From Publishers Weekly
According to Kalechofsky (Autobiography of a Revolutionary: Essays on Animal and Human Rights), "meat today... violates the most fundamental of Jewish concepts: concern for health, for the environment, for the animal, for the Jewish community, for the human race." Concerned that even the rules of kashrut (kosher) can't protect any of these fundamental rights, the author sets out on an examination of the history of kashrut in the modern age and a history of the development of farming from family-owned farms to factory farms. Along the way, she argues that meat consumption is responsible for many public health problems. Kalechofsky engages in a deep study of Torah and Talmud to contend that Judaism is a religion whose ideals are best enacted through a vegetarian lifestyle. The chapters are devoted to five Jewish principles on which Kalechofsky says a righteous Jewish diet must be based: "pikuach nefesh (guard your health); tsa'ar ba'alei chaim (do not cause pain to living creatures); bal tashchit (concern for the environment); tzeddakah (charity); and klal Israel (concern for the community)." Kalechofsky's strident prose will put off many readers who might otherwise be sincerely interested in vegetarian Judaism.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
A timely examination of the problems with meat from a Jewish perspective. Examines the historical Jewish dietary laws, and argues that vegetarianism today best fulfills the requirements of kashrut. Gives reasons for Jewish vegetarianism based on concern for human health, ethical considerations of animal welfare, environmental concerns, concern for poor people, and for the general welfare of the community.
