Shalom everyone,
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. Best Wishes for a Meaningful, Transformative Yom Kippur and a Joyous Sukkot
2. I Ask Your Forgiveness Before Yom Kippur
3. Article About the Ritual of Kapparot
4. Recent News Reports About Kapparot
4a. Jerusalem Post Article on Kapparot Includes My Comments
5. Green Israel Summit 4: Green Renewal Shabbat
6. Update on the Possible Fur Ban in Israel
7. Response to My Being a Guest on “Animals Today Radio”
8. Intel Israel Goes Green and Wins Gold
9. Muslims Go Green for Ramadan
10. Cowboy Worship Endangers Wildlife
11. A Rare Medium, Well Done/A Chance to Help[ Spread Vegetarian Messages
Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter to keep this one from being even longer.
[Materials in brackets like this [ ] within an article or forwarded message are my editorial notes/comments.]
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. Also, material re conferences, retreats, forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsement by JVNA or endorsement of the kashrut, Shabbat observances, or any other Jewish observances, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any event that you are interested in. Also, JVNA does not necessarily agree with all positions of groups whose views are included or whose events are announced in this newsletter.
As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks,
Richard
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1. Best Wishes for a Meaningful, Transformative Yom Kippur and a Joyous Sukkot
Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Friday evening. May all who will be fasting have an meaningful fast and may the holiday be the start of a very positive period for everyone. Please see my article on “Vegetarianism and Yom Kippur” in the festival section at JewishVeg.com/schwartz.
Since Sukkot starts just a few days after Yom Kippur, I wish you also now a joyous Sukkot. My article, “Sukkot and Vegetarianism” is also at the festival section of JewishVeg.com/schwartz.
Please feel free to share these and my other articles as widely as you wish. Thanks.
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2. I Ask Your Forgiveness Before Yom Kippur
Judaism teaches that acts of repentance, prayer and charity can result in God’s forgiveness for sins between human beings and God, but that one must ask people you offended for forgiveness for acts against them. So, I ask your forgiveness for anything that I may have written or done in the past year that may have offended you. It was certainly not intentional.
I forgive anyone who may have unintentionally offended me during the past year.
In the words of an anonymous source:
“I hereby forgive whoever has hurt me,
Whoever has done ma any wrong,
Whether deliberately or on purpose,
Whether by word or by deed.
May no one be punished on my account.
AS I forgive and pardon fully
Those who have done me wrong,
May those whom I have harmed
Forgive and pardon me
Whether I acted deliberately or by accident,
Whether by word or by deed.
With God’s help, may I not willingly
Repeat the wrongs that I have committed.”
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3. Article About the Ritual of Kapparot
THE CUSTOM OF KAPPAROT IN THE JEWISH TRADITION
By Richard Schwartz and Yonassan Gershom
Every year, before Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), some Jews perform the ceremony of kapparot. The following, in question and answer format, is a discussion of the ritual and its relation to the treatment of animals.
What is kapparot [in Ashkenazic Hebrew or Yiddish, kapporos or shluggen kapporos]?
Kapparot is a custom in which the sins of a person are symbolically transferred to a fowl. Some Jews practice it shortly before Yom Kippur. First, selections from Isaiah 11:9, Psalms 107:10, 14, and 17-21, and Job 33:23-24 are recited; then a rooster (for a male) or a hen (for a female) is held above the person's head and swung or waved in a circle three times, while the following is spoken: "This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement; this rooster (or hen) shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace." The hope is that the fowl, which is then donated to the poor for food, will expiate any misfortune that might otherwise occur to the one who has taken part in the ritual, in punishment for his or her sins.
What is the history of this rite?
Kapparot is not mentioned in the Torah or in the Talmud. The custom is first discussed by Jewish scholars in the ninth century. They explain that since the Hebrew word gever means both "man" and "rooster," punishment of the bird can be substituted for that of a person.
However, according to the Encyclopedia Judaica (Volume 10, pages 756-757), several prominent Jewish scholars strongly opposed kapparot during the Middle Ages. Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Aderet, one of the foremost Jewish scholars during the 13th century, considered it a heathen superstition. This opinion was shared by the Ramban (Nachmanides) and Rabbi Joseph Caro, a major codifier of Jewish law, who called it "a foolish custom" that Jews should avoid. These rabbis all felt that kapporot was a pagan custom that had mistakenly made its way into Jewish practice, perhaps because when Jews lived among pagans this rite seemed like a korban (sacrifice) to some extent
However, the Kabbalists (led by mystics such as Rabbi Isaac Luria and Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz) perceived in this custom mystical significance. Rabbi Moshe Isserlis (major 16th century scholar, known as the RaMA), whose glosses on the Shulchan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law) are authoritative for all Jews of Eastern European descent, also endorsed the custom of kapparot as valid and proper. This greatly enhanced the popularity of the kapparot ritual down to the present day. The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism, also practiced kapporot, and most Hasidic communities are still in favor of keeping the custom as part of their traditions. Some Jews also feel that, although this is not officially a sacrifice, it keeps the concept of sacrifice alive in preparation for the rebuilding of the Temple.
Why did some Jewish commentators oppose kapparot?
Some Jewish leaders felt that people would misunderstand the significance of the ritual. The belief that the ceremony of kapparot can transfer a person's sins to a bird, and that his or her sins would then be completely eradicated, is contrary to Jewish teachings. For, if the ritual could remove a person's sins, what would be the need for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? What would be the need for soul-searching and repentance?
The Mishneh Brurah, an eminent contemporary commentary on Rabbi Joseph Caro's classical codification of Jewish law, written by the respected Chofetz Chaim at the beginning of the 20th century, explains the significance of the ritual. Although he did not outrightly forbid it, the Chofetz Chaim stressed that a person cannot obtain purity from sin, and thus obtain higher levels of perfection, without repenting. Through God's mercy, we are given the Divine gift of repentance, so that we might abandon our corrupt ways, thereby being spared from the death that we deserve for our violation of the Divine law. By substituting the death of a fowl, one will (hopefully) be reminded of our mortality and appreciate God's mercy in not killing us for our sins, and thereby be stirred to repentance. By no means, however, does the ritual and the slaughter of the bird itself eradicate one's misdeeds, even though the bird is donated to the poor.
What are more recent objections to this ceremony?
In the past, when Jews lived in rural areas and raised their own chickens, it was a very simple matter to choose a hen or rooster from a local flock for this ritual. Nowadays, however, most Jews are urban, and the chickens must be trucked in over great distances, often crammed into cages on open trucks exposed to the weather, and sometimes without adequate food or water. The birds may also suffer while they are being handled for sale. In some places in Israel and the United States, chickens are sold on street corners for this ceremony, and not every merchant takes proper care of his chickens during this period. The birds are frequently cooped up in baskets, and some merchants neglect to give them sufficient food or water.
Although Rabbi Isaac Luria supported this ritual in his day, he was also against the unnecessary suffering of animals. In Shivchei Ha-Ari, there is a story of him telling a student that he had lost his place in the World to Come for failing to feed and water his chickens properly. The cries of those suffering chickens were canceling out all the prayers and Torah learning of that student. This is based on the general principle that one cannot commit a sin – in this case, cruelty to animals – in order to do a mitzvah.
In addition, it should be noted that in some recent cases in New York City, the meat was not actually given to the poor, but simply discarded in the trash at the site of the ceremony, because there was no time to properly kasher and distribute it. This is a violation of ba’al tashchit, the principle that we should not waste or needlessly destroy things. Again, one cannot do a sin in order to fulfill a mitzvah.
So we must ask ourselves, what is the spiritual impact of this ceremony in modern times? Does the suffering of the chickens outweigh any benefit that might be derived from it? While the Jewish tradition is filled with concepts, prayers, and actions during the Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur period that relate to the importance of rachamim(compassion and sensitivity), the message of kapparot to those who take part and those who view it (including children) may be just the opposite. In some cases, they may learn a lesson of insensitivity to the suffering and feelings of other living creatures.
How should Jews who are concerned about the treatment of animals respond to this issue?
Jews who are concerned about the treatment of animals should try to engage courteously and respectfully with Jews who perform kapparot using chickens. It should be recognized that they are performing what they regard as an important religious act. Shouting slogans like “meat is murder” or accusing them of being “barbaric” or “medieval” will be ineffective and only serves to arouse hostility. Traditional communities resent “outsiders” telling them what is “wrong” with their cultures. In order to dialogue with religious people, one must be willing to meet them respectfully within their own worldview. Here are some of the points that can be respectfully brought up:
There is a substitute kapparot ceremony that is widely practiced by many Torah-observant Jews. Money, perhaps equal to the monetary value of the fowl, is substituted for the rooster or hen. The money is put into a handkerchief which the person swings three times around his or her head while reciting a modified version of the prayer: "This money shall go to charity, and I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace." This is based on the statement in the Torah that people who lived too far from Jerusalem to bring their tithes in animals or produce could “turn it into money” and bring that instead. (Deut. 14:24-26) By substituting money for a fowl in kapporot, the heightened sense of repentance can be kept, and perhaps even enhanced, since no bird has to lose its life or suffer for our sake. This substitution, which maintains the tradition of giving charity (the substituted money) to the poor, has been endorsed by many rabbis and is mentioned in many prayer books, including the Artscroll Siddur, which is used in many Orthodox synagogues.
2. We should attempt to increase the knowledge of Jews with regard to Judaism's beautiful and powerful teachings with regard to showing compassion to animals. The following are a few examples:
Moshe Rabbenu, (our great teacher, Moses) and King David were considered worthy to be leaders of the Jewish people because of their compassionate treatment of animals, when they were shepherds. Rebecca was judged suitable to be a wife of the patriarch Isaac because of her kindness in watering the ten camels of Abraham's servant Eliezer.
Many Torah laws involve proper treatment of animals. One may not muzzle an ox while it is working in the field nor yoke a strong and a weak animal together. Animals, as well as people, must be permitted to rest on the Sabbath day. The importance of this Sabbath rest for animals as well as people is indicated by the fact that it is included in the Ten Commandments. We also recite it every Sabbath morning as part of the Kiddush ceremony.
The psalmist indicates God's concern for animals, for "His compassion is over all of His creatures" (Psalms 145:9). And there is a mitzvah-precept in the Torah to emulate the Divine compassion, as it is written: "And you shall walk in His ways" (Deuteronomy 28:9). Perhaps Proverbs 12:10 best summarizes the Jewish attitude toward animals: "The righteous person considers the soul (life) of his or her animal." In summary, the Torah prohibits Jews from causing tsa'ar ba'alei chaim, any unnecessary pain to living creatures, even psychological pain. This principle is based on the Torah itself, and takes precedence over rabbinical decrees or folk customs.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, an outstanding 19th century philosopher, author, and Torah commentator, eloquently summarizes the Jewish view on treatment of animals: “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.” (Horeb, Chapter 60, #416)
3. It can therefore be argued that one way that Jews can accomplish repentance and other goals of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is by moving away from the unnecessary exploitation of animals. For many of the values of this holiday period are more consistent with practicing mercy toward all of God's creatures:
Prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for God’s compassion during the coming year are most consistent with acts of kindness to both other people and animals. The following story reinforces this idea: Rabbi Israel Salanter, one of the most distinguished Orthodox Rabbis of the nineteenth century, failed to appear one Yom Kippur eve to chant the sacred Kol Nidre Prayer. His congregation became concerned, for it was inconceivable that their saintly rabbi would be late or absent on this very holy day. They sent out a search party to look for him. After much time, their rabbi was found in the barn of a Christian neighbor. On his way to the synagogue, Rabbi Salanter had come upon one of his neighbor's calves, lost and tangled in the brush. Seeing that the animal was in distress, he freed it and led it home through many fields and over many hills. This act of mercy represented the rabbi's prayers on that Yom Kippur evening.
(b) Consistent with Rosh Hashanah as a time when Jews are to "awaken from slumber" and mend our ways, using money for the kapparot ritual shows that we are putting Torah teachings about compassion into practice.
(c) Acts of kindness and charity are consistent with God’s "delighting in life" on Rosh Hashanah, since, unlike the kapparot ceremony using chickens, they don’t involve the possible cruel treatment and death of animals.
4. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we should remind others that kapparot is not biblically or talmudically ordained (as is tsa'ar ba'alei chaim), that the custom arose at a later period in Jewish history, that it has been rejected by many Jewish sages, and that the important goal of increasing our sensitivity to the importance of repentance and charity can be accomplished as well, and perhaps better, by substituting money for a bird.
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4. Recent News Reports About Kapparot
Good news: an important Israeli rabbi strongly urges that money, rather than chickens be used for the Kapparot ritual.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/leading-rabbi-joins-animal-rights-group-s-campaign-against-kaparot-1.313459
JTA article on the issue:
"Kapparot rite is foul, leading rabbi says":
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/09/13/2740878/leading-rabbi-comes-out-against-kaparot
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4a. Jerusalem Post Article on Kapparot Includes My Comments
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=188041
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5. Green Israel Summit 4: Green Renewal Shabbat
Forwarded message from Green Zionist chair David Krantz:
http://www.greenzionism.org/programs/gis/gis4M
As we read about the Biblical flood and the renewal of the earth on Shabbat Noach, we will learn how to renew ourselves and the environment. Celebrate Shabbat Noach with stories, lectures and discussions in a welcoming, pluralistic setting. Explore the Jewish back-to-the-land
movement and what Zionism means today. Learn about energy conservation, population growth, suburban sprawl, Negev preservation, and environmentalism during a time of war. Meet other young Jewish environmentalists from across North America. Green Israel Summit (GIS) 4 is run by the Green Zionist Alliance and co-sponsored by COEJL: The
Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, the American Zionist Movement and Hazon.
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6. Update on the Possible Fur Ban in Israel
Forwarded message:
Hello all!
If you want to halt in the torture and murder of mammals in the fur trade: the time is NOW, AGAIN:
Please show your support for the bill for a total ban on fur trade.
This influential bill is being put into jeopardy by the extreme lobbying of the fur industry and the Religious parties. Our imperative appeal to the Israeli Knesset is to make evident that the global voice is against the cruel fur trade and supports this vital bill. Tell Minister Yakov Margi that he should not be lead by a greed motivated industry, which is acting out under the reality of a worldwide growing awareness against the fur trade.
The animals need your voice now!
For more information: http://www.antifurcoalition.org
Please send a letter today showing your support of this bill and that passage of this ban is vital to the innocent animals in the fur trade and to worldwide public opinion of Israel!
Please send your letter to Minister Yakov Margi:
yakovm@dat.gov.il , achifa@rabbinate.gov.il
972 2- 5311308 Fax
972 2- 5311101 Phone number
Please also put in copy:
MK Menachem Ben Eliezer Mozes:
mmozes@knesset.gov.il
MK Haim Amsalem:
eamsalem@knesset.gov.il
Here is a sample letter, that you can use, or you could add lines of you own or use it as a guide to write.
Dear _____________
I am writing to you not only to voice my support and loyalty for the bill to ban the fur trade; but also to tell you that I am keeping up with each and every development on this important bill, introduced by MK Ronit Tirosh.
I know of the unethical political games. These tactics are incomprehensible!
In view of all the facts; the ban will save hundreds of millions of innocent animals that are living in horrendous conditions only to be massacred (even skinned alive) and all only for nonessential fashion items and status symbols.
Israel would be setting an enlightened precedent and the world, both in the public venue and the governmental level would be viewed as a moral and compassionate nation. It would be the best public relations move that Israel took in resent history.
In addition, you would be honestly fulfilling your obligation by representing the majority of the Israeli population.
Followers of ultra-orthodox should logically be leading this compassionate law that is 100% in compliance with the Jewish religion’s stance on “Tzar Baale Lahaim” (empathy and mercy for all creatures) and the requirement of modesty, even though you have been promised an exemption.
The Israeli bill to ban fur trade is an important advancement in humanity for mankind and Israel and I give my total support to the bill and the International Anti Fur Coalition.
If the ban is voted in, then Israel becomes a world precedent and Israel becomes a global leader in compassion over commerce.
Please do the humane thing and aid the bill to ban fur trade and by taking this important action immediately; Israel becomes a light unto the nations.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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7. Response to My Being a Guest on “Animals Today Radio”
Message from the show’s producer and interviewer Dr. Lori Kirshner:
Richard,
I want to thank you very much for being my guest on Animals Today.
You were fantastic!! The hour was very well received!! I have received numerous emails from listeners stating how much they enjoyed the topic; and enjoyed listening and learning from you.
I am giving your website out to those that want to learn more about the subject matter.
You were an absolute pleasure to speak to.
Thank you for educating the community about the importance of vegetarianism!! I wish there were more religious authorities that opened their minds a bit more and not allow 'tradition' to play such an over riding role - especially when it comes to the well being of the environment and other living creatures.
Lori
This interview and my other previous interviews can be heard at the podcast section at JewishVeg.com/Schwartz.
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8. Intel Israel Goes Green and Wins Gold
http://www.israel21c.org/201008318258/environment/intel-israel-goes-green-and-wins-gold
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9. Muslims Go Green for Ramadan
By MICHELE CHABIN
c. 2010 Religion News Service
JERUSALEM (RNS) When Mohammad Rabah prays during the holy month of Ramadan, he makes a special effort to conserve water during ritual purifications.
When his family breaks the monthlong sunrise-to-sunset fast, Rabah tries to consume healthy food grown close to his home in the northern Israeli town of Um El Fahem.
Rabah, the director of his region's environmental equality unit for the Arab sector, aspires to live the way he asks others to live: mindful of the environment.
In 2008, with help from the Israeli government, Rabah organized a conference aimed at helping imams -- Muslim spiritual leaders -- improve the environment in their communities.
Rabah created and distributed educational materials, including CDs with quotes from the Quran, Islam's holiest book, which underscore the importance of moderation, conservation and environmentalism. The imams, in turn, shared the materials with their faithful.
The initiative has expanded into monthly meetings, and just before Ramadan began this August nearly 80 imams gathered to discuss how best to maximize environmental responsibility during this holiest of Muslim holidays.
During the past two or three years, Muslim environmental activists in many parts of the world have made a concerted effort to encourage their fellow Muslims to embrace "green" practices, especially during Ramadan.
Like Catholics who forgo gas-guzzling vehicles during Lent, and Jews who use sustainable products while cleaning for Passover, Muslims are promoting ways to be kind to the environment, just as the Quran commands.
Muslim texts overflow with phrases that resonate with environmentalists.
"The Quran tells Muslims to `eat and drink, but waste not by excess,"' Rabah said, "and the Prophet Mohammed said it is forbidden to waste water while doing `wudu' -- the Islamic ritual ablution -- `even if one lives near a river."'
Even so, the modern-day emphasis on "greening" Ramadan is quite new, said Arwa Aburawa, an England-based journalist and blogger who specializes in Muslim environmentalism.
"The fact that there is an entire month dedicated to moderation and limiting waste is a pretty amazing thing, and its green principles are hard to ignore: eat less, waste less and remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves. These principles are at the center of the green movement."
While moderation is at the very core of Ramadan, "there are probably a lot of Muslims out there who are living greener lives during Ramadan but who don't necessarily make the link" between their religious observance and mainstream environmentalism," Aburawa said.
What's new, Aburawa noted, "is that a younger generation of Muslims are recognizing that link and are articulating it a lot clearer to the wider green community."
In Chicago, Muslims of all ages have welcomed the realization that Ramadan and environmental responsibility go hand-in-hand.
In 2009, the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago launched a `green Ramadan' campaign among its 63 member organizations.
This year, the council published a "Green Ramadan Resource Pack" that includes suggestions on how to use earth-friendly paper products, save water and safely recycle appliances.
"Our lives are becoming full of excesses and indulgences," Zaher Sahloul, chairperson of the council, told reporters during the unveiling of the resource pack. "We use fasting in Ramadan to cap our eating, our drinking and our impulses, so why do we not use it to protect our planet?"
The response has been heartening, said Feras Abdelrahman, the council's youth and civic engagement coordinator. "About 15 of our organizations have so far formally adopted `green' practices during Ramadan."
The campaign encourages Muslims to prepare smaller portions of food to lessen waste, to consume less meat and to purchase locally harvested food whenever possible, not only to reduce their carbon footprint but also to support local farmers. It also urges the use of water filters instead of bottled water, and low-energy light bulbs and appliances, and to install recycling bins wherever people congregate.
Last year, several of the council's member organizations encouraged recycling, carpooling to and from the mosque, and utilized e-fliers instead of paper.
In a similar vein, the website www.islamic-relief.com offers tips for "ethical eating" during Ramadan that include a recommendation to buy meat from animals treated in a humane way; and fair-trade products through a trading partnership that offers farmers a fair price.
In Muslim towns and cities in Israel, Friends of the Earth Middle East will distribute fliers toward the end of Ramadan next month (Sept.) asking Muslims to discard animal carcasses at specially prepared dump sites so the bones can be disposed of properly, and in order to minimize odors and the risk of disease, said Gidon Bromberg, the organization's director.
Taleb Al-Harithi, a Palestinian environmentalist and director of the Palestine Peace Society, said the Middle East, with its scarce natural resources and strong religious faith, is the ideal place to apply religious principles to safeguard the planet.
"In Egypt, in the time of the pharaohs, it was a sin to spit into the Nile. Even if 99 percent of the people do good for the environment, and only 1 percent does bad, the environment is tainted," Al-Harithi said.
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10. Cowboy Worship Endangers Wildlife
Forward message from author and vegetarian activist Mike Hudak:
Ranching, as American as apple pie and as favorably regarded as motherhood, has dominated America's western landscape since the 1860s. Less known is that ranching has remade that landscape into an environmentally degraded shadow of its former grandeur. One measure of that degradation is that livestock grazing is the fourth major cause of species endangerment and the second major cause of endangerment of plant species. Another measure is that livestock grazing has damaged 80 percent of the streams and riparian ecosystems in arid regions of America's West.
So how did ranching, ranchers, and cowboys come to be so admired despite all the environmental damage they cause? I explain that contradiction in a presentation about the development and cultural impact of what's called the "Cowboy Myth," a concoction of the entertainment and advertising industries that draws upon the mystique of the American frontier and significantly contributes to the creation myth of the American identity.
Why should we care about the Cowboy Myth? Because it's a significant obstacle to enacting federal laws that would make western ranching less harmful to the environment.
For my free presentation: "The Cowboy Myth: Its Creation and Influence in the United States"
Please contact:
Mike Hudak, PhD
Email: mike_hudak@yahoo.com
Ph: 607-240-5225
For information about my work, see my websites: http://mikehudak.com and http://westernturfwars.com
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11. A Rare Medium, Well Done/A Chance to Help[ Spread Vegetarian Messages
Forwarded message:
It has been estimated that if Americans ate one vegetarian meal a week -- just one meal -- the environmental impact would be equivalent to taking 5 million cars off the road. As we know, our small individual choices have a great cumulative influence on our personal and planetary health. In this spirit, there is a new grassroots initiative to contribute to the cultural conversation of our omnivorous society. In a light-hearted, playful presentation of ideas, the Vegtoons animated series advocates for less meat consumption and encourages plant-based diets. Over ten 2-minute episodes,the Vegtoons series explores a host of issues, concerns and assumptions surrounding the vegetarian lifestyle -- ranging from the foods that vegetarians eat, to health and ethics, to relationships with family and loved ones.
Animation has a unique capacity to distill complex concepts in a palatable, non-threatening form. It has the potential to communicate across a spectrum of age, culture and literacy. The series is being designed and animated by Cartoon Saloon, which was Oscar-nominated recently for Best Animated Feature ("The Secret of Kells"). It is produced by Greg Singer, who has worked in the executive story/development offices of DreamWorks Feature Animation and Cartoon Network, among other studios.
Because this is a grassroots initiative, funding is the limiting ingredient to move forward with production. We need sponsors to help in the realization of this innovative outreach campaign. For interested parties, there are promotional and investment opportunities. Tax-deductible contributions are also possible. More information may be found at 'www.vegtoons.com'. Thank you for your generous support
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** Fair Use Notice **
The material on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes. It may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of vegetarian, environmental, nutritional, health, economic, social justice and human rights issues etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for educational or research purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The information on this site does not constitute legal, technical or medical advice.
September 18, 2010
September 3, 2010
9/2/2010 JVNA Online Newsletter
Shalom everyone,
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. Sorry That There Have Been No JVNA Newsletters for A Few Months
2. Happy Rosh Hashanah
3. Fall Holidays and Vegetarianism
4a. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Possibility of a Ban on Fur in Israel
4b. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Israel's chief rabbi to mark imported beef unkosher if slaughtering process not changed
5. Roberta Kalechofsky Publishes Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook
6. Rally to End Use of Chickens for Kaporus Scheduled
7. I Am Working With Several Groups to Increase Awareness of Dietary Connection
8. Several Environmental Resolutions Passed at the World Zionist Congress
9. A Case For Jewish Vegetarianism Booklet Available
10. Free Jewish Dating Service Web Site Established
11. Cruelty Behind Meat Supplied to Israel
12. New Podcast on UN Urging Dietary Shifts
13. I Am To Be Guest on Animals Today Radio Program on Sunday
Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter to keep this one from being even longer.
[Materials in brackets like this [ ] within an article or forwarded message are my editorial notes/comments.]
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. Also, material re conferences, retreats, forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsement by JVNA or endorsement of the kashrut, Shabbat observances, or any other Jewish observances, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any event that you are interested in. Also, JVNA does not necessarily agree with all positions of groups whose views are included or whose events are announced in this newsletter.
As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks,
Richard
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1. Sorry That There Have Been No JVNA Newsletters for A Few Months
I am very sorry that there have not been any JVNA newsletter sin some time. I have been very busy, and still am, working on a book and many other projects. Also, I have had problems sending the newsletter to large groups, possibly because many email addresses were no longer valid, and it was taking a long time to send the newsletters out.
Fortunately, a wonderful person Raphaela has volunteered to update my email list and to send out newsletters. So, I am hoping that this will be the first of many additional newsletters, and I hope to be able to send out at least one or two per month.
Please feel free to send me material that you think should be in the newsletter and suggestions about any aspect of it.
I will be catching up with some old material in this newsletter and probably will not have some important items that I recently overlooked before deciding to send out newsletters again, but hopefully I will soon be back up to speed.
Many thanks for your patience.
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2. Happy Rosh Hashanah
On the occasion of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashana
I wish all of you:
A year of success in all of your endeavors
A year of good health
A year of prosperity
A year of happiness
A year of fulfilling your dreams
A year of optimism and hope
A year when our leaders will lead us to peace
A year of much nachas from your family
A year of environmental sustainability
Shanah Tovah U'metukah, (A good and sweet year)
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3. Fall Holidays and Vegetarianism
Please see my articles relating vegetarianism and environmental activism to the upcoming fall holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. at the holiday section at JewishVeg.com/schwartz. Suggestions about the articles are very welcome, as would any help in getting one or more articles published. Also, please consider using the ideas in the writings for your own letters and talking points. Thanks.
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4a. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Possibility of a Ban on Fur in Israel
http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/urge-israel-to-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-ban-fur/
Below is an update that I just received on September 1, from Jane Halevy, a leader of the Anti-Fur Coalition:
Hello,
Please find below the ‘International Anti-Fur Coalition’ press release following the new obstruction by religious parties for Israel’s anti-fur bill, the day before the bill should have been voted on.
Best regards,
Jane Halevy
International Anti-Fur Coalition
http://www.antifurcoalition.org
*****************************************
For Immediate Release:
September, 2nd 2010
Contact:
Jane Halevy: +972 (0)50 200 54 11
Ban on Fur Trade in Israel Frozen via Dirty Politics
The anti-fur bill in Israel postponed the day before it was to be voted in; contrary to all expectations
Tel-Aviv, September, 2nd 2010 - While the bill to ban fur was to be voted in on September, 2nd, Yakov Margi, the Israeli Minister of Religious Services, only one day before, played a very dirty trick. Despite the resolution of all existing conflicting matters, he gave no concrete argument and only said, that he'd like to have the bill reviewed again!
MK Zevulun Orlev, the committee leader then canceled the planned meeting at which the bill was likely to have been voted in. Margi also requested to have the bill reviewed again at the Legislative Committee of Ministers, which would be a huge step backwards, but in the meantime animal rights organizations managed to halt that request until a meeting takes place between both parties, to mediate the unexpected reversal of the situation.
“Animal defenders and people around the world are shocked that the religious parties instead of leading on the path of mercy (Tsaar Baalei Chaim) and compassion, have put a dirty knife in our back.”, says Jane Halevy, Director of the International Anti-Fur Coalition. ”While it is the month of Elul; a time of repentance; they broke their promise and betrayed us and the millions of innocent animals massacred for status and greed!“.
MK Mozes, the main opponent of the bill, after looking at pictures depicting the terrible suffering of the animals in the fur trade, had even confided at the first private meeting that the religious should be the ones leading the fight against the fur trade. “While he had said he would relay this message to other religious leaders, he changed his heart!” says Jane Halevy.
Jane Halevy of the ‘International Ant- fur Coalition’ and ‘Let the Animals Live’, mentioned that MK Ronit Tirosh, who has introduced the bill, continues to fight indefatigably for a legislation that would save millions of innocent animals from the fate, anguish and slaughter of the fur trade.
This situation put Israel in a very negative light as the world watches the dirty political games that are played between the religious parties and the fur lobbyists; instead of taking the opportunity to take a moral and ethical historical step.
About the International Anti-Fur Coalition
The International Anti-Fur Coalition is an association of more than 50 organizations around the world that fight against the global trade of fur. This coalition was created in 2006 and regularly organizes international events against the fur trade.
For more information, please visit http://www.antifurcoalition.org
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4b. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Israel's chief rabbi to mark imported beef unkosher if slaughtering process not changed
www.haaretz.com/magazine/anglo-file/israel-s-chief-rabbi-to-mark-imported-beef-unkosher-if-slaughtering-process-not-changed-1.296912
By 2011 the Chief Rabbinate will no longer certify more than 80 percent of the meat imported to Israel from slaughterhouses that use shackle-and-hoist methods.
By Cnaan Liphshiz
Israel's chief rabbi intends to label 80 percent of the meat currently imported into the country as not kosher unless "cruel" slaughter practices are ended, Anglo File has learned. The decision came after pressure from American-Israeli animal welfare activists.
According to Avi Blumenthal, assistant to Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, by 2011 the Chief Rabbinate will no longer certify meat from slaughterhouses that use shackle-and-hoist - a controversial method employed in almost all South American kosher slaughterhouses, which provide 80 percent of all the meat imported into Israel.
"This is a step in the right direction," said Adam Frank, the rabbi of a Jerusalem Masorti congregation who has been lobbying with the rabbinate since 2007 for a ban on the method, in which conscious animals are chained by the ankle before being hoisted up and allowed to bleed to death from an incision to the neck.
"The chief rabbi believes this method is primitive and causes unnecessary pain and anguish to the animals," Blumenthal said. He added that Metzger has instructed Kashrut Department chief Rabbi Yaakov Sabag to set a deadline after which the rabbinate will revoke its certificate for meat manufactured through shackle-and-hoist. "If the meat factories switch to more humane, kosher methods, we will certify their meat," he added.
Metzger's decision came four weeks after the online dissemination of a hidden-camera video of shackle-and-hoist slaughter in Uruguay's largest kosher slaughterhouse. This video, along with last week's decision by New Zealand's parliament to completely ban kosher slaughter, served to draw attention to the issue, according to Frank, rabbi of the predominantly-Anglo Moreshet Yisrael congregation in the capital's center.
Frank - backed by a group of religious activists from English-speaking countries - sent Metzger a letter reminding him of criticism that Metzger himself made about the shackle-and-hoist method in 2007, following the release of an earlier undercover video of the practice in a South American slaughterhouse.
"When done properly, kosher slaughter is as humane as any other modern method, but we must also make sure the technique used causes the minimum amount of suffering," said Rabbi Danny Schiff, one of Frank's partners in the fight.
Besides Schiff - an Australia-born rabbi ordained by the Reform movement - Frank has enlisted the support of prominent Masorti Rabbi Simcha Roth, a veteran British immigrant from Herzliya. Other supporters include American Israelis Chava Rosenbaum, Doug Greener and Jared Goldfarb, and Nina Natelson from Washington D.C.
"If the Israeli rabbinate bans shackle-and-hoist meat, other rabbinic authorities in the Diaspora will follow suit," Frank said.
The shackle-and-hoist method is prohibited in Israel, the U.S. and the European Union. Kosher slaughter in those countries is done through the use of a box-like holding pen that inverts the animal just before the shechitah, in accordance with the Israel Rabbinate's demand that the lethal cut be delivered in a downward thrust.
Michael Melchior, the Danish-born former chief Orthodox rabbi of Norway, where kosher slaughter is forbidden, said that he supported banning shackle-and-hoist, adding that "lessening an animal's suffering is a religious requirement from the Torah - just like the kosher requirement itself."
Melchior - a resident of Jerusalem and longtime advocate of kosher slaughter in Europe - added that banning techniques like shackle-and-hoist would "help efforts to defend" kosher slaughter, currently banned in Switzerland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, as well as New Zealand and Norway.
Through his long involvement in the issue, Melchior has learned that the late former chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Tzvi Pesach Frank (1873-1960 ) even gave the Swedish Jewish community a special permit to sedate animals before the slaughter, but only under certain circumstances. Melchior said this was a "revolutionary" permit which would not conform with the present-day requirements of kosher slaughter. The recently-introduced ban in New Zealand is on any slaughter where animals are not first sedated.
According to the chairman of the Cattle Breeders Association, Efri Reikin, Israel has imported some 72 kilotons of frozen meat in 2009, which translate to an average annual consumption of 14 kilos of beef and lamb per adult Israeli - a one kilo increase from 2005. The average American consumes 42 kilos of meet annually, and the Argentinean eats 58.
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http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/06/21/2739708/israels-chief-rabbi-to-ban-cruel-slaughter
Israel’s chief rabbi: I will ban cruel slaughter
June 21, 2010
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel's chief rabbi said he will not certify beef as kosher if the animal was ritually slaughtered using cruel methods.
Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger reportedly said that by 2011 he will not certify meat from slaughterhouses that use the shackle-and-hoist method, Haaretz reported, citing Avi Blumenthal, assistant to the Ashkenazi chief rabbi. The method is used in nearly all South American kosher slaughterhouses, which provide about 80 percent of Israel's kosher meat imports, the newspaper reported.
The shackle-and-hoist method is prohibited in Israel, as well as the United States and European Union.
SNIP
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5. Roberta Kalechofsky Publishes Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook
Forwarded message from Roberta Kalechofsky, a long-time JVNA advisor:
More and more communities are opting to eat vegetarian one day a week. Even on this level, the impact on global warming and the environment is considerable. We suggest that this new movement be anchored in already established traditions, that the past keep the new in a meaningful bond.
The Vegetarian Shabbbat Cookbook combines the great tradition of the Sabbath with vegan cooking--Jewish history and food as in the tradition of our first cookbook, The Jewish Vegetarian Year Cookbook. Vegetarian and vegan meals are a natural for the Sabbath, because most of the recipes require little cooking and because vegan food keeps very well at room temperature.
Printed on beautiful matté paper, the book is beautiful to hold in one's hands and beautiful to read. It is bound in layflat binding so that it will stay open on a counter for the comfort of the cook, and the layout in an 8 X10 size is particularly easy to manage. The recipes float spaciously on every page.
The cover was designed by the Jewish artist, Sara Feldman, and the book includes illustrations by Holly Kalisher that are both whimsical and pious.
An important introduction on the origins of the Sabbath by Roberta Kalechofsky, and notes and quotations about the Sabbath by famous Jewish writers make The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook, a joy to own, to read---and to eat its great recipes.
The movement to devote at least one or two days to vegan eating now has a great book, The
Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook, to give Jews a way of relating their Shabbat celebration to this movement. Though the authors of course urge everyone to practice vegetariansim for as many days as they can, eating vegan for a day or day and half will still do an enormous good to reducing global warming. The pertinent information is below and more information about this cookbook can be seen on the website, micahbooks.com.
THE VEGETARIAN SHABBAT COOKBOOK
Roberta Kalechofsky and Roberta Schiff
Publication Date: September 7
264 pages
ISBN: 978-0-916288-56-3 Paperback
Price: $26.00
lllustrated
Micah Publications
255 Humphrey St
Marblehead, MA 01945
micah@micahbooks.com
www.micahbooks.com
Roberta Kalechofsky, Ph.D., fiction writer, speaker, essayist, publisher.
Micah Publications (www.micahbooks.com) is the source for Jewish vegetarian and animal rights books. See website for these and other titles.
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6. Rally to End Use of Chickens for Kaporus Scheduled
[I am planning to attend this rally, and give out DVDs of “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Healthe World.”]
Forwarded message:
END CHICKENS AS KAPOROS RALLY
WHEN: Sunday, September 12, 2010, promptly at 12 to 3 pm.
WHERE: 12 noon to 1:30 at 792 Eastern Parkway (between Kingston & Albany Avenues), Brooklyn, NY, and 1:30 to 3 at President Street & Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
WHAT TO WEAR: The Kaporos ritual takes place in the period between the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rather than “swing” chickens, most Kaporos observers expiate their sins symbolically by swinging coins over their heads and donating the money to charity. The Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos is not protesting the holiday, just the ritual of using chickens as Kaporos (ritual sacrifices). Please show respect for the holiday by NOT wearing shorts, t-shirts, or bright colored clothing. We encourage men to wear shirts and ties and pants other than jeans. We encourage women to wear beige, brown or black skirts below the knees and jackets covering their arms.
WHAT TO BRING AND WHAT NOT TO BRING: Bring posters that ask practitioners to use money instead of chickens. Posters can have pictures or photos of chickens being swung or money being used. Posters can be held in your hands or tied around your shoulders with cord. Write respectful slogans in English or Yiddish. WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING SIGNS ATTACHED TO STICKS OR POLES, OR STICKS OR POLES OF ANY KIND. Please do NOT write “Meat is murder” or “A holocaust is on your plate” or anything on your poster other than directly dealing with ending chickens as Kaporos. No audio effects are permitted.
HOW TO GET THERE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: The following is the MTA planning site for public transportation (the address of the first demo is 792 Eastern Parkway; the second demo is a couple of blocks away, so the public transportation directions are the same for both demonstrations. http://tripplanner.mta.info/_start.aspx
We look forward to having you with us!
The Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos is an association of groups and individuals who seek to replace the use of chickens in Kaporos ceremonies with money or other non-animal symbols or objects of atonement. For more information about Kaporos, please visit www.endchickensaskaporos.com. This website is brand new. More information will be posted on it shortly. Thank you for your interest and support.
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7. I Am Working With Several Groups to Increase Awareness of Dietary Connection
As director of Veg Climate Alliance, I am working with 4 other veg and animal rights groups to increase awareness of the urgency of a major societal shift to plant-based diets to avoid an unprecedented global climate catastrophe. A statement that we are sending to other groups is below:
Dear fellow activists,
The Veg Climate Alliance invites you to join our global action this December to ensure that animal farming is not left out of international climate negotiations. We are the ones with the responsibility and opportunity to help the world avoid an unprecedented climate catastrophe and help shift it to a brighter future. It is essential that we make people aware of just how dangerous the situation is and that a major switch toward vegetarian and vegan diets is essential to a sustainable path.
I am director of Veg Climate Alliance (VCA) and our group is working very closely with the America-based groups In Defense of Animals (IDA), Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM)and A Well-Fed World (AWFW) and the Mexico-based AnimaNaturalis (AN) to get dietary connections to climate change on the Cancun agenda and the world’s agenda. We would very much like to work with you in accomplishing our objectives.
We must spread the word as widely as possible through articles, letters to editors, calls to radio talk shows, contacts with media people, religious leaders, educators, as well as friends, neighbors and family members, in addition to targeting delegates, key decision makers and NGOs at the upcoming Cancun climate change conference from November 29 to December 10, 2010. It will be made absolutely clear that there is no way the world will avoid an unparalleled climate catastrophe if there is not a major societal shift to plant-based diets. The future of humanity and all of creation is threatened as perhaps never before- swift actions are urgent.
We plan to stage performances in Mexico to dramatize the issues, join in panel discussions, and take part in other activities in Cancun. We will also place ads in key publications and distribute literature to educate people on the issues. Here are some ways you can help:
* Help make Sunday, December 5 an international day of education on diet and climate change by arranging a local event. We will provide a special “Cancun declaration,” literature to distribute, and helpful tips for outreach and media.
* Let us know if you would like to be listed as a partner organization. This will make our media contacts far more effective in showing widespread support for our messages and initiatives. For more information and to become a partner, please visit http://vegclimatealliance.org/partners/partners/.
* Urge your members to actively spread the message about the connections between animal-based diets and climate change through letters to editors, call-ins to talk shows, and personal contacts with neighbors, friends and family.
* Make a tax-deductible contribution to help us spread the message in Cancun. Consider that if we do not properly respond to the climate conference, all other issues will be relatively minor. Thus, the most important contribution you can make for children, grandchildren and all future generations is to support these efforts that aim to shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.
Contact information for two people who will be actively involved in Mexico before and during the Cancun conference are:
Israel Arriola Toiber, Mexico: Email: israelt@animanaturalis.org, Phone: 0052- 595 954 1409 (Spanish and some English)
Gerardo Tristan, USA: Email: animaleslibertarios@hotmail.com, Phone: 001- 404 243 1434 (English and Spanish)
Please contact them if you and/or members of your group would like to help with our campaign in Cancun and other Mexican cities. They can help with possible free housing, inexpensive food, help getting around and other ways.
Looking forward to working with you on these very important issues. Please let us know if you would like any further information.
Richard H. Schwartz
director@VegClimateAlliance.org
---------------------
More information about our groups and the issues can be found at our web sites:
Veg Climate Alliance: www.VegClimateAlliance.org
In Defense of Animals: www.idausa.org
Farm Animal Rights Movement. www.farmusa.org
AnimaNaturalis: www.animanaturalis.org
A Well-Fed World; www.AWellFedWorld.org
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8. Several Environmental Resolutions Passed at the World Zionist Congress
I was proud to be a delegate of the Green Zionist alliance to this important congress and to have some input into composing the 4 GZA resolutions that were passed.
WZO to boost environmental practices
By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
The Jerusalem Post
06/18/2010 05:21
The World Zionist Congress voted nearly unanimously in favor of four resolutions Thursday which would significantly improve its – and its subsidiaries’ – environmental practices.
The WZO exerts influence over legacy Zionist organizations like KKL/JNF and The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) in addition to its own organization. The four resolutions were proposed by the Green Zionist Alliance (GZA), which has been a member of the Congress since 2001.
“The four resolutions are meant to support Israel’s environment by calling for concrete steps and staving off the results of climate change,” GZA President and Chairman David Krantz of New Jersey told The Jerusalem Post by phone in between voting.
“KKL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the WZO, and JAFI is a 50 percent subsidiary,” so these resolutions would be binding upon the two organizations and the WZO itself, said Krantz.
“We want them to serve as green models for the rest of Israel,” he added.
The four resolutions address several different aspects of the WZO’s environmental practices. One resolution calls for using energy efficient lighting as well as putting solar panels on the roofs of the buildings. The same resolution also calls for the purchase of alternative fuel models or high fuel efficiency vehicles in the future.
Another resolution calls for implementing environmental education as an integral part of the immigrant absorption process in all JAFI-run absorption centers. Such measures would include starting a community garden at each center, with the one in Beersheba as a model.
“It means putting environmentalism as a key Israeli value,” he said, “We may squabble about politics and religion, but one thing we all agree on is that we care about the land, which means caring for the land.”
As for the other two resolutions, one called for “carbon-mitigating projects in Israel, such as JNF’s Go Neutral program and the Good Energy Initiative .” The other called for reducing meat consumption, since the meat industry has a disproportionately large impact on the climate, as well as buying food from local and organic producers.
“This was the first time that food justice issues were brought to the Zionist table,” Krantz declared.
All of the resolutions were drafted by a team of Israeli and American environmentalists, including noted environmentalist Prof. Alon Tal.
http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-6099312/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5qcG9zdC5jb20vSXNyYWVsL0FydGljbGUuYXNweD9pZD0xNzg4MTY=
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9. A Case For Jewish Vegetarianism Booklet Available
http://www.petacatalog.com/products/Judaism_and_Vegetarianism_Booklet-412-0.html
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10. Free Jewish Dating Service Web Site Established
www.supertova.com
Perhaps they can be persuaded to have a special vegetarian category
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11. Cruelty Behind Meat Supplied to Israel
Forwarded message from CHAI (Concern for Helping Animals in Israel)
NEW REVELATIONS OF EXTREME CRUELTY
BEHIND MEAT SUPPLIED TO ISRAEL
"Kosher meat supplied to Israel continues to be produced using the most crude and abusive restraint practices in the industry," said Rabbi Adam Frank, representative of CHAI’s sister charity in Israel, Hakol Chai, commenting on revelations in a newly released undercover video. "Despite the public promise made two and a half years ago by the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, that such cruelly produced meat would not be allowed into Israel, eighty percent of kosher meat imported into Israel comes from South America, where animal handling systems are the most barbaric in the industry."
The video, provided to CHAI for distribution in Israel by People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals, shows an Israeli slaughtering crew at one of the largest kosher slaughter plants in South America suspending fully conscious cows upside down in the air by one chained leg, a practice called shackling and hoisting. The animal may hang upside down for minutes during the slaughtering process, muscles and tendons tearing.
The practice first began when the 1906 U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act required that, for sanitary reasons, an animal must be off the ground at the time of slaughter. Ironically, because of the cruelty of this method, the Jewish community initially expressed strong resistance to using it. The method is no longer used in U.S. or European non-kosher slaughterhouses, but continues in some kosher slaughterhouses, though not in Israel. In 2002, the Conservative branch of Judaism (through its Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards) ruled that shackling and hoisting should be stopped: "Now that kosher, humane slaughter using upright pens is both possible and widespread, we find shackling and hoisting to be a violation of Jewish laws forbidding cruelty to animals."
Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and members of the department on kosher laws of Israel's Chief Rabbinate (the Orthodox Jewish religious governing body in Israel) have witnessed shackling and hoisting during supervisory visits to the South American slaughterhouses. Following this past January’s visit, Rabbi Metzger’s only comment was that the meat coming from them is certifiably kosher.
At the time the cruelty was first exposed, in 2007, Rabbi Frank wrote to Chief Rabbis Metzger and Shlomo Amar on behalf of Hakol Chai urging reform. He also wrote an op-ed, which appeared in the Jerusalem Post. Though the letters went unanswered, the media reported that at a meeting between a delegation of the Chief Rabbinate, lead by Rabbi Metzger, and the Orthodox Union (America's largest agency for kosher supervision), the restraint methods were characterized as "extremely painful to view," and an admission was made that they should be eliminated. Rabbi Frank has once again written letters of appeal to the Chief Rabbis on behalf of Hakol Chai, reminding them of the commitment they made in 2007 but, so far, have failed to keep.
In the most humane restraint method, the standing pen, the cow is upright and calm throughout the process, but the Israeli Chief Rabbinate requires that the animal be inverted in order for the cut to be in a downward motion. Kosher meat consumed by strict Orthodox Jews outside of Israel is produced with the standing pen method, evidence that shackling and hoisting is an unnecessary restriction. The reason purportedly given by slaughterhouse owners for not converting to the more humane method is that they could kill over 100 animals an hour using the inhumane method, but only 55 per hour with the humane method.
When Rabbi Metzger expressed concern for improving the welfare of animals used to provide Israelis with kosher meat two years ago, he told the press of a more humane inversion method approved by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and used by U.S. and European kosher slaughter plants. This method employs a box-like holding pen that inverts the animal before slaughter. "The only step taken by Rabbi Metzger, however," said Rabbi Frank, "has been to meet with kosher meat importers in Israel – the very businesspeople who must pay for the change – to request a reform already made by other kosher slaughter producers around the world."
Rabbi Metzger places blame for the continued cruelty on the meat importers, yet it is his department that supervises and endorses the imported products. All slaughterers in South America are under the supervision of the Chief Rabbinate and all kosher meat imported from South America into Israel must be approved by the Chief Rabbinate. "Hakol Chai respectfully calls on Rabbi Metzger to use his authority to implement reforms," said Rabbi Frank. "A sense of responsibility and moral outrage over the continuing abuse of animals require no less."
For further details about this issue, please see Kosher Slaughter: Should Shackling and Hoisting Be Permitted?
WHAT YOU CAN DO
CHAI asks that you send a letter to Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, urging him to keep his promise to convert to a more humane method of restraining animals in kosher slaughterhouses.
Please also consider reducing or eliminating your consumption of meat to prevent animal suffering, preserve human health, and save the environment.
According to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), meat, not cars, is the number one cause of global warming. It is also a major source of land and water degradation. The UN's Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made up of hundreds of climate change scientists worldwide, noted the importance of lifestyle changes in meeting the challenge of global warming.
"Please eat less meat," said IPCC representative, economist Rajendra Pachauri, adding that a meat-based diet also has negative consequences for human health.
Please donate to CHAI and Hakol Chai. Send your tax-deductible donations to:
CHAI, POB 3341, Alexandria, VA 22302, USA, or donate through our website.
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12. New Podcast on UN Urging Dietary Shifts
One new podcast this time - Felicity Carus - guardian.co.uk - "UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-Free Diet": http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html#un
Many thanks to the website http://www.guardian.co.uk for their continued posting of important information for a needy world. In this 02 June 2010 article by Felicity Carus "UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-Free Diet" a very eye opening statement is "A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change."
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13. I Am To Be Guest on Animals Today Radio Program on Sunday
I am scheduled to be a guest on the Animals Today Radio program this Sunday, Sept 5 at 5 PM EST. The show airs live and is broadcast on 33 markets across the country. It is also streamed on the internet. The interview will be approximately 25 minutes with 2 or 3 'hard' commercial breaks in between.
All the shows are archived on the Animals Today website shortly after it is aired.
www.animalstodayradio.com
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** Fair Use Notice **
The material on this site is provided for educational and informational purposes. It may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of vegetarian, environmental, nutritional, health, economic, social justice and human rights issues etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have an interest in using the included information for educational or research purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. The information on this site does not constitute legal, technical or medical advice.
This update/Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) Online Newsletter has the following items:
1. Sorry That There Have Been No JVNA Newsletters for A Few Months
2. Happy Rosh Hashanah
3. Fall Holidays and Vegetarianism
4a. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Possibility of a Ban on Fur in Israel
4b. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Israel's chief rabbi to mark imported beef unkosher if slaughtering process not changed
5. Roberta Kalechofsky Publishes Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook
6. Rally to End Use of Chickens for Kaporus Scheduled
7. I Am Working With Several Groups to Increase Awareness of Dietary Connection
8. Several Environmental Resolutions Passed at the World Zionist Congress
9. A Case For Jewish Vegetarianism Booklet Available
10. Free Jewish Dating Service Web Site Established
11. Cruelty Behind Meat Supplied to Israel
12. New Podcast on UN Urging Dietary Shifts
13. I Am To Be Guest on Animals Today Radio Program on Sunday
Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter to keep this one from being even longer.
[Materials in brackets like this [ ] within an article or forwarded message are my editorial notes/comments.]
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. Also, material re conferences, retreats, forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsement by JVNA or endorsement of the kashrut, Shabbat observances, or any other Jewish observances, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any event that you are interested in. Also, JVNA does not necessarily agree with all positions of groups whose views are included or whose events are announced in this newsletter.
As always, your comments and suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks,
Richard
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1. Sorry That There Have Been No JVNA Newsletters for A Few Months
I am very sorry that there have not been any JVNA newsletter sin some time. I have been very busy, and still am, working on a book and many other projects. Also, I have had problems sending the newsletter to large groups, possibly because many email addresses were no longer valid, and it was taking a long time to send the newsletters out.
Fortunately, a wonderful person Raphaela has volunteered to update my email list and to send out newsletters. So, I am hoping that this will be the first of many additional newsletters, and I hope to be able to send out at least one or two per month.
Please feel free to send me material that you think should be in the newsletter and suggestions about any aspect of it.
I will be catching up with some old material in this newsletter and probably will not have some important items that I recently overlooked before deciding to send out newsletters again, but hopefully I will soon be back up to speed.
Many thanks for your patience.
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2. Happy Rosh Hashanah
On the occasion of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashana
I wish all of you:
A year of success in all of your endeavors
A year of good health
A year of prosperity
A year of happiness
A year of fulfilling your dreams
A year of optimism and hope
A year when our leaders will lead us to peace
A year of much nachas from your family
A year of environmental sustainability
Shanah Tovah U'metukah, (A good and sweet year)
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3. Fall Holidays and Vegetarianism
Please see my articles relating vegetarianism and environmental activism to the upcoming fall holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. at the holiday section at JewishVeg.com/schwartz. Suggestions about the articles are very welcome, as would any help in getting one or more articles published. Also, please consider using the ideas in the writings for your own letters and talking points. Thanks.
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4a. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Possibility of a Ban on Fur in Israel
http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/urge-israel-to-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-ban-fur/
Below is an update that I just received on September 1, from Jane Halevy, a leader of the Anti-Fur Coalition:
Hello,
Please find below the ‘International Anti-Fur Coalition’ press release following the new obstruction by religious parties for Israel’s anti-fur bill, the day before the bill should have been voted on.
Best regards,
Jane Halevy
International Anti-Fur Coalition
http://www.antifurcoalition.org
*****************************************
For Immediate Release:
September, 2nd 2010
Contact:
Jane Halevy: +972 (0)50 200 54 11
Ban on Fur Trade in Israel Frozen via Dirty Politics
The anti-fur bill in Israel postponed the day before it was to be voted in; contrary to all expectations
Tel-Aviv, September, 2nd 2010 - While the bill to ban fur was to be voted in on September, 2nd, Yakov Margi, the Israeli Minister of Religious Services, only one day before, played a very dirty trick. Despite the resolution of all existing conflicting matters, he gave no concrete argument and only said, that he'd like to have the bill reviewed again!
MK Zevulun Orlev, the committee leader then canceled the planned meeting at which the bill was likely to have been voted in. Margi also requested to have the bill reviewed again at the Legislative Committee of Ministers, which would be a huge step backwards, but in the meantime animal rights organizations managed to halt that request until a meeting takes place between both parties, to mediate the unexpected reversal of the situation.
“Animal defenders and people around the world are shocked that the religious parties instead of leading on the path of mercy (Tsaar Baalei Chaim) and compassion, have put a dirty knife in our back.”, says Jane Halevy, Director of the International Anti-Fur Coalition. ”While it is the month of Elul; a time of repentance; they broke their promise and betrayed us and the millions of innocent animals massacred for status and greed!“.
MK Mozes, the main opponent of the bill, after looking at pictures depicting the terrible suffering of the animals in the fur trade, had even confided at the first private meeting that the religious should be the ones leading the fight against the fur trade. “While he had said he would relay this message to other religious leaders, he changed his heart!” says Jane Halevy.
Jane Halevy of the ‘International Ant- fur Coalition’ and ‘Let the Animals Live’, mentioned that MK Ronit Tirosh, who has introduced the bill, continues to fight indefatigably for a legislation that would save millions of innocent animals from the fate, anguish and slaughter of the fur trade.
This situation put Israel in a very negative light as the world watches the dirty political games that are played between the religious parties and the fur lobbyists; instead of taking the opportunity to take a moral and ethical historical step.
About the International Anti-Fur Coalition
The International Anti-Fur Coalition is an association of more than 50 organizations around the world that fight against the global trade of fur. This coalition was created in 2006 and regularly organizes international events against the fur trade.
For more information, please visit http://www.antifurcoalition.org
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4b. Important Recent Developments in Israel: Israel's chief rabbi to mark imported beef unkosher if slaughtering process not changed
www.haaretz.com/magazine/anglo-file/israel-s-chief-rabbi-to-mark-imported-beef-unkosher-if-slaughtering-process-not-changed-1.296912
By 2011 the Chief Rabbinate will no longer certify more than 80 percent of the meat imported to Israel from slaughterhouses that use shackle-and-hoist methods.
By Cnaan Liphshiz
Israel's chief rabbi intends to label 80 percent of the meat currently imported into the country as not kosher unless "cruel" slaughter practices are ended, Anglo File has learned. The decision came after pressure from American-Israeli animal welfare activists.
According to Avi Blumenthal, assistant to Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, by 2011 the Chief Rabbinate will no longer certify meat from slaughterhouses that use shackle-and-hoist - a controversial method employed in almost all South American kosher slaughterhouses, which provide 80 percent of all the meat imported into Israel.
"This is a step in the right direction," said Adam Frank, the rabbi of a Jerusalem Masorti congregation who has been lobbying with the rabbinate since 2007 for a ban on the method, in which conscious animals are chained by the ankle before being hoisted up and allowed to bleed to death from an incision to the neck.
"The chief rabbi believes this method is primitive and causes unnecessary pain and anguish to the animals," Blumenthal said. He added that Metzger has instructed Kashrut Department chief Rabbi Yaakov Sabag to set a deadline after which the rabbinate will revoke its certificate for meat manufactured through shackle-and-hoist. "If the meat factories switch to more humane, kosher methods, we will certify their meat," he added.
Metzger's decision came four weeks after the online dissemination of a hidden-camera video of shackle-and-hoist slaughter in Uruguay's largest kosher slaughterhouse. This video, along with last week's decision by New Zealand's parliament to completely ban kosher slaughter, served to draw attention to the issue, according to Frank, rabbi of the predominantly-Anglo Moreshet Yisrael congregation in the capital's center.
Frank - backed by a group of religious activists from English-speaking countries - sent Metzger a letter reminding him of criticism that Metzger himself made about the shackle-and-hoist method in 2007, following the release of an earlier undercover video of the practice in a South American slaughterhouse.
"When done properly, kosher slaughter is as humane as any other modern method, but we must also make sure the technique used causes the minimum amount of suffering," said Rabbi Danny Schiff, one of Frank's partners in the fight.
Besides Schiff - an Australia-born rabbi ordained by the Reform movement - Frank has enlisted the support of prominent Masorti Rabbi Simcha Roth, a veteran British immigrant from Herzliya. Other supporters include American Israelis Chava Rosenbaum, Doug Greener and Jared Goldfarb, and Nina Natelson from Washington D.C.
"If the Israeli rabbinate bans shackle-and-hoist meat, other rabbinic authorities in the Diaspora will follow suit," Frank said.
The shackle-and-hoist method is prohibited in Israel, the U.S. and the European Union. Kosher slaughter in those countries is done through the use of a box-like holding pen that inverts the animal just before the shechitah, in accordance with the Israel Rabbinate's demand that the lethal cut be delivered in a downward thrust.
Michael Melchior, the Danish-born former chief Orthodox rabbi of Norway, where kosher slaughter is forbidden, said that he supported banning shackle-and-hoist, adding that "lessening an animal's suffering is a religious requirement from the Torah - just like the kosher requirement itself."
Melchior - a resident of Jerusalem and longtime advocate of kosher slaughter in Europe - added that banning techniques like shackle-and-hoist would "help efforts to defend" kosher slaughter, currently banned in Switzerland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, as well as New Zealand and Norway.
Through his long involvement in the issue, Melchior has learned that the late former chief rabbi of Jerusalem, Tzvi Pesach Frank (1873-1960 ) even gave the Swedish Jewish community a special permit to sedate animals before the slaughter, but only under certain circumstances. Melchior said this was a "revolutionary" permit which would not conform with the present-day requirements of kosher slaughter. The recently-introduced ban in New Zealand is on any slaughter where animals are not first sedated.
According to the chairman of the Cattle Breeders Association, Efri Reikin, Israel has imported some 72 kilotons of frozen meat in 2009, which translate to an average annual consumption of 14 kilos of beef and lamb per adult Israeli - a one kilo increase from 2005. The average American consumes 42 kilos of meet annually, and the Argentinean eats 58.
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http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/06/21/2739708/israels-chief-rabbi-to-ban-cruel-slaughter
Israel’s chief rabbi: I will ban cruel slaughter
June 21, 2010
JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel's chief rabbi said he will not certify beef as kosher if the animal was ritually slaughtered using cruel methods.
Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger reportedly said that by 2011 he will not certify meat from slaughterhouses that use the shackle-and-hoist method, Haaretz reported, citing Avi Blumenthal, assistant to the Ashkenazi chief rabbi. The method is used in nearly all South American kosher slaughterhouses, which provide about 80 percent of Israel's kosher meat imports, the newspaper reported.
The shackle-and-hoist method is prohibited in Israel, as well as the United States and European Union.
SNIP
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5. Roberta Kalechofsky Publishes Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook
Forwarded message from Roberta Kalechofsky, a long-time JVNA advisor:
More and more communities are opting to eat vegetarian one day a week. Even on this level, the impact on global warming and the environment is considerable. We suggest that this new movement be anchored in already established traditions, that the past keep the new in a meaningful bond.
The Vegetarian Shabbbat Cookbook combines the great tradition of the Sabbath with vegan cooking--Jewish history and food as in the tradition of our first cookbook, The Jewish Vegetarian Year Cookbook. Vegetarian and vegan meals are a natural for the Sabbath, because most of the recipes require little cooking and because vegan food keeps very well at room temperature.
Printed on beautiful matté paper, the book is beautiful to hold in one's hands and beautiful to read. It is bound in layflat binding so that it will stay open on a counter for the comfort of the cook, and the layout in an 8 X10 size is particularly easy to manage. The recipes float spaciously on every page.
The cover was designed by the Jewish artist, Sara Feldman, and the book includes illustrations by Holly Kalisher that are both whimsical and pious.
An important introduction on the origins of the Sabbath by Roberta Kalechofsky, and notes and quotations about the Sabbath by famous Jewish writers make The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook, a joy to own, to read---and to eat its great recipes.
The movement to devote at least one or two days to vegan eating now has a great book, The
Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook, to give Jews a way of relating their Shabbat celebration to this movement. Though the authors of course urge everyone to practice vegetariansim for as many days as they can, eating vegan for a day or day and half will still do an enormous good to reducing global warming. The pertinent information is below and more information about this cookbook can be seen on the website, micahbooks.com.
THE VEGETARIAN SHABBAT COOKBOOK
Roberta Kalechofsky and Roberta Schiff
Publication Date: September 7
264 pages
ISBN: 978-0-916288-56-3 Paperback
Price: $26.00
lllustrated
Micah Publications
255 Humphrey St
Marblehead, MA 01945
micah@micahbooks.com
www.micahbooks.com
Roberta Kalechofsky, Ph.D., fiction writer, speaker, essayist, publisher.
Micah Publications (www.micahbooks.com) is the source for Jewish vegetarian and animal rights books. See website for these and other titles.
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6. Rally to End Use of Chickens for Kaporus Scheduled
[I am planning to attend this rally, and give out DVDs of “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Healthe World.”]
Forwarded message:
END CHICKENS AS KAPOROS RALLY
WHEN: Sunday, September 12, 2010, promptly at 12 to 3 pm.
WHERE: 12 noon to 1:30 at 792 Eastern Parkway (between Kingston & Albany Avenues), Brooklyn, NY, and 1:30 to 3 at President Street & Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
WHAT TO WEAR: The Kaporos ritual takes place in the period between the Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rather than “swing” chickens, most Kaporos observers expiate their sins symbolically by swinging coins over their heads and donating the money to charity. The Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos is not protesting the holiday, just the ritual of using chickens as Kaporos (ritual sacrifices). Please show respect for the holiday by NOT wearing shorts, t-shirts, or bright colored clothing. We encourage men to wear shirts and ties and pants other than jeans. We encourage women to wear beige, brown or black skirts below the knees and jackets covering their arms.
WHAT TO BRING AND WHAT NOT TO BRING: Bring posters that ask practitioners to use money instead of chickens. Posters can have pictures or photos of chickens being swung or money being used. Posters can be held in your hands or tied around your shoulders with cord. Write respectful slogans in English or Yiddish. WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BRING SIGNS ATTACHED TO STICKS OR POLES, OR STICKS OR POLES OF ANY KIND. Please do NOT write “Meat is murder” or “A holocaust is on your plate” or anything on your poster other than directly dealing with ending chickens as Kaporos. No audio effects are permitted.
HOW TO GET THERE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: The following is the MTA planning site for public transportation (the address of the first demo is 792 Eastern Parkway; the second demo is a couple of blocks away, so the public transportation directions are the same for both demonstrations. http://tripplanner.mta.info/_start.aspx
We look forward to having you with us!
The Alliance to End Chickens as Kaporos is an association of groups and individuals who seek to replace the use of chickens in Kaporos ceremonies with money or other non-animal symbols or objects of atonement. For more information about Kaporos, please visit www.endchickensaskaporos.com. This website is brand new. More information will be posted on it shortly. Thank you for your interest and support.
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7. I Am Working With Several Groups to Increase Awareness of Dietary Connection
As director of Veg Climate Alliance, I am working with 4 other veg and animal rights groups to increase awareness of the urgency of a major societal shift to plant-based diets to avoid an unprecedented global climate catastrophe. A statement that we are sending to other groups is below:
Dear fellow activists,
The Veg Climate Alliance invites you to join our global action this December to ensure that animal farming is not left out of international climate negotiations. We are the ones with the responsibility and opportunity to help the world avoid an unprecedented climate catastrophe and help shift it to a brighter future. It is essential that we make people aware of just how dangerous the situation is and that a major switch toward vegetarian and vegan diets is essential to a sustainable path.
I am director of Veg Climate Alliance (VCA) and our group is working very closely with the America-based groups In Defense of Animals (IDA), Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM)and A Well-Fed World (AWFW) and the Mexico-based AnimaNaturalis (AN) to get dietary connections to climate change on the Cancun agenda and the world’s agenda. We would very much like to work with you in accomplishing our objectives.
We must spread the word as widely as possible through articles, letters to editors, calls to radio talk shows, contacts with media people, religious leaders, educators, as well as friends, neighbors and family members, in addition to targeting delegates, key decision makers and NGOs at the upcoming Cancun climate change conference from November 29 to December 10, 2010. It will be made absolutely clear that there is no way the world will avoid an unparalleled climate catastrophe if there is not a major societal shift to plant-based diets. The future of humanity and all of creation is threatened as perhaps never before- swift actions are urgent.
We plan to stage performances in Mexico to dramatize the issues, join in panel discussions, and take part in other activities in Cancun. We will also place ads in key publications and distribute literature to educate people on the issues. Here are some ways you can help:
* Help make Sunday, December 5 an international day of education on diet and climate change by arranging a local event. We will provide a special “Cancun declaration,” literature to distribute, and helpful tips for outreach and media.
* Let us know if you would like to be listed as a partner organization. This will make our media contacts far more effective in showing widespread support for our messages and initiatives. For more information and to become a partner, please visit http://vegclimatealliance.org/partners/partners/.
* Urge your members to actively spread the message about the connections between animal-based diets and climate change through letters to editors, call-ins to talk shows, and personal contacts with neighbors, friends and family.
* Make a tax-deductible contribution to help us spread the message in Cancun. Consider that if we do not properly respond to the climate conference, all other issues will be relatively minor. Thus, the most important contribution you can make for children, grandchildren and all future generations is to support these efforts that aim to shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.
Contact information for two people who will be actively involved in Mexico before and during the Cancun conference are:
Israel Arriola Toiber, Mexico: Email: israelt@animanaturalis.org, Phone: 0052- 595 954 1409 (Spanish and some English)
Gerardo Tristan, USA: Email: animaleslibertarios@hotmail.com, Phone: 001- 404 243 1434 (English and Spanish)
Please contact them if you and/or members of your group would like to help with our campaign in Cancun and other Mexican cities. They can help with possible free housing, inexpensive food, help getting around and other ways.
Looking forward to working with you on these very important issues. Please let us know if you would like any further information.
Richard H. Schwartz
director@VegClimateAlliance.org
---------------------
More information about our groups and the issues can be found at our web sites:
Veg Climate Alliance: www.VegClimateAlliance.org
In Defense of Animals: www.idausa.org
Farm Animal Rights Movement. www.farmusa.org
AnimaNaturalis: www.animanaturalis.org
A Well-Fed World; www.AWellFedWorld.org
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8. Several Environmental Resolutions Passed at the World Zionist Congress
I was proud to be a delegate of the Green Zionist alliance to this important congress and to have some input into composing the 4 GZA resolutions that were passed.
WZO to boost environmental practices
By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
The Jerusalem Post
06/18/2010 05:21
The World Zionist Congress voted nearly unanimously in favor of four resolutions Thursday which would significantly improve its – and its subsidiaries’ – environmental practices.
The WZO exerts influence over legacy Zionist organizations like KKL/JNF and The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) in addition to its own organization. The four resolutions were proposed by the Green Zionist Alliance (GZA), which has been a member of the Congress since 2001.
“The four resolutions are meant to support Israel’s environment by calling for concrete steps and staving off the results of climate change,” GZA President and Chairman David Krantz of New Jersey told The Jerusalem Post by phone in between voting.
“KKL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the WZO, and JAFI is a 50 percent subsidiary,” so these resolutions would be binding upon the two organizations and the WZO itself, said Krantz.
“We want them to serve as green models for the rest of Israel,” he added.
The four resolutions address several different aspects of the WZO’s environmental practices. One resolution calls for using energy efficient lighting as well as putting solar panels on the roofs of the buildings. The same resolution also calls for the purchase of alternative fuel models or high fuel efficiency vehicles in the future.
Another resolution calls for implementing environmental education as an integral part of the immigrant absorption process in all JAFI-run absorption centers. Such measures would include starting a community garden at each center, with the one in Beersheba as a model.
“It means putting environmentalism as a key Israeli value,” he said, “We may squabble about politics and religion, but one thing we all agree on is that we care about the land, which means caring for the land.”
As for the other two resolutions, one called for “carbon-mitigating projects in Israel, such as JNF’s Go Neutral program and the Good Energy Initiative .” The other called for reducing meat consumption, since the meat industry has a disproportionately large impact on the climate, as well as buying food from local and organic producers.
“This was the first time that food justice issues were brought to the Zionist table,” Krantz declared.
All of the resolutions were drafted by a team of Israeli and American environmentalists, including noted environmentalist Prof. Alon Tal.
http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-6099312/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5qcG9zdC5jb20vSXNyYWVsL0FydGljbGUuYXNweD9pZD0xNzg4MTY=
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9. A Case For Jewish Vegetarianism Booklet Available
http://www.petacatalog.com/products/Judaism_and_Vegetarianism_Booklet-412-0.html
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10. Free Jewish Dating Service Web Site Established
www.supertova.com
Perhaps they can be persuaded to have a special vegetarian category
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11. Cruelty Behind Meat Supplied to Israel
Forwarded message from CHAI (Concern for Helping Animals in Israel)
NEW REVELATIONS OF EXTREME CRUELTY
BEHIND MEAT SUPPLIED TO ISRAEL
"Kosher meat supplied to Israel continues to be produced using the most crude and abusive restraint practices in the industry," said Rabbi Adam Frank, representative of CHAI’s sister charity in Israel, Hakol Chai, commenting on revelations in a newly released undercover video. "Despite the public promise made two and a half years ago by the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, that such cruelly produced meat would not be allowed into Israel, eighty percent of kosher meat imported into Israel comes from South America, where animal handling systems are the most barbaric in the industry."
The video, provided to CHAI for distribution in Israel by People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals, shows an Israeli slaughtering crew at one of the largest kosher slaughter plants in South America suspending fully conscious cows upside down in the air by one chained leg, a practice called shackling and hoisting. The animal may hang upside down for minutes during the slaughtering process, muscles and tendons tearing.
The practice first began when the 1906 U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act required that, for sanitary reasons, an animal must be off the ground at the time of slaughter. Ironically, because of the cruelty of this method, the Jewish community initially expressed strong resistance to using it. The method is no longer used in U.S. or European non-kosher slaughterhouses, but continues in some kosher slaughterhouses, though not in Israel. In 2002, the Conservative branch of Judaism (through its Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards) ruled that shackling and hoisting should be stopped: "Now that kosher, humane slaughter using upright pens is both possible and widespread, we find shackling and hoisting to be a violation of Jewish laws forbidding cruelty to animals."
Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and members of the department on kosher laws of Israel's Chief Rabbinate (the Orthodox Jewish religious governing body in Israel) have witnessed shackling and hoisting during supervisory visits to the South American slaughterhouses. Following this past January’s visit, Rabbi Metzger’s only comment was that the meat coming from them is certifiably kosher.
At the time the cruelty was first exposed, in 2007, Rabbi Frank wrote to Chief Rabbis Metzger and Shlomo Amar on behalf of Hakol Chai urging reform. He also wrote an op-ed, which appeared in the Jerusalem Post. Though the letters went unanswered, the media reported that at a meeting between a delegation of the Chief Rabbinate, lead by Rabbi Metzger, and the Orthodox Union (America's largest agency for kosher supervision), the restraint methods were characterized as "extremely painful to view," and an admission was made that they should be eliminated. Rabbi Frank has once again written letters of appeal to the Chief Rabbis on behalf of Hakol Chai, reminding them of the commitment they made in 2007 but, so far, have failed to keep.
In the most humane restraint method, the standing pen, the cow is upright and calm throughout the process, but the Israeli Chief Rabbinate requires that the animal be inverted in order for the cut to be in a downward motion. Kosher meat consumed by strict Orthodox Jews outside of Israel is produced with the standing pen method, evidence that shackling and hoisting is an unnecessary restriction. The reason purportedly given by slaughterhouse owners for not converting to the more humane method is that they could kill over 100 animals an hour using the inhumane method, but only 55 per hour with the humane method.
When Rabbi Metzger expressed concern for improving the welfare of animals used to provide Israelis with kosher meat two years ago, he told the press of a more humane inversion method approved by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and used by U.S. and European kosher slaughter plants. This method employs a box-like holding pen that inverts the animal before slaughter. "The only step taken by Rabbi Metzger, however," said Rabbi Frank, "has been to meet with kosher meat importers in Israel – the very businesspeople who must pay for the change – to request a reform already made by other kosher slaughter producers around the world."
Rabbi Metzger places blame for the continued cruelty on the meat importers, yet it is his department that supervises and endorses the imported products. All slaughterers in South America are under the supervision of the Chief Rabbinate and all kosher meat imported from South America into Israel must be approved by the Chief Rabbinate. "Hakol Chai respectfully calls on Rabbi Metzger to use his authority to implement reforms," said Rabbi Frank. "A sense of responsibility and moral outrage over the continuing abuse of animals require no less."
For further details about this issue, please see Kosher Slaughter: Should Shackling and Hoisting Be Permitted?
WHAT YOU CAN DO
CHAI asks that you send a letter to Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, urging him to keep his promise to convert to a more humane method of restraining animals in kosher slaughterhouses.
Please also consider reducing or eliminating your consumption of meat to prevent animal suffering, preserve human health, and save the environment.
According to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), meat, not cars, is the number one cause of global warming. It is also a major source of land and water degradation. The UN's Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made up of hundreds of climate change scientists worldwide, noted the importance of lifestyle changes in meeting the challenge of global warming.
"Please eat less meat," said IPCC representative, economist Rajendra Pachauri, adding that a meat-based diet also has negative consequences for human health.
Please donate to CHAI and Hakol Chai. Send your tax-deductible donations to:
CHAI, POB 3341, Alexandria, VA 22302, USA, or donate through our website.
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12. New Podcast on UN Urging Dietary Shifts
One new podcast this time - Felicity Carus - guardian.co.uk - "UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-Free Diet": http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html#un
Many thanks to the website http://www.guardian.co.uk for their continued posting of important information for a needy world. In this 02 June 2010 article by Felicity Carus "UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-Free Diet" a very eye opening statement is "A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change."
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13. I Am To Be Guest on Animals Today Radio Program on Sunday
I am scheduled to be a guest on the Animals Today Radio program this Sunday, Sept 5 at 5 PM EST. The show airs live and is broadcast on 33 markets across the country. It is also streamed on the internet. The interview will be approximately 25 minutes with 2 or 3 'hard' commercial breaks in between.
All the shows are archived on the Animals Today website shortly after it is aired.
www.animalstodayradio.com
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