Judaism and Raw Food

[Teen Girl]

Hello everybody. Some of you know me. I recently joined this site :)
Anyway, I am Jewish and I thought I would share with you something cool I learned! :)

Some of you might know that religious Jewish people eat Kosher food. For a food to be "kosher" (a food that a jew is allowed to eat) the food has to fall into certain catergories. There are SOOOO many rules regarding what types of foods are kosher. However, ALL, and I mean, ALL, fruits, vegetables, grains are KOSHER. Isn't that cool? For jewish people like me that's a great support to not eat meat (which has the MOST rules on how to kill the animal, how to cut it, with what kind of knife, there are certain parts you can't eat, etc.) and dairy and all that SAD food.

What do you guys think of this?
If you don't agree that this supports raw foodism (according to Judaism), please state your opinion. I am very open minded :) Bye now :cool:

[twinyoga]

Well I am Jewish too and have found some theories that Judaism promotes a vegetarian diet. I can't say where I've read it (though you can do a search on the web) I know there's a site www.jewishveg.com. I've never seen anything that advocates raw foods, though.

My husband keeps kosher and it's very easy for me to be vegetarian/raw with him because he's understanding of following rules to eat food. My parents who do not keep kosher, do not understand. So, in many ways, being Jewish and keeping kosher promotes a disciplined way of eating.

You actually made a very good observation even if it's not totally regarding raw food.

Debbie

[Melissa]

Hi there Teen Girl!
What an excellent topic! So glad you brought this up. (And you have an awesome website by the way...Great job!) I've been thinking about this topic too and think there's definitely a harmonious connection between Judaism and vegan diet. I'm very proud to be both Jewish and a raw vegan and (though I didn't keep kosher when I was "cooked") it is a great extra benefit for me that I am now kosher.

On another note, I've noticed that some people outside the raw food world associate this whole way of eating with fundamentalist Christians. While that is one segment, there are a lot of us raw vegans who are not in that category. "Raw" is not a movement (in my opinion) nor a religion, but a healthy style of eating available to anyone. I found the quote below on a web site dealing with veganism and Judaism, by a man (sorry, forgot the name) who authored a book on the subject.

"While Judaism mandates that people be very careful about preserving their health and their lives, animal-centered diets have been linked to heart disease, stroke, several forms of cancer, and other illnesses. This has contributed to recent soaring medical expenditures in the United States and major change in the health care system, with insurance providers having a major voice in medical decisions.


While Judaism mandates compassion for animals, most farm animals are raised for food today under cruel conditions in small confined spaces where they are denied fulfillment of their instinctual needs.


While Judaism stresses that we are to share our bread with hungry people, over 70% of the grain grown in the United States is fed to animals destined for slaughter, as 15 to 20 million people worldwide die annually because of hunger and its effects.


While Judaism teaches that "the earth is the Lord`s" and that we are to be partners with God in preserving the world, animal -centered diets contribute substantially to soil erosion and depletion, extensive air and water pollution related to chemical fertilizer and pesticides, the destruction of tropical rain forests and other habitats, and global warming.


While Judaism mandates bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value, livestock agriculture requires far more food, land, water, energy, and other resources than plant-based agriculture.


While Judaism stresses that we must seek and pursue peace and that violence results from unjust conditions,animal-centered diets, by wasting valuable resources, help to perpetuate the widespread hunger and poverty that eventually lead to instability and war."

[Teen Girl]

very interesting indeed. Thank you both for posting here! :)
I also would like to add that the kosher rules include rules for health reasons, as well. For example, mixing meat and milk is not allowed, and is also an EXTREMELY a bad combination healthwise. :)

(I hope more ppl post their ideas and opinions)