Of interest?

Couple of things I read at lunchtime. 

The first is a dark one, but worth reading. It's an ABC News piece on an Orthodox Jewish Community's Struggles With Abuse Allegations. Yes, we know that even so-called "modern" orthodoxies fail to explain away their communities' underlying theological misogyny and homophobia. And yes, we know that myths such as the sober, kind, gentle, and hard working Jewish father are in cases, well, myths. But this evil skeleton remains largely hidden among dirty clothing and deserves an airing. And while the article focuses on the abuse of young boys among the ultra-Orthodox, we should also remember the substantive but-brushed-under-the-carpet allegations of sexual abuse leveled against some inspirational leaders of progressive Jewish communities. We applauded as Catholics started clearing out their closets; now it's our turn to chase the Good.

The second might scare some of you in a different way. (Some of you may be less than happy reading it.) It's a concise, well-assembled WSJ piece with a self-explanatory title: The Fine Print: What's Really in a Lot of 'Healthy' Food? Remember: eat organic—vegetarian when possible; eat local; read labels!

Earth Day celebrations—hangover or new beginning?

Sure it's easy to find your Tikkun Olam groove around Earth Day. But now we're eating vegetarian and composting raw food and garden scraps, coffee grinds, and more, we feel we're making tangible strides toward helping perfect—or at least protect—creation. We're nowhere near there yet—wherever "there" is—but we're better oriented than we were a year ago. 

I love how Kathy Freston reckons eating vegan impacts the environment: it does more to prevent global warming than buying a Prius. Simple. Here are some more of her many simple-but-telling comparisons: 

• Farmed animals excrete 60 times as much waste per day as the world's human population
  
• It takes 11 times more fossil fuel to make one calorie of animal protein than one calorie of plant protein
  
• Livestock worldwide consumes enough water in 24 hours for every human alive to shower eight times daily
  
• Farmed animals produce 40 percent more harmful emissions than all cars, trucks, planes, trains, and ships in the world combined

As composters, we are bumbling neophytes; proud owners of a shiny new Tumbleweed. It's light, was easy to assemble, and seems robust, and while we've not yet produced compost, I'm anticipating or have noticed at least three positive effects. Composting is good for our: 

• Yard, replacing expensive water-saving mulch and, over time, helping turn our Hill Country clay into quality planting soil
  
• Environment, helping us cut back massively on the amount of trash we send to the landfill 
  
• Kids, encouraging them to work in the yard, learn about the environment, and play at science 

Of course we also benefit personally from eating vegetarian and composting—we live more healthful, more interesting, and more joyful lives. But for us, performing Tikkun Olam—in these and many other ways—means carrying out mitzvot, and there's no reason carrying out mitzvot, and living Jewishly, should be anything but joyful. Talk about win-win.

Try to find the joy. Good shabbos.

So we're not quite as crazy or alone as I thought

So we're not quite as crazy or alone as I thought. Not quite. Turns out our wonderfully rich vegetarian diet—rooted originally in cholesterol concerns, Kati's lactose issues (ahem), and our love of animals—serves not only as the practical and lazy way to keep kosher we thought, but as a theologically sound one too.

First, the practicalities. Eating vegetarian makes it easier and cheaper to observe kashrut for us busy and relatively isolated South Austin Jews. For example, we don't need to:

• Drive miles on overcrowded freeways to buy overpriced kosher meats
  
• Buy separate dishes and utensils for meat and dairy foods 
  
• Wait hours after eating meat before being eating dairy products—which we don't, but you get the point
  
• Store four sets of dishes, pots, and silverware—don't forget the Pesach thing

Second, I’ve learned there are several strong theological arguments for vegetarianism with no shortage of respected supporters: their many religious supporters include the Chief Rabbi of Mandated Palestine Abraham Kook and the Chief Rabbi of Britain Sir Jonathan Sacks; their cultural supporters include Nobel Prize winners Isaac Bashevis Singer and Albert Einstein, for whom “man was not born to be a carnivore." There are at least three religious arguments for vegetarianism as a valid Jewish diet:

• Gd prescribed certain sources of food for humankind: “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon all the earth, and every tree that had seed bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food" (Genesis 1:29)
  
• A meat-based diet—especially one farmed industrially—violates a series of biblical injunctions, including the: 
  
  • Humane treatment of animals
    
  • Stewardship of the planet
    
  • Protection of human wellbeing
    
  • Provision of food for the hungry
    
• The arcane process of Jewish ritual slaughter intends to make eating meat simply too bothersome—as Israeli Orthodox leader Rabbi Shlomo Riskin elegantly notes, "The dietary laws are intended to teach us compassion and lead us gently to vegetarianism."

While all three arguments hold water, any one is sufficient to establish vegetarianism not only as a valid Jewish diet, but perhaps as the only way to eat Jewishly; the only way to achieve what many call "ethical kashrut." I love the simplicity of the third argument, but you’re safe choosing any or all. And if you’ve never before considered this topic, now might be a good time to start—it’s perfect for a South Austin style Shabbat reflection. You might find these links useful: 

• http://www.shalomveg.com
  
• http://www.jewishveg.com
  
• http://www.goveg.com/kosher.asp
  
• http://www.ivu.org/jvs

Meanwhile, I'm off to kill some tofus. Good shabbos.