Etc.

Pangea
I generally don't use this blog to endorse companies, but there's one that really deserves to be commended. Pangea sells a wide variety of vegan and cruelty-free products, from food and vitamins to clothing and cosmetics. For years, I have been consistently wowed by how quickly Pangea processes orders and how communicative the company is if there's even a slight complication or delay. Pangea orders arrive in the mail faster than one would think possible. The quality and selection of their products are top-notch as well. To browse Pangea's catalog, go to VeganStore.com. On a side note, Pangea sells hard-to-find dark-chocolate gelt around Hanukkah time.

Foer: Synagogue Is Perfect Venue for Conversation About Food Issues
Eating Animals author Jonathan Safran Foer recently spoke at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C. He had this to say about the horrors of industrialized animal agriculture and related food practices:

A place like this [a synagogue] is the perfect place to talk about it, because there are religious values behind it [the conversation]. ... I can't quite imagine a rabbi who wouldn't take this [issue] up as one of the most important things to talk about right now.

Kashrut and Perceived Purity
Earlier this month, The New York Times ran an article about the perceived purity that some consumers attribute to kosher foods. The article noted that "some experts in animal welfare warn consumers not to assume that kosher means humane."

The article claimed, "For some shoppers, kosher means purity of ingredients. Vegetarians know a parve label means absolutely no meat or dairy products. (Vegans, though, are out of luck. Parve food can contain eggs and honey.)" I wrote a letter to the editor pointing out that parve foods are not necessarily vegetarian because they may include fish, but my letter has not been published.

Groundhog Day
In 2007, I wrote about how I had renounced my former favorite holiday, Groundhog Day, because of Punxsutawney Phil's treatment. Groundhog Day is next week, and PETA is urging the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to "make the compassionate decision to use an animatronic Phil and retire the live groundhogs who are used for Groundhog Day activities to a sanctuary."

Recent Posts on The Jew & The Carrot
My current favorite holiday, Tu B'Shvat, is this Shabbat, and for the second consecutive year, I'll be attending Hazon's Tu B'Shvat seder in Manhattan. Hazon's blog, The Jew & The Carrot, recently featured a post recommending a Tu B'Shvat seder "for every personality." Today, The Jew & The Carrot posted "Yid.Dish: Seitan Feijoada (Yup, It's Kosher and Vegan)."

Frum Satire Cross-Post
Earlier this month, I noted that Matthue Roth had written about his heebnvegan interview on MyJewishLearning.com and his own Web site. Frum Satire cross-posted Roth's post, and it's garnered a lively discussion of more than 80 comments.

Good for a Chuckle
The blog Jewish & Interfaith Weddings recently posted about serving vegan food at weddings. The post concluded:

[F]or more information about Jews and vegetarianism, check out the heeb’n'vegan blog or Jewish Veg. (Hey, did you know that Alicia Silverstone and Natalie Portman are vegan Jews? Thank [G-d] for blogs.

If I've accomplished nothing else with heebnvegan, at least I've helped educate the world about the fact that Alicia Silverstone and Natalie Portman are vegan Jews.