By Anna Balfanz

While sixteen-year-old Aviva Lucas forgets many details of her Bat-Mitzvah, she remembers the questions floating around the Kiddush table. As the guests picked up cups, they began muttering to each other, “How are these made of corn?”

Aviva, like many teenagers, knew she wanted` to host a vegan or vegetarian Bat or Bar Mitzvah. A vegetarian since fourth grade, she ensured that as many aspects as possible, from the food to the theme, reflected her devotion to animals and the environment. B’nei and B’not Mitzvah celebrate not only entering into the Jewish adulthood but also cultivating a personal identity within the Jewish community. As a highly personalized event, B’nei and B’not Mitzvah are a time to share your individuality and demonstrate to the community that you’re not simply another member, you’re you. You get to select the theme, color scheme, centerpieces, invitations, gift-bags, mitzvah (service) project and, most importantly, the food.

A vegetarian or vegan Bat or Bar Mitzvah allows you to embrace your passions and share them with others. Helpful businesses and creative ideas make catering a large vegan event completely realistic and non-stressful. From the food to the gift-bags, more ways than ever exist to fully embrace a vegan Simcha (celebration).

Aviva Lucas’s family fully supported her desire for a Bat Mitzvah with the theme of “Growth.” They ordered kippot crafted from recycled material, named the tables after native plants, and then used actual potted native plants as centerpieces for the guests to bring home and plant. To minimize wasting resources, the Lucas family ordered biodegradable dishes, cups, and cutlery made from corn, imported from Eco-Products in Boulder, Colorado. She catered with Catering by Yaffa, who worked with the family to create the perfect menu. Yaffa transcended their usual menu to help the Lucas host an Indian cuisine Kiddush, preparing foods such as a tomato sauce noodle dish and a Lucas family recipe for chana masala. Far from elongating an already lengthy process, Aviva’s family prepared for the Bat Mitzvah in five months.

Rivital Singer, from Baltimore, Maryland, age 17, lives with a vegan mother, vegetarian brother, two meat-eating brothers, and father who eats meat, “Rav Kook style.” Nevertheless, they observe a Kosher home with only one set of dishes, and if anyone in the Singer house wants to eat meat, according to Rivital, “They need to get it elsewhere.” From start to finish, Rivital accomplished her goal for a vegetarian, eco-friendly Bat Mitzvah. In order to conserve paper, Rivital opted for virtual online invitations, which the guests RSVPed to by email. Like Aviva, she only provided corn and sugar dishes to serve food on.

Rivital’s family expertly took the food situation into their own hands. Rather than locate a caterer, Rivital’s mother cooked meals for between fifty and two-hundred guests per each meal. To accomplish this seemingly massive goal, Rivital’s mother, Rivital, and family friends, “Started working on some of it a month or so before and kept it in the freezer.”

“I loved helping my mother cook,” Rivital remembers. Not only B’not Mitzvah celebrate cruelty-free Simchas. Bonnie Sorak hosted vegan B’nei Mitzvah for three of her sons, Jacob, Ryan, and Matthew, and will for her fourth son, Aaron.

Bonnie’s family turned vegan on their oldest son Jacob’s first birthday. By the time his Bar-Mitzvah approached, the only question was how, not whether, to host a vegan celebration. Bonnie figured it out when she curled up with the book Mitzvah Chic by Gail Anthony Greenberg, which states that Bar-Mitzvot should be about two things: the Torah and the child.

Jacob’s Torah portion was the sin of the spies, Numbers 13-14, in which Moses sends spies out to observe Canaan and report back. The spies return with a completely negative report, which the Israelites accept without considering G-d’s hand. For the Soraks, this brought to mind the question, “What would you do in this situation?” and then, simply “What would you do?” In Judaism, Bonnie explains, “We do G-d’s work in our own hands.”

With the theme, “What would you do?” the Soraks wanted every guest to leave the Bar Mitzvah with one achievable environmental challenge. For the centerpieces, they placed magnetic glass stones with environmental messages written on them inside of vases. The stones had challenges such as, “Ride my bike to my friend’s house,” Turn off water when brushing my teeth,” “Turn off lights when leaving the room,” and “Support agriculture.” After the service, each guest brought home their favorite stone message.

Jacob’s Bar Mitzvah offered only vegan food, with an Italian theme. This meant lasagna with marinara sauce, Caesar salad, garlic bread, peanut saute, vegan egg rolls, and a much-desired dark chocolate fountain with fruit.

Her second eldest son, Ryan, also incorporated his Parsha (Torah/Bible reading) into his theme. His portion included the verse, “When you besiege a city for many days to wage war against it to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them, for you may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Is the tree of the field a man, to go into the siege before you?” (Deuteronomy 20:19). Reading about the prohibition against destroying fruit trees, Ryan decided to, appropriately, make his entire theme, “Trees.” They named each table after a tree, and gave two plantable bare root hazelnut trees to each guest.

For catering, Ryan’s menu kept the Italian theme, except replaced the dark chocolate fountain with a smoothie bar. His celebration involved activities such as ping-pong and rock climbing, so he and his family rationalized that providing too much food would mean lots of uneaten leftovers. The third son, Matthew, chose a less environmental theme, but that didn’t stop the food from being festive and vegan. His Bar-Mitzvah fell during “Thanksgivikkah,” the overlap between Thanksgiving and Chanukah in 2013. This meant perfect timing for a potato latke bar, vegan sour cream, and more smoothies.

Lastly, along with the food comes the utensils, napkins, and dishes. You can purchase biodegradable options from companies such as Ecoproducts, Green Wear, and the Biodegradable Store for everything from napkins to trash bags.

By interspersing your veganism into your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you’re blending your new responsibly to the Jewish community with your established commitment to animal and environmental welfare. You’re sharing your identity as you blend into the Jewish community, and entering a new phase of your life alongside your previous and ongoing passions. A Bar or Bat Mitzvah represents a blend of endings and beginnings, joyfulness and seriousness, and individuality and togetherness, which incorporating your veganism emphasizes perfectly.

Celebrating a vegan, eco-friendly Bar Mitzvah is easier than ever. From the beginning to the end, there are numerous ways to keep it as eco-friendly as possible. Long before the celebration itself, you need to select invitations to send to your family, friends, and classmates, and may suddenly find yourself using lots of paper and ink. Luckily, there are numerous more eco-friendly, yet still beautiful, options. You can select invitations crafted from recycled paper, plant-able invitations, invitations with soy ink, or even send e-invitations to completely minimize your paper and ink waste. Some great companies include Twisted Limb Paper, Green Field Paper Company, Bella Figura, and Smock Paper for physical invitations, andGreenvelope for virtual ones.

Twisted Limb Paper answers many prayers regarding beautiful, environmental options. They not only provide invitations but also save-the-date cards, thank-you notes, programs, guest books, place cards, and bookmark favors. Twisted Limb Paper handcrafts every item from 100% recycled materials, and adds pressed grass, flowers, and wildflower seeds for a gorgeous, earthy look. While you could purchase all of these from Twisted Limb, you may chose to forgo certain options, such as save-the-date cards. A simple website or email could suffice, which saves money and resources.

During the service, the B’nie and B’not Mitzvah usually provide monogrammed kippot for the guests and synagogue. Rather than simply straying away from suede or leather kippot, you can take the next step and order kippot crafted from recycled cardboard, or plant-able kippot made of biodegradable materials and seeds. KoolKipah offers recycled cardboard kippot which mimic the appearance of suede kippot, Circle of Life provided 100% biodegradable, planta-able kippot and Jessy Judiaca’s provides certified vegan, eco-suede kippot in multiple colors.

Along with kippot, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah usually purchase or inherit their own tallit. In you choose to purchase a new tallit, you can try finding tallit made from organic material and soy ink. Levy Judaica handcrafts offers handcrafted, eco-friendly tallit and tallit bags, as well as kippot. Instructions exist online which explain how to create a kosher tallit out of a scarf, which are easier and cheaper to purchase made from organic materials.

Before a Bat Mitzvah, you may want to treat yourself to hair and make-up. If so, there are countless venues which provide cruelty-free nail, make-up, and hair products that weren’t tested on animals. Either have someone you know or yourself apply these products, or find a professional who’s willing to use the products you provide. PETA provides extensive lists for companies that sell each of these products, giving you countless options for every part of your beauty regiment.

For the centerpieces at Kiddush, Aviva and the Soraks both opted for great alternatives to some more conventional and wasteful options. Besides providing plants for guests to bring home, another idea is having fruit basket centerpieces that you can donate to shelters after the service. To spread the message, you can scatter around colorful bookmarks or easels with vegan food and products for guests to bring home and consider.

The mitzvah project purposely serves as the most personalized aspect of a Bar and Bat Mitzvah. For an animal-friendly project, you could make blankets for animal shelters, collect supplies for shelters, such as towels and buckets (call in advance), volunteer at an animal shelter if age permits, host a sale or event that collects money for local animal welfare charities, or create a website that explains the benefits of veganism. For environmental projects, you can arrange a litter-cleaning or gardening event, volunteer at a farm or animal sanctuary, or start a green campaign around your school.

With all of this established, there’s the final frontier: the food.If you have the ability, time, room, and stamina, then cooking all the food with your own recipes like Rivital’s family can keep it vegan, create memories, and truly make the Simcha your own. However, not everyone has the ability to cook for so many people. Luckily, there are many other options. You could begin by considering ethnic food, such as Israeli, Indian, Italian, or Asian, which offers many vegan options, from falafel to chana masala.

Many caterers and restaurants offer numerous vegan options, even if they aren’t well-advertised. When you scroll through The Black Sheep’s catering websites, the menus seem packed with meat and dairy. Nevertheless, dietitian and lecturer Reed Mangels catered two vegan B’not Mitzvah with this company. By working together to create a menu, they included appetizers such as Seasonal Crudité with tuscan white bean spread, and a meal with quinoa salad, a bagel spread with hummus, baba ganoush, and cucumbers, assorted Baguette Finger Sandwiches, and sesame tofu. Desserts included coconut fruit bars, blueberry streusel bars, and oat chocolate chip cookies.

Catering by Yaffa, the caterers that helped Aviva, situated in Pikesville, Maryland, also cater vegan B’nee and B’not Mitzvah. As a Kosher business that does not mix meat and milk, they already serve no dairy products. Vegan options include, among other options, couscous salad, roasted cauliflower, Portobello napoleon, spinach and potato stuffed with mushroom sauce, apple cobbler without eggs, a rice medley, and a vegetable medley.

In order to locate her caterers, Bonnie Sorak visited a nature center with a list of green caterers. Whether you locate a caterer in this manner or simply contact ones near you, caterers and restaurants will often work with you to provide a fully vegan meal for everyone’s enjoyment.

Lastly, along with the food comes the utensils, napkins, and dishes. You can purchase biodegradable options from companies such as Ecoproducts, Green Wear, and the Biodegradable Store for everything from napkins to trash bags.

By interspersing your veganism into your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you’re blending your new responsibility to the Jewish community with your established commitment to animal and environmental welfare. You’re sharing your identity as you blend into the Jewish community, and entering a new phase of your life alongside your previous and ongoing passions. A Bar or Bat Mitzvah represents a blend of endings and beginnings, joyfulness and seriousness, and individuality and togetherness, which incorporating your veganism emphasizes perfectly.

Anna Balfanz wrote this article while interning with The Vegetarian Resource Group.

For more ideas on how to cater a party, see:
http://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=63

Yum! Brands’ New Palm Oil Policy

Greenpeace welcomes Yum! Brands new palm oil procurement policy. Yum! Brands includes KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut under their umbrella. Rolf Skar, Forest Campaign Director for Greenpeace USA responded with the following statement:

“Yum! Brands’ new palm oil policy is a good sign it’s listening to customers around the world who want rainforest destruction taken off the menu.” said Rolf Skar, Forest Campaign Director at Greenpeace USA. “Yum!’s announcement moves the company closer to being deforestation-free, but there’s still room for improvement. Yum! needs to more clearly define terms like ‘high carbon stock forest’ and ‘best management practices’ for peatlands in order to make sure change really happens on the ground.”

“Fast food companies have multiple high-risk commodities like soy, beef and paper in their supply chains. When it comes to social conflict and deforestation, Greenpeace wants to see Yum! Brands and the whole fast food industry address these issues in a comprehensive way–or risk their brands, reputations and bottom lines. In the absence of clear commitments to prevent forest destruction, companies like Burger King and Subway are falling further behind and should work quickly to develop standards for the global commodities they buy.”

Yum! Brands palm oil sourcing policy: http://www.yumcsr.com/environment/environment-policies.asp

By Anna Balfanz

In certain religious communities, you may face a unique set of questions and oppositions surrounding your decision to stop eating meat. Rather than questioning how it will affect your health or create extra work, religious leaders, teachers, or parents may emphasize biblical verses and ideas to attest to what’s ‘right’ or ‘natural.’

Instead of simply denouncing religion as a whole, even if you want to, speak the language of those questioning you. Religion can be one of the most important, guiding, and resolute aspects of peoples’ lives. Undermining an entire belief system or stating that G-d is incorrect or outdated isn’t going to persuade anyone. In fact, it’s more likely to worsen the situation. Instead, approach it from their angle. If religion teaches the ideal way to live, what better way to promote vegetarianism than to explain how their/your religion supports it? While certain passages in Jewish writings and Christian Scriptures assert the acceptability of meat-eating, more speak about compassion, caring for G-d’s creations, and even the ideal of a vegetarian diet. Really, you’ve got the most support on your side. When crafting an argument, knowing what the opposition thinks helps greatly. This FAQ will first contain commonly cited verses that seemingly reject vegetarianism, before covering the many verses and ideas that support or promote it.

The Tanakh (Jewish Bible) offers a few key verses which people often cite in reference to G-d creating animals for meat. Genesis 1:26 states, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the creeping things that creep upon the earth.” Genesis 9:3 proclaims that, “Every moving thing that lives shall be yours to eat; like the green vegetation, I have given you everything.” Literally interpreted, these appear to mean that G-d first allowed humans to rule over animals, and then to eat them. In Leviticus 11: 1-31, G-d explains the laws of Kashrut, Kosher dietary laws, which clearly sanction the consumption of certain animals, including cows and chickens.

Don’t feel overwhelmed. The Tanakh states fairly clearly that, beginning with Genesis 9:3, we’re allowed to eat meat. However, prior to Genesis 9:3, G-d only granted permission to eat food grown from the land. In the Garden of Eden, after G-d created man, He declared, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you” (Genesis 1:29). Notably, this verse, which only bestows vegetation as food, immediately precedes the verse about ruling over “every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Therefore, “ruling over” animals may translate closer to stewardship than domination, or at least not a domination that includes eating animals. In the story of banishment from the Garden of Eden, G-d punishes Adam by forcing him and his descendants to work for food and “eat the herbs of the field…until [they] return to the ground” (Genesis 3:18-19). Therefore, many religious scholars and leaders argue that G-d originally commanded people to eat a vegetarian diet.

So, what changed in Genesis 9:3, when G-d decided to give people permission to eat meat? Genesis 9:3 occurs immediately after the story of the Flood that covered the entire world. Commentators have written that, arguably, the Flood obliterated all suitable plant-life. In order to survive, those emerging from Noah’s ark needed to eat meat to survive. This makes meat, at most, a dire measure responding to a dire circumstance (Rabbi Isaak Hebenstreit Graves of Lust). Today, we’re lucky to have plenty of edible plant life, and can return to the ideal in the Garden of Eden.

In the book of Isaiah, messianic verses imply that, when the Messiah comes, carnivorous and omnivorous behavior will cease to exist. Instead, all living beings will live in harmony. As it states, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox…They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:6-9). We have a vegan diet in the Garden of Eden, a vegan diet during the time of the Messiah, and meat-eating only in the middle after a natural disaster. Both the Garden of Eden and the Messianic period are thought to represent perfection. Therefore, it’s not a stretch to say that veganism represents the ideal.

Even during this ‘middle-phase’ between the Garden of Eden and the Messiah, a prophet ate a vegan diet with great success. In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzer imprisoned the prophet Daniel and his three friends. Daniel and his companions refused to consume the royal meat and wine, and instead suggested a ten-day trial of vegetables and water. After ten days on this diet, the four appeared much healthier and handsomer than those who eat meat (Daniel 1:15). Daniel not only faced no Divine opposition for abstaining from meat but also ended up superior to those who consumed it. G-d granted Daniel and his companions superior knowledge, and King Nebuchadnezzar “found them ten times better than all the necromancers and astrologers in all his kingdom” (Daniel 1:20).

Animal consumption occurred differently in Biblical times. No factory farms existed; the animals lived naturally until the moment they were slaughtered. Today, with such a radically different approach, the issue of animal cruelty must dominate the discussion. The Torah forbids cruelty to animals multiple times. The verse immediately after the one granting human permission to eat meat states, “But, flesh with its soul, its blood, you shall not eat” (Genesis 9:4). In Deuteronomy, as part of the Ten Commandments, G-d prohibits both people and animals from working on Shabbat, the day of rest (Deuteronomy 5:14). The same book also commands that, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is threshing” (Deuteronomy 25:4), and forbids you from removing a baby bird in the presence of her or his mother. If you follow the baby bird commandment, “you should lengthen your days” (Deuteronomy 22:7), which, interestingly, reflects the reward for honoring your parents (Exodus 20:12). Proverbs 12:10 encapsulates this when it states, “A righteous man knows the soul of his animal.”

The reasons for vegetarianism extend beyond animals rights. People turn to vegetarianism for environment, health, or world hunger reasons. Fortunately, the Tanakh impresses the importance of these causes.

The Tanakh offers numerous verses regarding hunger and charity. The book of Proverbs includes the verses, “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse” (Proverbs 28:27) and, “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). The books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus emphasize this through the laws of harvest. According to Deuteronomy 24:19, anything you forget to reap “shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.” Leviticus 19:10-11 agrees, commanding, “And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you collect the [fallen] individual grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.” Finally, the book of Isaiah, when speaking about banishing wickedness and bringing in light, declares, “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and moaning poor you shall bring home; when you see a naked one, you shall clothe him, and from your flesh you shall not hide?” (Isaiah 58:7).

In terms of protecting the environment, immediately after G-d created man, even before He created woman, He placed Adam “in the Garden of Eden to work it and to guard it” (Genesis 2:15). Therefore, our very first responsibility as humans was to protect G-d’s creation, to work with it rather than against it. To harm the environment is to defy the first duty G-d gave to us, and to ignore, potentially, the reason we were put in the Garden in the first place.

Jewish and Christian Scriptures each offer unique sources regarding maintaining our health, as well as individual sources regarding kindness to animals and the environment. The next four paragraphs reference Jewish sources, the following six address Christian ones, and the last three conclude the idea for both religions.

Jewish Sources:

Prominent rabbis and Torah scholars have expounded on the Torah verses regarding animal welfare. In The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, Rabbi Joseph Hertz explains the verse, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is threshing” (Deuteronomy 25:4), by explicitly stating that “it is a refinement of cruelty to excite the animal’s desire for food and to prevent its satisfaction” (Hertz 854). After Deuteronomy 11:15 expresses, “And I will give grass in your field for your livestock, and you will eat and be sated,” the Talmud, a prominent Jewish text, asserts that it is therefore “forbidden to eat before feeding one’s animal” (Berachot 40a). Sages have understood the verse, “But, flesh with its soul, its blood, you shall not eat,” to mean that animals must be killed as humanely as possible (Genesis 9:4). Kosher law, therefore, requires slaughtering animals through a process called shehita, which involve a single stroke of the knife to minimize suffering.

Influential rabbis have spoken passionately about not harming and eating living creatures. Nachmanides, a significant medieval Jewish scholar, explains that humans could not originally consume flesh because “living creatures possess a moving soul and a certain spiritual superiority which in this respect make them similar to those who possess intellect (people) and they have the power of affecting their welfare and their food and they flee from pain and death.” Rabbi Joseph Albo, from the mid-2nd CE, agrees, stating in Sefer ha-Ikkarim that, “In the killing of animals there is cruelty, rage, and the accustoming of oneself to the bad habit of shedding innocent blood.” The Torah scholar Rabbi Kook, the first chief rabbi of pre-state Israel, strongly supported vegetarianism. He felt that G-d granting permission to eat meat after the Flood was a concession only because humanity had degenerated so greatly. Rabbi Kook believed that, if not provided with meat, humans may have eaten human flesh. He also believed, however, that when the Massiach arrives, people will return to vegetarian diets.

Judaism stresses that we must care not only for others but also for ourselves. From the Deuteronomy verse declaring, “And you shall watch yourselves very well,” many Torah scholars have extrapolated that we need to stay safe and healthy (Deuteronomy 4:15). For example, Maimonides, one of Judaism’s most influential Torah scholars, wrote in his book The Guide for the Perplexed that, “The well-being of the soul can be obtained only after that of the body has been secured.” In Maimonides’ other book, The Mishneh Torah, he writes, “Since by keeping the body in health and vigor one walks in the ways of God – being impossible in sickness to have any understanding or knowledge of the Creator – it is a man’s duty to avoid whatever is injurious to the body and cultivate habits conducive to health and vigor.” Therefore, we’re supposed to maintain our well-being as best as possible. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has explained the health benefits of eating a well-rounded vegetarian diet, including a lowered risk of diabetes, obesity, and cancer. By eating a vegetarian diet, we’re striving to watch ourselves and remain healthy.

Lastly, Judaism strongly values protecting the environment and resources. Deuteronomy furthers the Genesis verse about guarding the earth when it states that, “You shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them, for you may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down” (Deuteronomy 20:19). From this, Jewish rabbis and scholars have gleamed the concept of bal tashchit, the prohibition against destruction. The Talmud affirms that, “Whoever breaks vessels or tears garments, or destroys a building, or clogs up a fountain, or destroys food violates the prohibition of bal tashchit” (Kidushin 32a). Considering all the water, land, and food resources waste stemming from meat production, one could say that eating meat in the current day certainly violates bal tashchit. Furthermore, the Jewish community strongly encourages the idea of tikkun olam. Tikkun olam, oringinating in Kabbalah, literally translates to repearing the world. In the 20th century, Jews started using the term to refer to social action, including tzedakah (charity), acts of kindness, and repairing the environment. What better way to follow tikkum olam every day than to eat mindfully and preserves the environment and its resources?

These sources only introduce the wide range of relevant verses, commentaries, stories, and opinions. Look to the conclusion section for final advice!

Christian Sources:

In Christian communities, while the Genesis verses about ruling over animals often dominate the discussion, Christian Scripture includes additional sources which seemingly encourage eating meat. In Romans 14:1-2, Paul states, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables.” At one point, four-legged creatures descend from Heaven to Peter and a Heavenly voice commands that Peter kill and eat (Acts 10:9-16). Jesus Himself has eaten fish at least once, as it states in Luke that “they gave him a piece of broiled fish and He took it and ate before them” (Luke 24:42–43). According to these sources alone, G-d and Jesus appear to clearly sanction, and even encourage, eating meat.

However, Christian texts and saints have upheld the values of vegetarianism. St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals, although not a vegetarian, was known for his connections with all living creatures. He’s celebrated for speaking to birds and taming a wolf, and is associated with declaring, among other animal-friendly rhetoric, that, “All things of creation are children of the Father and thus brothers of man. God wants us to help animals, if they need help. Every creature in distress has the same right to be protected.” St. Clement of Alexandria, born 150 CE, reportedly proclaimed, “It is far better to be happy than to have your bodies act as graveyards for animals. Accordingly, the apostle Matthew partook of seeds, nuts and vegetables, without flesh.” A third saint, St. Basil, the Patron of Hospital Administrators, is credited with writing, “The steam of meat meals darkens the spirit. One can hardly have virtue if one enjoys meat meals and feasts. In the earthly paradise, no one sacrificed animals, and no one ate meat.” Many early and influential Christians, therefore, strongly supported a vegetarian diet.

The current Catechism of the Catholic Church also propagates animal welfare. Section 2415 states: “Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.” Other sections also speak about compassion towards animals, including sections 2416-18 and 2457. While the Catechism also sanctions eating meat, given the way the agribusiness obtains meat, it’s difficult, perhaps impossible, to reconcile the two instructions.

In a 2002 book-length interview titled God and the World, Cardinal Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI, reflects the Catechism when declaring, “Certainly, a sort of industrial use of creatures, so that geese are fed in such a way as to produce as large a liver as possible, or hens live so packed together that they become just caricatures of birds, this degrading of living creatures to a commodity seems to me in fact to contradict the relationship of mutuality that comes across in the Bible.”

Christian Scripture and Jesus adamantly support and command helping those in need. For a few example verses, 1 John states, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:17-18). Romans 12:13 stresses, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” As Jesus encapsulates this when he states, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, and I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in” (Matthew 25:35). This list of verses exemplifies an overarching point; we’re supposed to care for the poor and hungry. If everyone practiced a vegetarian diet, giving grains and crops directly to humans instead to animals for slaughter, we could feed a much greater quantity of people. Researching these ideas is just as important as knowing the verses — it all ties together.

Christianity stresses caring for our bodies as well. 1 Corinthians 3:17 declares, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” One can pair this with 1 Corinthians 3:17, which reminds us that, “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” Therefore, we’re supposed to maintain our well-being as best as possible. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has explained the health benefits of eating a well-rounded vegetarian diet, including a lowered risk of diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Therefore, vegetarianism allows us to protect G-d’s temples.

Remember the Golden Rule. In Mathew 7:12, Jesus summarizes the most important lesson in the Bible. ”So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” What does G-d ultimately want? According to this, He wants us to treat others as we would want them to treat us. Given the understanding that factory-farmed animals suffer greatly, it seems reasonable to extend this rule, the rule that summarizes our existence, to animals.
Conclusion:

All of these are only examples of verses and commentaries supporting vegetarianism or veganism. Aside from those mentioned in this answer, there are numerous other sources easily found on the internet. Just remember to check your facts for accuracy. Factory farms didn’t exist during Biblical times, so we can only piece together existing verses to assume how G-d would have felt about them. While all of these sources offer relevant and interesting information, it’s important to remember that, no matter what, G-d never commands eating meat. At the most, He permits it, but permission does not represent the ideal or necessary. Permission translates to a choice. If we have a choice, why not chose the option that follows the actual commandants of kindness to animals, preserving the environment, maintaining our health, and helping those in need?

If anyone tells you, “But the Bible says we can eat meat!” that’s far from the whole story. You’re engaging in a lifestyle built on compassion and awareness for all of G-d’s creatures: nothing you need to worry about defending.

For more sources, begin by visiting: http://www.vrg.org/links/Religion.htm

Anna Balfanz wrote this piece while interning with The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Bid on stays in your favorite veg-friendly accommodations, vegan bath and beauty products, non-leather designer handbags, fine dining and more all to benefit The Vegetarian Resource Group!

June 1st through June 15th, 2015, The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) will hold its 1st Annual Online Charity Auction via Ebay Giving Works where 100% of each item’s final bid price will be donated to The VRG. Funds from this event will be used to help offset the costs of printing and shipping our vegan and vegetarian-based educational materials which we have provided to activists, professionals and organizations around the country, for over 33 years, free of charge!

The link to the auction will be posted when the site goes live at 10am on Monday, June 1st. Until then, click here to RSVP to this event on Facebook. We will be updating this event page with sneak peaks of all of the amazing items that will be featured and you’ll be reminded when the auction goes live. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out on these incredible vegan goodies!

If you have any questions about this event or you are a veg-friendly business that would like to donate an item please contact our Outreach Coordinator, Nina, at [email protected].

We thank you in advance for your support!

The Vegetarian Resource Group

By Anna Balfanz

Last December, my internship advisor plopped a huge black binder filled with internship opportunities in front of me. I began flipping through it, casually placing Post-it notes on any pages that appeared interesting. I located a few, but none really spoke to me. My advisor informed me that I could research at home to find the best place to complete my three-week internship project in March.

Back home, I went online, forgot everything in that binder, and began browsing through internships for high school seniors in Baltimore. When I stumbled upon this one, I couldn’t believe it. It seemed to offer everything that interested me: vegetarianism, activism, writing, and non-profit. Best of all, they accepted people my age. The next day, I ran back to my advisor, knowing that VRG was where I wanted to spend the three weeks. Within a week or so, I was one of the first people in my grade to secure an internship.

When Charles (VRG Co-Director) first sent me an email with all my different projects, I knew I was going to have one of my grade’s most hands-on internships. All of the projects related to my resume and interests, ranging from writing a press release to assisting a lawyer, and I eagerly anticipated my classes ending so I could immerse myself in real work.

When I first arrived, I immediately felt at home. Charles gave me a tour of the office, explaining details about non-profits, publishing, and the vegan movement. At the end, he gave me about fifteen books and cookbooks to take home. As a current vegetarian who wants to transition into veganism, this was the perfect gift. Everyone I spoke to in the office welcomed me and made me feel free to ask questions. Having already filled out a preliminary schedule, I could get right to work.

I began working on my Teen FAQ, which turned into a major project. Coming from an Orthodox Jewish school, I’ve faced questions about vegetarianism from a religious standpoint. I wanted to address that in my FAQ, so I chose the question, “How do I respond to religious Jewish or Christian parents/teachers/leaders who question going vegetarian due to Biblical verses against it?” As it turns out, tons of information exists regarding the topic. This remained my favorite project throughout the internship, because I learned so much about the answer myself. I now feel well-prepared to respond to anyone who brings religion into the conversation, and hope others reading the FAQ feel the same way.

Another of my favorite parts of this internship (I had many) was responding to scholarship applicants. Having just suffered through the excruciating process of college applications and essays, I suddenly found myself on the other side. I read essays from high school seniors from all over the United States interested in vegetarianism and their activism, and wrote brief responses to each. Though the office may have been glad when we finished, I missed reading them!

One unique project I undertook was assisting a lawyer in researching prisoners’ rights to vegetarian food. I live near the campus of Johns Hopkins University, and this opportunity allowed me to finally use its library as a resource. Mr. S. Paul Kinzie, the lawyer, taught me how to use WestLawNext, an online legal research system. I researched past cases related to the issue, and learned much more than I expected. When I first began reading through the cases, I had no idea what happened. Every other word felt foreign; I couldn’t even define the Court of Appeals. However, similar to being immersed in a new language, you learn quickly. I now have a much better understanding of the federal legal system, how constitutional rights and the freedom of religion work in prison, and a better understand of how to build a case. After I found a relevant enough case I typed up its summary and relevance, which made me really consider why I found it relevant and how it could be useful. After four years of high school mock trial, the presentation side, it was great to experience the real research side of a court case.

It turns out, at a vegan non-profit, you sample lots of food. For one project, I wrote a review of vegetarian/vegan items at a restaurant. This meant I had an excuse for my family to order tons of food from my favorite restaurant, Donna’s, for dinner one evening. I also wrote three veggie bits for vegan dark chocolate, macaroons, and tortilla chips. People were rightfully jealous when they heard about that aspect of my internship. I left the boxes of food near me so I could snack on them throughout the week, long after I had finished writing the review.

I also wrote an article about vegetarian and vegan Bar and Bat-Mitzvahs, which allowed me to ask people questions and hear their stories. I spoke to two strangers on the phone, and while that at first made me slightly nervous, I would now love to call up as many people as possible to hear their stories. The more people I spoke to, the better I became figuring out what questions to ask.

Many people intern in The Vegetarian Resource Group office for months, so I wondered if I was going to get a version that felt curtailed. That didn’t happen at all; I believe that someone interning here for one week would receive multiple experiences and a feel for non-profit work. I found myself learning more than I bargained for, with Charles emailing me and placing in my office mailbox interesting articles about non-profits and publishing, and even just through overhearing the conversations happening in the office.

While I felt immersed and busy from the beginning to the end, there was time for enjoyment. One time, someone brought bagels for lunch, and we all ate in the kitchen and talked about life. On my second to last week, we all had take-out Indian cuisine for lunch, and I discovered a love for spicy potatoes. I’m leaving this internship with more recipes, new favorite foods, greater understanding, and more experience. I doubt this will be the last of my experience with non-profit work, but I’m very glad it was the first.

For information about internships, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php
To support VRG internships, join The Vegetarian Resource Group at: http://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php
For information about VRG scholarships, see: https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

The following was posted by Wholesoy & Company:

It is with very heavy hearts that we announce WholeSoy & Co. will be closing all operations this month. WholeSoy was founded in 1999. By 2013 soy yogurt sales were soaring and WholeSoy was the number one brand of soy yogurt on the market! Our unique Non-GMO verified, Organic, Vegan, Gluten-free, non-dairy yogurt had become a staple favorite in households across the country.

For more information see: http://www.wholesoyco.com/item/farewell-from-wholesoy

Do you want to spread the veggie message and enjoy making videos? If so, you may want to enter The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Video Contest. This year the deadline for entries is July 15, 2015.

Some possible topics for your video include: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism, water usage and vegetarianism, vegetarianism and animal rights, or other vegetarian/vegan topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You may submit a video you have already made.

Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others. Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video, to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media.

For contest details see: http://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Alternate Names: silica dioxide, silica, silica gel, diatomaceous earth, kieselsol, colloidal silica, E551

Naturally present: as sand, quartz and other minerals; in cell walls of diatoms

Commercial Sources: synthetic (processes often involve petrochemical-based compounds), mineral

Used in: dry mixes (soup, seasoning, cake, pizza, bread, and beverage), spices, salt, flour, sugar, shredded cheese, powdered egg, wine, beer, vitamin tablets

Used as: anti-caking agent, anti-foaming agent, moisture absorbent, wine and beer fining agent

Definition: Composed of only silicon and oxygen, silicon dioxide is one of the most common anti-caking agents. It is also widely used in the construction and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) industries.

Manufacturers:

Reade

Huber Engineered Materials

Shanxi Jinjin Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd. wrote that “There are no animal ingredients in the silicon dioxide.”

Yianlid Industrial Co., Ltd. said in an email that “…There is not any animal content in the [silicon dioxide]” and sent a certificate analysis for silicon dioxide.

Additional Information:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfCFR/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=172.480

Section 205.605 in: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5104011

Classification: Vegan

Entry added: March 2015

For information on other ingredients see: http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

To support Vegetarian Resource Group research, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate

The Vegetarian Resource Group recently received the following note:

Hello, I’m a 14-year-old student at McCord Junior High. My parents are vegan so I decided to design a shirt for this healthy way of life. If you support this cause too, come buy a shirt and show it off to make a difference. http://teespring.com/vegan-tee

The owners of Plantbar in Belvedere Square in Baltimore City are now opening another location at Camden Yards. The next time you go to an Orioles game look for them near home plate on the first level concourse. Dine on organic juices, vegan bento boxes, vegan hot dogs, and vegan desserts!

For more information see: http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2015/3/23/plantbar-swings-into-camden-yards