis declared that eating meat and other animal products is halachically unjustifiable today. Based on Jewish teachings, there are at least six halachic reasons for rabbis to do this:                                                                 1. While Judaism mandates that we should be very careful about preserving our health and our lives, numerous medical studies in respected peer-reviewed medical journals have linked animal-based diets to heart disease, stroke, several forms of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. The widespread production and consumption of meat and other animal products also make future pandemics, with their many negative health effects, much more likely. In addition, the widespread use of antibiotics in animal feed has increased antibiotic resistance in humans and made the antibiotics less effective. 2. While Judaism 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 transported, slaughtered, andconsumed.      For example, contrary to several Torah teachings, dairy cows are artificially impregnated annually on what the industry calls “rape racks’ and their calves are taken away immediatelyafter birth, causing severe trauma to both, so that the milk that was meant for the calves can be sold commercially. At egg-laying hatcheries, male chicks are killed shortly after birth because they can’t lay eggs and have not been genetically programmed to have much flesh, The hens are kept in cages so small that they can’t raise a wing and all their natural instincts are completely thwarted. This causes the hens to peck at each other in frustration, causing great harm to other hens. Instead of improving conditions for the hens, the industry cruelty cuts off their beaks, a very painful procedure, and it does so without any painkillers.  3. While Judaism teaches that “the earth is the Lord’s” (Psalms 24:1) and that we are to be God’s partners and co-workers in preserving the world, modern intensive animal-based agriculture contributes far more than plant-based agriculture does to climate change, soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, destruction of tropical rainforests and other habitats, and other forms of environmental destruction. As discussed later, a shiftto plant-based diets is essential to efforts to avert aclimate catastrophe. 4. While Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value nor use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose, the production of meat and other animal products requires far more grain, land, fresh water, energy, and other resources than the production of plant foods. For example, it takes up to 13 times as much water for an animal-based diet than for a vegan diet, mainly due to vast amounts of water needed to irrigate feed crops. 5. While Judaism stresses that we are to provide for the poor and share our bread with the hungry, about 70% of the grain grown in the United States is very inefficiently fed to animals in order to produce meat, milk, and eggs while millions ofpeople worldwide die each year from hunger., and almost ten percent of the world’s people are chronically malnourished. Making this even more shameful, healthy foods like corn, soy, and oats, high in fiber and complex carbohydrates and devoid of cholesterol and saturated fat, are fed to animals, resulting in animal foods with the opposite characteristics, contributing greatly to the current epidemic of life-threatening diseases. 6. While Judaism teaches that we must seek peace and pursue it and that violence often results from unjust conditions, diets high in animal protein monopolize resources, creating shortages of affordable land, food, water, and energy.  This exacerbates the tension between the haves and the have-nots and has been found historically to fuel social unrest, violence, and war.      One could say “dayenu” (it would be enough) after any one of the above arguments. Each one by itself constitutes a serious conflict between Jewish values and current practice that should encourage every Jew to seriously consider adopting a vegan diet. Combined, the six arguments make an absolutely compelling case.     Another reason why Jews should shift away from animal-based diets is that Jewish scripture makes clear that veganism is the ideal Jewish diet. God’s first dietary regimen is strictly vegan: “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every seed bearing herb, which is upon the surface of the entire earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; it will be yours for food’” (Genesis 1:29). This is consistent with modern scientific findings that humans are closer to herbivorous animals than to omnivorous or carnivorous animals, in terms of our hands, teeth, intestinal system, stomach acids, and other features.      God’s original dietary plan represents a unique statement in humanity’s spiritual history. It is a blueprint of a vegan world order. Yet many millions of people have read Genesis 1:29 without fully considering its meaning. Although most Jews eat meat today, the high ideal of God—the initial vegan dietary law—stands supreme in the Torah for Jews and the whole world to see, an ultimate goal toward which all people should strive.      Also, according to Rav Kook, first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel and other Jewish scholars, the Messianic period will also be vegan, based on Isaiah’s prophecy (11:6–9): “And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb . . .the lion shall eat

  If you come across a bird’s nest on any tree or on the ground, and it contains baby birds or eggs, then, if the mother is sitting on the chicks or eggs, you must not take the mother along with her young. You must first chase away the mother, and only then may take the young. (Deuteronomy 22:6- 7)