Modernizing Rosh Hashana LaBehemot – indicting Meat-lust and initiating a Neo-Kashrut Covenant with G-d’s Animals by Shomrei Ademah.
Essay: Once upon a time, before the Golden Arch, The Whopper, or Popeye’s, our vegan ancestors Adam and Eve lived harmoniously with myriad non-humans in Gan Eden. However circa 8,000 BCE a monstrous meshuga ‘meat lust’ paradigm joined a deviant macho psychopathy to overthrow Feminine Schechina and establish a brutal, omnivorous hierarchy that proceeded to: normalize wars of conquest; domesticate cats, dogs, birds, cows, reindeer and sheep; enslave the human masses; ravage the habitats of G-d’s creatures (Behemot) on land and sea.
Back then, we are told that non-human earthlings depicted the Devil as a human herder, farmer, butcher, hunter, trapper, fur-gatherer, scientist – but our sinister horns have grown and sharpened ever since the Industrial Revolution, hence new Demonic characters: vivisectionists, factory farmers, trawlers, land developers, confined feedlot operators, mechanized slaughterhouse workers, breeders, cloners and rainforest burners. Giving Meat Lust sway over our lower instincts, we turned dominion into domination, tossed compassion aside, routinely violate the rights our our companion species and our very habitat, G-d’s creation. In violation of numerous bibical and halachic precepts we operate Animal Agriculture on a global scale to: massacre, pollute, castrate, destroy habitat, over fish, confine, chemicalize, rape, debeak, tail dock, brand, genetically-modify, force feed, in-breed, steal eggs-milk-offspring, devour arable land-fresh water-energy …
Vey iz mir, human lords of the ecosphere are meat-eating addicts, self-serving usurpers and unaccountable tyrants over our companion fliers, crawlers, swimmers – like traitors to Earth’s Web of Life that binds individuals of all kingdoms in a covenant of interconnected diversity.
As VeganMan of EarthSave, my AHIMSA eyes frequently endure anti-animal propaganda and the pornography of circuses, animal gag laws, undercover fur-farms, clubbing baby seals, poaching, trading exotic animals, Lolita- Miami’s famous captive whale and Flipper snatched from their pods in pools of blood, algae-blooming fish kills, Taiji’s Annual Dolphin Slaughter… From their perspective every day is an Animal Tisha B’Av, a legal holocaust condoned by the best and brightest humans.
But today we say ‘So many Animal Tisha B’Av’s must be offset by at least one benevolent Rosh Hashana Behemot celebration.’ Hence the Rosh Hashana LaBehemot Initiative by vegan Rabbis, educators and thought-leaders.
In 2007 Richard Schwartz, Lionel Friedberg and Theodore Bikel released the masterful documentary ‘A SACRED DUTY- Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal The World.’ It pointed a halachic finger at the grotesque business of animal agriculture, and human exploitation of our blue marble planet. Having my name in the credits spurred me to promote the film in blogs, sermons and vegan advocacy.
Watch the award-winning documentary, 60 minutes here> https://earthsave.co/sacred-duty
Last night, as Estela and I re-watched A Sacred Duty, I wept, moaned, cried, trembled, pounded my fists, whined, cursed and beat my chest. It’s still hard for me to acclimate to the state of affairs where humanity does not cower around campfires in our caves, but we are the terrifying monster, Behemoth.
I pray if Judaism blasts its shofar for Animal Freedom, and every religious, secular and spiritual community does likewise, we may yet be absolved of our 10,000 year crime, with balance and justice restored to this trembling ecosphere.
Excerpt from “Between the Fires” poem by Rabbi Arthur Waskow:
We light (these) fires to see more clearly
The Rainbow in the many-colored faces of all life.
Blessed is the One within the many.
Blessed are the many who make One.
About the Initiative:
I am delighted to report that the major, unprecedented, potentially transformative campaign I am mounting, along with others, to get veganism onto Jewish and other agendas and to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path, has taken off like gangbusters. It is occurring in conjunction with the publication of my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM.
Below is an outline of 31 recent developments and prospects related to the book and the campaign.
- Reviews
1. The next issue of the Jerusalem Report, due out at the end of October, will have a 1,500 word book review of VEGAN REVOLUTION by a devoted vegan.
2. The Jerusalem Post has assigned a freelance writer, a vegetarian, to submit a review of VEGAN REVOLUTION for a January publication.
3. Rabbi Gabriel Coussens is to submit a review of VEGAN REVOLUTION soon to Tikkun magazine. Tikkun is awaiting it.
4 Many additional book review are possible, based on review copies previously sent out, with several commitments already received. Publications that have been sent review copies include:
Vegetarian Journal
Vegetarian Voice
Ahimsa magazine
The Peaceable Table
Vegetarian Times
The Jewish Connection
The Peaceable Table has already agreed to review the book.
Suggestions of additional possible review sources and reviewers are VERY welcome. Thanks.
B. Interviews on radio programs and podcasts
5. I was interviewed on Jeff Rosenblum’s “Vegan Stories Podcast.’ It can be heard at: veganstoriespodcast.com. His announcement about it was:
Congratulations to Richard H. Schwartz on the publication of his most recent book, Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism! On September 29th, the date it was published, this 86-years young, highly-prolific, super-accomplished, legendary vegan, activist, author, mathematician, and 2005 vegan hall-of-fame inductee, joined me on Episode 7 of Vegan Stories Podcast to discuss it.
6. I was interviewed by Rabbi Barry Singer for a presentation he showed to his congregation.
7. I am scheduled to be interviewed on October 19 by the Israeli organization “Root and Branch.” The interview will have the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/
8. I am scheduled to be interviewed by long-time vegan Bhavani Jarroff on her podcast, “I Eat Green,” on October 22
9. I am scheduled to be interviewed by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, founder and director of the veg group Shamayim and author of over a dozen Judaica books, on his podcast, on November 19.
Please let me know of suggestions for additional radio, podcast, and zoom interviews. Thanks.
C. My articles
10. My co-authored (with Professor Dan Brook) article, “Climate Change: “An Existential Threat to Humanity and How We Can Survive,“ was the cover story in the October 5, 2020 issue of the Jerusalem Report. It stresses how shifts toward vegan diets can help avert a climate catastrophe. It can be read at: https://www.jpost.com/
11. Alon Tal, Israel’s leading environmentalist, submitted the letter below to the Jerusalem Report, in support of the article mentioned above. The editor has accepted it. for the next issue, due out around the end of October.
What better way to spend the Saturday that concluded this year’s, introspective High Holiday period than inhaling your marvelous piece on “Climate Change”. I found it to be a perfect balance of accessible scholarship, solid news reporting and authentic passion. Dr. Dan Brook and Dr. Richard Schwartz have done us all a very important service in writing a piece that unfortunately tells it like it is. And it is not going well for the planet earth. The Jerusalem Report deserves considerable credit for putting the climate crisis precisely where it belongs: right on the cover – at the top of Israel’s, the Jewish people’s and indeed humanity’s most urgent agenda. One can only hope that our leaders, who over the next few years must make the critical decisions that will determine the future climatic stability (or instability) of the planet might have the benefit of the piece’s opening metaphors that apply every day fevers, overheated cars and burnt dinners to the only planet we are ever going to live on. While many may feel helpless to do something given the enormity of the climate challenge, surely readers with American citizenship have a chance to make a statement when they go to the polls next month!
12. Tikkun published on its website my article, “Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal Our Imperiled World.” It can be read by visiting https://www.tikkun.org/
13, 14, 15. My articles relating veganism to (1) Rosh Hashanah, (2) Yom Kippur, and (3) Sukkot are on my Jewcology blog.
16. My article, “Abolishing Intensive Livestock Agriculture A Global Imperative,” is in a soon-to-be published eBook, “Animal Agriculture is Immoral.”
17. The next issue of the Jerusalem Report will have an article by me, as part of a debate on the presidential election, in which I argue that a major reason President Trump does not deserve re-election is that he is not only in denial about climate change, but has been doing everything possible to roll back or weaken legislation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
D. Miscellaneous
18. A future edition of the Jerusalem Report will include a debate between me and Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, administrator in the kashrut division of the Orthodox Union (OU), on “Should Jews Be Vegetarians, or even vegans?”
19. Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun magazine, has agreed to also publish such a debate, if I can find another Orthodox rabbi to debate with me.” Suggestions?
20. An article about my associated campaign to renew the ancient Jewish New Year for Animals and to transform it into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Jewish teachings on compassion to animals appeared in the Jerusalem Post on August 13, 2020. It can be read at https://www.jpost.com/judaism/
21. I was interviewed on October 13 by a freelance writer for an article on veganism in Israel for World Vegan Day.for the Israeli publication Israel21C.
22. Rabbi Arthur Waskow is posting an article about my vegan campaign related to VEGAN REVOLUTION at the Shalom Institute’s website.
E. My Talks
23, 24, 25. I gave three talks using Zoom in September 2020 as part of a “Veganism and Global Transformation” track of an 11 day program on “Unity and Peace Convergence.”
My topics were:
- “Should Jews (and Everyone Else) be Vegetarians, and Even Vegans” on, September 14.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
(2) “Vegan Revolution: Saving the World, Revitalizing Judaism” is on Wednesday, Sept. 16 from 3pm – 3:30pm.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
(3) “Applying Religious Values to Help Heal our Imperiled Planet” is on Thursday, Sept. 17 from 9:30am – 10am.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
26. I am averaging at least one published letter a month promoting veganism in the Jerusalem Post and many of my vegan-related articles have been published in the Jerusalem Post.
F. Future Prospects
27. I plan to try to schedule many Zoom events during which I make presentations to or take part in discussions with various organizations and congregations. I also would be happy to engage in dialogues/debates with rabbis on, “Should Jews be Vegetarians, or Even Vegans?”
28. I plan to actively use Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other.social media, GoodReads, and every outlet I can to increase awareness about my book and the causes it promotes.
29. Using a very generous, matched donation to Jewish Veg, with the stipulation that it be used to promote VEGAN REVOLUTION, and hopefully similar future donations,I plan to place ads in the Jerusalem Post and in Torah Tidbits, a publication given out in Israeli synagogues before Shabbat and also viewable online. I hope that donations from these ads will, in turn, help pay for future ads.
30. Based on my 40 years of activism, I have been involved with many veg, animal rights, and environmental groups in the US, Israel, and the UK, and I expect many of them to promote Vegetarian Revolution to their membership lists.
Organizations VERY LIKELY to help promote VEGAN REVOLUTION, sending information about my book to their contacts, include:
Jewish Veg
Jewish Vegetarian Society of the UK
Jewish Vegetarian Society of Israel
Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI)
Jews for Animal Rights
Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM)
Animals Now, formerly Anonymous for Animal Rights
North American Vegetarian Society
American Vegan Society
Shamayim
Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL)
The Peaceable table
Vegetarians in Paradice
The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development
Hazon, the Jewish Lab for Sustainability
Aytzim, Ecological Judaism
Green Zionist Alliance
The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center
Christian Vegetarian Association
31. I expect that one or more events will be scheduled about VEGAN REVOLUTION at the retire village in Israel where I now live.
I hope for many more positive developments in the coming weeks. Your suggestions are VERY welcome. Together we can help save the world.
KOL tuv, and stay well, and please let me know what you think.
Richard