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Emunah Magazine
Fall, 2002

Judaism and Global Survival
Richard H. Schwartz
Lantern Books, 256 pages, $20
Reviewed by Faye Reichwald, Editor of Emunah Magazine

Dr. Schwartz, an advocate of vegetarianism, deals in this fascinating
book with the direct link between the observance of the Biblical
commandments and the condition of our ecosystems. His book is a call to
address ourselves to the challenges that today's injustices and dangers
present. Human activities, he says, inflict harsh and often irreversible
damage on the environment and on critical resources, and if not
checked, we risk a situation in which we will be unable to sustain life as
we know it.

The Jewish community, he insists, must become more actively involved;
it is a desecration of God's name to poison the air and water, to slash
and burn forests, and to wantonly destroy the abundant resources that
God has so generously provided. He cites statistics on the increase in
heat waves, the earlier arrival of spring, the spread of disease, and
the increase in droughts and forest fires. Dr. Schwartz suggests ways
in which Jews should join forces through groups such as the Coalition
on the Environment and Jewish life (COEJL).


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