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

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

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

           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

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,

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

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

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,

     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

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

18 Adar 1 5784 / 27 Feb. 2024 It is a rainy day in Rabbi Ellen Bernstein’s hometown of Philadelphia, as even the skies are crying. The Jewish-environmental movement has lost one of its earliest founders — the visionary rabbi moved on from this world earlier today (18 Adar I)

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

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

(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

Aytzim (https://aytzim.org) is a Jewish-environmental nonprofit active in the United States and Israel.  Aytzim has five projects: •Green Zionist Alliance: The Grassroots Campaign for a Sustainable Israel~The Green Zionist Alliance works on issues related to the environment of Israel and the Middle East.  •Jewcology: Home of the Jewish Environmental Movement~Jewcology.org is

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen We have, to date, failed to stop the runaway train of climate change. On this holiest day of the Jewish calendar, we must ask ourselves, How can we find and extract beauty from the pain of our failure? What does it take for us to

The Challenge in life is to figure out how to turn our pain into beauty by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen Photo by Mary North Allen My mother, z”l often spoke of the challenge of dealing with pain as she navigated a life marked by trauma and mental crises, as well

A Flower’s Call by Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein Hello! Hello there! Yes, you! I’m calling to you! Slow down See me Let me reveal my face to you Let me delight you and delight in you Join me in the New World, the world beyond worlds that opens through our

The Path of Blessings by Rabbi Josh Breindel ~In our journey through the month of Elul, the ancient Rabbis call to us across the years. They encourage us to engage in teshuvah – to turn from destructive behaviors and mend our ways. This practice has a special urgency today, following one of

A Narrow Bridge by Chaplain Dr. Rabbi Leslie Schotz Rabbi Nachman of Breslow says the world is a very narrow bridge. The main thing is not to be afraid. We are created from the earth and to the earth we will return. The heavens are water above. The lakes and