The Video That Can Spur Action

Jewish Vegetarians of North America President Richard Schwartz recently spent several weeks in Israel with filmmaker Lionel Friedberg. Their goal is to make the definitive video about Judaism and vegetarianism and other related issues. Schwartz writes:

It will consider many powerful Jewish teachings about respect for all life, environmental stewardship, compassion for animals, and tikkun olam, and the negative effects of failing to adequately apply these teachings. It will powerfully show how Israel’s major environmental problems threaten Israel’s survival and the sustainability of the entire region. . . . Lionel and I strongly believe that the video will help greatly in getting vegetarianism and environmental stewardship onto the Jewish agenda.

Schwartz and Friedberg were quite busy interviewing key sources during their travels to the Holy Land--including quite a few rabbis and activists and even a doctor and a lawyer or two to impress your Jewish mother. They're not just making "Meet Your Meat" with Jewish buzzwords--they're getting a wide range of views to show how vital vegetarianism is on so many levels and how the commandment to minimize tza'ar ba'alei chayim is going unheeded in modern animal agriculture.

Frankly, this project has more potenetial than anything else I can think of to generate long overdue dialogue about vegetarianism and related issues within the Jewish community.

If you believe that these issues deserve to be discussed and wish to support this film, which will serve as such an impetus, then please help. You can e-mail Richard Schwartz at Rschw12345@aol.com with fundraising suggestions or if you can provide stock footage. But most importantly, funds are needed in order to make this video a reality. Donations can be sent to:

Jewish Vegetarians of North America
c/o Israel Mossman
6938 Reliance Rd.
Federalsburg, MD 21632

The organization could always use more funds, of course, but specifically note that your donation is for this project if that is indeed your intention. "Overall, we may need an additional $30,000 to $40,000, including money for the production and distribution of the video," Schwartz notes. "Any amount will be welcome and appreciated. Donations of $1,000 or more will be acknowledged in the credits at the end of the video."