Animal welfare on the menu at Limmud Conference

We are just a few weeks away from Limmud Conference – an annual festival, which attracts over 3,000 people to discuss culture, history, politics, art, food and lots more. There is a fantastic line-up on speakers, including international ones, presenting on animal welfare, vegetarianism and veganism: Praying with four feet: animals in prayer and Jewish ritual (with Jewish Initiative for Animals ‘ Sarah Chandler) – Saturday 21:45-22:45 Pleased to meat you: Where does your meat come from? What makes kosher meat kosher? Is kosher slaughter actually better for animals? We’ll explore these questions while introducing you to the world of schechita (kosher slaughter), with Gabriel Botnick, Tuesday 20:10 -21:20 Jewish animal ethics from Torah to today: This lively survey of Jewish animal ethics will consider passages from the Tanach, rabbinic writings, contemporary Jewish thought, and the remarkable contributions Jews have made to secular animal ethics from Isaac Bashevis Singer to Jacques Derrida. All Hebrew texts will include English translation. Accessible for all levels – Sunday 16:40-17:50 with Farm Forward CEO Dr. Aaron Gross A Jewish response to factory farming: How can Jewish community and teachings help us better respond to the factory farm systems that produce the majority of animal products consumed in Europe, North America and, increasingly, the world? Whether you are just learning about these issues or are a seasoned advocate, join us for this facilitated discussion – with Dr. Aaron Gross, Monday 14:30-15:30 Ethics of eating meat: Adam and Eve were vegans. Humans only started eating meat after G-d permitted Noah to do so. Even since then, our meat consumption seems to have gotten a bit out of control. Going off the assumption that the Torah permits us to eat meat, we’ll explore whether the Jewish tradition provides a framework for being more conscientious carnivores, with Gabriel Botnick, Monday 18:50 – 20:00 Achieving Climate Consciouness : Sir David King, government ‘tzar’ on climate change, has labelled the issue as ‘more dangerous than terrorism’. In conversation with Clive Lawton (Founder of Limmud), the two will discuss how to make a difference without changing your life top to bottom while touching on how Jewish wisdom has approached this thorny issue. The session will finish with an introduction to British Jewry’s own climate campaign, Tuesday 14:30-15:30 “Live” Schechita Demonstration: Believe it or not, but meat doesn’t just miraculously appear on a styrofoam tray at the market. We may not want to think about how our meat gets to our tables, but the Jewish tradition says we should. In this session, we’ll watch a video of a live kosher slaughter demonstration, pausing throughout for explanations and discussion, with Gabriel Botnick, Wednesday 16:40 – 17:50 Creating an ethical food policy that can change public policy: Learn about how creating an ethical food policy – what some are calling community food covenants – at your local Jewish institution can help create a better future for global agriculture and build community. Learn about past victories that have improved the lives of hundreds of millions of animals and how to duplicate them!, Tuesday 10:30 – 11:40 History and new trends in Jewish vegetarianism (with Sarah Chandler and JVS Director Lara Smallman) – Monday 13:15-14:15 Ethical Kosher and the Future of Food with Dr. Aaron Gross & Biblical Foods Ltd. ‘s Leon Pein – Hear from a United States based animal advocate about recent trends in ethical kosher, humane certification for animal products, and how anyone, from meat lover to vegan, can support a more sustainable food system – Monday 10:30 – 11:40 How to use compassionate communication to talk about compassion for animals (with Sarah Chandler) – Tuesday 16:40-17:50 Click here to view the full programme . JVS will also be exhibiting on Wednesday 28th in Red 9 in front of Boulevard from 2.30-4.30pm. We are looking for two volunteers to help with our stall. Please email info@jvs.org.uk if you’d like to get involved.