The Shalom Center - Environmental Justice

NOV 23: Jews Uniting to End the War & Heal America: Organizing for Action

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:13:35 -0400

On Sunday, November 23, at Central Synagogue in New York City, The Shalom Center and Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring invite YOU to take part in a one-day action gathering: Jews Uniting to End the War & Heal America: Organizing for Action

Please go to -

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/602/t/7445/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3732

and

https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/602/t/7445/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3826

to register for November 23
And/ or contribute to its success.

And please send this invitation to your friends.

Speakers and workshop leaders will include Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center in Washington, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, Rabbi Peter Knobel, president of the Reform rabbinical association, former Congresswoman Liz Holtzman, Sammie Moshenberg of the National Council of Jewish Women, Leslie Cagan of United for Peace and Justice, Jeremy Ben-Ami of J Street --- - and many other luminaries of the newest and oldest generations of activist Jews. (See the day's schedule, below.)

Flashes of Light from the unkosher dark of Postville, Iowa

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:02:29 -0400

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Most of the time, as a society we walk in darkness, wounded by walking blindly into an economic barbed-wire fence here, an environmental open manhole there. Once a generation - if we are lucky, once a decade -- there is a flash of lightning in the dark that lights up the truth of our country's politics.

For some of us, Katrina was such a flash of lightning. And now, for some of us, an allegedly kosher meatpacking plant oddly located, far from Jews, in Postville, Iowa.

Even in the dark, there is usually some prophetic voice warning of oncoming damage.

In this case, prophetic calls to apply "eco-kosher" and "ethical kosher" standards not only to food but also to such consumables as coal, oil, plastics went back to the work of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi in the mid-'70s and my own book Down-to-Earth Judaism: Food, Money, Sex and the Rest of Life in the mid-'90s.

Conjoining MLK & Inauguration Day: Re-birthing King, Re-birthing America, Jan. 19-20, 2009

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:49:55 -0400

(Rabbi Arthur Waskow for The Tent of Abraham, Hagar, & Sarah)

On Tuesday, January 20, 2009, a new President will be inaugurated and begin to work with a new Congress. The day before, Monday January 19, is Martin Luther King's Birthday.

The Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership and The Tent of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah have undertaken to initiate an effort to make this extraordinary confluence of dates into a moment of transformation.

We propose that on January 19-20, religious and ethical communities and congregations around the country take part in public actions intended to point America toward fulfilling Dr. King’s vision.

Toward a Jubilee Economy & Ecology in the Modern World

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:38:58 -0400

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow

[This essay is a chapter in Rabbi Waskow's book Godwrestling -- Round 2 (Jewish Lights, 1996). The book is available as a free gift from The Shalom Center, personally inscribed by Rabbi Waskow as you choose, if you use the Donate Now button on the right to make a tax-deductible contribution of $180 or more.

[At the end of this essay you will find citations on teachings from the Hebrew Bible & related materials toward a Jubilee Economics and Ecologics.]::

One lesson that we have discerned from studying the story of the Flood [see a previous chapter from Godwrestling -- Round 2] is that it is profoundly necessary for us to affirm and celebrate the cycles of life if we wish to preserve the cycles of life. Are those cycles now in danger? And if so, how can we affirm them?

SACRIFICING A SACRED COW: THE NEW JEWISH DIETARY IMPERATIVE

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:47:43 -0400

By Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz

“The term sacred cow has passed into the English language to mean an object or practice which is considered immune from criticism.” (Wikipedia)

“Can you imagine a supermarket allowing ‘Attention, Planet-Destroying Carnivores’ on the in-store radio?” (Hank Stewart, Green Team Advertising)

“We do not find lecturing people about personal consumption choices to be effective.”
(Carl Pope, Sierra Club)

New Ways of Accessing Kosher Meat

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:40:24 -0400

By Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

It is very painful to read about a plant that was supposed to be Glatt kosher and manages this by squeaking by the narrowest definition of kosher that could be construed by Halakha [Jewish law]. They ignored many of the issues that had to do with Tza'ar Ba'aley Chayyim [giving pain to animals] and unfair treatment of laborers, as well as knowingly breaking immigration hiring laws.

In the meantime I have received a request from concerned people who would like to be able to engage a Shochet [ritual slaughterer] and find a way to address the needs to get their meat from free-range animals that were not fed hormones and grazed on land that was not polluted by herbicides.

Sacred Food, Sacred Festivals: The Jewish Year as a Celebration of Nourishment

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:55:27 -0500

HOW FOOD FRAMES THE FESTIVALS:
THE JEWISH PATTERN

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow

The cycle of Jewish festivals has become intimately connected with specific foods, and the themes of the festivals lend themselves to focusing on specific aspects of what makes food sacred.

DAYS OF AWE: ROSH HASHANAH THROUGH YOM KIPPUR (Evening September 12, through September 22, 2007)

Rosh Hashanah is symbolically connected with eating apple slices dipped in honey. The apple evokes the round cycle of the year as it begins, and the honey hopes for its sweetness. The festival focuses on ten days (traditionally known as the Days of Awe) of tshuvah/ turning one's self in a new direction that culminate in Yom Kippur, a day of not eating or drinking at all.

The National Guard: At Home or in Iraq (when Katrina came)?

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 09:39:47 -0500

Pete Yost, Will Bunch, Sidney Blumenthal 08/31/2005

1. OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENTS HINDER GUARD HURRICANE PRESENCE
By Pete Yost

Associated Press (from Army Times)
August 31, 2005

Some 6,000 National Guard personnel in Louisiana and Mississippi who would be available to help deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are in Iraq, highlighting the changing role of Americas part-time soldiers.

Big Oil's War against Europe

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 23:12:56 -0400

Rabbi Arthur Waskow 3/8/2005

Dear Friends,

We have posted on our Website a BBC report on rising European wrath against the US for its CO2 emissions. During early March, I was in Edinburgh to speak & teach at a conference on the spiritual roots of peacemaking. In one of my talks, I said:

FBI Pays Up for Harassing Environmentalist

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 15:59:34 -0500

Various authors, 4/27/2004

Dear Friends,

Perhaps the worst case of US governmental harassment of an environmental activist was the way the FBI responded to a bombing attack on Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney, Earth First! activists. Their car was bombed in May 1990, and Bari was badly hurt.

Justice and Eco-Kashrut

Sat, 08 Sep 2001 21:46:40 -0400

Rabbi Arthur Waskow

JUSTICE AND ECO-KASHRUT

According to traditional halakhic categories, it is forbidden to oppress workers, including food workers, but what is "kosher" to eat does not rest on the absence of violation of that mit

Redwoods, Tobacco & Torah

Sat, 08 Sep 2001 21:46:40 -0400

Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Redwoods, Tobacco and Torah

by Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Shmitah and Yovel

Sat, 08 Sep 2001 21:46:40 -0400

Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Shmitah & Jubilee

Is it irresponsible for a society to insist that land is returned the original land-holder, even if they had lost it through laziness and lack of care? What kind of society would insist that moneylen

The Spirituality of Abundance

Sat, 08 Sep 2001 21:46:40 -0400

Rabbi Leah Novick

The Spirituality of Abundance

By Leah Novick

While the current atmosphere of abundance, in the West, may not encourage mass movements of social protest (though the turnout at WTO in Seatlle may