FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Oct. 23rd, 2015)—Hazon, the leading Jewish sustainability organization in North America, has teamed up with The Humane Society of the United States to further farm animal welfare education and advocacy within the Jewish community in time for Food Day 2015 this Saturday, October 24th, an event that inspires Americans to reflect upon their diets and food choices.
Christine Gutleben, director of Faith Outreach at The HSUS, said: “Hazon’s work to provide transformative experiences in food education aligns with our work to promote more compassionate food choices among faith communities. Together we can help Jewish communities reduce their meat consumption and avoid purchasing animal products from factory farms.”
The two organizations are working together on a range initiatives, including a camp program for Jewish youth that explores the practices of industrial animal agriculture along with what Jewish tradition teaches about animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
“The pilot program we ran this summer was a huge success,” said Becca Linden, Associate Program Director at Hazon. “Over 1,000 campers participated in our creative games, thought deeply about their values when interacting with our educational materials, and had vigorous debates in their dining halls about whether, when, and how we should eat animal products—all
informed by Jewish tradition. This is where ground-level change begins—with our youngest generations. We are excited to celebrate Food Day, having taken these steps to make a meaningful and lasting difference.”
Programs within Jewish summer camps are just a starting point for the two groups, which hope to broaden food justice to include animal issues in a variety of Jewish contexts. Together, Hazon and The HSUS will be working on co-branded programming and materials for synagogues—including a “Green Kiddush Guide,” and extending resources to professionals at religious schools, adult education programs, youth groups, synagogue clergy, and lay leaders.
In keeping with Food Day’s theme of being a year-long catalyst for healthier diets and a better food system, the joint Hazon and HSUS projects will be a major theme at Hazon’s annual Food Conference from December 29th-January 1st, where rabbis, animal advocates and food enthusiasts will unite to discuss how we should approach food in a changing climate.
The HSUS advocates for the Three Rs: “reducing” or “replacing” consumption of animal products and “refining” our diets by choosing products from sources that adhere to higher animal welfare standards.
This work is being supported by a grant from Emanuel J. Friedman Philanthropies, which supports innovative programs that promote compassion for animals.
Media Contacts:
Naseem Amini, namini@humanesociety.org, 301-548-7793
Becca Linden becca.linden@hazon.org, 434-962-7899
Additional informationa about Food Day is available at: http://www.foodday.org/about
Subscribe to Wayne Pacelle’s blog, A Humane Nation. Follow The HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter for the latest animal welfare news.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated most effective by our peers. For 60 years, we have celebrated the protection of all animals and confronted all forms of cruelty. We are the nation’s largest provider of hands-on services for animals, caring for more than 100,000 animals each year, and we prevent cruelty to millions more through our advocacy campaigns. Read more about our 60 years of transformational change for animals, and visit us online at humanesociety.org.
The word Hazon means vision. We work to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community, and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. We were founded in 2000 and we have grown every year since, by pretty much all metrics. We are based in New York City and at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, in Falls Village, CT, and we have staff in San Diego, Boulder, Denver, Philadelphia, and Detroit. We welcome participants of all religious backgrounds and none, and we work closely with a wide range of institutions and leaders across the Jewish world. Please visit us at www.hazon.org.
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