Take a look at some of our community highlights from the past month, as well as the programs you can get excited about in April!
Upcoming Programs:
Let’s Make Vegan Matzah Ball Soup!
Join us on April 2nd at 12 pm pst | 3pm est for a virtual Passover cooking demo, followed by an exclusive interview with Jewish vegan chef, Adam Sobel, of Cinnamon Snail!
Jewish Ethics: The Basics
April 3rd at 11:30am PST/ 2:30pm EST
Geoffrey Claussen’s new introduction to thinking critically about Jewish ethics, titled Jewish Ethics: The Basics (Routledge Publishing, 2025) focuses on diverse Jewish ways of approaching obligations towards humans and nonhuman others.
In this session, we will consider how ancient and contemporary Jews have disagreed about what constitutes Jewish ethics and about what we owe other creatures. 🐄🕊️🐟✡️
Questions? Email –> emma@shamayim.us
Unveiling the Torah’s Vegan Blueprint
We all strive to look and feel our best, but did you know that in Judaism, health is a non-negotiable? Judaism places a premium on well-being. From Kashrut, to foundational Torah teachings and rabbinic interpretations, health and longevity are deeply embedded in Jewish tradition. 🩺🌱
Campus Fellowship Spotlight
🌿✨ Shamayim Campus Event: Vegan Shabbat Brunch! ✨🌿
Paige and Hannah hosted a 100% vegan brunch! Guests enjoyed bagels, carrot lox, yogurt parfaits, pancakes, and coffee while engaging in meaningful conversations about veganism & the environment. 🥯🥕🥞
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Paige and Hannah were one-time Campus Grant recipients. Are you a Jewish college student? We are now offering $100 to host vegan events! Apply below!
Synagogue Vegan Challenge Spotlight
Harlem Service Corps – Session 1- Based in Harlem
“We had a great first meeting of our Harlem Service Corps volunteer group, which is a Black-Jewish bridge building and volunteering cohort. We got to know the people in the cohort, learned the Mishna in Sanhedrin about all of humanity being created in the image of G-d and the implications of that statement, set expectations, and enjoyed delicious vegan food from PeaceFood cafe (chickpea freas, “un-Chicken” tenders, quinoa salad, kale, japanese pumpkin, and baby bok choy). We also used this as an opportunity to talk about the value of ethically sourced food, and how food justice is an extension of the service and racial justice components of our program. The participants loved the food and enjoyed the learning!” – Rabbi Dimitry
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Jewish Community of Amherst– Kabbalat Shabbat with Vegan Meal
Behind the scenes look at prep of Mediterranean stuffed peppers (https://www.wellplated.com/wprm_print/vegan-stuffed-peppers) and vegan gluten free lemon bars!
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Adar Shabbat- Moishe Pod Denver
“We had such a great time on Friday welcoming our community for a delicious vegan meal and facilitating a discussion about eggs! It was great to use eggs as a springboard for discussion about our society’s over-dependence on animal products and the ways that capitalism affects our food choices and options.
We served a delicious vegan meal including a first course of challah, babaganoush and schug, and a main course of creamy grits with a wild mushroom ragout, roasted carrots, and a falafel salad. Fully plant-based, delicious and nourishing!” – Zack S.
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Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation – Saturday Morning Services
“It was wonderful to be able to use our Synagogue Vegan Challenge to share a kiddish lunch at shul. We ordered a vegan spread of falafel and hummus, greek salad (no feta!), and baklava from the Mediterranean Market, a local business. Everyone enjoyed the food as well as the D’var on animal rights. We would not have been able to hold this event without the help of Shamayim.” – Lara
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Shabbat with the Rabbi- Temple Israel of Hollywood
“A beautiful morning with about 25 parents with toddlers in our ECC program. We did a study using Honi the Circle Maker as our core text, looking at the ways in which the seeds we plant today might affect our children (and their children, etc). One of the convo prompts focused on our environmental concerns and what we might be able to do to minimize our negative impact on the earth. Our people responded favorably to the discussion and really appreciated the environmental question to better understand an immediate and tangible action they can take to plant seeds for our collective future. We served fruits, muffins, chips and guac, bagels, and had vegan shmear. Our parents were truly blown away with how delicious the vegan shmear (coconut based) was. They really couldn’t believe that they couldn’t tell the difference and how much they actually liked it.“
New Shamayim Discussion & Debate Hour Program!
*Due to rules set by our donor, this event cannot be recorded or live-streamed.
From the Blog
“Every dog owner knows the unique joy of having a dog and the profound grief that follows when that beloved companion dies. Last year, my dog Ozzie died suddenly and tragically. He wasn’t just a pet; he was family. His death left a void, and I found myself pondering a question I believe many of us have asked: Do dogs go to heaven?”
Read more of our latest blog by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz:
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