Fighting
Chance (publication of "Last Chance For Animals")
Winter
2001
Judaism
and Vegetarianism
Reviewed by Sarah
J. Becker
Richard H. Schwartz's Judaism and
Vegetarianism is a useful reference for refuting
claims that humans and animals do not deserve equal
consideration. It effectively explains and elaborates
upon the Bible's stance on vegetarianism and explores
other moral and societal issues with which non-religious
people can identify; Schwartz even includes a section
on how vegetarianism can promote awareness and ultimately
resolve these issues. The book also contains answers
to common questions, nutritional suggestions, discussions
of Jewish vegetarian groups and their activities,
biographies of famous Jewish vegetarians, an annotated
bibliography, ideas for promoting vegetarianism, and
a detailed index. In sum, Schwartz has produced a
well documented, well-reasoned, and very convincing
work which ends with a query to Jews who plan to continue
to eat meat: "In view of strong Jewish mandates
to be compassionate to animals, preserve our health,
help feed the hungry, preserve and protect the environment,
conserve resources, and seek and pursue peace, and
the very negative effects animal-centered diets have
in each of these areas, will you now become a vegetarian,
or at least sharply reduce your consumption of animal
products?" For more information, please visit
https://jewishveg.com/schwartz.
Sarah J. Becker is working toward
her Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy at the
University of California, Irvine; her focus is on
environmental efficiency in Israel.
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