Judaism and Vegetarianism
by Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Judaism and Vegetarianism
New Revised Edition

From God’s first injunction—“ ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed—to you it shall be for food.’ ” (Gen. 1:29)—the Hebrew Bible offers countless examples of how God intends a compassionate and caring attitude toward animals, our health, and the health of the planet. This attitude, as Richard Schwartz shows in his pioneering work now fully revised, has been a constant theme throughout Judaism to the present day.

Indeed, Judaism’s particular concern for tikkun olam, a healing of the world, has never been more urgent than today—given the current state of world hunger, environmental degradation, and the horror of factory farms. Dr. Schwartz shows not only how Judaism is particularly well suited to solving these problems but how doing so can revitalize one’s Jewish faith. “A convincing, compassionate, and comprehensive argument [that] marshals overpowering evidence.”—Harry Essrig, The American Rabbi

“Professor Schwartz has presented us with impressive material supporting his thesis that a practical, healthy, and Torah way of eating is through vegetarianism.”—Emunah Women

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the College of Staten Island, New York. He is the author of Mathematics and Global Survival and Judaism and Global Survival. He lives in Staten Island, New York.