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Jewish
Vegetarians Unite
by Reuven Fenton
The Blueprint
May 2006
These days, advocates of vegetarianism suffer a lot
of ridicule. They are typically caricatured as carrot-chewing
misfits holding signs that read, "Equal Rights
for Animals" or as socialites who are running with
a fashionable chicken-friendly trend. Unfortunately,
many meat defenders swear by these stereotypes, claiming
that the herbivores of today wear their vegetarianism
like it’s another red kabbalistic string bracelet.
The vegetarian community desperately needs better spokesmen.
Enter Dr. Richard Schwartz, a retired mathematician
and professor, author of "Judaism and Vegetarianism,"
and contributor of over 100 articles about the benefits
of not eating meat. As a young man, Schwartz had turkey
on Thanksgiving like everyone else; then, while preparing
to teach a course called, "Mathematics and the
Environment" at The College of Staten Island, he
began to realize some of the environmental and economic
consequences of living an omnivorous lifestyle. After
several semesters of teaching the class, Schwartz decided
that "I didn’t want to be someone who preaches
something he doesn’t practice," he says.
And so began his path toward strict vegetarianism, which
over time blossomed into his role today as the head
of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA).
Schwartz believes that the necessity for vegetarianism
is now stronger than ever. After the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment was released in January 2006, projecting
severe threats to humanity in the next 50 years unless
major changes occur, Schwartz urged Jewish leaders to
"apply Jewish values in leading a movement toward
plant-based diets in order to help shift our imperiled
planet to a sustainable path," he says. A few of
his supporting arguments include: 70% of the grain produced
in the U.S. feeds animals destined for slaughter, which
causes soil erosion and wastes grain that could otherwise
be used for starving people; humans consume 14 times
more water on meat-based diets than on plant diets,
thereby substantially reducing the earth’s fresh
water supply; and many meat products have been conclusively
linked to heart disease, several forms of cancer and
other chronic degenerative diseases.
As head of the JVNA, Schwartz feels strongly that the
production and consumption of animal products violates
basic Jewish teachings. In one of his articles, he writes,
“While God was able to say, ‘It is very
good’ when the world was created, today the world
faces many environmental threats. Thus, could God favor
meat-centered diets which involve extensive soil depletion
and erosion, air and water pollution related to the
widespread production and use of pesticides, fertilizer,
and other chemicals, and the destruction of tropical
rain forests and other habitats?” Therefore, “the
Jewish community should fulfill our mandated role to
be a ‘light unto the nations’ by leading
efforts to make people aware of the importance of responding
to environmental threats, by shifting toward plant-centered
diets and making other positive lifestyle changes.”
Point well taken, Professor.
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