| Media PRESS
RELEASE June 20, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact person: Richard
H. Schwartz ([email protected]; Phone:
(718) 761-5876; Fax: (718) 982-3631.) JEWISH GROUP ADVOCATES COMMEMORATION
OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER As part
of its campaign to make Jews more aware of the many negative effects of producing
and consuming meat, Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) today advocated
that the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nobel Laureate, Jewish vegetarian Isaac
Bashevis Singer (1904 - 1991) be celebrated through talks, readings, and other
commemorations. Most people are unaware that vegetarianism was an important
part of Singer's life, and few obituaries even made mention of it. Singer was
a vegetarian for the last 30 years of his life, primarily because of compass ion
for animals. Most of the characters in Singer's novels and short stories either
are vegetarians, become vegetarians, or think about becoming vegetarians, and
they wrestled with issues related to the mistreatment of animals. From
an early age, Singer was haunted by the question of why there was so much bloodshed
in the world. His feelings for animals were so strong that he suggested that there
should be an Eleventh Commandment: "Do not kill or exploit the animal. Don't
eat its flesh, don't flail its hide, don't force it to do things against its nature."
He stated that he "could never forget the cruelties perpetrated upon God's
creatures in slaughterhouses, on hunts, and in various scientific laboratories."
Singer was a patron of the International Jewish Vegetarian Society, and in July
1979 he received an award from the Vegetarian Information Service for his contributions
to literature and vegetarianism. He also received a "Jewish Vegetarian of
the Year" award from the Jewish Vegetarians of North America in 1986. He
was one of the most powerful pro-animal voices of the twentieth century, and was
frequently quoted as saying, "I am a vegetarian for health reasons - the
health of the chicken." An "Isaac Bashevis Singer Humane Education Center"
has been established at the SPCA building in Tel Aviv by the US-based animal rights
group "Concern for Helping Animals in Israel" (CHAI). Singer's
strong feelings with regard to vegetarianism and animal rights are indicated in
the following selections: For years I had wanted to become
a vegetarian. I didn't see how we could speak about mercy and ask for mercy and
talk about humanism and against bloodshed when we shed blood ourselves-the blood
of animals and innocent creatures." The longer I am a vegetarian,
the more I feel how wrong it is to kill animals and eat them. I think that eating
meat or fish is a denial of all ideals, even of all religions. How can we pray
to God for mercy if we ourselves have no mercy? How can we speak of right and
justice if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood? Every kind of killing
seems to me savage and I find no justification for it. We know now, as
we have always known instinctively, that animals can suffer as much as human beings.
Their emotions and their sensitivity are often stronger than those of a human
being. Various philosophers and religious leaders tried to convince their disciples
and followers that animals are nothing more than machines without a soul, without
feelings. However, anyone who has ever lived with an animal--be it a dog, bird
or even a mouse--knows that this theory is a brazen lie, invented to justify cruelty.
Today, animal-based diets are causing an epidemic of chronic degenerative diseases,
and "livestock" agriculture is wrecking havoc on the environment. Hence,
a widespread consideration of Singer's dietary preferences can help show people
that vegetarianism is not only an important individual choice today, but it is
also a spiritual imperative and a societal imperative, necessary to revitalize
Judaism and other religions and to move our imperiled planet to a more sustainable
path. Further information about Singer's animal rights and vegetarian writings
can be found at: http://www.EternalTreblinka.com/singer.html ###Jewish
Vegetarians of North America represents a broad coalition of rabbis, scholars,
experts, and active members of the Jewish community in advocating vegetarianism
as a Jewish ideal. | 
