Restoring the Jewish New Year for the Animals

Written by Professor Richard Schwartz As you know, animals are treated horribly today on factory farms and in other settings, contrary to basic Jewish teachings. Yet, this is generally being ignored in the Jewish community. In recent years, some Jews have been working to renew the ancient Jewish holiday, the “New Year for Animals,” and to transform it from a day devoted to tithing animals for sacrificing into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Judaism’s teachings on compassion to animals and how far these teachings are from how animals are treated today. Below are four of my Jewcology blogs, each with an article about renewing and transforming the New Year for Animals. Please help spread the word and please consider commemorating the New Year for Animals in some way. It occurs on Rosh Chodesh Elul, starting at sundown on September 3 in 2016.   Ten Reasons for Restoring and Transforming the Ancient New Year for Animals Restoring and Transforming the Ancient New Year for Animals An Audacious Proposal to Restore and Transform the Ancient New Year for Animals Restoring the Overlooked Mitzvah of Tsa’ar Ba’alei Chaim