By Lisa Apfelberg, Executive Director. It’s an exciting time indeed for Jewish Veg. I am absolutely thrilled to be assuming the role of Executive Director of this organization. I have so many big hopes and dreams for the future of the Jewish vegan movement, and I’d like to reflect on what Jeff has shared. It’s incredible to think of where we were when he took the helm. Obviously, it took a great leap of faith from him and the volunteer leaders at that time. Veganism wasn’t anywhere near as prevalent or commonplace at that time. Those of us who were living this way were much quieter about it ..read more

By Jeffrey Spitz Cohan, Director of Strategic Growth and Finance. On a Sunday afternoon in June of 2012, eight Jewish vegans gathered in the back room of the Caravan of Dreams restaurant in New York’s East Village.  I was there to give a PowerPoint presentation to the other seven about how Jewish Vegetarians of North America could emerge from obscurity and destitution and become a full-fledged, respected and effective nonprofit organization.  At the time, the organization consisted of two volunteers and an outdated website. JVNA was almost entirely bereft of relationships with the o ..read more

By Jeffrey Spitz Cohan. Welcome to the (second) rebirth of Jewish Veg! This new website – together with our new logo and colors – is the culmination of years of planning and work, the combined efforts of talented and dedicated individuals on our staff and among our partners. Those partners include our reimaging partner Wall-to-Wall Studios and our website developer Elevation. The main purpose of this effort was to make our message and resources more attractive, to draw more people to the vegan lifestyle.  A complementary purpose was to create a website, logo, and colors that clearly conv ..read more

By Jeffrey Spitz Cohan, Executive Director. Now we know what it’s like to be a rock star.  Ten gigs, in eight cities, in nine days, in April. Bloodshot eyes and flight delays.  We weren’t playing loud music, singing unintelligible lyrics, or smashing guitars. Instead, we were spreading the word about the intersection of Judaism and veganism, speaking to college students, synagogue-goers, and even to a local rabbinic association.  This was The Rabbi Akiva Gersh Speaking Tour, organized by Jewish Veg. Akiva – an Orthodox rabbi, devout vegan, and signatory on the Jewish Veg Rabbin ..read more

By Heather Shenkman, MD, FACC, Interventional Cardiologist and part of the Jewish Veg Advisory Council. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, ac counting for one in four deaths in the United States.* Genetics definitely plays a role in who gets heart disease. However, our lifestyle — including diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and stress management — can reduce the risk of a heart attack by a whopping 80%. There are plenty of compelling reasons to eat plant-based for the animals and for our environment.  That said, I focus in my daily work on preventing and ..read more

Announcing the Rabbi Akiva Gersh – The Vegan Rabbi – US Tour! Join us if you’re near any of these locations. Monday, April 17 at 12 PM ET – Temple Beth Tikvah – Roswell, GA (Atlanta)Register Tuesday, April 18 at 7:30 PM ET – Congregation L’dor Va-dor – Delray Beach, FL (Open to all – option to attend virtually) Register Wednesday, April 19 at 8 PM ET – Rutgers Hillel – New Brunswick, NJ More Info Thursday, April 20 at 8:15 PM ET – Temple Israel of Great Neck – Great Neck, NY More Info Shabbaton Weekend at Princeton – Princeton, NJ Information coming soon! Sunday, April 23 at 3 PM ET – Boyce ..read more

Rabbi Akiva Gersh, aka The Vegan Rabbi, is coming to Rutgers Hillel for this one-night-only event as part of a national tour organized by Jewish Veg and co-sponsored by Rutgers Hillel, Rutgers Veg Society, Animal Activism Mentorship, and World Vegan Vision. Wednesday, April 19 at 8 PM ET Rutgers Hillel 70 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 No registration is necessary but you will need to bring an ID to get into the building. Find parking info at rutgershillel.org/about/parking/ This event is free to attend, but expenses have been incurred to bring Rabbi Gersh here. Please consider donat ..read more

Artwork by @claymil. Even if you don’t know the difference between a basketball and a cantaloupe, you can still take part in the fun this time of year. While your friends and relatives are filling out their NCAA Tournament brackets, trying to figure out which of 64 teams will win the national championship, we’re filling out brackets too. You can help us choose the champion among 64 vegan foods, a collection of fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and nuts, all of whom are strong contenders (and very nutritious!) Here’s how it works: On Sunday, March 12, we asked you to register for Munch Madn ..read more

Rabbi Akiva Gersh, aka The Vegan Rabbi, is coming to Florida for this one-night-only event as part of a national tour organized by Jewish Veg. Join us to learn from Rabbi Gersh and Rabbi Barry Silver, member of the Jewish Veg Rabbinic Council. Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 7:30 pm in Delray Beach, FL L’Dor Va-Dor at the Grand Villa of Delray West, 5859 Heritage Park Way, Delray Beach, FL 33484 Can’t join in person? This program will also broadcast over Zoom. Register here for Zoom link. Please RSVP below so that we know to plan for you. This is a free event. Please consider adding an optional do ..read more

Become a OneTable Host + Vegan Shabbat + Welcome to Better Fridays Jewish Veg is partnering with OneTable to help you host a vegan Shabbat dinner. If you’re in your 20’s or 30’s, we invite you to create a Shabbat gathering this year on the following dates. All of these dates contain Torah portions that have to do with plant-based eating or animals. Jewish Veg will provide you with talking points for your event. OneTable empowers young adults (21-39ish) to find, host, and share Shabbat dinners to make the most of their Friday night and enjoy the best of life together. When you become a host th ..read more