Jewish Environmental Teachings Useful for an “Environmental Shabbat”

[fe_widget]

Passover and Vegetarianism and Veganism

Passover and vegetarianism and veganism (veg*ism henceforth)? Can they be related? After all, what is a seder without gefilte fish, chicken soup, chopped liver, chicken, and other meats? And what about the shankbone to commemorate the paschal sacrifice. And doesn’t Jewish law mandate that Jews eat meat to rejoice on

Read More »

Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet

There are many Passover-related messages that can be applied to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path: 1. Today’s environmental threats can be compared in many ways to the Biblical ten plagues: * When we consider the threats to our land, water, and air, we can easily enumerate ten

Read More »

A Vegan View of the Biblical Animal Sacrifices

“Now we come to the great embarrassment.” Those were the opening words of a sermon delivered years ago by an assistant rabbi at the Young Israel of Staten Island, referring to the biblical animal sacrifices discussed in Parshat Vayikra (Leviticus). In his book, Jewish Law as Rebellion: A Plea for

Read More »

Making Earth Day 2023 an Environmental Shabbat

This year, Earth Day (April 22) falls on a Saturday, providing an excellent opportunity to turn the day into an “Environmental Shabbat.” I am working with others to encourage rabbis all over the world to give sermons and/or classes on that day about Judaism’s splendid environmental teachings and how they

Read More »

Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Harm Us and the Planet

Many Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths before and during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same time, many continue eating other foods that, by Torah standards, are hardly ideal.      On Passover, Jews are prohibited from eating, owning, or otherwise benefiting

Read More »

Purim and Veganism

The joyous festival of Purim shares many connections with veganism.      According to the Talmud (Megilla 13a), Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim story, refrained from eating meat while she lived in the palace of King Achashveriosh. She was thus able to avoid violating the kosher dietary laws while

Read More »

Everything you need to know about Tu B’Shvat

by Richard Schwartz 8 articles about Tu B’Shvat: 1. Why Is This Night Different: Thoughts on Tu B’Shvat 2. Tu B’Shvat and Vegetarianism and Veganism 3. Preserving the Sacred Environment: A Religious Imperative – A Tu B’Shvat Message 4. Lessons From Trees: a Tu B’Shvat Message 5. Celebrating Tu B’Shvat as if Environmental

Read More »

An Open Letter To Rabbis About Climate Threats

Shalom Rabbi, Over my 88 years, I have had many positive interactions with rabbis. I have been impressed with their inquisitiveness, thoughtfulness, and openness to new ways to interpret and understand our Jewish scriptures. It is because of these and other positive attributes that I have written this open letter appealing

Read More »

Should Jews Be Eating Meat Today? A Book Review

  Israeli Rabbi Asa Keisar is on a mission. He wants to increase awareness of Jewish teachings about compassion for animals and how far the realities for animals on modern, intensive factory farms are from these teachings. To accomplish this, he has given away about 35,000 complimentary copies of the

Read More »

Chanukah and Plant-based Diets 

By Richard Schwartz      Many connections can be made between vegetarianism and veganism (henceforth veg*ism)  and the Jewish festival of Chanukah: 1. According to the Book of Maccabees, the Maccabees lived on plant foods since they were unable to get kosher meat when they hid in the mountains to

Read More »

How a Climate Catastrophe Can Be Averted

It is becoming increasingly apparent that the world is rapidly approaching an unprecedented climate catastrophe, so severe that all of human life would be very negatively affected and possibly even eliminated before the end of this century, unless major positive changes soon occur. This article discusses why the situation is

Read More »

Why Jews Should Not Support Republicans in the US Midterm Elections

There are many reasons why Jews should not support Republican candidates in the potentially very consequential US midterm elections. They include: 1. Republican politicians have become like a cult, supporting former President Trump’s “big lie” that he won the 2020 presidential election and his many other lies, misrepresentations, and conspiracy theories.

Read More »

Do Republicans Support the Truth or Donald Trump?

Most Republicans running for office in the US midterms are claiming that Donald Trump won the US 2020 presidential election, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. And many other Republicans who may not believe that big lie are supporting politicians who do. Trump constantly repeats his assertion that he

Read More »

Tisha B’Av and Veganism

There are many connections between the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av and veganism: 1. Tisha B’Av (the 9th day of the month of Av) commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem. Today the entire world is threatened by climate change, and modern intensive livestock agriculture is

Read More »