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May 20, 2026, 6:31 PM

Don’t eat cheesecake this Shavuot

One of the things I love most about Judaism and Jewish practice is how they have been shaped and influenced both by divinely mandated ancient laws as well as human-created traditions throughout Jewish history. Shabbat? Divine law. Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat...

Richard H. Schwartz

May 17, 2026, 1:51 PM

How can Jews justify consuming dairy products on Shavuot or any other time?

When considering our Shavuot menu, which has traditionally been centered around dairy dishes, we should consider how cruel the modern dairy industry is. Dairy cows are forcibly, artificially impregnated annually on what the industry calls “rape racks,” so that...

Talyah Ginsberg

May 4, 2026, 1:35 PM

I Stopped Eating Animals. Fish Was the Lie I Kept Telling Myself.

There are people who become vegetarians after reading philosophy. Or watching lectures. Or having long, morally rigorous debates with themselves about suffering, ethics, and the meaning of life. I saw a vein. That’s it. That’s the origin story. No TED Talk....

Richard H. Schwartz

Apr 30, 2026, 9:41 PM

Lag B’Omer and Veganism: Making Every Day Count

Lag B’Omer is considered a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, but even a minor holiday is still worth celebrating. A great way to celebrate Lag B’Omer is through veganism, as Lag B’Omer is deeply connected to the Earth...

Sharona Margolin Halickman

Apr 21, 2026, 11:35 AM

Can we eat meat wherever we would like to?

In Parshat Acharei Mot (Vayikra, Chapter 17) we learn that animals that have been consecrated as offerings must be brought to Ohel Moed (the Tent of Meeting) and sacrificed on the Mizbeach (Altar). They must be slaughtered in the...

Richard H. Schwartz

Feb 15, 2026, 4:55 PM

Refutations of 18 Objections to Veganism

Refutations of 18 Reasons Many Jews Think They Should Not Be Vegetarian or Vegan Below are 18 reasons why many of my fellow Jews think they should not be vegetarian or vegan (henceforth veg*an) and my rebuttals to the reasons: ...

Richard H. Schwartz

Feb 5, 2026, 10:46 AM

Animal-Based Agriculture, Climate Crisis, and Judaism’s Moral Wake-Up Call

This article was co-authored by Michael Gribov The world is rapidly approaching a climate tipping point, and the evidence is no longer abstract or theoretical. It is visible in rising temperatures, melting ice caps, intensifying wildfires, devastating floods, and increasingly...

Richard H. Schwartz

Feb 2, 2026, 8:19 AM

Lessons from Jewish teachings about trees that changed my life

Some of my most important lessons in life I learned from Jewish verses about trees. From the following, I learned that I should be an environmental activist, working to help preserve the world: In the hour when the Holy one,...

Richard H. Schwartz

Jan 31, 2026, 7:50 PM

Celebrating Tu B’Shvat as if Global Survival Matters

Tu Bishvat, the “New Year for Trees,” has increasingly become a “Jewish Earth Day.” It can be a time to consider how we can effectively respond to current environmental crises that threaten all life on the planet. There is a...

Richard H. Schwartz

Jan 14, 2026, 3:57 AM

Why Jews Should Be Vegans

There are many important reasons why Jews should be vegans, including the following (listed below and then discussed): Veganism is the diet most consistent with basic Jewish teachings. Eating meat and other animal-based foods is arguably halachically (according to...

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