August 24th, 2020
LISA APFELBERG
First and foremost, we hope this enews finds you well and healthy.
We continue to launch creative ways to grow our virtual community and hope that you read on to enjoy the smart Six-Word Memoirs that so many of our followers submitted to us. It’s not too late to submit your own! We are also announcing the final webinar in our Plant-Based Summer Speaker Series below. We’d love to see you there online and if you missed any of our previous ones, they can all be viewed on the webinar page of our website.
So many of us would love to hear our congregations discuss what is so often on our minds and that is the relationship and responsibility we have towards the animals that we share this planet with. We are announcing our Animal Welfare Sermon Contest below and we hope that you’ll bring it to the attention of your rabbis or lay leaders and encourage them to participate!
We look forward to continuing engage with you and get to know you as we put together more remote content and programming to support our growing community. We’d love to hear from you.
The first day of Elul, the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah, is known as Rosh Hanshanah La’Behemot, a Jewish New Year’s Day for Animals. This day has been revived in recent years as an opportunity for us to consider our relationship with animals as part of our own journey toward teshuva and celebrating the birth of the world.
Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy is proud to announce the Animal Welfare Sermon Contest, a month-long opportunity during Elul to compose and deliver a sermon focused on our responsibilities to animals through the lens of Jewish tradition and ethics.
On September 30th we’ll be selecting one winner to be awarded $500! Please let your rabbis and lay speakers know and help us spread the word by sharing this contest!
Your submission must include:
1) Full name and role of submitter
2) Where (synagogue name and city) and when (date within the month of Elul) sermon was delivered
3) How many were in attendance to hear sermon
4) Type of service or program where sermon was delivered
5) A PDF copy of the sermon
Please submit your sermon to here by September 30, 2020.
By entering the contest, you give Shamayim permission to use your submission on our website, blog, and in learning materials. If you’re looking for inspiration, the Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA) has some resources and a study guide for texts about Jewish Animal Ethics.
If you have any questions, email lisa@shamayim.us.
Webinar: Connecting Anti-Oppression Work and Tikkun Olam
Shamayim and JIFA are pleased to invite you to take part in our next webinar, Connecting Anti-Oppression Work and Tikkun Olam. On Friday, August 28th at 9amPST/12pmEST, Meadow Amster will lead a one hour discussion. Together, we’ll be exploring the ways we can challenge systems of oppression in our daily lives and how that relates to Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept that we’re meant to repair the world through our behaviour. Meadow will welcome and moderate guests who wish to ask questions or share their experiences with the group.
Meadow is an advocate for human and non-human animals, working to embody chesed and tzedekah through mindful daily practices. Professionally, Meadow works in social services where she utilizes her empathy and passion to serve her community.
You can follow Meadow on instagram @netta.ruth Shamayim Campus Fellowship
There’s still time to apply to our 2020-2021 Campus Fellowship program!
The Shamayim Campus Fellowship gives committed Jewish vegan, vegetarian and animal loving college students the opportunity to take action and create change on their campuses.
Fellows will:
- Be part of a school year long program from August (or September) through May
- Host 5 vegan campus (or virtual) events throughout the year with training and funding from Shamayim
- Participate in monthly learning calls with inspiring student leaders from around the country and leaders in the field
- Attend Shamayim’s annual Jewish Animal Advocacy Retreat, sponsored by Shamayim
- Earn a $500 stipend upon completion of the fellowship.
Applications close August 21st. Please pass this opportunity along to any Jewish college students you know!
Have you taken part in our Six-Word Memoir project yet? The beautiful stories above come from our community! Six-Word Memoirs® are the creation of Larry Smith of SMITH Magazine.
When Shamayim asked the question of what it’s like to be Jewish and veg, you responded with touching, lighthearted and honest responses of what it’s like to be both Jewish and an advocate for animals.
We want to hear your story of the intersection of your Judaism and your plant-based eating.
Thank you to Kenden Alfond at Jewish Food Hero for the amazing gift! If you want to purchase your own Jewish holiday calendar, you can do so here with a 10% discount.
What We’re Watching:
- The Afro Vegan Society recently had their Virtual National Afro Vegan Conference and the amazing sessions can still be watched here!
What We’re Cooking:
- The Edgy Veg – Carnivore Approved Recipes. Especially try her Rice Paper Bacon recipe! It’s kosher.
Previous newsletter:
Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy 
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