The State of the Jewish Vegan Movement

Developing Alternative proteins to help the earth, animals, and our health!

Gentle Yoga & Prayer Circle for the Animals

Join us for a harmonious fusion of yoga and prayer, led by Jewish Vegan Yogi, Kim Siegel, PMP, E-RYT 500, as we honor the sacred bond between humans and animals in celebration of Passover.

Healthy & Delicious Vegan Hamantaschen!

Celebrating Jewish Diversity

Exodus & Exoskeletons: A Journey Into Entomology | Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy

Join us for this class with David Lowenstein connecting bugs, plants, and Torah!

Chef AJ Interview: Plant-based and unprocessed eating for ourselves, the animals, and the planet!

On this episode of the Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy podcast, Emma Goldblatt interviews the amazing vegan show host, professional speaker, and author, Chef AJ!

The Cat to Cow Connection: Animal Activism & Animal Agriculture with Cynthia von Schlichten of Farm Sanctuary

In this episode of the Shamayim podcast, Emma Goldblatt interviews Cynthia von Schlichten from Farm Sanctuary! Join us for this discussion on how Cynthia made her “cat to cow connection” and more about Farm sanctuary’s mission!

Spirituality and Veganism: An interview with Ari Nessel | In this episode of the Shamayim podcast, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz interviews Ariel Nessel! Join us for this enlightening interview on spirituality and veganism!

Moby Interview: Spirituality & Animal Activism | In this episode of the Shamayim podcast, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz interviews vegan musician and celebrity, Moby! Join us for a deep, but also light hearted discussion on spirituality and animal activism.

A Chat with Dr. Andrew Kelly, Director of FFA (Freedom for Animals)! Join us for today’s episode of the Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy podcast as we talk with Dr. Andrew Kelly of Freedom for Animals (FFA), and how they are campaigning for an end to the abuse and exploitation of animals in captivity for human entertainment. Learn more about FFA here: www.freedomforanimals.org.uk

Plant Based Eating for Health & Healing: An Interview with Dan Purjes! Join us as we talk with Dan Purjes about the amazing health benefits of a whole foods, plant based diet, and his new book and film which are out now! Find his book here | Find the film here

Climate Change Virtual Panel with Rabbi Jennie Rosenn and Mirele B. Goldsmith- Check out the recording of our Virtual Climate Change Panel featuring Rabbi Jennie Rosenn and Mirele B. Goldsmith! 🌎🌳🌥

Is Lab Created Meat Kosher? With Rabbi Dina Najman

Can Factory Farmed Dairy Actually be Kosher? -live Class with Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein!

Sacrifice, Cravings, and Bloodshed: Does Torah Allow City Dwellers to Eat Animals?– live Class with Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein!

Israeli Veganism, American Jewish Veganism, & the Connections!- live panel with Omri Paz of Vegan Friendly, and Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz and Emma Goldblatt of Shamayim!

Tza’ar Ba’alei Chaim, The Prohibition against Causing Pain to Animals- Class Recording – Class with Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein!

Shamayim | Factory Farming Awareness coalition class for teens! A class for teen animal advocates with Shamayim and the Factory Farming Awareness Coalition!

Vegan Challah Baking Class with Eli Winkelman! A class with Eli Winkelman, founder of Challah for Hunger!

Caring for our Workers, Animals, & our Environment: A Torah Revolution! Join us for an exciting panel featuring Jonah Goldman of PLNT Burger, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz of Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy, and Eddie Chavez Calderon of Uri L’ Tzedek, and moderated by Emma Goldblatt of Shamayim!

The High Holidays: A Time to Realign Our Food Choices With Jewish Values. A virtual class with the Vegan Rabbi- Rabbi Akiva!

Mourning for the Animals on Tisha B’av- A class with Rabbi Akiva Gersh, Senior Jewish Educator of Shamayim and also known as “The Vegan Rabbi.”

Come Cook With Us – A Vegan Shabbat Cooking Series – For the fourth session in this series, Diana Goldman of Beantown Kitchen, taught us how to make her Hearty Baked Lasagna with Vegan Cashew Parmesan for Shabbat.  You can watch the recording  here.

Come Cook With Us – A Vegan Shabbat Cooking Series– For the third session in this series home cook, Sabrina Bonaparte, taught us how she makes a full whole foods plant-based meal with her Potato Bar topped with veggies, chili, cheese sauce, and sour cream and she finished off with her healthy black bean brownies. All parts were made with no oil.

Come Cook With Us – A Vegan Shabbat Cooking Series – For the second session in this series Ori Shavit of Vegans on Top taught us her Tofu Chraime (spicy Moroccan dish) recipe and answered questions about the vegan scene in Israel. Watch the recording here.

Esther at the Table: Stories on Food and Feminism – We celebrated Purim by looking at why veganism is a feminist issue. We talked midrash (Biblical commentary), animal and gender rights and the role that feminism plays in our food ethics. You can still watch our thoughtful conversation, moving stories, and uplifting songs by clicking here. 

Come Cook With Us – A Vegan Shabbat Cooking Series – For the first session in this series Liz Madsen of Zardyplants taught us her Creamy Vegan Chicken Soup recipe. Watch the recording here.

Spirit, Symbols, Snacks and Song: A Communal Tu B’Shvat Seder – We hosted an interactive Tu B’Shvat seder that transformed the Jewish “birthday of the trees,” into a meaningful ritual. We explored the ecological essence of the holiday, engaged the senses, and provided take away easy-to-run activities for your future celebrations. This event was co-sponsored by Hazon, Jewish Veg, and the Jewish Initiative for Animals. 

Animals, Religion, and Public Health: An Interfaith Webinar – Listen to professors and experts from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Unitarian Universalist faiths as they discuss animal agriculture, its relationship to public health, and faith-based insights into this crucial intersection at a time when a global pandemic has laid bare the deep problems within industrialized farming.  

Salty ‘N Sweet Chanukah Eats – Savor the love and light of Chanukah with the help of delicious easy-to-make recipes! We hosted cookbook author, Estee Raviv, (Oy Vey Vegan) to learn how to make classic latkes (with a surprise twist), followed by a Chanukah cookie “cook-with” where you were invited to bake along.

Hearty and Joyful Shabbat Plant-based Dishes! – In conjunction with the international Shabbat Project, we hosted Chef Megan who taught us how to use mushrooms and jackfruit in place of chicken and brisket in your traditional favorite Shabbat recipes.

Jewish Recipes from Around the World – We celebrated World Vegan Day with amazing chefs, cooks, and authors who shared cooking demos from around the world. Check out the Israeli, Ethiopian, Indian, and Puerto Rican recipes and demos!

Justice & Compassion: Judaism Calls for a Vegan Spiritual Revolution – Vegan Chef AJ interviews Shamayim’s founder, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz.

From Compassion to Activism: Animal Rights During the Pandemic – The Israeli Consulate NY hosted this session which shared what three major Jewish organizations are doing to promote veganism and animal welfare, which is even more important now that we are living through a pandemic tied to the consumption of animals. 

Shavuot Webinar: From Ancient Harvest to Home Kitchen – In this dynamic webinar, we looked at the history of this harvest holiday, the custom of eating dairy and produce, and the themes of freedom and limitation as they relate to our personal food choices. We closed with a plant-based cooking demo with vegan cook Brett Trueman and his vegan cheesecake.

Pantry Pesach – Los Angeles based caterer Ariel Freda led a live, kosher-for-Passover food demo focused on easy plant-based recipes using staples from your pantry and kitchen. 

Connecting Anti-Oppression Work and Tikkun Olam with Meadow Amster

A Passover that is Free for All: Worker, Animal, and Climate Justice – At this pre-Passover webinar, we learned about how what we eat during this celebration of freedom affects animals, the environment, and workers, along with how to make food choices that are truly in line with our Jewish values.

Speaker Series: Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz: March 2022

Speaker Series ft. John Oberg

Think Traditional Jewish Food like Corned Beef but Made from Plants – Jenny Goldfarb, founder of Unreal Deli, joined us at the Great Big Jewish Food Fest. Jenny spoke about why we, as Jews, feel so attached to the food of our ancestors and how we can continue to enjoy them even after becoming vegan.

Plant-Based Summer Speaker Series – Chef Megan Tucker taught two sessions for our 2020 Summer Speakers. Megan is a professional chef & owner of Mort & Betty’s Vegan Jewish Deli. Check out Deli Salads & Salatim on the Plant-Based Table and Plant-Based Eggs Unscrambled: An Overview of Egg Substitutes in Cooking and Baking from Aquafaba to Vegan Retail Products.

Evolving How You Eat – Lauren Bernick became a health advocate inadvertently when she was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease at the age of 46. She led a discussion about how to evolve your eating habits in a way that’s sustainable for everyone and shared her personal journey.