Gershom's Book Shop: Jewish Vegetarianism, animals, ecology

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Gershom's Book Shop:
Jewish Vegetarianism & Ecology Section

My Listmania List on animals, ecology, and social justice

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Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B'Shevat Anthology

Edited by by Ari Elon, Naomi M. Hyman, and Arthur Waskow. Anthology of ecology-oriented materials for celebrating the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the "New Year for Trees." In recent years, Tu B'Shevat has become a sort of Jewish Earth Day, with focus on planting trees, cleaning up the environment, etc. More info and/or order a copy

See also Torah of the Earth: Exploring 4000 Years of Ecology in Jewish Thought, edited by Arthur Waskow.

And don't forget your copy of CHICKEN RUN -- the movie! Heroic chickens escape from a prison-like farm to freedom. Great animation with a vegetarian message.

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Ecology and the Jewish Spirit

Edited by Ellen Bernstein, founder of Shomrei Adamah (Guardians of the Earth), the first Jewish ecology group. This book is an eclectic collection of essays by Jews of many backgrounds, exploring how Judaism has viewed Sacred Space, Sacred Time, and Sacred Community in the light of teachings about nature, agriculture, animals, etc.
Order your copy in hardcover or paperback.

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It's Back in Print at last!

Judaism and Vegetarianism

By Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. (modern Orthodox), president of the Jewish Vegetarians of nort America (JVNA). Absolutely the best book for vegetarian activists, with copious references from Jewish sources, brief biographies of famous Jews (religious and secular) who were vegetarians, a great Q and A section answering common objections to vegetarianism, Torah issues, etc. Order your copy now!

(See also Judaism and Global Survival by the same author. Richard Schwartz also reviews books on vegetarianism, animal rights, Judaism and social justice issues, etc. on Amazon.com -- check out his Friends and Favorites page for his latest reviews.

Vegetarianism and the Jewish Tradition by Dr. Louis A Berman. Another excellent resource, although it is a special order and sometimes requires a long wait to get a copy. Be sure to allow plenty of time for delivery.
Click to order

Judaism and Animal Rights: Classical and Contemporary Responses edited by Roberta Kalechovsky, has essays from a broad spectrum of Jewish views. Despite the title, it tends to lean toward the non-Orthodox agenda, but the issues raised will make you re-think your attitudes toward animals.

The Soul of Your Pet: Evidence for Survival of Animals in the Afterlife. This is not a Jewish book per se, but the true stories in it are real food for thought. Do animals have souls? Do pets come back to visit us?

The Healing Power of Pets by Dr. Marty Becker, DVM. This one isn't specifically Jewish either, but it has a lot to think about. According to numerous studies and anecdotal stories in this book, people who have pets live longer, healthier lives than people who don't. (Dog owners are eight times more likely to be alive a year after a hear attack!) Considering how few Jews have pets copmpared to the general population, I recommend we read this book and re-evaluate our attitudes about dogs and other animals.

Haggadah for the Liberated Lam By Roberta Kalechofsky. An animal rights Haggadah (Passover service) that is, in the author's words, "both Haggadah and Manifesto." Halachically it is not a kosher service, in that, among other things, it does not mention the lamb sacrifice -- not even to condemn it. But as a source for supplementary readings on Passover or throughout the year, it provides much (vegetarian) food for thought about Judaism and animal rights. (Note: this is a special order, so if you want one for Passover, order early.) Order your copy in hardcover or paperback

Appleblossom By Shulamith Levey Oppenheim. A wonderful children's Passover story (age 9 and up) about a Jewish boy who wants a cat, but his father says no, quoting Talmud and folk beliefs to back up his opinion. The boy, Naphtali, meets a friendly kitten that he names Appleblossom. Together they find a way to get his father to change his mind. A classic, and a must for any Jewish family that loves animals. Click to read Reb Gershom's review and order

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Gershom's Book Shop: Jewish Vegetarianism & Ecology Section