11/1/05 JVNA Online Newsletter

Shalom everyone,

This special Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter is devoted to an update on our great potential to produce several JVNA videos on vegetarianism and on related issues.

It contains the following items:

1. Overview of Where We Stand Now

2. News Release Re the Project

3. Methods to Extend the Value of the Videos

4. How You Can Help

5. Material About Our Producer/Photographer Lionel Friedberg

6. Sample questions for (a) rabbis, (b) doctors, (c) environmentalists, and (d) animal rights activists

Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the JVNA, unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or to encourage respectful dialogue.

As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks,
Richard

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1.Overview of Where We Stand Now

As indicated in the news release below, JVNA has the potential to produce a number of very exciting videos that can make a major difference in getting our issues onto the Jewish agenda, and possibly other agendas. We have a superb multi-award-winning producer/photographer Lionel Friedberg who is very dedicated to the success of this project, and he is doing it as a labor of love and commitment with no professional fee, but only reimbursement for his expenses and other expenses necessary to produce the videos. As also indicated in the news release, we are starting the project in Israel, where we are already scheduled to interview key Israeli rabbis, environmentalists, health professionals, and animal rights activists, and to visit important vegetarian and environmental communities and groups. After the Israeli trip, we plan to interview key people in the US, and there is a good chance that there will be a second visit to Israel to get additional footage.

The videos that we are planning to produce include:

a. “Judaism and Vegetarianism”

We will try to show the many benefits of vegetarian diets and that animal-based diets violate basic Jewish mandates to preserve our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, and help hungry people.

b. “Vegetarianism in Israel”

We will try to illustrate the many vegetarian aspects of israel, including vegetarian restaurants, vegetarian communities, and vegetarian foods, and also spotlight Israeli vegetarian rabbis and groups.

c. “Environmental Crises in Israel”

We are scheduled to interview Israel’s leading environmentalists and representatives of groups trying to improve Israel’s environment. We plan to consider Judaism’s strong teachings on the environment, Israel’s very serious environmental problems, and what Israeli groups are doing to reduce these problems.

d. “Judaism and Health”
Through interviews with many health professional and others, we will try to discuss Judaism’s teachings on the preservation of health, how poor dietary and other lifestyle habits are causing many health problems among Jews and others, and how a shift toward vegetarianism could prevent and in some cases reverse many degenerative diseases.

e. “The Israel Jewish Vegetarian Society”

Philip Pick, the founder of the London-based International Jewish Vegetarian Society had a long-time dream to establish a center in Jerusalem. His dream came true shortly before his death, and this video would explore the center and its activities. We have a major event scheduled there in which many of the group’s leaders and activists and past speakers will speak, and this will form a major part of this video.

f. Videos of interviews of rabbis, environmentalists, medical professionals. And vegetarian and animal rights activists

I envision a series of about half-hour videos that will provide very valuable archival material.
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Some of the people and communities that we will be videotaping in Israel are indicated in the news release below.

Please consider the many ways that you can help in item 4 below.

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2. News Release Re the Project

For Immediate Release:
November 1, 2005

CONTACT:
Professor Richard Schwartz, 718-761-5876 (rschw12345@aol.com)

AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER/PRODUCER VISITING ISRAEL SEEKING FOOTAGE FOR VIDEOS

Lionel Friedberg, a recipient of many professional awards including an Emmy Award for photography and film production will be visiting Israel from November 15 to December 6 to gather footage for videos on "Judaism and Vegetarianism," "Vegetarianism in Israel," “Judaism and Health,” “Israel’s Environmental Crises,” and others. He will be joined for most of his visit by Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D., author of “Judaism and Vegetarianism,” “Judaism and Global Survival” and over 100 articles at JewishVeg.com/schwartz, and president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA), the group that is sponsoring and will promote the videos.

Friedberg and Schwartz will interview many Israeli rabbis, environmentalists, health professionals, and scholars, including:

* Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Haifa;
* Rabbi David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of ireland;
* Rabbi David Golinkin, president of the Solomon Schechter Institute, where Israeli Conservative rabbis are educated;
* Rabbi Adam Frank, Congregation Moreshet Yisrael, Israel’s largest Conservative synagogue;
* Dr. Alon Tal, director of the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura and founder and board chair of Adam Teva V'Din: The Israel Union for Environmental defense;
* Dr. Jeremy Benstein, Leader at The Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership;
* Leaders of the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense (IUED) and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), Israel’s largest environmental groups;
* Dr. Daniel Keret, a specialist in preventing and, in some cases, reversing, diseases through dietary changes and other lifestyle changes.
Others to be announced when confirmations are received.

Friedberg and Schwartz will also visit and videotape scenes at the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura, Amirim (Israel’s vegetarian community), other environmental sites, vegetarian restaurants, supermarkets and health food stores, hospitals, and several other places.

JVNA is planning a major campaign to use the videos to get issues related to diet, health, environmental stewardship, and the proper treatment of animals onto the Jewish agenda.

Schwartz stated, "It is essential that Jewish values be applied to today’s many environmental and health threats. A shift toward vegetarianism has become a Jewish imperative because the production and consumption of animal products is inconsistent with Jewish teachings on preserving human life, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, and helping hungry people. And it is a societal imperative because animal-based agriculture is a significant cause of global warming, widening water shortages, rapid species extinction, and many other societal problems."

On November 24 at the Orthodox Union’s Israel Center in Jerusalem, starting at 7 PM, Schwartz will discuss how a shift toward vegetarianism can help improve human health, move the planet to a more sustainable path, and revitalize Judaism, and Friedberg will discuss the Jewish community of South Africa, based on his series of films about it.

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3. Ideas to increase the Outreach Potential of the Videos

I received the message below with many valuable suggestions for extending the effectiveness of the video from an anonymous JVNA newsletter reader. My comments and additions are in brackets.

Dear Richard,

Glad to hear about your potential video. Few suggestions:

a) Consider distribution also via CD (for PCs) and DVD. Please note that
many Orthodox Jews and surely "charedi" families have no video/TV but may have a computer. [Lionel points out that most of the distribution of the video will unquestionably be on DVD. VHS is slowly becoming history.]

b) Internet posting of both the video, as segments, and its audio track (with stills of corresponding video track). Your JVNA site and "mirror sites" would be ideal. [We could try to get groups like Jews for Animal Rights (JAR), Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI), PETA, Earthsave, Vegsource, etc., to carry or link to our video.]

c) Find something to do with material which does not fit into your 30 minute goal [for the “Judaism and Vegetarianism” and other main videos]. Maybe much of this could be distributed as an auxiliary video/CD/DVD - as named segments. [Yes, since there will probably be much valuable material that will have to be left out of the main videos, due to time considerations. I think that it would be wonderful if we could turn each interview of a key Jewish vegetarian into a 30 minute or so segment that could be used on radio and TV programs. It would be great if we could have weekly programs on community TV and/or on cable or public TV on vegetarian-related themes and these 30 minute segments could be used for that.]

d) Possibly consider a version which is still about Judaism and vegetarianism, but can be distributed to non-Jews -- many of whom may find the subject of much interest. [Lionel comments: Of course. But I’m hoping that the Jewish one will be suitable for general audiences anyway. After all, it’s all about peace, mercy, compassion, health and environmental concerns. These are applicable to the value sets of most people. I, Richard, agree completely. I hope that the Levy rye bread ad will be applicable to our video: “You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate it.” I think we will have a Jewish-centered video, but that it will also have a universal message.]

e) Consider encouraging people to duplicate and distribute --- perhaps in
spirit of Open Source in software. [Yes, we are primarily interested in spreading our messages as widely as possible. We are, however, planning to copyright the material to avoid potential misuse.]

f) Probably your friends in Anonymous or elsewhere in Israel would be able to find resources to either subtitle or re-narrate into Hebrew. [I am all for a version that Hebrew speakers will be able to appreciate. We have many Israeli activists who could help us with the translation and distribution. We would investigate opportunities to get the video onto Israeli TV.

g) Setting up a permanent Web based discussion forum could be of value. [To facilitate this and also discussions after video showings, I plan to have JVNA prepare background study guides.]

In summary, these are 7 very good ideas to extend the value of the videos. Comments/suggestions for further extensions very welcome.

Lionel adds: Please do not forget to include the potency and power of the internet. The JVNA videos (or sections thereof) can easily be posted on a website, or even downloaded as files for showing on computers or for burning DVDs in schools, homes, academic institutions, etc. etc. etc. Syd Baumel adds: Consider making these available online the way PBS has its "watch the full interview at pbs.org" feature on Frontline and other documentaries.

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4. How You Can Help

As indicated, we have a wonderful opportunity to use the power of videos and modern technology to educate people on Jewish teachings on vegetarianism, health, the environment, the proper treatment of animals, and related issues. Having Lionel Friedberg, a superb photographer/ producer working with us greatly enhances our chances for success. It is essential that we make the best of our opportunities, so please consider helping if you can in one or more of the following ways:

* Please send suggestions re the news release above and any other part of this message;

* Please send suggestions re contact people, people we should interview, scenes and locales that we should videotape, etc.;

* Please send info re material already available on other videotapes or films which might be valuable as background for our videos;

* If you live in Israel and can help at some times re making contacts, transportation, translations, or in any other way, please let me know.

* If you have suggestions re hotels in Jerusalem and/or Tel Aviv where Lionel could stay, please let me know.

* Please send suggestions re granting agencies and other possible sources of funding;

* There is a crucial need for funding. Producing videos is a costly affair. We want to make them as good and as enriching as we possibly can, and that takes money.

Please make a tax deductible donation to

Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)
6938 Reliance Road
Federalsburg, MD 21631

This will be very important in seeing that we can successfully produce and distribute the videos. Any amount will be welcome and appreciated. Anyone giving $1,000 will be acknowledged in the credits at the end of the “Judaism and Vegetarianism” video, or another video of your choice. For each additional $500, you will also be acknowledged in another video of your choice.

Many thanks.

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5. Material About Our Producer/Photographer Lionel Friedberg

a. Letters of Recommendation (included in this newsletter with permission):

Richard,

I have known Lionel since 1989 and in that time I have worked for him, along side him, and he has worked for me. He's a man of impeccable virtue and character. He also happens to be a highly skilled television writer and producer. One of the best, quite frankly, in the world of documentary/non-fiction television in all of Los Angeles. I have never heard of a project that did not benefit from his involvement.

Hope this helps. Best of luck.

Mark Finkelpearl
Executive Producer
Discovery Networks -- United States
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Dear Dr. Schwartz,

It is a great, great pleasure to talk about working with Lionel Friedberg,
because he is both a consummate professional and a joy to work with. Lionel has produced about a dozen programs for my company over the past few years and done an outstanding job on each of them. He is equally gifted as a producer, director, writer and photographer. I would have to say he is among the couple of best storytellers I've worked with during my 25 years in the industry. And more than anything, he is a person of great integrity and principle, respectful of all those he works with. You can count on him completely. As you can tell, I look forward to working with him on future projects. In the meantime, if you can get him on your project, I have no doubt you will be thoroughly pleased.

If you have any specific questions that I haven't answered above, please feel free to call or email me.

Best wishes,
Dan Arden
President
Arden Entertainment
12034 Riverside Drive, Suite 200
N. Hollywood, CA 91607
Tel: 818.985.4600
Fax: 818.985.3021
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b. Summary of Lionel’s Experience

Lionel Friedberg
Supervising Producer • Producer • Director • Writer

With an initial background in cinematography – including 18 feature film credits as Director of Photography – I have worked all over the world on both dramatic and non-fiction productions. For the past 25 years I have concentrated on supervising, producing, writing and directing documentaries, reality, investigative report and educational programs. I have won a Primetime Emmy, the American Association for the Advancement of Science ‘Westinghouse’ Award for Science Programming, three Columbus and two Golden Eagles for Best Documentaries, and various awards as a dramatic and episodic TV director.

c. Lionel’s Location Production Experience:

United States, Canada, Chile, Brazil, Antarctica, Australia, Mauritius, Malagasy, Reunion, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Marion Island, Cape Verde Islands, Egypt, Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain, Holland, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan

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6. Sample questions for (a) rabbis, (b) doctors, (c) environmentalists, and (d) animal rights activists

a. Sample questions for rabbis

1. Please state your name and provide a brief bio, with an emphasis on anything related to vegetarianism and related issues.

2. Why are you a vegetarian? How is it related to your Jewish beliefs?

3. Briefly, how did you become a vegetarian? What personal
experiences led you toward vegetarianism?

4. Do you think that Jews should preferably be vegetarians? If so, why?

5. What Jewish teachings point to vegetarianism?

6. Do you believe that God prefers that people be vegetarians? Please explain.

7. Is it too strong to state that, because of the many Jewish teachings violated by animal-based diets, a switch toward vegetarianism is a Jewish imperative? If it's ethically desirable for Jews to be vegetarians, what
about eating eggs and dairy? Should Jews be vegans too?

8. What are Jewish teachings re vegetarianism, in terms of:
Preserving our health?
Treating animals properly?
Protecting the environment?
Conserving natural resources?
Helping hungry people?
Seeking and pursuing peace?

9. How does the production and consumption of meat and other animal products violate these basic Jewish teachings?

10. Does vegetarianism run against the grain of 'Yiddishkeit?' In other words, is it 'wrong' to be a vegetarian in that it violates how Jews are traditionally expected to behave? How should we respond to such statements as "The best penicillin is bubba's chicken soup," "It's as Jewish as chopped liver," and "It's Shabbos, eat up your pickled herring and your roast."

11. Weren’t people given dominion over animals? Didn’t God put them here for our use?

12. How do you respond to the argument that we elevate holy sparks when we eat animals, thus giving the animals to serve a higher purpose?

13. If God wanted us to have vegetarian diets and not harm animals, why were the Temple sacrificial services established? Is the emphasis on sacrifices in Torah readings and synagogue services keeping many Jews away from considering Jewish teachings on the proper treatment of animals?

14. Don't the laws of shechitah (Jewish ritual slaughter) provide for a humane slaughter of animals so that we need not be concerned with violations of tsa'ar ba'alei chayim (the Torah mandate to treat animals with compassion)?

15. Doesn't vegetarianism place greater priority on animal rights than on the many problems related to human welfare?

16. Isn't a movement toward vegetarianism a movement away from Jewish traditions with regard to diet? Isn't there a danger that once some traditions are changed, others may readily follow, and little will be left of Judaism as we have known it

17. By putting vegetarian values ahead of Jewish/religious teachings, aren't vegetarians, in effect, creating a new religion, with values contrary to Jewish teachings?

18. Aren't vegetarians being more righteous than God, since God gave permission to eat meat?

19. If God did not want meat to be eaten, why did God give permission to people to eat meat after the flood, and why are there so many laws concerning the slaughter, preparation, and consumption of meat?

20. Don’t Jews have to eat meat to honor the Sabbath and to rejoice on Jewish holidays?

21. If the case for vegetarianism is so strong, why isn’t there more support for it in the Jewish community?

22. How can we get vegetarianism and related issues onto the Israeli agenda and the Jewish agendas in other countries?

23. What do you think of the apparently increasing practice of the kapparot ritual before Yom Kippur?

Are there any additional questions that you think would help you discuss your views on vegetarianism?

b. Sample questions for doctors

1. Please state your name and provide a brief bio, with an emphasis on anything related to vegetarianism and related issues.

2. What are Jewish teachings re the preservation of health?

3. How do animal-based diets contribute to disease?

4. What would be the health benefits of a switch toward plant-based diets?

5. Would disease rates be significantly reduced if many people switched to plant-based diets?

6. Are there diseases that can be reversed through vegetarian or vegan diets?

7. Is a vegetarian diet really healthier? Is it even better to be a vegan?

8. Can one be properly nourished as a vegetarian?

9. How do you respond to the common question: “How do you get your protein?”

10. How do you respond to the question: “Won’t you be missing some vital nutrients if you are a vegetarian?”

11. Why do so few doctors promote vegetarianism and veganism?

12. If a doctor fails to tell patients about the health benefits of plant-based diets, is this an example of medical malpractice?

13. Is it to strong to state that, because of the many Jewish teachings violated by animal-based diets, a switch toward vegetarianism is a Jewish imperative?

14. Do you have any suggestions for getting vegetarianism and increased health consciousness onto the Jewish agenda?

For Israeli doctors:
15. What is the status of the health care system in Israel? Is it very costly? Would a shift toward vegetarianism be beneficial?

16. Is the Israeli government doing enough to educate Israelis re the benefits of plant foods and the harm of animal-products in the diet? If not, how can this be changed?

c. Sample questions for Israeli environmentalists

1. Please state your name and provide a brief bio, with an emphasis on any aspects related to vegetarianism and related issues.

2. What are the important Jewish teachings on the environment?

3. Is there sufficient emphasis on these teachings in Israeli schools and synagogues? If not, any suggestions for improving the situation?

4. What are the major Israeli environmental problems and what is being done to address these problems?

5. If not discussed as part of the last question, please discuss any of the following issues that you have been working on:
* water shortages
* water pollution
* air pollution
* lack of open space
* garbage disposal
* congestion

6. Is the government doing enough to address Israeli environmental problems?

7. What is being done to address Israel’s environmental threats? What else should be done?

8. What are the major causes of Israel’s environmental problems?

9. Do you think that environmentalists should be vegetarians?

10. What are the effects of animal-based agriculture on Israel’s environmental problems?

11. What environmental benefits would result from a shift toward vegetarian diets

12. Do you have any suggestions for getting Israeli environmental threats and Jewish teachings on the environment onto the Jewish agenda?

13. Are there any additional questions that you think would help you discuss your views on these issues?

d. Sample questions for vegetarian and animal rights activists

1. Please state your name and provide a brief bio, with an emphasis on anything related to vegetarianism and related issues.

2. Why are you a vegetarian? How is it related to your Jewish beliefs?

3. Briefly, how did you become a vegetarian?

4. Do you think that Jews should preferably be vegetarians? If so, why?

5. What biblical teachings point to vegetarianism?

6. Is it to strong to state that, because of the many Jewish teachings violated by animal-based diets, a switch toward vegetarianism is a Jewish imperative?

7. Please describe your vegetarian activism?

8. Briefly describe the state of animal activism in Israel today? What are Israeli animal rights groups promoting?

9. What arguments are used to counter your arguments for Jews being vegetarians and how do you respond?

10. How would you respond to an assertion that vegetarianism places greater priority on animal rights than on the many problems related to human welfare?

11. By putting vegetarian values ahead of Jewish/religious teachings, aren't vegetarians, in effect, creating a new religion, with values contrary to Jewish teachings?

12. How is the Jewish community responding to your efforts?

13. What is the significance of Israeli laws on the proper treatment of animals?

14. Are there any additional questions that you think would help you discuss your views on vegetarianism and animal rights?

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