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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200820T210000
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SUMMARY:ZOOM Jewish New Year For Animals DISCUSSION
DESCRIPTION:9:00 pm Aug. 20: Zoom discussion on New Year For Animals \nI-N-V-I-T-A-T-I-O-N >  https://sjsu.zoom.us/j/95222715669?pwd=UkdvcDNNNW5xdkxYeEtEMk93T1ZzUT09 \nTopic: Modernizing the biblical holiday\, Rosh Chodesh Elul\, based on Jewish teachings of compassion to animals vs. animal-based diets and agriculture.  Also human health\, protecting the environment\, conserving natural resources\, helping hungry people\, and pursuing peace.\nSpeakers:  \nDan Brook\, professor of sociology at San Jose State University; author of An Alef-Bet Kabalah and Eating the Earth; maintainer of  The Vegetarian Mitzvah. \nLewis Regenstein\, author of “Commandments of Compassion: Jewish Teachings on Protecting the Planet and Its Creatures\,” Replenish the Earth\, and other writings on Judaism and animals; \nRichard Schwartz\, PhD\, president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Judaism and Vegetarianism; \nJeffrey ‘Reb VeganMan’ Tucker\, lay leader Temple Beth Or\, Founder: Florida EarthSave\, Vegtastic Philanthropy and VeganVille.TV \nWill Tuttle\, Ph.D\, visionary author of the international best-seller\, The World Peace Diet; Zen monk; recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and Empty Cages Prize.   Dr. Tuttle will discuss how non-Jews will react to efforts to restore and transform the holiday. \nAharon Varady\, community planner & Jewish educator; founding director\, the Open Siddur Project; a pioneer in efforts to restore and transform the ancient holiday. \nJonathan Wolf\, founder of Jewish Vegetarians of North America; co-founder of L’Olam: The Jewish Environmental Network; executive director of Yashar: The Institute for Jewish Activism. \nRelated article\, Jerusalem Post> https://www.jpost.com/judaism/renewing-the-ancient-new-year-for-animals-with-a-vegan-spind-638482 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA similar Zoom event is scheduled for Israel also on August 20 at 8 PM Israeli time>  https://zoom.us/j/98374978301 \nSpeakers: \nMiriam Maisel\, MD\, family practitioner\, with emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle; \nRabbi Yonatan Neril\, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development; \nRichard Schwartz\, PhD\, president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Judaism and Vegetarianism; \nYael Shemesh\, professor of bible at Bar Ilan University; \nAlon Tal\, PhD\, chairman of the Public Policy Department at Tel Aviv University and author of Pollution in the Promised Land; \nIsaac Thomas\, director of Vegan Nation; \n————————- \nBelow are lists of supporting organisations\, rabbis\, and organizational leaders and other influential Jews\, followed by eight supportive statements by; rabbis and one by a vegan leader: \n***** If you are a rabbi or a Jewish veg leader and would like to be added to the appropriate list and/or if you would like to help in sharing ideas or material about promoting this initiative\, and/or you have suggestions about this initiative\, please email me at VeggieRich@gjmail.com.  MANY thanks! \nJewish organizations that support this initiative so far: \nAnimals Now\, formerly Anonymous for Animal Rights (Animals-Now.org) \nAytzim: Ecological Judaism\, Parent organization of: \nEcoJews\, Green Zionist Alliance\, Jewcology.org \, Jews of the Earth \, Shomrei Breishit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth (aytzim.org) \nBread and Torah Project (BreadandTorah.org) \nCoalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL). coejl.org \nConcern for Helping Animals in Israel (www.chai-online.org) \nEcoJews (jewcology.org/initiative/ecojews/) \nHakol Chai (www.chai.org.il) \nHazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability (hazon.org) \nGreen Zionist Alliance (https://aytzim.org/greenisrael) \nInterfaith Council for the Protection of Animals and Nature (www.icpanonline.org.p4.hostingprod.com/home) \nJews For Animal Rights (www.micahbooks.com) \nJewcology (jewcology.org) Jews of the Earth \, \nJewish Veg\, formerly Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JewishVeg.org) \nJewish Vegetarian Society of the UK. (www.jvs.org.uk) \nJewish Vegetarian Society of Israel. (ginger.org.il) \nJews of the Earth (aytzim.org/jote) \nNeohasid (www.neohasid.org) \nShamayim Institute Promoting Jewish Veganism & Animal Welfare (www.shamayimvaretz.org) \nShomrei Breishit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth (aytzim.org) \nTree of Life Rejuvenation Center (www.treeoflife.nu/) \nVegetarian Mitzvah (www.brook.com/jveg) \nYashar: The Institute for Jewish activism (website under construction). \n———— \nRabbis who support this initiative so far \nRabbi Katy Z. Allen\, Staff Chaplain\, Brigham and Women’s Hospital \nRabbi Lester Bronstein is immediate past president of the New York Board of Rabbis; rabbi of Bet Am Shalom in White Plains\, New York since 1989; on the board of T’ruah: A Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. \nRabbi Howard A Cohen\, Congregation Shirat Hayam in Marshfield MA; creator and director of Burning Bush Adventures\, a program that combined wilderness travel with Judaism for 30 years; deputy chief and chaplain of the Bennington Fire Department for the past 20 years. \nRabbi Michael Cohen\, teacher of Bible and the Environment at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies; teacher of courses on Conflict Resolution and the Bible at Bennington College. \nRabbi Gabriel Cousens\, M.D.\, Director of Tree of Life Foundation and \nauthor of Torah as a Guide to Enlightenment \nRabbi Yehoshua Engelman\, psychoanalyst \nRabbi Ariel Edery\, Beth Shalom\, Cary NC \nRabbi Adam Frank\, Israeli Masorti teacher and lecturer\, \nRabbi Yonassan Gershom\, writer and activist; his blog “Notes from a Jewish Thoreau” is at http://rooster613.blogspot.com/ \nRabbi Irving (Yitz ) Greenberg\, former President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; author of The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays \nRabbi David Mivasair\, Ahavat Olam Synagogue\, emeritus\, Vancouver\, British Columbia \nRabbi Linda Motzkin\, co-director of the Bread and Torah project \nRabbi Yonatan Neril\, Founder and Executive Director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development in Israel \nRabbi Arnold Rachlis\, University Synagogue\, Irvine\, CA \nRabbi David Rosen\, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland: KSG\, CBE\, International Co-President\, Religions for Peace; Member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s Commission for Dialogue with Religions; former Chief Rabbi of Ireland \nRabbi Jonathan Rubenstein\, co-director of the Bread and Torah project \nRabbi Amy Sapowith\, Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation\, Ashburn\, VA \nRabbi Sid Schwartz\, Founding Rabbi\, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation\, Bethesda\, MD. Author\, Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future. \nRabbi David Seidenberg\, director of neohasid.org \nRabbi David Serotta\, director emeritus of Interfaith Council of Metropolitan\, Washington \nRabbi Daniel Swartz\, Spiritual Leader\, Temple Hesed; Executive Director\, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life \nRabbi Arthur Waskow\, director of the Shalom Center \nRabbi David Wolpe\, Temple Sinai\, Los Angeles \nRabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz\, founder and director of the Shamayim V’Aretz Institute Promoting Jewish Veganism & Animal Welfare; author of over a dozen books on Jewish values and ethics \nRabbi Rain Zohav\, Director\, JOTE- Jews of the Earth\, a project of Aytzim \nOrganizational leaders and other influential Jews who support this initiative \nSyd Baumel\, former editor of The Aquarian\, a forum for shedding light on the path to personal fulfillment \nLara Balsam\, Director of UK-based Jewish Vegetarian Society \nJeremy Benstein\, The Heschel Sustainability Center\, Tel Aviv\, Israel; author of The Way Into Judaism and the Environment \nDan Brook\, professor of sociology at San Jose State University; author of An Alef-Bet Kabalah and Eating the Earth; maintainer of The Vegetarian Mitzvah. \nJeffrey Spitz Cohan\, director of Jewish Veg \nLionel Friedberg\, multiaward-winning cinematographer\, producer\, editor\, and writer\, producer of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America documentary “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World.” \nA. J. Frost\, Senior Director of Operations/Assistant to the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash \nAlex Hershaft\, founder and director of the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) \nRoberta Kalechofsky\, PhD\, author or editor of many books\, including Jewish Vegetarianism\, Rabbis and Vegetarianism\, and Judaism and Animal Rights; founder and director of Jews for Animal Rights \nLori Kirshner\, President of Advancing the Interests of Animals (AIA)\, which she founded in 2001; host of Animals Today\, a nationally syndicated radio show and podcast \nDavid Krantz\, President of Aytzim: Ecological Judaism \nMiriam Maisel\, MD\, family practitioner\, with emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle \nNina Natelson\, founder and director of Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI) \nBecky O’Brien\, director for food and climate for Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability \nLewis Regenstein\, author of “Commandments of Compassion: Jewish Teachings on Protecting the Planet and Its Creatures\,” Replenish the Earth\, and other writings on Judaism and animals \nSahar Riemer\, Development Coordinator\, Animals Now \nNigel S. Savage\, President & CEO of Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability \nRichard Schwartz\, PhD\, president emeritus of Jewish Veg; author of Judaism and vegetarianism \nYael Shemesh\, Professor of Bible at Bar Ilan University \nPeter Spiegel\, Vice President and Secretary of Advancing the Interests of Animals (AIA); producer and co-host of the radio show Animals Today\,. \nIsaac Thomas\, Founder and CEO of Vegan Nation \nJeffrey Tucker\, director of Florida chapter of Earth Save \nAharon Varady\, community planner & Jewish educator; founding director\, the Open Siddur Project \nJonathan Wolf\, founder of Jewish Vegetarians of North America; co-founder of L’Olam: The Jewish Environmental Network; executive director of Yashar: The Institute for Jewish Activism. \nYossi Wolfson\, coordinator of the Israeli Jewish Vegetarian Society \n———————- \nMessages of support from rabbis \nThe Maharal (Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague) wrote that “Love of all creatures is also the love of the Holy One\, Blessed be He; for when one loves the Holy One\, it is impossible not to love His creatures. The opposite is also true. If one hates His creatures\, it is impossible to (truly) love He who created them” (Netivot Olam\, 1) \nAccordingly\, the idea to develop the “ New Year for Animals” from its original limited reference\, to become a day for raising awareness of human responsibility for animal welfare\, is in fact nothing less than an initiative to enhance our love of the Creator Himself\, and is a sanctification of the Divine Name. Rabbi David Rosen KSG\, CBE\, International Co-President\, Religions for Peace; Member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel’s Commission for Dialogue with Religions; former Chief rabbi of Ireland. \nIt is a beautiful idea to renew/revive a classic day – Rosh Hashanah for counting and giving ma’aser behayma – which lost its actual function with the destruction of the Temple and the Exile. Your contemporary application of this attention in the form of addressing humanity’s relationship to animal life – and the widespread mistreatment of food animals and environmental abuse in today’s economy\, marked by industrial farming and animal husbandry – is inspired. I wish you great success in this project because it would have a morally positive effect on our treatment of animals and the planet -as well as bring great benefits to human health in switching to a healthier diet and life enhancement eating. In this way\, your project fulfills and advances the central mitzvah of the Torah: choose life. Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg\, former President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; author of The Jewish way: Living the Holidays \nThe Jewish tradition mandates that we are stewards of all God’s creation. In our day we are increasingly sensitized to suffering of those living creatures in our care; this initiative helps us to recognize our obligation to animals and so helps us be more fully human. Rabbi David Wolpe\, Temple Sinai\, Los Angeles \nTransforming this holiday\, which was originally a time to tithe one’s flocks\, into a day to focus on the treatment of animals on modern farms\, would provide an excellent educational opportunity. Unlike our farmer/herder ancestors who had daily contact with animals\, modern Jews are often completely out of touch with where their food comes from\, or how it is produced. Rabbi Yonassan Gershom\, writer and activist; his blog “Notes from a Jewish Thoreau” is at http://rooster613.blogspot.com/ \nIt is a great joy that we should reactivate a day to honor the holy relationship between the human and animal worlds\, as per Genesis 1:29 and 1:30\, where all of the animal and human species will be restored to a vegan way of life …. and with that a new level of peace will unfold on the planet. This is something to bring about and celebrate. Rabbi Gabriel Cousens\, M.D. Director of Tree of Life Foundation and author of Torah as a Guide to Enlightenment. \nI applaud this initiative and effort to bring to fruition the awareness that Jewish tradition expects of humanity toward the animal kingdom. Adam Frank\, Israeli Masorti rabbi and teacher \nBy setting aside only one day—a single day—a year to focus on the undervalued significance that animals have in our lives allows us to reflect on the enormity and beauty of God’s creation. A single day each year empowers us to look into our core and go back to the Garden of Eden\, the one locale where human and animal resided side by side\, where one side didn’t dominate the other for gain. In this way\, we return to the vision of Paradise\, where all are treated with equality\, respect\, and dignity. That is the way of Torah. That is the way of Creation. That is way of the Divine. We should hear the call and celebrate the Animal\, just as God intended. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz\, founder and director of Shamayim v’Aretz; author of over a dozen books on Jewish values and ethics. \nJust as Tu Bishvat has been renewed in our times as a day to plant trees and appreciate God’s creation\, so too the first day of the month of Elul can be renewed as a time to focus on our relationship with animals. The Mishna makes clear that this is one of the four New Years in the Jewish calendar\, and that it relates to the tithing of animals. Therefore\, it is appropriate for us to consider how we relate to animals today\, even if the ancient tithing practice no longer occurs after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yonatan Neril\, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development; currently working on a book about environmental aspects and insights from the Torah. \n============= \nIn our lifetimes\, we have seen the renewal of the medieval custom of the Tu B’Shvat Seder\, celebrating trees and fruits and nature and the Land of Israel. Now is the time to similarly create new ceremonies for marking Rosh Hodesh Elul\, named in the Mishna as one of the four New Years in the Jewish year [along with Rosh Hashana\, Rosh Hodesh Nissan\, and Tu B’shvat]\, specifically the one for tithing and other laws as they apply to animals. We can use this day to remember and rededicate ourselves to ending the cruelties of factory farming\, to recognize the benefits which animals bring into the world\, to honor our pets\, and to remind ourselves that all animals are Divine creatures possessing independent integrity\, whom we are prohibited by Jewish law from torturing or mistreating\, and who were not created for our exploitation. Jonathan Wolf\, a leader since the 1970s in the revival of the Seder Leil Tu B’Shvat; founder in 1975 of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America; currently executive director of YASHAR: the Institute for Jewish Activism \n—— \nLink to JPost article on renewing the New Year for Animals \nhttps://www.jpost.com/judaism/renewing-the-ancient-new-year-for-animals-with-a-vegan-spind-638482 \n—- \nRichard H. Schwartz\, Ph.D.\nProfessor Emeritus\, College of Staten Island\nAuthor of Judaism and Vegetarianism\, Judaism and Global Survival\, Mathematics and Global Survival\, and Who Stole My Religion? Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet\, and over 250 articles at JewishVeg.org/schwartz\nPresident Emeritus\, Jewish Vegetarians of North America (www.JewishVeg.org); President\, Society Of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV):\nAssociate producer of A SACRED DUTY (www.aSacredDuty.com);\n“Like” JVNA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JewishVeg \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n \n\n\n 
URL:https://vegtastic.co/events/zoom-jewish-new-year-for-animals-discussion/
LOCATION:ZOOM Internet\, Virutal
CATEGORIES:EarthSave Co-Event
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