Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

Make Jewish meals animal-cruelty-free

Baltimore Sun
June 26, 2008

After reading dietitian Adriane Kozlovsky's suggestions to the Burstyn family in "Make Over My Meal: Shabbat Dinner" (June 18), I'd like to add one more suggestion: Choose vegetarian foods.

Proverbs 12:10 teaches that "the righteous man regards the life of his animal."

In today's world, the overwhelming majority of animals raised for food are confined on massive factory farms, where they're subjected to miserable conditions and unbelievable cruelties.

People of faith across America and across the world are "making over their meals" by replacing meat with healthy, delicious, cruelty- and cholesterol-free fare, such as citrus barbecue tofu, mock meatloaf and vegan shepherd's pie.

As Jews, a historically persecuted minority, we have a special obligation to protect the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves. There's no better way to defend animals than to leave them off our dinner plates.

Max Fischlowitz-Roberts
Washington