Dear Rabbi,
News of war and conflict are the order of the day, but something far worse looms over us. I am writing you because you have the potential to help avert a climate catastrophe and leave a sustainable world for future generations. There is a very strong consensus composed of almost all climate experts, all the major science academies, and over a thousand peer-reviewed articles in respected science journals that climate change poses an existential threat to humanity. Animal-based diets which seriously violate fundamental Jewish teachings, are the major contrib...
eb Henna taught: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Clearly, the chicken. How do we know this? We learn from the Book of Esther that when Mordecai asked Esther to go before King Ahashveros to plead for the Jewish people, she was ‘chicken,’ fearing for her life. Only when Mordecai ‘Egged’ her on, telling her that perhaps she was enabled to be queen for just this EGGcelent purpose, did she muster the courage and ‘scrambled’ to appear before the king.”
Reb Roosta said, “Speaking of birds, I heard that a Heavenly voice once announced: ‘A ...
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 ...
There is increasing evidence that the world is approaching a climate catastrophe. The hottest year in recorded history was 2024, breaking the record set just the year before. Amazingly, all 13 months from June 2023 to June 2024 broke monthly temperature records. All 25 years in the current century are among the 26 hottest years since temperature records have been kept worldwide.
Because of the hotter temperatures, there has been a significant increase in the melting of glaciers and Polar ice caps, causing sea levels to rise rapidly. There has also been a ...
Joint Statement Led by Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Conservative & Reform Movements
WASHINGTON, DC – A broad coalition of over 100 national and local Jewish organizations have released a new statement expressing deep alarm and concern over the Trump Administration’s attacks on democratic norms and values.
The statement is jointly led by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly. The groups signing on to the statement represent a broad range ...
Their titles are:
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 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
No fee expected and any article can be modified to meet ...
Shalom,
You are cordially invited to a Zoom Tu Bishvat Seder on Tu Bishvat, Wednesday, February 12, from 8 to 930 PM Israel time (1:00 to 2:30 PM US Eastern time)
You can attend at https://tau-ac-il.zoom.us/j/88447791056
The link for the ten pages of source sheets that will be the basis of the Zoom seder is https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k9V0a02e2M7lJXY1MTMxYLwmavqEHdT0/view?usp=sharing:. They will be screen-shared.
I have conducted many Tu Bishvat seders in the past, both in rooms with attendees and by Zoom.
You may attend the Seder without partici...
Shalom, dear rabbi,
As a respected community leader, you are in an excellent position to help create a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations in a way that will promote Jewish teachings and significantly enhance the image of Judaism worldwide.
It has become increasingly apparent that the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe.
In early November, 2024 was already declared the hottest year worldwide in recorded history, surpassing the record established in 2023. Amazingly. all 23 consecutive months, from ...
The titles are:
Chanukah and Vegetarianism and Veganism
2. Miraculously Stretching the Oil: Dietary Connections to Energy Use
3. Celebrating Miracles at Chanukah
4. Eight Reasons to Become Vegan During Chanukah
5. Chrismukah: Giving Thanks for Miracles!
6. Chanukah and Veganism
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1. Chanukah and Vegetarianism and Veganism
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 ...
This article was co-edited by Prof. Dan Brook (Bio at end)
Christmas on December 25 and Chanukah on 25 Kislev periodically coincide and do so again in 2024 on Christmas Day, which is the first night of Chanukah. Some are calling it Chrismukah. Some are calling it another miracle!
Hope springs eternal. Indeed, it’s always been an integral part of Jewish and American history, spirituality, and politics. Without hope, there wouldn’t be a Chanukah; without hope, there might not even be a Jewish community; without hope, there might not be America ...
Humanity's most urgent issue is whether a climate catastrophe can be prevented. Alarming trends and recent extreme climate events suggest that the world is approaching a critical tipping point.
In 2024, heat waves were so frequent and intense that by early November, the year was declared the hottest in recorded history—breaking the previous record set just one year earlier in 2023. Astoundingly, all 13 months from June 2023 to June 2024 set new monthly temperature records. Additionally, 25 of the 26 .hottest years on record have occurred in this century.
This relentl...
Veganism is the diet most consistent with fundamental Jewish teachings.
Judaism emphasizes pikuach nefesh, that Jews should carefully preserve our health and our lives. Of the 613 Jewish mitzvot (commandments), 610 can be overridden if it might help save a life. The only three exceptions are the prohibitions against murder, idolatry, and sexual immorality. However, many scientific studies have linked animal-based diets to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, several types of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. These findings are consistent with the ...
This article was co-authored by Michael Gribov. Director of Movement Building for Jewish Vegan Life.
The world is at a tipping point. The United Nations has declared a “code red for humanity” in response to the accelerating climate crisis. From rising sea levels to extreme weather events, the planet is being pushed to the brink by human activity. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, it is clear that we are running out of time to avert catastrophic damage.In the face ofsuch an overwhelming crisis, many are left wondering: What can I, as one ...
6 Nov. 2024 / 5 Cheshvan 5785
For many who care about environmentalism and addressing climate change — and for many who fight White supremacy — the results of Tuesday’s election are exceptionally concerning. Among other promises, the president-elect — whose campaign rhetoric and first White House term were tainted by extensive anti-Semitism and other forms of racism — has vowed to gut environmental programs, reversing many federal-government policies that address climate change. Take some time to mourn what could have been had a different candidate won. Here ...
Joyce D’Silva’s book Animal Welfare in World Religion; Teaching and Practice points out an anomaly that is the main reason that the world is rapidly approaching a climate catastrophe and facing other environmental threats. While about 80 percent of the world’s people belong to a religion and these religions have strong teachings about compassion for animals, the vast majority of the people have animal-based diets that involve great cruelty to animals.
Animal-based agriculture is the main cause of climate change for two very important reasons. Cows and ...
There are many connections between veganism and the Jewish festivals of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret (the Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly), and Simchat Torah:
1. Sukkot commemorates the 40 years when the ancient Israelites lived in the wilderness in frail huts and were sustained by manna. According to Isaac Arama (1420-1494), author of Akedat Yitzchak, and others, the manna was God's attempt to reestablish a vegan diet for the Israelites.
2. On Simchat Torah, Jews complete the annual cycle of Torah readings and begin again, starting with the first chapter of Genesis, which ...
This is Where it All Begins
by Rabbi Judy Kummer
~Human beings have often pondered the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. As a gardener, I think more about the cycle of pollination and the growth of seeds and plants and flowers, which lead to more pollination and ultimately to the growth of more seeds. I thought of this recently as I was watching a bumblebee drowse lazily among glorious flowers in a garden, pollinating the blooms and allowing for the creation of more seeds and flowers.
In the musical Hamilton, they sing of “the room where ...
Michael Gribov, head of movement building for Jewish Vegan Life, is the co-author of this article.
In a world grappling with the urgent realities of climate change, we often find ourselves searching for solutions—big ideas that can slow down, if not completely reverse, the damage we’ve done to our planet. One solution, however, is within our reach every single day: changing what we put on our plates.
I, Richard, am partnering with a nonprofit called Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) where we are leading a movement that links one of the most powerful actions—...
Hineni--A Heart-centered Etude for this Season
by Maxine Lyons
~I am practicing “active hope”– focusing my efforts to align with others dedicated to showing up to be counted together, to make a positive difference in this broken world and to express gratitude for the source of life.
Hineni - Here I am - proclaiming the abundance and beauty of nature, to the wind that guides my steps in the forests and at the beaches, moving me along on my path to refresh mind and body.
Hineni - for my diverse gardens, encouraging me to attend to the natural fullness ...
Shana tova!
It has been a difficult and complicated year.
finding sudden moments of meaning
unexpected openings
holy ground
and deep companionship
We allow ourselves to awaken to mystery
and find strength in sacred community
And as we enter the new year,
we remember
that life can, once again,
blossom
and begin anew.
Shana tova!
Wishing you and your loved ones
a healthy, sweet, and meaningful year.
Rabbi Katy Allen, Jewish Climate Action Network and Ma'yan ...
