Campaign Promotes Plant-Based Diet for Passover
Jewish Vegan Life, a global nonprofit that seeks to promote plant-based living, has launched a Passover Earth Day Campaign as the two events coincide this year on April 22.
The campaign features educational resources, recipes, and personal stories from members of the Jewish community who embrace veganism during Passover.
“This year, as we commemorate the exodus from Egypt and the renewal of spring, we have a unique opportunity to extend the spirit of liberation to all beings and to our planet, Earth,” said Raquela Karamson, founder and CEO of Jewish Vegan Life, which promotes itself as “the Jewish voice of the vegan movement.”
The campaign is asking consumers to “make a positive impact on the planet” by taking the Passover Earth Day Pledge to go vegan on Earth Day and/or Passover.
“By choosing plant-based foods, I am reducing my carbon footprint, conserving natural resources, and promoting compassion for all living beings,” the pledge, which is posted on JVL’s website, states.
Many of the foods traditionally eaten on Passover contain animal-derived ingredients, such as chicken (often used in matzoh ball soup) and beef brisket. JVL recipes for Passover include Veggie Matzah Kugel, made with a vegan egg replacer; an Eggplant Casserole, and a Fennel, Red Cabbage and Avocado Salad.
The campaign seeks to draw connections between nature’s role in the story of the Jews’ escape from slavery—the parting of the Red Sea, for example—and the importance of protecting both animal life and the environment.
Content supporting the Passover Earth Day Campaign also cites a recent study by Berkeley University showing that the rapid phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years and to offset 68 percent of carbon dioxide emissions this century.
“It is no coincidence that [the study] shows that a global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels for 30 years, the exact time span until the next alignment of Passover and Earth Day,” said Michael Gribov, head of movement building for JVL.
JVL has in the past supported a vegan diet for other Jewish holidays, including Chanukah and Rosh Hashanah, as well as traditional secular holidays such as Thanksgiving.
The organization launched a new website last month that shares vegan recipes and other content supporting a vegan lifestyle, as well as live chats and other events. It also shares recipes on social media, often partnering with vegan food producers, such as Ben’s Vegan Kitchen, Tofutti Brands, and Jenny Goldfarb of Unreal Deli, among other creators.
JVL seeks to position plant-based living as a component of adhering to principals of the Jewish faith around serving a higher calling.
Image: Nava Atlas, The Vegan Atlas