Consumerism – Page 3

Restoring The Overlooked Mitzvah Of Tsa’ar Ba’alei Chaim

August 23, 2016 No Comments

While tsa’ar ba’alei chaim (the mandate not to cause “sorrow to living creatures”) is a Torah prohibition, many religious Jews seem to be unaware of it or to not consider it of any great importance. Some examples reinforce this assertion: Upon reading an article about my efforts to get Jewish teachings on animals onto the Jewish agenda, a member of my modern Orthodox congregation was incredulous. “What? Jews should be concerned about animals?” she exclaimed. Some years ago, I was at a Sukkot gathering at which there were some ducks in an adjacent backyard. Upon seeing them, two youngsters of about 8 years of age ran toward them, yelling, “Let’s shecht (slaughter) them!” In the winter, many women in my congregation come to synagogue on Shabbat mornings wearing fur coats and no one bats an eye. When my wife and I attend a simchah (Jewish celebration), we are generally the only ones, or among just a few others, who request vegan meals, although farmed animals are very cruelly treated on today’s factory farms. The local Hatzolah, a wonderful group whose members often drop whatever they are doing to respond to medical emergencies, raises funds through an annual event that features the consumption of hot dogs and hamburgers, without the slightest protest from Jewish leaders. From the above and other examples, one might never suspect that Judaism has very powerful teachings about compassion to animals. These include: (1) “God’s compassion is over all His works [including animals] (Psalms 145:9); (2) “the righteous person considers the lives of his or her animals” (Proverbs 12:10); (3) the great Jewish heroes Moses and King David were deemed suitable to be leaders because of their compassionate care of sheep when they were shepherds; (4) farmers are not to yoke a strong and a weak animal together nor to muzzle an animal while the animal is threshing in the field; (5) the Ten Commandments indicate that animals, as well as people, are to rest on the Sabbath day; (6) and much more, summarized, as mentioned above, in the Torah mandate that Jews are to avoid causing tsa’ar ba’alei chaim. Why is this Torah mitzvah so often overlooked by religious Jews today? Many Jews are diligent in “building fences” around some mitzvot. For example, there is great diligence on the part of religious Jews to see that the laws related to removing chumetz (any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives, which has leavened (risen) or fermented) before Passover are strictly met. But other mitzvot, including tsa’ar ba’alei chaim, are often downplayed or ignored. Perhaps this is not surprising when one considers that, with regard to animals, the primary focus of Jewish religious services, Torah readings, and education are on the biblical sacrifices, animals that are kosher for eating, and laws about animal slaughter, with relatively little time devoted to Judaism’s more compassionate teachings related to animals. It is essential that this emphasis on animals that are to be killed be balanced with a greater emphasis on Judaism’s more compassionate teachings about animals. In an effort to accomplish this, some Jews are making an audacious proposal: that the ancient Jewish New Year for animals, a day originally involved with the tithing of animals for sacrifices, be restored and transformed. Just as Tu Bishvat, a day initially intended for tithing fruit trees for Temple offerings, was reclaimed in the 17th Century by mystics as a day for healing the natural world, it is important that Rosh Hashana LaBeheimot (New Year’s Day for Animals) become a day devoted to increasing awareness of Judaism’s powerful teachings on compassion to animals, and to considering a tikkun (healing) for the horrible ways that animals are treated today on factory farms and in other settings. Making the failure to avoid tsa’ar ba’alei chaim even more distressing is that animal-based diets and agriculture are contributing substantially to many diseases that are afflicting the Jewish and other communities and to climate change and other environmental problems that threaten all life on the planet. It can be argued that a major shift to plant-based diets is essential to help shift our precious, but imperiled, planet to a sustainable path. In addition, the production and consumption of meat and other animal products arguably violate Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and help hungry people. Renewing the New Year for Animals would have many additional benefits, including (1) showing the relevance of Judaism’s eternal teachings to today’s critical issues, (2) improving the image of Judaism for many people, by showing a compassionate side, and (3) attracting disaffected Jews through reestablishing a holiday that they find relevant and meaningful. Rosh Hashanah LaBeheimot occurs on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the first day of the Hebrew moth of Elul (from sunset on September 3 to sunset on September 4 in 2016). Since that date ushers in a month-long period of introspection, during which Jews are to examine their deeds and consider how to improve their words and actions before the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, this is an ideal time for Jews to consider how to apply Judaism’s splendid teachings on compassion to animals to reduce the current massive mistreatment of animals on factory farms and in other settings.

Relating Tisha B’Av to Today’s Environmental Crises

August 7, 2016 No Comments

Tisha B’Av (the 9th day of the month of Av) reminds us that over 2,000 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 the many negative things that occurred on that day, including the destruction of the second Temple as well. Today there are many “Jeremiahs” warning us that now it is not only a temple in Jerusalem, but the entire world that is threatened by climate change and its effects, species extinction, soil erosion, destruction of tropical rain forests and other valuable habitats, and many other environmental problems. 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, some climate scientists are warning that we may soon reach a tipping point when climate change will spin out of control with disastrous consequences if major changes do not soon occur. Here are nine additional reasons Jews (and everyone else) should be concerned about climate change: Leaders of the 196 nations that met at the climate change conference in Paris in December 2015, science academies worldwide, 97% of climate scientists, and 99.9% of peer-reviewed papers on the issue in respected scientific journals agree that climate change is real, is largely caused by human activities, and poses great threats to humanity. Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the previous decade and all of the 17 warmest years since temperature records were kept in 1880 have been since 1998. 2015 was the warmest year since temperature records were kept in 1880, breaking the record just set in 2014. April 2016 was the warmest April since 1880 and the previous 11 months were also record breakers. Polar icecaps and glaciers worldwide have been melting rapidly, faster than scientific projections. There has been an increase in the number and severity of droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods. California has been subjected to so many severe climate events (heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and mudslides when heavy rains occur) recently that its governor, Jerry Brown, stated that, “Humanity is on a collision course with nature.” While climate scientists believe that 350 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric CO2 is a threshold value for climate stability, the world reached 400 ppm in 2014, and the amount is increasing by 2 – 3 ppm per year. While climate scientists hope that temperature increases can be limited to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), largely because that is the best that can be hoped for with current trends and momentum, the world is now on track for an average increase of 4 – 5 degrees Celsius, which would produce a world with almost unimaginably negative climate events . The Pentagon and other military groups believe that climate change will increase the potential for instability, terrorism, and war by reducing access to food and clean water and by causing tens of millions of desperate refuges fleeing from droughts, wildfire, floods, storms, and other effects of climate change. Last, but far from least, the Israel Union for Environmental Defense has projected that, unless major changes soon occur, climate change in Israel will cause an average temperature rise up to 6 degrees Fahrenheit, a 20-30 percent decrease in precipitation, increasing desertification, and a possible inundation of the coastal plain where most Israelis live by a rising Mediterranean Sea. June 2016 was the warmest June in Israel since temperature records were kept. On Tisha B’Av, Jews fast to express their sadness over the destruction of the two Temples and to awaken us to the horrors that befell the Jews in Jerusalem during these times, including widespread hunger. 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.” Today over 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter, as millions of people worldwide die annually because of hunger and its effects and almost a billion of the world’s people face chronic hunger. Jewish sages connected the word eichah (alas! what has befallen us?) that begins Lamentations and a word that has the same root, ayekah (“Where art thou?”), 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 by 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 say and hear eichah. The reading of the book of Lamentations on Tisha B’Av is meant to wake up 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 on Tisha B’Av help to 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, perhaps it is necessary that Jews go beyond the strict letter of the law in efforts to avert a climate catastrophe and other environmental disasters. This Tisha B’Av, I hope that we will begin to heed

10 Top Reasons to Read “Who Stole My Religion? Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet”

July 11, 2016 No Comments

Who Stole My Religion?: 1. Generates interest and discourse on the future of Judaism and our imperiled planet because of its challenging analyses. 2. Delivers a critical analysis of Orthodox Judaism’s views on climate change and politics. 3. Argues that vegetarianism, and especially veganism, is the diet most consistent with Jewish teachings and is essential to efforts to avert a climate catastrophe. 4. Offers a possible viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 5. Provides a radical approach to reducing terrorism. 6. Discusses how to reduce anti-Semitism and the current demonization of Islam. 7. Explains why tikkun olam – the healing and proper transformation of the world – should be a central focus in Jewish life today. 8. Urges the application of Jewish teachings in response to crises. 9. Presents several approaches to revitalizing Judaism. 10. Praises socialism as the economic system most consistent with Jewish teachings. Expansion of reasons: 1. The provocative title, “Who Stole My Religion?’ will generate interest and start many dialogues on the future of Judaism and of our imperiled planet. 2. The book, while extolling Orthodox Jews for acts of charity, kindness, and learning within their communities, is critical of them for generally being in denial about climate change and backing politicians whose views conflict with some basic Jewish values. 3. The book has the potential to be a game changer, bringing the issues of veganism, animal welfare, environmental stewardship, U.S. foreign policy, socialism, Islamophobia, and others onto the Jewish agenda and treating some issues already on the agenda, including anti-Semitism and prospects for peace in the Middle East, with a perspective not generally considered. 4. The book is a strong wake-up call to the urgency of applying Jewish teachings in response to current crises. 5. The book argues that Judaism is a radical religion, in the best sense of the word, because of the challenging words of the biblical prophets and the powerful Jewish teachings on peace, justice, compassion, sharing, and environmental sustainability. 6. Contrary to the prevailing dietary views and habits in the Orthodox community, the book argues that vegetarianism (and even more so veganism) is the diet most consistent with Jewish teachings on preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace. 7. The book shows why major shifts toward vegan diets are essential to efforts to avert a climate catastrophe and other environmental disasters. 8. The book argues that tikkun olam, the healing and proper transformation of the world, should be a central focus in Jewish life today. 9. Consistent with the views of many Israeli military and strategic experts, the book argues that Israel needs a comprehensive, just, endurable resolution of her conflict with the Palestinians in order to avert continued and possibly increased violence and diplomatic isolation and criticism, effectively respond to her economic, environmental, and other domestic problems, and to remain a Jewish and a democratic state. 10. The book argues that democratic socialism is the economic system most consistent with basic Jewish teachings about compassion, justice, sharing, and environmental sustainability. 11. The book provides a radical approach to reducing terrorism, arguing that the U.S. should acknowledge the degree to which its policies have helped radicalize some Muslims, and should try to change our international image by spearheading a global Marshall-type plan to sharply reduce poverty, hunger, illiteracy, illness, and other societal ills, thereby reducing the incentive for terrorism. 12. The book discusses several approaches to revitalize Judaism, helping to bring many disaffected Jews back to a much more exciting, relevant Judaism. Click here to see for yourself!

Throw Out the Cookie Jar …. And Save the Planet

July 7, 2016 No Comments

As a lifetime Weight Watcher, I have learned a few tricks. The most helpful to me was this one: Banish red light food from your home…and keep healthy food cut up and ready to eat at the front of your refrigerator in plastic see-through containers. Now what does that have to do with saving the planet? Well, a whole lot. Fracked gas is not healthy for people or the climate. Neither is nuclear-powered electricity. These are red-light energy products, the healthy alternatives being solar and wind energy. Even knowing this, companies profiting from red light dirty energies cannot resist the cookie jar of continuing as a bridge solution. I say: let’s throw out their cookie jar and save the planet. On July 24, I will ride down to Philadelphia with hundreds of other Jewish climate activists to march for a Clean Energy Revolution. It’s time to stop relying on dirty energy. Fracking ruins the water and sickens people, animals, and farmland. Fracking sends methane into the air, which accelerates global warming. In New York State where fracking is banned, using fracked gas to make electricity is not banned! Nor is using fracking wastewater for a variety of harmful uses. Nor are dangerous fracked gas pipelines. Would we ban manufacture of full fat ice cream in New York State…but let Haagen-Dazs ship its full fat product from out of state and sell it here in New York without penalty? To justify this craziness, a story has been cooked up that fracked gas for electricity is needed as “bridge fuel” until renewables such as solar and wind energy produce at a scale necessary to satisfy our energy needs. The same ploy is used to justify the continued use of our failing nuclear plant at Indian Point – namely, that nuclear powered electricity is needed as a bridge until renewables become more readily available. This is even crazier. When the aging plant at Indian Point breaks down (frequently), there is no power crisis. Doesn’t this tell us something? Yet under the influence of the nuclear power lobby, the NY Public Service Commission withholds information as to whether or not the plant is really needed. Consider this: Should the plant melt down in a Chernobyl-like situation, twenty million New Yorkers would be affected. In an act of immense folly, a fracked gas pipeline (Spectra Algonquin Incremental Market Pipeline) running close to the plant has been approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, provoking fear and outrage from people living along the pipeline route in Buchanan who are aware of the implications. Many protesters have been arrested, though they’ve been rewarded with woefully inadequate press coverage given the gravity of the situation. So long as unhealthy alternatives exist, our ridiculous inability to move forward in adopting renewable energy will continue. The “bridge” argument will continue to hold sway. We need national legislation to ban all fracking and close all nuclear electricity plants. With no more ice cream in the refrigerator, no more cookie jars on the shelf, we will have to get serious about encouraging a market for renewables – and it will be built very quickly when the bridge argument will no longer be possible. Many investors have seen the successes Europe has had in throwing out the non-renewable cookie jar… and they are ready to jump in and rapidly create an American renewable energy market. This will save the planet. Our ancestors followed Talmudic decisions wherever they lived, from Vilna to Fez to Baghdad. We come from a tradition of careful deliberation informing far-reaching policy decisions. We are fortunate to be Jewish-Americans. March with us in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, for a Clean Energy Revolution on July 24, 2016. It’s time for us to call on Congress and our fellow citizens to carefully deliberate and get serious about setting sane energy policy. It’s the right thing to do. Sign up today for the bus from Brooklyn and Manhattan to Philadelphia for the March. Rachel Makleff, PhD, works on the committee organizing the March for New Yorkers.

The Jewish Imperative of an Animal-Free Diet

May 19, 2016 No Comments

Jeffrey Cohan, the Executive Director of Jewish Veg, is coming to Teaneck, NJ. He will be leading an hour-long, interactive presentation at Congregation Beth Sholom on the significance of Tza’ar Baalei Chayim (the Jewish mandate to prevent animal suffering) in our contemporary world. This event begins at 7 pm and is free and open to the public.

Conserving Our Oil: A Chanukah Message

November 30, 2015 No Comments

Richard H. Schwartz The Jewish festival of Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil that was enough for only one day, but miraculously lasted for eight days in the liberated Temple in Jerusalem. Hence, this holiday is a good time to consider our own use of fuel and other resources. Like Chanukah’s miraculous extension of scarce resources, vegetarianism also allows the increasingly scarce resources of our contemporary world to go much further. This is no trivial matter, since it is expected that future conflicts between nations might involve scarcities of oil, water and other resources. Seeing that the Hebrew words for bread (lechem) and war (milchamah) come from the same root, Jewish sages deduced that when there is a shortage of grain and other resources, people are more likely to go to war. History has borne out this conclusion, whether it is in struggles over water in biblical times or struggles over oil in modern times. Far less oil, water, land, topsoil, chemicals, labor, and other agricultural resources are required for plant-based diets than for animal-centered diets, and far less waste and pollution are produced. To produce one pound of steak (500 calories of food energy) requires 20,000 calories of fossil fuels, most of which is expended in producing and providing feed crops. It requires 78 calories of fossil fuel for each calorie of protein obtained from feedlot-produced beef, but only 2 calories of fossil fuel to produce a calorie of protein from soybeans. Producing grains and beans requires only two to five percent as much fossil fuel as beef. The energy needed to produce a pound of grain-fed beef is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline. It is interesting that the ratio of eight days that the oil burned compared to the one day of burning capacity that the oil had in the restored Temple is the same ratio (8 to 1) that is often given for the pounds of grain that are necessary to add a pound of flesh to a cow raised in a feed lot. Based on the oil lasting an additional seven days, the Shalom Center, a Jewish environmental, social justice, and peace organization (www.shalomctr.org), set a goal to “by 2020, cut US oil consumption by seven-eighths and replace that amount of oil as an energy source by conservation and by the use of non-fossil, non-CO2-producing, non-nuclear sources of renewable, sustainable energy.” The Shalom Center, Jewish Veg (formerly known as Jewish Vegetarians of North America), of which I am president emeritus, and some other groups are increasingly considering the adverse and dramatic impacts of animal-based agriculture on energy usage, climate change, and other environmental issues. Reducing our use of oil by shifting away from the mass production and consumption of meat and other animal products would make our oil supplies last longer and would free us from our dangerous dependence on oil, and on oil-producing authoritarian governments. Shifting toward plant-based diets would also be consistent with basic Jewish mandates to improve human health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, and reduce hunger. Surely this would be a fitting way to celebrate the miracles of Chanukah, while simultaneously helping shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path.

The Vegetarian Writings of Rav Kook (Including Responses to Arguments Used Against Vegetarianism From His Writings)

October 15, 2015 No Comments

Some of the strongest support for vegetarianism as a positive ideal in Torah literature may be found in the writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook (1865-1935). An outstanding student of the Netziv of Volozhin and other Lithuanian Gedolim, Rav Kook was first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel and a revolutionary Orthodox Jewish thinker in the early 20th century. He was a profound mystic, innovative halakhist, prolific writer and poet, and one of the foremost Torah scholars of modern times. Rav Kook saw himself as a bridge between two worlds: the old world of the European shtetl and the new world in which once-rigid religious, intellectual, and cultural boundaries were rapidly dissolving. Thus, he addressed the diverse questions of Jewish intellectuals torn between tradition and modernism, and inspired many people to pursue spiritual, rather than materialistic goals. He also urged the religious community to become more involved in social questions and efforts to improve the world. And he championed the return of the Jewish people to Israel, not only to escape persecution, like the proponents of secular Zionism, but to fulfill our religious destiny as individuals and a nation. His boldly stated teachings on ethical vegetarianism are found primarily in Chazon ha-Tzimchonut vi-ha-Shalom (“A Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace”), edited by his saintly disciple Rabbi David Cohen (1887-1973), “The Nazir of Jerusalem.” Based on careful scriptural analysis, Rav Kook contended that the Torah’s permission to eat meat was only a temporary concession; it was patently unthinkable to him that a Merciful God would forever impose a natural order by which animals would be killed for food. [i] He stated: It is impossible to imagine that the Master of all that transpires, Who has mercy upon all His creatures, would establish an eternal decree such as this in the creation that He pronounced “exceedingly good,” that it should be impossible for the human race to exist without violating its own moral instincts by shedding blood, be it even the blood of animals. [ii] Rav Kook inferred that the Torah’s phraseology – “after all the desire of your soul you may eat meat” – contained a concealed reproach. [iii] He predicted that a day would come when people will detest eating the flesh of animals because of a moral loathing – “and then it shall be said that ‘because your soul does not long to eat meat, you will not eat meat.’” [iv] Along with permission to eat meat, Judaism mandates many laws and restrictions concerning the slaughter of animals and preparation of meat, which make up the bulk of the kosher laws. Rabbi Kook explained that the reprimand implied by these elaborate regulations is meant to raise the consciousness of the Jewish people, to get us to think about what we are eating and how we are eating, with the aim of eventually leading us back to God’s initial vegetarian regimen (Genesis 1:29). [v] This echoes the words of the illustrious Torah commentator Rabbi Solomon Ephraim Lunchitz of Prague (d. 1619), author of K’li Yakar (“A Precious Vessel”): What was the necessity for the entire procedure of ritual slaughter? For the sake of self-discipline. It is far more appropriate for man not to eat meat. Only if he has a strong desire for meat does the Torah permit it, and even this only after the trouble and inconvenience necessary to satisfy his desire. Perhaps because of the bother and annoyance of the whole procedure, he will be restrained from such a strong and uncontrollable desire for meat. [vi] Rav Kook saw the craving for meat as a manifestation of spiritual decline, rather than an inherent need. Like medieval authorities Rabbi Isaac Arama, author of Akeidat Yitzchak (“Binding of Isaac”), and Rabbi Joseph Albo (1380-1444), author of Sefer ha-Ikkarim (“Book of Fundamentals”), he believed that in the days of the Messiah, all humanity would return to a vegetarian diet. [vii] Rav Kook stated that in the Messianic Epoch, “higher knowledge (da’at) will spread even to animals.” [viii] This echoes Isaiah’s prophecy: “And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox . . . They shall neither hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain (Isaiah 11:6-9). According to the preeminent kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), this may be taken literally: animals, too, will attain levels of wisdom and understanding that are now exclusively associated with humans, and they will return to the Edenic vegetarian diet. [ix] Rabbi Kook believed that the vegetarianism of the generations before Noah represented a high moral level, and that a virtue so precious could not be lost forever. [x] Therefore, in the Messianic Age, as in the beginning of creation, humans and animals will no longer eat flesh. [xi] Just as men will cease exploiting one another, the predatory instinct will be removed from the animal kingdom, and creatures will no longer kill one another to live. Indeed, in another of his philosophical works, Rav Kook asserted that during the Messianic Age, the sacrificial offerings in the Third Holy Temple in Jerusalem will consist of vegetation alone. [xii] Rav Kook’s Critique of Vegetarianism Yet despite Rav Kook’s sympathy toward vegetarianism, he did not take an unequivocal position. He understood vegetarianism as representing a higher level of piety for those inclined toward it on ascetic grounds, and because it is associated with the peace and harmony of the Messianic Age. However, he regarded the widespread adoption of vegetarianism with caution. Rav Kook’s vegetarian ideal is primarily associated with the “End of Days.” Therefore, recent critics of vegetarianism have used some of Rav Kook’s other teachings and personal practices to oppose this diet. Below are some examples, with responses from a pro-vegetarian point of view following in each

Eighteen Reasons Jews Think They Should Not Be Vegetarian and Why They Are Wrong

October 14, 2015 No Comments

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 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 animals and treat them as machines designed solely to meet human needs. In “A Vision of Vegetarianism and Peace,” Rav Kook states: “There can be no doubt in the mind of any intelligent person that [the Divine empowerment of humanity to derive benefit from nature] does not mean the domination of a harsh ruler, who afflicts his people and servants merely to satisfy his whim and desire, according to the crookedness of his heart. It is unthinkable that the Divine Law would impose such a decree of servitude, sealed for all eternity, upon the world of God, Who is ‘good to all, and His mercy is upon all His works’ (Psalms 145:9).” This view is reinforced by the fact that immediately after God gave humankind dominion over animals (Genesis 1:26), He prescribed vegetarian foods as the diet for humans (Genesis 1:29). 2) The Torah teaches that only people are created in the Divine Image, meaning that God places far less value on animals. Response: While the Torah states that only human beings are created “in the Divine Image” (Genesis 5:1), animals are also God’s creatures, possessing sensitivity and the capacity for feeling pain. God is concerned that they are protected and treated with compassion and justice. In fact, the Jewish sages state that to be “created in the Divine Image,” means that people have the capacity to emulate the Divine compassion for all creatures. “As God is compassionate,” they teach, “so you should be compassionate.” 3) Inconsistent with Judaism, vegetarians elevate animals to a level equal to or greater than that of people. Response: Vegetarians’ concern for animals and their refusal to treat animals cruelly does not mean that vegetarians regard animals as being equal to people. There are many reasons for being vegetarian other than consideration for animals, including concerns about human health, ecological threats, and the plight of hungry people. Because humans are capable of imagination, rationality, empathy, compassion, and moral choice, we should strive to end the unbelievably cruel conditions under which farm animals are currently raised. This is an issue of sensitivity, not an assertion of equality with the animal kingdom. 4) Vegetarianism places greater priority on animal rights than on the many problems related to human welfare. Response: Vegetarian diets are not beneficial only to animals. They improve human health, help conserve food and other resources, and put less strain on endangered ecosystems. In view of the many threats related to today’s livestock agriculture (such as deforestation and global climate change), working to promote vegetarianism may be the most important action that one can take for global sustainability. 5) By putting vegetarian values ahead of Jewish teachings, vegetarians are, in effect, creating a new religion with values contrary to Jewish teachings. Response: Jewish vegetarians are not placing so-called “vegetarian values” above Torah principles but are challenging the Jewish community to apply Judaism’s splendid teachings at every level of our daily lives. Vegetarians argue that Jewish teachings that we must treat animals with compassion, guard our health, share with hungry people, protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek peace, are all best applied through vegetarian diets. 6) Jews must eat meat on Shabbat and Yom Tov (Jewish holidays). Response: According to the Talmud (T. B. Pesachim 109a), since the destruction of the Temple, Jews are not required to eat meat in order to rejoice on sacred occasions. This view is reinforced in the works Reshit Chochmah and Kerem Shlomo and Rabbi Chizkiah Medini’s Sdei Chemed, which cites many classical sources on the subject. Several Israeli chief rabbis, including Shlomo Goren, late Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel, and Shear Yashuv Cohen, Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Haifa, have been or are strict vegetarians. 7) The Torah mandated that Jews eat korban Pesach and other korbanot (sacrifices). Response: The great Jewish philosopher Maimonides believed that God permitted sacrifices as a concession to the common mode of worship in Biblical times. It was felt that had Moses not instituted the sacrifices, his mission would have failed and Judaism might have disappeared. The Jewish philosopher Abarbanel reinforced Maimonides’ position by citing a midrash (Rabbinic teaching) that indicates God tolerated the sacrifices because the Israelites had become accustomed to sacrifices in Egypt, but that He commanded they be offered only in one central sanctuary in order to wean the Jews from idolatrous practices. 8) Jews historically have had many problems with some animal rights groups, which have often opposed shechita (ritual slaughter) and advocated its abolishment. Response: Jews should consider switching to vegetarianism not because of the views of animal rights groups, whether they are hostile to Judaism or not, but because it is the diet most consistent with Jewish teachings. It is the Torah, not animal rights groups, which is the basis for observing how far current animal treatment has strayed from fundamental Jewish values. As Samson Raphael Hirsch stated: “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.” 9) The restrictions of shechita minimize the pain to animals in the slaughtering process, and thus fulfill Jewish laws on proper treatment of animals. Response: This ignores the cruel treatment of animals on “factory farms” in the many months prior to slaughter. Can we ignore the force-feeding of huge amounts of grain to ducks and geese to produce foie gras, the removal of calves from their mothers shortly after birth to raise them for veal, the killing

The Jewish Veg Event of the Decade

October 4, 2015 No Comments

Light the Way: Support Pope Francis’ Call for Climate Action

September 4, 2015 No Comments

Pope Francis is speaking to world leaders at the UN on September 25 with a simple message for politicians: There is no more time for talk. Now is the time to act on climate change. In his recent encyclical on climate change, Pope Francis wrote that “…faced as we are with global environmental deterioration. I wish to address every living person on this planet.” His impassioned message to humanity was drawn from Torah. He wrote that Genesis 2 teaches us that we are required to respect and protect the dignity of every human being. And Psalm 148 is a powerful lesson in the interconnection of all life. He wrote about the implications of the Sabbath, the Shmita Year, and the Yovel, for a world faced with climate change. Let’s make sure his message is heard! On the evening of Thursday, September 24, the night before Pope Francis speaks at the UN, Jews will be joining with other people of faith to Light the Way at a multi-faith Festival of Prayer and Music, just a few blocks from the United Nations. The program will continue into the evening with in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which will also be released on September 25. Following the Festival, a vigil will be held at the Church of Our Saviour at 59 Park Avenue. As we celebrate this season of teshuvah, tefilah, and tzedakah — repentance, prayer, and justice – let’s put our words into action. Meet us at Light the Way to offer prayers, meditations, and music, and to show the leaders meeting at the UN that we support a 100% renewable energy, zero poverty future. Light the Way Multi-faith Festival of Prayer and Music Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 4:30 pm Dag Hammarskjold Plaza 47th Street and First Avenue Information about the Light the Way Festival of Prayer and Music is available at http://ourvoices.net/newyork-lightstheway . For more on Pope Francis’ Encyclical, see What the Pope’s Climate Change Edict Means for the Jews and Three Gifts From Jewish Tradition. Here is a climate-themed kavanah you can offer during your services.

Yom Kippur at the Lincoln Memorial

September 2, 2015 No Comments

YOM KIPPUR Day of Atonement/ At-Onement Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC September 22-23, 2015 Sundown to Sundown For more information, and to RSVP, please visit the Facebook event page: Yom Kippur 2015 at the Lincoln Memorial Kol Nidre 6:30pm to 8:30pm Morning Service with Yizkor 10am to 1:30pm Minchah/Neilah 5:00pm to 7:45 pm, concluding with shofar blasts followed by a multi-faith vigil Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, a fast day for seeking both Atonement and At-Onement. At this moment in history, we humans are in need of atonement for the ways in which we have desecrated the Earth; this desecration is the result of our lack of at-Onement – our separation from one another, from all living beings, and from the Earth. This year, Yom Kippur falls immediately prior to Pope Francis’s unprecedented address on September 24 to a joint session of Congress. We offer this Yom Kippur service as an invitation to the Jewish community, along with people of all faiths, to come together, acknowledging our profound need for interconnection and atonement. This service will be part of a series of faith-based events planned for the week of September 24 in support of Pope Francis. Why the Lincoln Memorial? The Lincoln Memorial is the pre-eminent American symbol of our collective responsibility to work for freedom and democracy for all people with “malice toward none, and charity for all.” It is where millions of Americans have gathered to stand for the dignity of each person. A Contemplative, Inspired Yom Kippur Service We will draw from the traditional liturgy of Yom Kippur and will also include chanting, contemplative practices, and opportunities for reflection and sharing. Words from Pope Francis’ Encyclical will be interwoven throughout the day, and faith leaders from other traditions will also offer reflections. This invitation to all people of faith is an acknowledgement that our world view is not particular to Judaism, or to Catholicism, or to any one tradition; and rather, together we will engage our hearts and spirits for this sacred moment in time. Please be aware: Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and we prefer that you not bring food or drink with you. If you need to eat or drink for health reasons during the service, please use discretion and step away from the congregation while eating or drinking. Many worshipers will wear white clothing to signify our intention to purify our souls and our lives. You are encouraged to: Invite friends, family and colleagues who may want to join us for any part of the Yom Kippur services. Bring a chair or a cushion to sit on. Wednesday night around 7:45PM: Conclusion of the Service Yom Kippur services will conclude when three stars appear in the sky on Wednesday night, a fitting affirmation of our interconnection with the movement of the universe. We will then join with the Franciscan Action Network and others for a multi-faith vigil in preparation for the Pope’s address. We will break our fast with people of faith who have been fasting for as long as ten days near the White House calling attention to the need for action the sake of life on Earth. Sponsored by the Shalom Center, in partnership with IMAC and MAC RSVP at the Facebook event page: Yom Kippur 2015 at the Lincoln Memorial

Rosh Hashanah Message: Shifting Our Imperiled Planet Onto a Sustainable Path

August 31, 2015 No Comments

Rosh Hashanah commemorates God’s creation of the world. The “Ten Days of Repentance” from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is a period to evaluate our deeds and to do teshuvah (repentance) for cases where we have missed the mark. Sukkot is a holiday in which we leave our fine houses and live in temporary shelters (sukkahs) to commemorate our ancestors journey in the wilderness. Hence, the upcoming weeks provide an excellent time to consider the state of the planet’s environment and what we might do to make sure that the world is on a sustainable path. When God created the world, He was able to say, “It is tov meod (very good).” (Genesis 1:31) Everything was in harmony as God had planned, the waters were clean, and the air was pure. But what must God think about the world today? What must God think when the rain He provided to nourish our crops is often acid rain, due to the many chemicals emitted into the air by industries and automobiles; when the abundance of species of plants and animals that God created are becoming extinct at such an alarming rate in tropical rain forests and other threatened habitats; when the abundant fertile soil He provided is quickly being depleted and eroded; when the climatic conditions that He designed to meet our needs are threatened by climate change? An ancient rabbinic teaching has become all too relevant today: In the hour when the Holy one, blessed be He, created the first human being (Adam), He took him and let him pass before all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: “See my works, how fine and excellent they are! All that I have created, for you have I created them. Think upon this and do not corrupt and desolate My world, For if you corrupt it, there is no one to set it right after you.” Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28 Today’s environmental threats bring to mind the Biblical ten plagues: * When we consider the threats to our land, water, and air due to pesticides and other chemical pollutants, resource scarcities, acid rain, deforestation, desertification, threats to our climate, etc., we can easily enumerate ten modern “plagues.” * The Egyptians were subjected to one plague at a time, while the modern plagues threaten us simultaneously. * The israelites in Goshen were spared most of the Biblical plagues, while every person on earth is imperiled by the modern plagues. * Instead of an ancient Pharaoh’s heart being hardened, our hearts today seem to have been hardened by the greed, materialism, and waste that are at the root of current environmental threats. * God provided the Biblical plagues to free the Israelites, while today we must apply God’s teachings in order to save ourselves and our precious but imperiled planet. Today their seem to be almost daily reports about record heat waves, severe droughts and major forest fires, the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, an increase in the number and severity of hurricanes and other storms, and other effects of global warming. All of the above and much more has occurred due to a temperature increase in the past hundred years of a little more than one degree Fahrenheit. So, it is very frightening that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group composed of thousands of the leading scientists from many countries, has projected an average temperature increase of 2 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the next hundred years. Some leading climate experts, including James Hansen of NASA, have stated that global warming may reach a tipping point and spin out of control within a decade, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur. All countries, including Israel, are affected by global warming. Israel is already suffering from the worst drought in its history, with below average rainfall in each of the past five years. A report by the Israel Union for Environmental Defense in 2007 indicates that global warming could cause a triple whammy, each and all of which would heighten tensions and suffering in and around Israel: (1) a rise in temperature of about 6 degrees Fahrenheit; (2) a significant increase in the Mediterranean Sea level, which would threaten the narrow coastal strip of land where 60% of Israel’s population lives and where major infrastructure, such as ports and power plants, would be destroyed; and (3) a significant decrease in rainfall, estimated at 20-30%, which would disrupt agricultural production and worsen the chronic water scarcity problem in Israel and the region. Making matters even worse, much of that rainfall would come in severe storms that would cause major flooding. Fortunately, there are many Jewish teachings that can be applied to shift the earth to a sustainable path. Briefly, these include: * Our mandate to be shomrei adamah (guardians of the earth), based on the admonition that we should “work the earth and guard it” (Genesis 2:15); * the prohibition of bal tashchit, that we should not waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value (Deuteronomy 20:19. 20); * the teaching that,”The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalms 24:1), and that the assigned role of the Jewish people is to enhance the world as “partners of God in the work of creation.” (Shabbat 10a); * the ecological lessons related to the Shabbat, sabbatical, and jubilee cycles. As co-workers with God, charged with the task of being a light unto the nations and accomplishing tikkun olam (healing and restoring the earth), it is essential that Jews take an active role in applying our eternal, sacred values in struggles to reduce global warming, pollution and the waste of natural resources. Based on the central Jewish mandates to work with God in preserving the earth, Jews must work with others for significant changes in society’s economic and production systems, values, and life-styles. So at the start of a new year, we should seek to reduce our environmental impact The fate of humanity and God’s

A Rosh Hashanah Message: Aplying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet

August 28, 2015 No Comments

Rosh Hashanah reminds us of God’s creation of the world. The “Ten Days of Repentance” from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is a period to evaluate our deeds and to do teshuvah (repentance) for cases where we have missed the mark. Sukkot, starting four days after Yom Kippur, is a holiday in which we leave our fine houses and live in temporary shelters (sukkahs) to commemorate our ancestors journey in the wilderness. So, that period provides an excellent time to consider the state of the planet’s environment and what we might do to help keep the world on a sustainable path. When God created the world, He was able to say, “It is very good.” (Genesis 1:31) Everything was in harmony as God had planned, the waters were clean, and the air was pure. But what must God think about the world today? What must God think when the rain God provided to nourish our crops is often acid rain, due to the many chemicals emitted into the air by industries and automobiles; when so many species of plants and animals that God created are becoming extinct at such an alarming rate in tropical rain forests and other threatened habitats, often before we have even been able to study and catalog many of them; when the abundant fertile soil He provided is quickly being depleted and eroded; when the climatic conditions designed to meet our needs are threatened by climate change? An ancient rabbinic teaching has become all too relevant today: “In the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the first human being (Adam), God took him and let him pass before all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: “See My works, how fine and excellent they are! All that I have created, for you have I created them. Think upon this and do not corrupt and desolate My world, For if you do, there is no one to set it aright after you.” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28) Today their seem to be almost daily reports about record heat waves, severe droughts and major wildfires, the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, an increase in the number and severity of hurricanes and other storms, and other effects of climate change. All of the above and much more has occurred due to a temperature increase in the past 135 years of about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit. So, it is very frightening that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group composed of thousands of the leading scientists from many countries, has projected an average temperature increase of 3 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit in the next hundred years. Some leading climate experts, including James Hansen of NASA, fear that climate change may reach a tipping point and spin out of control within a decade, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur. All countries, including Israel, are affected by climate change. A report by the Israel Union for Environmental Defense in 2007 indicates that global warming could cause a triple whammy, each of which would heighten tensions and suffering in and around Israel: (1) a rise in temperature of about 6 degrees Fahrenheit; (2) a significant increase in the Mediterranean Sea level, which would threaten the narrow coastal strip of land where 60% of Israel’s population lives and where major infrastructure, such as ports and power plants, would be destroyed; and (3) a significant decrease in rainfall, estimated at 20-30%, which would disrupt agricultural production and worsen the chronic water scarcity problem in Israel and the region. Making matters even worse, much of that rainfall would come in severe storms that would cause major flooding. Fortunately, there are many Jewish teachings that can be applied to shift the earth to a sustainable path. Briefly, these include: * Our mandate to be shomrei adamah (guardians of the earth), based on the admonition that we should “work the earth and guard it” (Genesis 2:15); * the prohibition of bal tashchit, that we should not waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value (Deuteronomy 20:19. 20); * the teaching that, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalms 24:1), and that the assigned role of the Jewish people is to enhance the world as “partners of God in the work of creation.” (Shabbat 10a); * the ecological lessons related to the Shabbat, sabbatical, and jubilee cycles. As co-workers with God, charged with the task of being a light unto the nations and accomplishing tikkun olam (healing and restoring the earth), it is essential that Jews take an active role in applying our eternal, sacred values in struggles to reduce climate change, pollution and the waste of natural resources. Based on the central Jewish mandates to work with God in preserving the earth, Jews must work with others for significant changes in society’s economic and production systems, values, and life-styles. So at the start of a new year, we should seek to reduce our environmental impact The fate of humanity and God’s precious earth are at stake, and if we fail to act properly and in time, there may be “no one after us to set it aright.”

Rabbinical School of Hebrew College Issues Environmental Call To Action

August 25, 2015 No Comments

In the fight to secure the planet’s future, the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College is beckoning the past for inspiration. And it’s urging others to do the same. Leaders of the school have issued a call to Jews around the world to revive an ancient prayer ritual that affirms the story of divine creation and, in doing so, makes an unambiguous commitment to preserving the environment. The ritual, dating back some 2,000 years, consists of reciting a short biblical verse from the Genesis narrative, or “ma’amad,” as part of each day’s prayer practice. “We choose this venerable Jewish form as a way of saying that protecting the environment is indeed a Jewish issue — one that stands at the very heart of our universal faith,” the school said in its call to action. “We call upon Jews, whatever their denomination or style of prayer, to join with us in this chorus of affirmation.” The ma’amad ritual stems from the time of the Second Temple, roughly defined as 530 BCE to 70 CE, when Jewish priests offered sacrifices they believed sustained the cosmos. Townspeople would add their voice by chanting the biblical account of each day of creation. The practice became widespread for hundreds of years, but eventually fell out of use. Rabbi Arthur Green, rector of the Rabbinical School and the lead author of the call to action, said he hopes the practice of ma’amadot serves as a daily reminder of one’s sacred duty to protect the environment, and inspires people to meaningful action. “Even though we may understand the story of creation differently from our ancestors, like them we recognize the need to care for God’s holy works with care and diligence,” Green said. President Daniel Lehmann said the call to action represents Hebrew College’s leadership in shaping Judaism for the 21st century. “If Judaism is to remain a vibrant and relevant religious force, we must creatively address the great moral and spiritual challenges facing the world,” Lehmann said. “I’m proud that our Rabbinical School is leading this important and timely initiative.” Visit hebrewcollege.edu/maamadot for more information about the practice of ma’amadot and to download the daily ritual prayers, click here: Jewcology-Encyclical-Swartz

From Uncertainty to Action: What You Can Do About Climate Change

March 27, 2015 No Comments

The Jewish Climate Action Network (JCAN) is sponsoring its first conference, a time for community members from across New England concerned about climate change to come together. The conference will focus on a Jewish response to climate change, ideas for action, and how climate change is fundamentally a social justice issue. It will provide organized opportunities to connect with others interested in working together. Summery of the conference: Panel exploring what Judaism adds to our understanding and ability to respond to climate change Two rounds of workshops, each of which will provide concrete information about a specific way to respond to the threat of climate change and to connect with others Opportunity to speak with community organizations and businesses involved in environmental work Special workshop for teens and tweens Short wrap-up program highlighting what has been accomplished and providing a send off Facilitation of informal gatherings for dinner at nearby restaurants those who want to continue the conversations. A schedule and descriptions of workshops and bios of workshop leaders can be found at http://www.jewishclimate.org/may-2015-conference.html When: Sunday, May 17, 3-7 PM Where: Hebrew College, Herrick Road, Newton Registration: https://secure.hebrewcollege.edu/form/uncertainty-action-what-you-can-do-about-climate-change Cost: $18 donation (optional); students are free. Co-sponsors include: Hebrew College, Center for Global Judaism, Hazon, LimmudBoston, Shomrei Bereshit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth, and others.

Hanukkah 5775 – Night 8 Re-Dedication Meditation

December 23, 2014 No Comments

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen On this last night of the Festival of Re-Dedication, we light all eight candles, we complete the “Litany of Harm” and the “Call to Action,” and we add one last item to our list of promises to ourselves for the year to come. Hanukkah Night 8: The Litany of Harm: For all those in island nations, where rising sea levels and superstorms threaten their very existence. We stand in witness! For all coastal cities and villages, where storm swells and flooding put lives and homes at risk. We stand in witness! For all those who suffer from tropical diseases, and those at risk from spreading diseases and heat waves. We stand in witness! For farmers and all who eat, as droughts ruin crops, incomes, and food supplies. We stand in witness! For people of color around the world, who are at risk from climate change and environmental injustice. We stand in witness! For the human populations, plants, and animals who are losing or have lost access to enough fresh water. We stand in witness! For the countless animals who suffer in factory farms, in a system that causes misery and carbon pollution. We stand in witness! For all the habitats already lost and which are disappearing. We stand in witness!* For the endangered mammals, plants, birds, insects, and all the species we will never discover. We stand in witness! For the burning rain forests. We stand in witness! For the warming oceans and the dying choral reefs. We stand in witness! For the mountaintops removed, water supplies poisoned, and oceans spilled with oil. We stand in witness! For all who make their living from our addiction to fossil fuels.We stand in witness! For our own roles in using and wasting energy. We stand in witness! For all of us, and our children and their children, who are living and growing up on a changing Earth. We stand in witness! For the courage and strength it takes to face climate change with love and hope. We stand in witness! The Call to Action: We’re ready to act because we have a favorite place on Earth that we want our great-grandchildren to experience. With love in our hearts, Compassionate One, move us to action. We’re ready to act because somewhere we heard John Muir’s voice, reminding us that in the beauty of nature we see the beginning of creation. With beauty in our hearts, Creator, move us to action. We’re ready to act because someone in our life once shared something with us – something we needed; something we could not live without – and we want to do the same for the next generation and beyond. With generosity in our hearts, Holy One of Blessing, move us to action. We’re ready to act because we’ve read texts we consider sacred, and they make clear that the Earth is a gift, and we are stewards of that gift. With responsibility in our hearts, G!d of Judgment, move us to action. We’re ready to act because the blessing of life has allowed us to see the ways our lives are all connected with one another in a web of mutuality. Affirming the web of life, Mysterious One, move us to action. We’re ready to act because the most basic moral instruction at the core of every world religion is the call to love our neighbors as ourselves; … and we regard future generations as no less our neighbors than those who live next door to us today. Affirming all people alive – and yet to be born – as our neighbors, G!d of Life, move us to action. We’re ready to act because we want to be part of the solution. Affirming the gift of creativity, Almighty, move us to action. We’re ready to act because the G!d of Many Names is a G!d of hope, and as people of hope, we will not stop until the people of the world embrace new habits, new practices and new aspirations that will extend to countless generations the bountiful creation into which we were born. As people of hope, G!d of Many Names, move us to action.** We add the last item to our list. For this last night, we consider how we behave toward those around us. What can we do better in our individual relationships? Where are our weaknesses? Our strengths? What do we wish we could do better when we are interacting with family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and others around us? Here are my thoughts for this last night of Hanukkah: Eloheinu v’elohei avoteinu v’imoteinu, Our G!d and G!d of our ancestors, give me strength on this last night of Hanukkah, and help me to re-dedicate myself to remembering that I am created in the image of the Holy One of Blessing, to eating organic, local food, to speaking out about racism, to maintaining my values in my finances, to writing to my representatives or local paper about climate change and social justice issues, to supporting the hungry, to matching my words and actions to my beliefs and values, and to treating others as I wish to be treated. What does your complete list look like? As you go forward through this year, I invite you to keep your list with you. When you are feeling in need of strength, recite the prayer you have created to ask G!d for help. When you are feeling on top of the world, recite it to remind yourself of the work you have to do. Reflect on your successes. Feel gratitude for what you have been able to do. Search for the strength to go ever deeper in bringing light and joy and goodness into the Universe, and making G!d’s presence manifest in the world. Hanukkah Sameach – Happy Hanukkah, Rabbi Katy * by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman ** by Rev. Jim Antal, adapted

Al Chet – Confession for the Earth

October 3, 2014 No Comments

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen Eternal God, You created earth and heavens with mercy, and blew the breath of life into animals and humans. We were created amidst a world of wholeness, a world called “very good,” pure and beautiful, but now your many works are being erased by us from the book of life. Not by our righteousness do we plead our prayers before You, Holy One of All, for we have sinned, we have despoiled, we have destroyed. And so we confess together our collective sins, and ask for forgiveness: For the sin which we have committed before You intentionally or unintentionally; And for the sin which we have committed before You inadvertently; For the sin which we have committed before You openly or secretly, And for the sin which we have committed before You knowingly or unknowingly; For the sin which we have committed before You, and before our children and grandchildren, by desecrating the sacred Earth, And for the sin which we have committed before You of going beyond being fruitful and multiplying to overfilling the planet; For the sin which we have committed before You by putting comfort above conscience, And for the sin which we have committed before You by putting convenience above compassion; For the sin we have committed against You by believing we are doing enough, And for the sin which we have committed before You by reaping the dividends of unsustainability; For the sin which we have committed before You through fear of speaking out, And for the sin which we have committed before You by eating and drinking without concern for Earth and its hungry and thirsty; For the sin which we have committed before You by saying we don’t have time, And for the sin which we have committed before You by staying alive beyond the boundaries of our allotted life span: For all of these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us. For the sin which we have committed before You by not pressuring our elected officials, And for the sin which we have committed before You by gaining wealth through fossil fuels; For the sin which we have committed before You by denying the impact of our white privilege, And for the sin which we have committed before You by closing our hearts and eyes to injustice; For the sin which we have committed before You by filling land and ocean with filth, toxins and garbage, And for the sin which we have committed before You by extinguishing forever species which You saved from the waters of the flood; For the sin which we have committed before You by razing forests and trees, rivers and mountains, And for the sin which we have committed before You by turning the atmosphere into a chastening rod; For the sin which we have committed before You by making desolate habitats that give life to every living soul, And for the sin which we have committed before You by a confused heart; For all of these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us. For the sin which we have committed before You by thinking separately of US and THEM, And for the sin which we have committed before You by using more than our share of Earth’s resources; For the sin which we have committed before You by considering human life more important than other forms of life, And for the sin which we have committed before You by being deceived by those with power; For the sin which we have committed before You by not finding the courage to overcome the reality of the lobbies, And for the sin which we have committed before You by wanting to act only in ways that will serve us economically; For the sin which we have committed before You by failing to create sufficient local, green jobs, And for the sin which we have committed before You by trying to convince people rather than drawing them in; For the sin which we have committed before You by not thinking into the future when we act, And for the sin which we have committed before You by living in relative safety and not being caring of others; For all of these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us. And yet, we know that we can only achieve forgiveness from You, O G!d of All That Is after we have sought forgiveness from our fellow living beings, and so, in order to achieve atonement, forgiveness, and pardon, Help us, Holy One, to enter into loving respectful conversation, Help us to create deep conversations, And help us to listen to people. Help us, Merciful One, to become empowered to talk and to connect, Help us to be creative in how we start the conversation, And help us to use our sacred texts as a foundation for our conversations. Help us, Compassionate One, to start where people are and transition to climate change, Help us to use humor as a vehicle of engaging people, Help us to start with experience of nature and end with responsibility of saving world. In order to achieve atonement, forgiveness, and pardon, Help us, Holy One, to acknowledge that we are all in this together, Help us to celebrate the positives happening in the world. Help us, Source of All, to build coalitions, Help us to create partnerships where we see other people’s needs. Help us, Eternal One, to organize local solutions, And help us to recognize that ownership and collective action are important. Open our eyes to see the majesty of Your creation! Then we will praise you as it is written: “How manifold are Your works, Holy One! You made them all with wisdom; the earth is filled with what you hold.” Please, Source of All, protect all living beings, in the shade of your wings give us refuge. Renew the face of the earth, save the weave and fullness of life. Please, Mysterious One, remove

Giving Yourself an Autumn Break

August 31, 2014 No Comments

by Andrew Oram This time of year always seems a hurricane of activity: coming back from vacation to reams of email, or starting school, or dealing with all the pent-up housework that went blissfully ignored during the easy summer months. Traditionally, Jews see this time of year very differently. Like typical Americans, this period is for them both an ending and a beginning: a recognition of the waning of life and an invigorating harbinger of new possibilities. But in place of the chaotic hurricane that starts for us after Labor Day, many Jews launch a period of quiet, internal reconstruction four days earlier on the first day of Elul. Leaving mental space and physical time for self-reflection—and doing it now, precisely because this is such a busy time of year—represents an excellent discipline that can preserve mental and physical health throughout the year. The change of seasons also teaches about of the amazing balance in the Earth that gives us food, clean air, and all good things. We don’t need to lament the end of warm weather and the reminder that in a few months we will be buried in snow. Snow is one of the great blessings of God–not just because we enjoy winter sports, but because it forms the perfect storage medium that, when the climate works right, preserves the water coming from Heaven that is needed months later for the plants that sprang up on the third day of Creation. We don’t have to approach Elul through the traditional obsession with the S-word (sin). We can look back at what we wanted to accomplish during the year, and measure how far we have come. We can recall what unanticipated challenges and woes came up, congratulate ourselves for making it through them, and give a thumb’s up to the greater force that might have helped. We can ask why it is (if so) we do more Jewish stuff during High Holidays than the rest of year, and consider incrementing our Jewish practice and thinking year-round. And most of all, we should take a vow to devote part of the year to the preservation of the Earth, so that our descendants can enjoy High Holidays three thousand years from now. Andrew Oram is an editor and writer at the technology company O’Reilly Media, a member of Temple Shir Tikvah of Winchester, Massachusetts, and an activist in the Jewish Climate Action Network and other local (This is adapted from an article originally published in the newsletter of Temple Shir Tivkvah, Winchester, Mass.)

Adventures in Being “So Kind”

August 26, 2014 No Comments

Register. There it was on my list of pre-baby things to do. I had the feeling that people would want to buy things for us, and I knew they’d be asking if we had a registry. Setting one up seemed like the proper thing to do. It would help everyone know what we needed. But the truth was, we didn’t need all that much. We had saved bags of clothing, toys and other baby gear from our older son. And we live in a generous community where neighbors had already given or lent us key things like a carseat, a baby swing, a jogging stroller and our choice of baby carriers. And setting aside need, we didn’t really want a lot of new stuff. We try to minimize our impact on the planet. As best we can, we also try to minimize the number of things in our house. So, instead of a traditional registry, we tried something new: the So Kind Registry created by the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD). The registry “encourages the giving of homemade gifts, charitable donations, secondhand goods, experiences, time, day-of-event help, and more.” The registry spoke to me because while I didn’t need any new onesies for my baby, there were some things that people could do to help which would make a world of difference. Things like preparing food, taking pictures at our son’s bris, arranging carpools for our older son, and taking us to the local pool. I was much more excited about these ideas than another rattle or swaddling blanket! I created the registry about a month before our son was due, because I knew I wouldn’t have the energy for it once he arrived. The system was easy to navigate. After a simple login, I was able to customize the registry with pictures of my family, and request gifts of different types, like time, experience, skills, or charitable donations. Most of my requests were gifts of “time” or “experience,” but we were also able to specify our favorite charity for donations. After my new son was born, we added a picture of him to the registry and publicized the link via facebook. We included it in our birth announcements (sent via email and Paperless Post). We also put a note on the tables at the bris, telling people we were registered with So Kind and where they could find the website. Our results were mixed. We didn’t get all the gifts we requested, but we did get some totally awesome things that we wouldn’t have gotten if we didn’t ask. As a result of the registry, we found someone who took professional photographs at the bris for free, and a neighbor bought us a month-long membership at that local pool. (She said she was thrilled to find out what we really wanted.) People arranged time to visit and help out the week my husband went back to work. Other people made us meals, and lots of people donated to our favorite charity. Here’s what I learned for next time: • Be very specific about what you want and when you want it. For example, we asked people to help with carpools, but we didn’t specify the week, and we asked them to help with weekend playdates but didn’t specify individual dates or times. That meant that coordination was necessary, which prevented some people from volunteering – and even some people who offered to help weren’t available on the right days. • Make sure that there’s something for everyone to give. We had a lot of out of town family and friends who wanted to get us something, but the gifts we asked for were really from local people. We had no way for out of town people to contribute, and so many of them sent us clothing or toys anyway. Other people told us that they would have liked to have given us something, but didn’t see anything that would work for them. • Some “things” actually are helpful. In the end, we needed swaddling blankets. And I wanted a memory book for the baby’s first year. One of the best unsolicited gifts we got was a starter-set of eco-friendly diapers and wipes. If we’d put a bit more thought into it, we could have included these things on the registry and people would probably have appreciated that option. • People are used to giving things. While everyone was a good sport about our non-thing registry, I could tell that they were unaccustomed to the idea. Let’s face it, it’s easier to buy a quick present online than it is to take a Sunday afternoon and entertain another kid (especially when you aren’t sure which Sunday and if you don’t have a kid the same age). I think that’s why we didn’t get everything we asked for. • I was used to getting things. I must admit, I liked getting packages of presents at my door! I had to remind myself that we were getting fewer than we might otherwise because we’d specifically told people not to get things for us, not because people weren’t happy for us. In the end, we still got a number of tangible gifts, but certainly fewer than we would have if we’d created a regular registry, or even if we hadn’t made it clear we didn’t need any things. So, hopefully, we achieved our intention of less impact on the planet. We certainly did succeed at less clutter in our house. But I also learned that, in our culture, people express their love and happiness by buying things. Telling people we didn’t need anything reduced our friends’ opportunity to show us their love. If we’re truly going to reduce consumerism in our culture, we need to find better ways to show love for one another, even if we live at a distance, and even if all we can manage is a couple quick clicks on the computer and $20. I would

Moving Forward with “Move Our Money/ Protect Our Planet”

May 27, 2014 No Comments

More than 100 Rabbis, Cantors, and other Jewish spiritual leaders have signed the Rabbinic Call to Move Our Money/Protect Our Planet. (Providentially, not planned by us, the initials spell “MOM/POP.”).! There are now four initiatives we want to take toward giving additional reality to this Call: 1) Sabbatical/ Shmita Year In Leviticus 25, the Torah calls for the human community to let the Earth rest from organized agriculture every seventh year — a Sabbatical Year called Shabbat shabbaton or Shmita ("Release" or "Non-attachment"). For millennia, the count for the seventh year — the Shmita — has been kept. Beginning next Rosh Hashanah (September 24-26), the next Jewish year will be a Shmita. We cannot instantly halt all farming, mining, drilling. How then can we bring into our own lives, our own societies, and the world at large these Shmita values of protecting and healing the Earth? One way is the public commitment of congregations and their households to act on the Rabbinic Call to Move Our Money/Protect Our Planet. This effort will isolate and weaken the deadly fossil-fuel industries while strengthening renewable energy companies and other life-giving enterprises. It will at the same time engage households and congregations in achievable direct change, and carry more clout for public policy change than (e.g.) changing light bulbs. Arranging for your congregation to announce its commitment to Move Our Money/Protect Our Planet just before Rosh HaShanah or during the days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur could be an important forward step, creating ripples of excitement and change throughout the Jewish community and beyond. 2. Moving from a Call to a Campaign. I hope that you will invite your colleagues, congregants, and chevra to actually begin moving to make the Moving of Our Money begin. That might mean asking your congregants to examine their own purchases and check out their banks. It might mean asking your synagogue or organization Board to do the same. If you have a say in a denominational or communal fund, you might begin exploring with them. Since the festival of Shavuot (June 3-5) evokes both the Revelation on Mount Sinai and the completion of the spring wheat harvest in ancient Israel — tying together Earth and Torah, Words and Wheat — that might be an excellent moment to raise these questions with your congregation. We have prepared an extraordinarily careful and precise Action Handbook for Moving Our Money to Protect Our Planet. We especially recommend using that specific item to walk the walk, as well as continuing to talk the talk. It’s at — <https://theshalomcenter.org/content/move-our-money-action-handbook> 3. People’s Climate March/ Jewish contingent On Saturday September 20 or Sunday September 21, there will be a mammoth People’s Climate March in New York City. It is being timed to come close to a Summit conference (called by the UN Secretary-General) of world leaders, governmental and otherwise, to address the intensifying climate crisis. It sole demand is very general — “Act Now on Climate!” – and it will be a peaceful, legal, family-friendly event. The Shalom Center has begun working toward organizing a Jewish contingent on the March. We want 100 shofar-blowers to lead the Jewish contingent, caling out "Sleepers Awake!" as only the shofar can. We are also working in and with Interfaith Moral Action on Climate (IMAC) toward an interfaith contingent. Holding the March on Saturday will pose problems to many Jews who observe Shabbat. So the March organizers (and of course we) prefer Sunday afternoon, Sept. 21. But the organizers are not certain whether March permits may be approved for Saturday afternoon instead. If the March is held on Shabbat, we at The Shalom Center have already begun arranging a welcome from local synagogues to Shabbat morning services for Jews who want to come for the March. For those of you within reach of New York City, we encourage you to begin alerting friends and fellow-congregants to the plans. When the date, time, and route of the March and the Jewish and Interfaith contingents become definite, we will let you know. 4. The Ten-City Jewish Climate Action Project Beginning last fall, The Shalom Center worked with Jewish climate activists in Boston who organized themselves into the Jewish Climate Action Network (JCAN). They invited me to meet with them in March. After a wonderful open conversation I asked whether they thought they could persuade ten Boston-area synagogues to commit themselves to acting on Move Our Money/Protect Our Planet, and to announcing their commitment between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. They looked around the room at each other, nodded, and said they thought so. Building on this experience, The Shalom Center has begun discussions with local Jewish climate activists in Washington DC and Philadelphia, and has decided to begin working toward helping such networks come into being in seven more cities. On all four of these initiatives, I welcome your thoughts, suggestions, critiques, etc. (Write me at ) And I welcome your gift to help us go forward with the sacred, life-giving work to heal our wounded Earth. You can make a (tax-deductible) gift by clicking on the "Donate" button on our website Https://www.theshalomcenter.org. Thanks! With blessings of shalom within and between adamah (Earth) and adam (human earthlings) — Eco-Rebbe Arthur

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Tag: Consumerism