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JUDAISM AND GLOBAL SURVIVAL JUDAISM AND GLOBAL SURVIVAL Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. Lantern Books New York A Division of Booklight Inc. 2002 Lantern Books One Union Square West, Suite 201 New York, NY 10003 Copyright © Richard Schwartz 2002 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of Lantern Books. Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Schwartz, Richard H. Judaism and global survival / Richard H. Schwartz. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 1-930051-87-5 (pbk.) 1. Judaism and social problems. I. Title. HN40.J5 S38 2001 296.3'8—dc21 2001038468 WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT JUDAISM AND GLOBAL SURVIVAL This masterful volume provides a treasure of insights into the perspective of Judaism on many urgent social problems. People committed to the vital force of the Jewish heritage will discover in this work both richness of expression and creative application of old texts to new situations. This volume can make a significant contribution to the shaping of the social consciousness of our community.—Rabbi Saul J. Berman, Professor of Jewish Studies, Stern College of Yeshiva University; Founder and Executive Director, Edah (modern Orthodox community organization) Everyone who believes in Tikkun Olam will be strengthened by this rich compendium of Jewish sources and ethical insights, which should stimulate many dialogues in the Jewish community about critical issues. Everyone who wants to apply Jewish values to the great concerns of our time will be nourished when they eat of this feast of Jewish values and treasures that is spread before us. —Rabbi Irving Greenberg, President, Jewish Life Network; Founder, CLAL, National Jewish Center for Learning and Leader- ship A superb task of research, compilation, and writing.... [This] book brings to bear scholarly insight in a way that is accessible to the interested layperson. The insights and the values of the Jewish tradition regarding crucial social issues of our time come alive in ... [this] presentation. Whether used as a textbook or as a personal guide for Jews who care about making Jewish values live in our world, this book makes a significant contribution to the modern understanding of Jewish social justice.—Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Dr. Schwartz has written a significant book that will raise the ecological conscience of the reader, and he has supplied it with religious and secular erudition and global relevance. It speaks with the unmistakable diction of the prophetic moral sensibility. —Harold M. Schulweis, Rabbi, Valley Beth Shalom, Encino, California Dr. Schwartz’s erudition and moral passion are admirable, as well as his ability to deal with so many subjects so readably and succinctly.—Dr. Andre Ungar, Rabbi, Temple Emanuel, Wood- cliff Lake, New Jersey; Former chairperson of the Hebraic Studies Department, Rutgers University Shows with eloquence and intelligence that Jewish tradition has much to teach us all about how to protect the earth and the human race from destruction—and how to nurture a decent world. —Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director of the Shalom Center; Author of Godwrestling: Round 2 and many other books My undergraduate years at Brandeis University were just begin- ning when the first edition of this book came out—and this one- stop collection of Judaic textual sources on issues of the day had a profound influence on me. It served me well through years of learning and activism, and was one of the few to accompany me on a cross-country walk for the environment ten years ago. In semi- nary at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, hardly a month went by without occasion to consult this important work. As a pulpit rabbi and Jewish-environmental educator, I still keep it handy. Not only is it time for me to replace my own dog-eared copy, but it’s time for the newly-updated edition of this work to find a position of prominence on every Jewish bookshelf.—Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congre- gation, Bethesda, MD; Board of Trustees, Coalition on the Envi- ronment and Jewish Life I urge every rabbi, Jewish teacher and concerned Jew to read Judaism and Global Survival. We face the future with a great need for ancient wisdom from our tradition dealing with justice and how to sustain our life on earth. Schwartz’s visionary and wise book provides us with the spiritual tools to guide our way.—Rabbi Warren Stone, Environmental Chair, CCAR (Central Confer- ence of American Rabbis) An excellent sourcebook. Many of its ideas have found their way into my sermons.—Rabbi Gerald Serotta, Campus Hillel Rabbi, George Washington University; Associate Rabbi, Temple Shalom of Chevy Chase, MD Among Judaism’s most basic principles are God’s affirmation of both the world and the moral potential of humankind. Therefore, to the Jewish mind, the proper concerns of religion are not only of a private, subjective nature, but necessarily extend to the spiritual and physical improvement of the world. Dr. Schwartz echoes the impassioned protest of the ancient prophets of Israel in his pointed consideration of contemporary social issues. In doing so, he also demonstrates that Judaism cannot be pigeonholed into the convenient ideological categories of “conservative,” “liberal,” etc., but must be encountered on its own terms.—Rabbi Dovid Sears, Author of Compassion for Humanity in the Jewish Tradition A shofar calling the Jewish community to wake up to current crises and at the same time return to our roots. Through clear and compelling exploration, Schwartz calls us to pay attention to the destruction and injustice taking place around the world, realize how we are complicit in environmental degradation and human suffering, and take action rooted in basic Jewish values. Read this book, hear the shofar, and listen for the still, small voice inside that calls our Jewish souls to the work of healing and repairing our world.—Mark X. Jacobs, Executive Director, COEJL (Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life) A lovingly detailed synthesis of much of the best moral tradition of Judaism, relating it to modern problems of ecology, war, hunger, and other issues of world survival.—Naomi Goodman, Former President of the Jewish Peace Fellowship; co-author of The Chal- lenge of Shalom Richard Schwartz has written a profound and inspiring call to Jews to involve themselves in saving our planet from disaster. His book makes us proud of our Jewish heritage and eager to engage in environmental activism.—Susannah Heschel, Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College Richard Schwartz’s book represents a generous, humane spirit. It is filled with examples of Judaism as a living guide to contemporary life. It says that Jews need only look into their own religious faith and history to discover that all people, not only Jews, are worthy of our concern—and, as Schwartz writes, “Each of us must be a Jonah, with a mission to warn the world that it must turn from greed, injustice, and idolatry to avoid global oblivion.” Judaism and Global Survival is rich in the teachings of Judaism and reflective of the extraordinary ethical and moral way of life that has always made us distinctive. It is an important book.—Murray Polner, Former Editor, Present Tense; Chair of the Jewish Peace Fellow- ship, and editor of Shalom: The Jewish Peace Letter This extremely eloquent, important, and timely book treats a subject of the utmost importance, one of vital concern to everyone —how we can save the earth and prevent the destruction of its life support systems and of humanity itself.—Lewis G. Regenstein, President, the Interfaith Council for the Protection of Animals and Nature; Author of Replenish the Earth: The Teachings of the World’s Religions on Protecting Animals and Nature “Richard Schwartz has crafted a magnificent contribution to Jewish ethical writing. He has insightfully raised important ques- tions for concerned Jews and courageously taught a simple, yet profound Jewish message.”—Rabbi Hillel Norry, Shaare Tzedeck Synagogue, Manhattan; Member of the Law and Standards Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly “This book is not just for Jews. People of all faiths who want to know how the Hebrew Scriptures relate to the crucial issues of our times will find it invaluable. It can be common ground for those of us who want the kind of dialogue that will create the world that ought to be.”—Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Eastern College TABLE OF CONTENTS Prepublication Endorsements . .v Foreword by Rabbi David Rosen . .xiii Preface . .xvii Acknowledgments to the Second Edition . .xxiii 1: Involvement and Protest . .1 2: Human Rights and Obligations . .11 3: Social Justice . .25 4: Ecology . .37 5: Environmental Issues in Israel . .55 6: Hunger . .67 7: Peace . .81 8: International Concerns . .97 9: Energy . .117 10: Global Climate Change . .133 11: Population Growth . .145 12: Vegetarianism—A Global Imperative? . .161 13: Conclusion . .177 Afterword . .181 Appendix A: Action Ideas . .185 Appendix B: Miscellaneous Background Material . .189 Appendix C: Guide to Jewish Activist Groups . .193 Appendix D: General Groups Involved with Global Issues . .201 Appendix E: Jewish Publications . .203 xi xii JUDAISM AND GLOBAL SURVIVAL Notes . .207 Annotated Bibliography . .235 Subject Index . .241 Index of Biblical Passages . .251 FOREWORD HE TALMUD DECLARES THAT ONE WHO IS NOT COMPAS- T sionate cannot truly be of the seed of Abraham our father (Bezah 32b). In other words, to be authentically Jewish means to emulate Abraham’s compassionate conduct towards others. Underlying this state- ment is the view of Abraham in our Tradition, as the pioneer of ethical monotheism.

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