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Interview with Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, a long-time vegan activist.
by Richard Schwartz
https://www.youtube.com/embed/1hGjMx55EQA
Rabbi Gabriel Cousens functions as a Holistic Physician, Homeopath, Psychiatrist, Family Therapist, Ayurvedic Practitioner, and Chinese Herbalist. In addition, he’s a world-leading diabetes researcher, ecological leader, spiritual master, founder, and director of the Tree of Life Foundation and Tree of Life Center US. In addition, he’s a bestselling author of There Is a Cure for Diabetes, Conscious Eating, Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and Awakening of Kundalini, Rainbow ...
Compassion in the Jewish Tradition
Compassion is one of Judaism’s highest values. God is referred to in synagogue services as Ha-rachaman (the compassionate one) and as Av harachamim (Father of compassion). Since Judaism teaches that human beings, uniquely created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), are to emulate God’s positive attributes, we should also be compassionate.
The Talmud states that Jews are to be rachmanim b’nei rachmanim (compassionate children of compassionate ancestors) and that one who is not compassionate cannot truly be of the seed of Abraham, our ...
Take Action to Heal Democracy for a Healthy Future
To solve the climate emergency we need a healthy democracy. Support election reforms to strengthen citizen voices by making it easier to vote, insuring every vote counts, and getting big money out of politics.
Why Jews Should Be Vegans
This article was originally published in the February 18, 2022 Jerusalem Post
There is a widely accepted aspect of modern life that contradicts many Jewish teachings and harms people, communities, and the planet -- the mass production of meat and other animal products and their widespread consumption. Animal-based diets conflict with Judaism in at least six important areas:
1. While Judaism mandates that people should diligently preserve their health and their lives, numerous peer-reviewed studies in respected medical journals have linked animal-based diets to ...
Powerful sermon sent to me by NJ rabbi, Shammai Engelmayer
Shammai’s Shabbat Sermon for Mishpatim
I’m going to begin with a word of caution. Some of what I have to say may be difficult to listen to. You’ll understand why soon enough.
Today’s parashah unveils the Sefer Ha-B'rit, the Book of the Covenant—the foundation document for God’s mamlechet kohanim v’goi kadosh, God’s kingdom of priests and holy nation. It makes up the three complete chapters that are the bulk of Parashat Mishpatim.
As you’ve heard me say in the past, in essence, these chapters are our constitution, our God-commanded constitution, ...
MK ALON TAL SUBMITS NEW “FOREST AND TREES” LAW
In honor of Tu B'Shvat, first comprehensive forestry law proposed in Israel for a century
MK Alon Tal (Blue and White) chose, Monday, January 17th, 2022, the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shvat (T’u B’Shvat), the traditional New Year of trees, to submit a new forestry law for Israel. The law is an expanded version of a statute prepared some ten years ago, when Tal chaired the committee that oversees forestry for the Jewish National Fund international board. But the draft law was ultimately abandoned due to the political considerations of the JNF chair at ...
Is Eating Meat a Mitzvah that Comes from an Aveirah (Sin)?
Judaism is all about performing mitzvot, carrying out God's commandments. However, a mitzvah haba'ah b'aveirah - a mitzvah abetted by an aveirah (sin or "illegitimate means") - is forbidden and is not considered a mitzvah. For example, if one uses a stolen lulav and esrog on Sukkot, it is not a proper mitzvah. Similarly, if money is stolen, it cannot be used to give tzedakah (charity). In fact, the sages indicate that it is better not to do the mitzvah at all than to do a mitzvah haba'ah b'aveirah.
Eating meat today is arguably a mitzvah haba'ah ...
Invitation to a Tu B’shvat Seder
Shalom,I will be facilitating two Tu B’Shvat Seders using zoom:One, for Israelis and UK residents, will be on Sunday, January 16, from 9 PM to 10:30 PM, Israeli time.The other, for Americans, will be on Monday, January 17, from 1:30 PM to 3 PM, US eastern time.I have conducted many Tu Bishvat seders in the past, both in rooms with attendees and by Zoom.The ten pages of source sheets that will be the basis of the Zoom seders will be screen shared. If yiou would like to see them before the Seder, please email me at VeggieRich@gmail.com.
If you wish to ...
Eight Articles: Everything you need to know about Tu Bishvat
by Richard 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 ...
Pikuach Nefesh, Climate Change, and Veganism
Judaism stresses pikuach nefesh, the principle that everything possible must be done to save a life, even if Jewish law has to be violated to do so. Of the 613 Torah mitzvot (commandments), 610 of them can be violated if if it might help save a life. The three exceptions are the prohibitions against murder, idolatry, and sexual immorality, the three cardinal sins.
The Torah teaches that humans were created, “in God’s image,” (Genesis 1:26, 5:1), and, therefore, each person is of infinite value. A famous Mishnah reinfo...
A Vegetarian New Year
by Susan Levine
~ The New Year, January 1 of the Gregorian calendar, is the same as Rosh Hashanah for me. I think about things I have done over my lifetime and the most important thing I’ve tried to do is to become a vegetarian.
But let me start at the beginning: Both my parents grew up in kosher homes and when they got married, they had a kosher home. But it wasn’t kosher enough for my father’s mother who would visit my parents but wouldn’t touch the food. My mom didn’t see the point of being kosher if her mother-in-law still wouldn’t eat in her ...
First draft of my book, “Restoring and Transforming the Ancient Jewish New Year For Animals: An Idea Whose Time Has Come. Suggestions very welcome.
Shalom,
I would very much welcome suggestions on all or part of my draft below of a manuscript, tentatively entitled, “Restoring and Transforming the Ancient Jewish New Year for Animals: An Idea Whose Time Has Come.” I plan to send the final draft to MANY rabbis and Jewish veg and animal rights activists at least a month before Rosh Chodesh Elul, August 27 in 2022, when the ancient Jewish holiday occurred, hoping that would result in many holiday observances, and many suggestions to improve this book in future editions. This is all new, so I am VERY open to ideas, ...
A Dialogue Between a Jewish Vegan and a Rabbi
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-dialogue-between-a-jewish-vegetarian-activist-and-a-rabbi-2/
It is vital to conduct respectful dialogues within the Jewish community
on whether Jews should be vegetarians, or even vegans. In the spirit
of this debate, I have imagined a dialogue as a means of encouraging
readers to conduct such debates with local rabbis, educators, and other
Jewish leaders. These are, of course, my own thoughts, and you are free
to adapt your own.
Scene: A Jewish vegan activist meets his or her rabbi in the latter’s office.
...
Eighteen Reasons Jews Think They Should Not Be Vegetarians or Vegans (and Why They Are Wrong)
Eighteen Reasons Jews Think They Should Not Be Vegetarians or Vegans (and Why They Are Wrong)
Below are 18 reasons why many of my fellow Jews think they should not be vegetarian or vegan (henceforth veg*an) and my rebuttals to the reasons:
1) The Torah teaches that humans are granted dominion over animals (Genesis 1:26), giving us a warrant to treat animals in any way we wish.Response: Jewish tradition interprets “dominion” as responsible guardianship or stewardship: we are called upon to be co-workers with God in improving the world. Dominion does not mean that ...
Eighteen Reasons Jews Think They Should Not Be Vegetarians or Vegans (and Why They Are Wrong)
Below are 18 reasons why many of my fellow Jews think they should not be vegetarian or vegan (henceforth veg*an) and my rebuttals to the reasons:
1) The Torah teaches that humans are granted dominion over animals (Genesis 1:26), giving us a warrant to treat animals in any way we wish.Response: Jewish tradition interprets “dominion” as responsible guardianship or stewardship: we are called upon to be co-workers with God in improving the world. Dominion does not mean that people have the right to wantonly exploit animals, and it certainly does not permit us to breed ...
Can We Avert a Climate Catastrophe?
The most critical issue facing the world today is the possibility of a climate catastrophe that threatens the viability of human civilization. This article discusses the seriousness of the threats, why it is likely to become far more severe in the future, and what needs to be done to avert the looming catastrophe.
First, it is important to recognize the scientific consensus about climate change. Science academies worldwide, 97% of climate scientists, and virtually all the peer-reviewed papers on the issue in respected scientific journals agree that ...
My review of “Food Is Climate” By Glen Merzer, published in the October 11 Jerusalem Report
Can a Climate Catastrophe Be Prevented?
Food is Climate: A Response To Al Gore, Bill Gates, Paul Hawken, and the Conventional Narrative On Climate Change
Glen Merzer
ISBN: 9798507729623
Vivid Thoughts Press
2021; $10.95; Kindle copy, $5.95
Reviewed by Richard H. Schwartz
Every once in a while there is a book, such as Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, Diet For a New America by John Robbins, and Diet For a Small Planet by Francis Moore Lappe, that has the potential of changing society’s thinking on ...
Shabbat (Haaretz) Shalom
Renewed themes in the commandment of the shmita, in light of the climate crisis
This year 5782 is a shmita year - a special period in the Hebrew calendar that recurs once every seven years. This year we face a harsh reality - the IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report published in early August claims that the climate crisis is already here and directly linked to humanity’s treatment of our natural resources. In recent months, multiple natural disasters occurred around the world, further stressing the urgency of the matter. Add to that the Covid-19 ...
Shanah Tovah
by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen
STOP!
Such we are commanded each week.
~
Stop taking from the land!
Such we are commanded each seventh year.
~
Why bother stopping?
Perhaps to see.
Perhaps to notice.
Perhaps to discover if we care.
Stopping draws us in.
Opens us to new life.
Deepens us to death
Reveals to us G!dness.
Brings us home.
Shanah tovah!
Rabbi Katy Allen is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long, and the ...