Campaigns

Philadelphia Jewish EXPONENT
September 13, 2007

- Bryan Schwartzman, Staff Writer

Pushing for reductions in fossil-fuel emissions and trying to reverse the global-warming trend nationally and throughout the world may make perfect sense, but what on earth do energy-policy goals have to do with Judaism?

That question was posed to Rabbi Arthur Waskow -- who's written several books that examine how Judaism and the environment intersect -- after he'd delivered a recent talk on the subject at Congregation Kol Ami in Elkins Park.

His answer? Everything!

The founder of the Philadelphia-based Shalom Center replied that, first of all, a concern for stewardship over the earth is rooted in Judaism's biblical tradition, and is, in fact, a central component of it.

ELEVEN STEPS ON THE SACRED PATH
TOWARD THE INTERFAITH
PEACEMAKING FAST
ON OCTOBER 8

1. Read the Call at http://www.shalomctr.org/node/1269 and share it with others. You can use the brief version you will find at the end of this letter. If you are the clergyperson of a congregation, place a phone call to and arrange to meet with the clergypersons or leaders of religious communities other than your own -- to explore arrangements such as those below. (If you are not clergy yourself, you could place the calls anyway or ask your clergyperson to do so.) Those who agree to plan this could become an informal "planning committee" for the event.

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow, from his book DOWN-TO-EARTH JUDAISM: FOOD, MONEY, SEX, & THE REST OF LIFE (Morrow).

By looking at Jewish approaches to food from the Biblical era to the modern age, we have brought ourselves to the edges of the present. If now we want to get a glimpse of possible futures for Jewish attitudes toward food, let us begin with four unconventional questions:
1. Are tomatoes grown by drenching the earth in pesticides "kosher" to eat, at home or at the synagogue's next wedding reception?
2. Is newsprint made by chopping down an ancient and irreplaceable forest "kosher" to use for a Jewish newspaper?

Dear friends,

How do we announce a major religious event, such as the October 8 Fast to move America from conquest to community, from violence to reverence?

When the steering committee of the Fast began discussing this, our first response was the conventional one in American society –- a press conference.

But then we recalled that there are ancient traditions for making the announcement of such a religious act itself a religious act. In the Talmud, for example, there is described a way of Calling a Communal Fast in Time of Calamity. (The calamity might be a drought, a famine, a war.)

Developed by the Multireligious Project on Sacred Foods
Sponsored by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal

Table of Contents page

PART ONE: THEOLOGICAL OVERVIEWS 2

PART TWO: SERMON TALKING POINTS AND ANALYSES OF SPECIFIC ISSUES 28

PART THREE: SACRED FOOD AND THE
HOLY CALENDAR 36

PART FOUR: IN DEPTH ANALYSIS 59

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF WHAT MAKES FOOD SACRED
A study in 8 Dimensions

The following is a discussion of what makes food sacred according to the three Abrahamic traditions. It is organized according to eight dimensions, some of which were mentioned in the article above. It covers a wide spectrum of issues wherein there is some disagreement. The term “dimension” is deliberately used to express the existence of a range of different views and teachings within each of the traditions. Each of the eight dimensions are drawn from four sets of sources from the classic texts of the three traditions: The Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the Christian Scriptures or New Testament, and the Qur’an and Sunnah.

From the Multireligious Project on Sacred Foods
Sponsored by ALEPH: Aliiance for Jewish Renewal

Engaging the Congregation

How can your congregation practice what your faith teaches about food? The resources in this document can help you.

They include:

An overview of “What our Faiths Teach us About Food and Eating,” by Rev. Clare Butterfield

“A description of the New Age of Agriculture: Where We Are Now,” by Br. David Andrews, CSC

“A Vision for a Better Future,” by Shireen Pishdadi

A compilation of “Good Practices by Congregations,” by Arlin Wasserman

From the Multireligious Project on Sacred Foods
Sponsored by ALEPH: Aliiance for Jewish Renewal

Secular Certification Research

Introduction

One way that congregations can make positive change in the food and agricultural system is by the kinds of foods they choose for themselves and their institutions. With this in mind, the Certification Committee of the Sacred Foods Project researched food certification programs that specifically address issues encompassed by the Sacred Foods Eight Dimensions (available on our website: www.sacred-foods.org). The result is the attached report with its quick scan chart with detailed explanations below on how each program addresses the Dimensions.