From: mad4@ellis.uchicago.edu (Bill Maddex)
Subject: Re: Kosher to veggie (was Re: RECIPES: sandwich spreads)
Reply-To: mad4@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Pranksters for Peace
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 01:53:02 GMT

In article <altar.726605680@sfu.ca> altar@beaufort.sfu.ca (Ted Wayn Altar) writes:

>Bill, it is interesting to note that legislation was once introduced 
>by Mordecai Ben Porat in the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) proposing
>to outlaw meat-eating!  Can you imagine any other country that
>had enough political support to venture such a bold proposal?

Yeah, I read about this.  There was once an American Vegetarian Party,
but I guess it was kind of a joke.  In a one party state like the U.S.,
the closest we come is Andrew Jacobs' (D-IN) law requiring that the school
lunch program have a veg option.  I'm quite certain such laws have been 
proposed in other countries, however.

>Unfortunately, the legislation did not passed; unfortunate
>because this would indeed have been an interesting social
>experiment and Israel could indeed stand head and shoulders above
>all nations in its respect towards animals.

Fat chance, given the level of respect they show for people.  (OK, flame 
me, but you won't change my mind)

[quote from R. Schlomo Goren deleted]

>There are several Jewish organization currently working to
>promote vegetarianism.  "The International Jewish Vegetarian
>Society" publishes a five page quarterly called the JEWISH
>VEGETARIAN, and has offices or chapters worldwide included the
>U.S. Canada, Australia, Britain, Israel, etc.  There is also the
>"Jewish Vegetarians" in Baltimore who say:

[quote deleted]

The Hillel here gets the British mag.  It's really stupid featuring bad 
recipes, which I attribute more to the country of origin than the Jewish
side:-)  (hell, if I'm gonna get flamed I might as well do it in style;-)
It also has a lot of editorials and stuff that give even more superficial
treatment of issues than VT and articles that are at best underinformative.
There was a humorous bit I saw in the latest one that I'll post when I 
follow this up tommorow.  

[comment about an AR theme seder deleted]

I won't say much about this, but I do want to point out that theme seders
are another unfortunate outgrowth of the '60s.  While there is a hallachically
acceptible alternative to the (gag) lamb bone, the is NO alternative to the
text.  

>Just to help add further to your discussion, here are just a few
>more interesting statements and quotes from the Jewish tradition
>that is of relevance here.  The following quotes I found them
>cited in from Lewis Regenstein's scholarly work:
>
>    "REPLENISH THE EARTH: A HISTORY OF ORGANIZED RELIGION'S
>        TREATMENT OF ANIMALS AND NATURE -- INCLUDING THE BIBLE'S
>        MESSAGE OF CONSERVATION AND KINDNESS TOWARD ANIMALS,
>        1991.
>
I skimmed this, but it stuck me as dopey.  I'll respond to some of the quotes 
tommorow, but let me say this first:  I learned most of tractate Chullin on 
my own several years ago, and the Rabbis really didn't endorse vegetarianism
at all.  This is unfortunate, but it's true.

> Many more citations and interesting passages are dealt with by
>Regenstein in his chapter, "The Jewish Tradition of Kindness".
>
                            ted

Oh, I forgot--this is a minor point, but R. Kook (z"l) was the first modern
chief rabbi of Palestine.  He died in about 1905, so Israel was still just
a dream.

Newsgroups: rec.food.veg