Our roster of speakers—including rabbis and rabbinic students, Jewish community professionals, certified health professionals, and vegan chefs—offers the ability to tailor presentations to each community’s needs, from divrei Torah to traditional lectures to interactive workshops.
Over the past several years, we have presented at more than 150 venues nationwide, sparking conversation throughout the Jewish community about ethical eating in a modern age.
Examples of topic areas we can cover include:
In this era of climate crisis, it’s more essential than ever before to be conscious of the impact of our choices. Caring for the Earth is among our most fundamental values, as a people attuned to the cycle of time and the seasons; how do we integrate that with the food we eat?
Example: “Do Not Destroy: Jewish Food and Our Earth”
What do Torah and rabbinic teachings have to say about our relationship with nonhuman animals? We approach this central area of Jewish thought and theology with an eye to current practices in industrial animal agriculture.
Example: “Judaism and Animals: Restoring the Relationship”
As the Sefer HaChinukh says, “the body is the instrument of the soul.” And it could not be clearer than in our present moment how much the health of one impacts the health of the community as a whole. From food as medicine to the dangers of zoonotic disease, Jewish text and wisdom point us toward care and mindfulness around what we eat.
Example: “Guarding the Body with What We Eat”
From workers’ rights to environmental racism to food deserts, our global food system is at the center of injustice and inequity. Jewish tradition teaches that the welfare of the entire community is the responsibility of all, with each of us obligated to repair what is broken. We examine both specific mitzvot such as pea’ah and shmita and general principles of establishing systems of justice, inclusion, and plenty.
Example: “You Shall Not Pick Your Vineyard Bare: Food Justice in Jewish Thought”
Any combination of the above, or feel free to request a different topic area of specific interest to your community!
Example: Havdalah for Health: Planet and Personal
Formats of presentations we can offer your community include:
Our initial 45-minute presentation provides a grounding framework for exploring ethical eating from a Jewish text and spiritual perspective. We juxtapose essential teachings from the Torah, Talmud, and rabbinic writings with the reality of modern-day food systems to cover four major areas of Jewish thought and ethics: preventing the suffering of animals, protecting the environment, guarding human health, and caring for the community.
Note: This can also be done without technology as needed.
A facilitated hour-long discussion and Q&A session on a topic area of interest to your community (see above for examples). This approach to education through conversation allows for a personalized follow-up to an introductory presentation. This format is also ideal for small groups and committees.
If you are looking to uplift ethical eating within a prayer service, our 10-15 minute dvar Torah can provide a spiritual introduction to an upcoming presentation. We can also offer an hour-long text study of a parasha or passuk to explore how its themes relate to our food choices today.
Let us bring a vegan chef to your community! Whether it’s for a Shabbat dinner, a Passover Seder, or anything in between, our fully plant-based recipes will offer attendees an experiential entrance point to Jewish veg living. Ingredients and instructions will be sent out prior to the event for those who would like to cook along.
Note: These demonstrations will be virtual, except in specific locations as appropriate.
With story and discussion, we offer a gentle approach to considering the importance of kindness to animals in Jewish thought. This presentation can be easily modified to suit different student groups of age 10 and above.
We are happy to work with you to create the perfect presentation for your community! You can mix and match any of our offerings to make a great multi-session learning experience, whether over a Shabbat weekend or for an ongoing series.
Interested in bringing a Jewish Veg speaker to your community?
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All of our speaking engagements are made possible by generous donors committed to this mission. Support this crucial work by donating today!