Teachers / Educators Subscribe
A selection of initiatives, blogs, resources and communities on Jewcology intended for use by Teachers and Educators.
Blogs
Israel’s natural gas infrastructure is impressive, but we must aim for a clean energy future!
- June 28, 2022
On Sunday, June 12, I toured the Israel Natural Gas Lines Ltd. (Natgaz) power station outside of Ashkelon with the Committee on Citizen Affairs. Natgaz is a public company responsible for establishing and maintaining the national distribution system of natural gas - from the relatively new gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea to customers in Israel and abroad. As the Subcommittee learned at the plant, natural gas is improving the Israeli economy, strengthening Israeli energy independence, and nourishing regional peace through natural gas sales to nearby countries such ...
Alon Tal Zoom Event: Has the Climate Changed on Climate Change?
- June 6, 2022
Join us on Sunday, June 12 at 1:00 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: Has the Climate Changed on Climate Change? Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPS are accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your span folders)
Alon Tal Zoom Event–One Year After Glasgow, Towards Sharm Al Sheikh: Environmental Report Card
- May 13, 2022
-
Join us on Sunday, October 23 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel-- "One Year After Glasgow, Towards Sharm Al Sheikh: Environmental Report Card” Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)
Alon Tal Zoom Event: New Year’s Resolutions for the Upcoming Knesset Year
- May 13, 2022
-
Join us on Sunday, September 18 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: "New Year's Resolutions for the Upcoming Israeli Knesset Year" Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)
Zoom Event: From Albert Rosenthal to MK Prof. Alon Tal: What are the Needs of Olim in the 22nd Century?
- May 13, 2022
-
Join us on Sunday, August 21 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: "What are the Needs of Olim in the 22nd Century?" Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)
Alon Tal Zoom Event: Ukraine and the Environmental Impact of War
- May 13, 2022
-
Join us on Sunday, July 24 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: "Ukraine and the Environmental Impact of War" Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)
Alon Tal Zoom Event: Western Wall Compromise
- May 13, 2022
-
Join us on Sunday, December 18 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: "Western Wall Compromise" (rescheduled from June) Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders).
Alon Tal Zoom Event: How a Male Legislator Can Help Improve the Status of Women in Israel
- May 13, 2022
-
Join us on Sunday, November 20 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: "How a Male Legislator can Help Improve the Status of Women in Israel" (rescheduled from May) Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)
Book Review of “Food For Thought: Planetary Healing Begins on Our Plate”
- May 10, 2022
Food For Thought: Planetary Healing Begins on Our Plate Camilla Perusello, PhD Lantern Publishing and Media 2022. Food For Thought That Can Heal the Planet At a time when animal-based diets are contributing very significantly to a potential climate catastrophe and other environmental threats, risks of future pandemics, the very wasteful use of increasingly scarce land, water, energy, and other resources, and the massive mistreatment of farmed animals, Dr. Camila Perussello’s wonderful book, Food for ...
Can We Avert a Climate Catastrophe?
- April 12, 2022
- 1 comment
-
by Richard Schwartz The most critical issue facing the world today is the possibility of a climate catastrophe that threatens all life on our planet. This article discusses the seriousness of the threats; why they are likely to become far more severe in the future; and what needs to be done to provide a chance to avert the looming catastrophe. First, it is important to recognize how strong the scientific consensus about climate change is. Science academies worldwide, 97% of climate scientists, and virtually all the peer-reviewed papers on the ...
How kosher plant-based diets help heal our imperiled planet and why it’s so important during Passover.
- April 10, 2022
-
by Richard Schwartz Take a look at the following 3 articles: 1. Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet 2. How Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet 3. Passover and Vegetarianism or Veganism ============= 1. Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths before and during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same time, many continue eating other foods that, by Torah standards, are hardly ...
Ten Ways to Create a More Vegan World
- April 3, 2022
-
There is increasing evidence that animal-based diets are causing an epidemic of life-threatening diseases, contributing to climate change and other environmental threats to humanity, and having other negative effects. Despite the increasing need for a shift toward veganism to counteract these problems, progress has been relatively slow. It is time to consider new strategies to promote veganism more effectively. The ten ideas suggested below are designed to start dialogues that will lead to positive changes. It is my hope that this article will elicit additional suggesti...
Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Slavery To Diets That Are Harmful To Us and Our Planet
- March 30, 2022
-
Some Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same time, many continue eating other foods that, by Torah standards, are far from ideal. On Passover, Jews are prohibited from eating, owning, or otherwise benefiting from chometz, foods such as breads, cakes, and cereals, that are made from one of the five grains (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats) that ferment from contact with liquid. These prohibitions are based on several Torah ...
An Open Letter To Rabbis
- March 28, 2022
-
Shalom dear Rabbis, Because of your collective wisdom, dedication to Jewish values, and valuable contacts, you are in a position to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. This would help leave a decent, habitable, environmentally sustainable world for future generations. To paraphrase Mordechai’s plea to Queen Esther when the Jews of Shushan were in danger of annihilation, perhaps you were put into your present position for just such a purpose. As you well know, Judaism stresses pikuach nefesh, the ...
There is no ‘Planet B’ – My book review of “Vegan Voices” in the March 25 Jerusalem Post magazine
- March 27, 2022
-
The French writer Victor Hugo famously wrote, “Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.” Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers, through very insightful essays by dedicated vegan activists, provides many reasons why the time has come for a societal shift to veganism. These include: * There has been an explosion in the number of plant-based substitutes for meat and other animal products, some with the appearance, texture, and taste so similar to the animal products that even long-time meat eaters can’t tell the difference. * Many ...
A Vegan View of the Biblical Animal Sacrifices
- March 8, 2022
-
“Now we come to the great embarrassment.” Those were the opening words of a sermon delivered years ago by an assistant rabbi at the Young Israel of Staten Island, referring to the biblical animal sacrifices discussed in Parshat Vayikra (Leviticus). In his book, Jewish Law as Rebellion: A Plea for Religious Authenticity and Halachic Courage, Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo, Dean of the David Cardozo Academy, states: “Does Judaism really need animal sacrifices? Would it not be better off without them? After all, the sacrificial cult compromises Judaism. ...
Compassion in the Jewish Tradition
- March 4, 2022
-
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 ...
Why Jews Should Be Vegans
- February 19, 2022
-
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 ...
Powerful sermon sent to me by NJ rabbi, Shammai Engelmayer
- January 30, 2022
-
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, ...
Is Eating Meat a Mitzvah that Comes from an Aveirah (Sin)?
- January 11, 2022
-
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 ...
