Punk Torah, Israeli Fur Ban Proposed, Being Vegan on Passover, and Birkat Hachama

Punk Torah
"If you're truly Jewish, and truly punk, you know that it's all about going against the grain, resisting authority when you know it's wrong, and doing your own thing," said Patrick A. in one of his recent "Punk Torah" videos on YouTube. Another recent video focused on why "punk rockers should embrace Judaism" while a Dead Kennedys song played in the background. For Parshat Vayikra, Patrick A. noted that "many Jews have chosen vegetarianism as the ultimate G-dly, kosher diet."

Click here to see Punk Torah's YouTube channel, and click here to go to Punk Torah's MySpace page. Also, check out my December 30 and January 15 posts mentioning CAN CAN, of which Patrick A. is the singer.

Bill to Ban Fur in Israel
On March 18, MK Nitzan Horowitz introduced a Knesset bill that would ban the importation, production, and sale of fur in Israel. "In light of this bill, Israel takes a giant leap forward; from having no existing law concerning fur; to becoming the first nation on the planet to [propose to] completely protect all fur bearing animals from the suffering and death inflicted upon millions of animals at the hands of the fur industry the world over," noted an International Anti-Fur Coalition news release.

The news release added, "Last month, a report on Israel's channel 10 ... revealed that items from the top fashion chain stores to cheap toys in bazaars, that what was being sold as fake fur was indeed real fur. Lab tests had shown that several articles taken from leading Israeli brands and sold as fake fur were made of dog and rabbit fur!"

Being Vegan on Passover
On Thursday, The Jew & The Carrot featured a post about being vegan on Passover. The more years I do it, the easier it gets. The discussion following the post asks "if there’s a rabbinic authority out there that would give Ashkenazi vegans the option to break with tradition, and eat kitniyot," and the answer is a resounding yes! See the "Pesach Resources for Vegans" for more information. (Note: That guide erroneously referred to legumes and rice as chametz. They're actually classified as kitniyot.) And check back tomorrow for a Passover-themed guest post.

Birkat Hachama
The next Jewish holiday is Birkat Hachama, not Passover. Birkat Hachama, a celebration of the sun, occurs once every 28 years. Check out Jewschool's post about this rare holiday, which features links to resources and an 1897 New York Times article that explains how a rabbi got arrested for celebrating Birkat Hachama without a permit.