Response to A Call to Arms by Rabbi Shafran

I have great respect for Rabbi Avi Shafran and his articles are always thought-provoking. But, I would like to respectfully take issue with some of the points in his recent op-ed article, “A Call To Arms.”

As usual, Rabbi Shafran makes many valid points, in this case about the importance of a belief system centered on God. However, rather than a real “Call to Arms” in response to many of the critical threats facing humanity today, he focuses on criticizing the animal rights movement as a modern-day embodiment of the thinking of Amalek. He pictures animal rights advocates as devoid of human values and considerations, uninterested about improving conditions for humanity and working for a better future world.

As an example, Rabbi Shafran mentions the contention of “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” (PETA), that “meat is murder.” While I would not use that language, I think that PETA's efforts to end the mistreatment of animals on factory farms is more consistent with Jewish teachings than the approach of many people, who apparently are ignoring the facts that (1) the mass production and consumption of animal products is, in addition to causing massive horrific abuses of animals, contributing significantly to an epidemic of human degenerative diseases and to global warming, rapid species extinction, the destruction of tropical rainforests and other habitats, a global fresh water crisis and many additional threats to humanity, and (2) animal-based diets and agriculture violate basic Jewish mandates to take care of our health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources, help the hungry, and pursue peace and justice. Producing and eating meat may not be "murder," but I wonder how it can be justified in view of the availability of many delicious, nutritious alternatives and the many negatives associated with meat consumption.

As another example, Rabbi Shafran cites Princeton University's Professor Peter Singer, who asserts that “the life of a newborn is of less value than the life of a pig, a dog or a chimpanzee.” While his view is still contrary to Jewish teachings and certainly deserves criticism, it should be pointed out that Singer is referring to only babies with severe brain damage who have almost no chance of a productive life. Also, Singer's many writings and actions aimed at reducing hunger, disease and other societal ills should also be considered, rather than just dismissing him as a person devoid of human sympathy and values. He annually gives 25 percent of his income to groups that help poor people and he urges others to do the same and to take other steps to help people, such as reducing their negative environmental impact.

As a final example, Rabbi Shafran cites “books like 'Eternal Treblinka,' which makes the loathsome comparison of animals slaughtered for food with the victims of the Nazis.” Actually, while the title choice is regrettable (it comes from the Yiddish writer and Nobel Laureate, Isaac Bashevis Singer, who wrote, "for animals it is an eternal Treblinka"), the book does no such thing. It compares the mindsets and methods of the murderous Nazis with those of today that are causing such cruelty and destruction to so many people and animals. It treats the issues with great sensitivity and discusses the views on animal rights of many Jews who are Holocaust survivors or children of Holocaust victims. The book has been translated into many languages, including Hebrew, and it has been published in many countries, including Israel.

As president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA), for many years I have tried to serve as a bridge between animal rights groups who are properly trying to reduce the current massive mistreatment of animals on factory farms and in many other settings, but often use statements and methods that I strongly disapprove of, and Jews, who properly cite Judaism's many wonderful teachings about the proper treatment of animals, but often fail to put these teachings into practice in their own lives and to protest against animal treatment that is very inconsistent with Torah values.

In a February, 2007 ruling forbidding the wearing of fur stripped from animals that are still alive, Israel's Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger noted that the quality of mercy was embedded in the Jewish people and that it was one of the telltale signs of the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He added, “The Jews are duty-bound to prevent the horrible phenomenon of cruelty to animals, and to be a light unto the nations by refraining from purchasing items whose production involved such needless and horrifying cruelty.”

Some statements and actions of animal rights activists certainly deserve criticism and I have expressed such criticism in the past. But, we should not use their failings as a reason to avoid applying Judaism's splendid teachings toward solutions of current threats to humanity and an end to the many violations of Jewish values in the production and consumption of meat and other animal products.

And, since Amalek attached the Israelites from the rear, seeking to kill the weakest and most vulnerable, perhaps the most effective response to the Amalek-like-thinking in society today would be to work to reduce the harm to the weakest and most vulnerable among us, by initiating a “Call to Arms” against policies that widen poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease and increase global warming.