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Free Online Course

Welcome to our course on "Judaism and Vegetarianism"

Dr. Richard Schwartz, author of Judaism and Vegetarianism and Judaism and Global Survival, runs a self-paced online course that is free to all who wish to learn about vegetarianism from a Jewish perspective.

All the reading material for the course, and many other articles by Dr. Schwartz on vegetarianism, are also available at www.JewishVeg.com/schwartz. The course outline is: JUDAISM AND VEGETARIANISM

      1. A Vegetarian View of the Torah
      2. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Health
      3. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Animals
      4. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Ecology
      5. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Hunger
      6. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Peace
      7. Vegetarian Connections to Jewish Holidays
      8. Involving the Jewish Community re Vegetarianism
      9. Related Issues - Fur, Vivisection
      10. Summary

Description of the course by Dr. Richard Schwartz: I recently led a campaign to get material on Judaism and vegetarianism to over 3,500 North American congregational rabbis. While I have been devoting a great deal of my time to these issues for over 20 years, I am far from an expert. I hope that we will find many answers together. I am what is known as a baal t'shuvah, a returnee to Jewish tradition. I do not have much of a formal Jewish education, but have done a lot of background reading, and look forward to learning more, especially on teachings related to vegetarianism. If interested in my background and ideas, please read articles in the section "About Richard Schwartz". While the focus of the course is "Judaism and Vegetarianism", participants will gain knowledge of basic Jewish teachings and general information related to animals, health and nutrition, ecology, resource usage, and hunger, as well as information about Jewish festivals. It is hoped that some of the "graduates" will speak in their local areas and perhaps that a "Speakers' bureau" will be set up to help spread the Jewish vegetarian message throughout the US and beyond. I have a dream that many of the "graduates" of this course will help spread vegetarian messages and thereby the course will lead to major progress toward vegetarianism. In the Jewish tradition, it is taught that ten people can form a community and make a major difference for good or evil. G-d was willing to save the wicked cities of Sodom and Gemorrah if only ten righteous individuals could be found in them. On the other hand, ten of the 12 spies sent out to report on conditions in the land of Israel returned with a very negative report, and this caused a whole generation of Israelites to perish in the desert instead of entering the promised land. If ten people can have such an impact, imagine what 300 to 400 of us can do! Suggestions for improving the course or for additional issues to discuss will always be most welcome. Here is the course syllabus/reading assignments. Please consider reading additional articles in the appropriate groups of my Email articles if you wish to get into the issues in even greater depth. Best wishes for much success in your study and application of the course material.

JUDAISM AND VEGETARIANISM
READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR EACH LESSON

1. A Vegetarian View of the Torah

      1. A Vegetarian View of the Torah
      2. What Diet Does G-d Prefer for People?
      3. Frequently Asked Questions About Judaism and Vegetarianism

2. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Health

      1. Prevention: Torah Perspectives on Preserving Health
      2. Protein and Calcium Myths
      3. Health Studies That Could Shake the World
      4. Frequently Asked Questions About Vegetarianism and Nutrition

3. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Animals

      1. Judaism and Animal Rights
      2. Frequently Asked Questions About Judaism and Animals
      3. Toward a Winning Animal Rights Strategy

4. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Ecology

      1. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Ecology
      2. Abolishing Intensive Livestock Agriculture: A Global Imperative

5. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Hunger

      1. Judaism, Hunger, and Vegetarianism
      2. Jewish Responses to Hunger

6. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Peace

      1. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Peace (1)
      2. Judaism, Vegetarianism, and Peace (2)

7. Vegetarian Connections to Jewish Holidays

8. Involving the Jewish Community re Vegetarianism

    1. Working for a Vegetarian-Conscious Israel
    2. Promoting Vegetarianism
    3. Optional: Other articles in the section "Vegetarian Activism."

9. Related Issues - Fur, Vivisection

      1. Is Fur a Jewish Issue?
      2. The Custom of Kapparot in the Jewish Tradition
      3. Position Paper: Judaism, Health, and Animal Rights

10. Summary

      1. Frequently Asked Questions About Judaism and Vegetarianism
      2. Frequently Asked Questions About Judaism and Animals
      3. Are Jews Obligated to Be Vegetarians?
      4. Bibliography of Vegetarian Material
      5. Other articles on issues that you would like to learn more about