Award-Winning Producer Urges Jews to Consider Vegetarianism

Lionel Friedberg, award-winning producer with 18 feature film credits as Director of Photography to his name, spoke at the Jewish Vegetarian Society’s headquarters in Golders Green on Sunday 1 July, following a screening of his thought-provoking documentary A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal The World . The event had a full turn-out with guests staying for a vegan buffet afterwards, including food and drink kindly donated by Fry’s , Vintage Roots and Sainsbury’s Golders Green . A Sacred Duty addresses climate and other environmental threats from a positive Jewish perspective. It argues that it is our duty to become aware of current threats and our responsibility to apply Jewish teachings to how we obtain our food, use natural resources, and live among other creatures. “People are detached from where their food comes from,” said Lionel Friedberg, a committed vegetarian of 48 years, “It’s all about McDonalds and KFC. Even the word ‘chicken’ has disappeared from ‘KFC’. It’s vital we start thinking about it.” Mr Friedberg stressed how the suffering and ill-treatment of animals is “mind-boggling”. The Jewish Vegetarian Society’s long-standing trustee Michael Freedman added that it’s key we live a kosher lifestyle “in the true sense” – not just following the rules, but thinking of the ethics behind them. To order a free copy of A Sacred Duty , please email info@jvs.org.uk .