PEACEANIMAL PEACEANIMAL PeacePen Webinar SeriesPeacePen Webinar Series Featuring those Featuring those

whose writing changes the worldwhose writing changes the world

Professor Richard H. Schwartz

Presented by

Dr. Kris Lecakes Haley & Dr. Craig Haley Co-Founders, PEACEANIMAL

WWW.PEACEANIMAL.COM

What’s On The Agenda?What’s On The Agenda?

•Meet Professor Richard H. Schwartz

•Embark on an amazing journey through the Jewish scriptural texts, interpretations and philosophies that illuminated the path toward the groundbreaking documentary, “A SACRED DUTY”

•Hear more about Prof. Schwartz’s other books, articles and offerings

•Q & A

Meet Professor Richard Meet Professor Richard SchwartzSchwartz

• Professor EmeritusCollege of Staten Island

• President, JewishVegetarians of North America (JVNA) & Society of Ethical Religious Vegetarians (SERV)

• Associate Producer, “A SACRED DUTY”

• Director, Veg Climate •Alliance

•Co-author of “A ReligiousProclamation for AnimalCompassion”

Professor Schwartz’s Body of Professor Schwartz’s Body of WorkWork

• Author, “Judaism and Vegetarianism”

• Author, “Judaism and Global Survival”

• Author, “Mathematics and Global Survival”

• Author of over 140 articles at www.jewishveg.com/schwartz

• Creator of a free, online course on Judaism and Vegetarianism located at www.jewishveg.com/schwartz

Why This Discussion Is Why This Discussion Is ImportantImportant 1. World heading toward unprecedented catastrophe

    a. global warming b. widening water shortages c. extinction of species

d. destruction of tropical rain forests e. Many more threats

2. Impacts of vegetarian diets a. UN FAO Report

b. World Watch Magazine

3. Switch toward vegetarianism essential a. a societal imperative

Jewish Case For Jewish Case For VegetarianismVegetarianism

1. Biblical Case

2. Six Basic Jewish Mandates

The Biblical CaseThe Biblical CaseGod’s First Dietary RegimenGod’s First Dietary Regimen

And God said: "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit -- to you it shall be for food."                                    ~ Genesis 1:29 

The Biblical CaseThe Biblical CaseThe Second Vegetarian The Second Vegetarian

ExperimentExperiment

• Manna from heaven

• People not satisfied

• Lusted for meat

• Great plague - “Graves of Lust” 

The Biblical CaseThe Biblical CaseThe Second Vegetarian The Second Vegetarian

ExperimentExperiment • Permission to eat meat

reluctantly given

• Associated with lust

• Many stipulations/kashrutlaws

• “A Hidden Reprimand”/Rav Kook 

The Biblical CaseThe Biblical Case Messianic Period VegetarianMessianic Period Vegetarian

And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb,And the leopard shall lie down with the kid;And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;And a little child shall lead themAnd the cow and the bear shall feed;Their young ones shall lie down together,And the lion shall eat straw like the ox....They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain...                                       ~ Isaiah 11:6-9  

Six Basic Jewish MandatesSix Basic Jewish Mandates

1.     Treat Animals Compassionately2.     Preserve Human Health3.     Protect the Environment4.     Conserve Natural Resources5.     Help Hungry People6.     Seek and Pursue Peace  

1. Treat Animals 1. Treat Animals CompassionatelyCompassionately

While Judaism forbids tsa'ar ba'alei chayim, inflicting unnecessary pain on animals, most farm animals -- including those raised for kosher consumers -- are raised on "factory farms" where they live in cramped, confined spaces, and are often drugged, mutilated, and denied fresh air, sunlight, exercise, and any enjoyment of life, before they are slaughtered and eaten.

1. Treat Animals 1. Treat Animals CompassionatelyCompassionately

“God's mercies over all of his creations.” ~ Psalms 145:9

“The righteous person considers the lives of his animals.”

~ Proverbs 12:10

Part of Ten Commandments Torah commandments

Feed animals firstTest for leadership and choosing a spouse

2. Preserve Human Health2. Preserve Human Health

While Judaism mandates that people should be very careful about preserving their health and their lives, numerous scientific studies have linked animal-based diets directly to heart disease, stroke, many forms of cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases.

• Most important Jewish mitzvot?

• Overrides other mitzvot

2. Preserve Human Health2. Preserve Human Health

• Migration Studies

• Wartime Studies

• Epidemiological Studies

• Dean Ornish Studies

2. Preserve Human Health2. Preserve Human Health

• The protein myth

• The calcium myth

3. Protect the Environment3. Protect the Environment

While Judaism teaches that "the earth is the Lord's" (Psalm 24:1) and that we are to be God's partners and co-workers in preserving the world, modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes substantially to global warming, soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, and other environmental damage.

3. Protect the Environment3. Protect the Environment

Weren't we given dominion?

- Responsible stewardship

- Genesis 1:29: Limits human diet

- Genesis 2:15: Human role: To work

land and to guard it

- Midrash: ancient rabbinic warning

4. Conserve Natural Resources4. Conserve Natural Resources

While Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, and that we are not to use more than is needed to accomplish a purpose, animal agriculture requires the wasteful use of grain, land, water, energy, and other resources.

4. Conserve Natural Resources4. Conserve Natural Resources

Jewish sages extended Deuteronomy 20:19, 20 to a general prohibition against wasting

Our society based on waste; buy-use-dispose, rather than reduce-reuse-recycle

Water: 4,200 gallons vs. 1,400 gallons vs. 300 gallons

5. Help Hungry People5. Help Hungry People

While Judaism stresses that we are to assist the poor and share our bread with hungry people, over 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter, while over a billion of the world’s people are chronically hungry and an estimated 20 million people worldwide die because of hunger and its effects each year.

5. Help Hungry People5. Help Hungry People

Leave corners of the field and gleanings of the harvest for the poor

True purpose of fasting - end oppression, share with hungry people

6. Seek and Pursue Peace6. Seek and Pursue Peace

While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence results from unjust conditions, animal-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that eventually lead to instability and war.

6. Seek and Pursue Peace6. Seek and Pursue Peace

Lechem and milchamah

Same slogan for peace movement and vegetarian movement

Global warming's effects on instability, violence, terrorism and war

Six Basic Jewish Mandates - Six Basic Jewish Mandates - SummarySummary

In view of these important Jewish mandates to preserve human health, attend to the welfare of animals, protect the environment, conserve resources, help feed hungry people, and pursue peace, and since animal-centered diets violate and contradict each of these responsibilities, committed Jews (and others) should sharply reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products.  

Respectful challenge to rabbis and other Jewish leaders.

Jewish Vegetarians of North Jewish Vegetarians of North AmericaAmerica

A Place To Read And Learn About The Growing Jewish Vegetarian Movement

Website: www.JewishVeg.com Newsletters: contact me at president@JewishVeg.com Articles: www.JewishVeg.com/schwartz   

Society of Ethical and Society of Ethical and Religious VegetariansReligious Vegetarians

An Interfaith Peace Effort Pursuing Plant-based, Nonviolent Nutrition

Website: www.serv-online.org Yahoo Group: www.groups.yahoo.com

SERV USA: Richard Schwartz, Stephen Kaufman SERV Canada  

A SACRED DUTYA SACRED DUTYAn Opportunity To Move Our Imperiled An Opportunity To Move Our Imperiled

PlanetPlanetTo A Sustainable PathTo A Sustainable Path

Website: www.asacredduty.com May be viewed on www.youtube.com

Complimentary Copies Available 

A Major Documentary on Current Environmental Threats and How

Applying Jewish Teachings Can Help Heal The World

Richard Schwartz & Producer Lionel Friedberg

Richard’s Other EffortsRichard’s Other Efforts

•Letters•Articles•Press Releases•Talks•Resolutions

THE FUTURE – A Call To THE FUTURE – A Call To Action!Action!

•Challenge Rabbis And Others

•Stage Debates: Should Jews Be Vegetarians?

•Stress That Vegetarianism Is A Societal Imperative

CONTACT CONTACT INFORMATIONINFORMATION

Richard Schwartzpresident@JewishVeg.com

Kris Lecakes Haley & Craig HaleyCo-founders, PEACEANIMALpeaceanimal@cox.net

What Do YOU What Do YOU Think??Think??

•Your questions and comments

are welcome and encouraged

THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

www.peaceanimal.com