Sign In

Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.

President and advocate for vegetarianism and the environment

Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. is a prominent Jewish vegetarian activist and advocate for animal rights in the United States and Israel. He is:

Key Facts

  • Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York1
  • President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)12
  • Co-founder and coordinator of the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV)23
  • Author of several books including "Judaism and Vegetarianism", "Judaism and Global Survival", and "Who Stole My Religion? Revitalizing Judaism and Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet"12

Activism

Schwartz argues that vegetarianism is the diet most consistent with Jewish teachings on health, compassion for animals, preserving the environment, conserving resources, helping the hungry, and pursuing peace.1 His writings inspired the 2007 documentary film "A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Heal the World".2

As an Orthodox Jew, Schwartz has been active in promoting vegetarianism and animal rights through his writings, talks, articles, and leadership roles in various organizations.12 He was inducted into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame by the North American Vegetarian Society in 2005.2

Personal Life

Schwartz was born in 1934 in New York. He married Loretta Susskind in 1960 and is a member of the Young Israel Congregation of Staten Island.2 He became vegetarian in 1977 and vegan in 2000.2

Highlights

Apr 7 · linkedin

Announcement of the 90th birthday celebration of Richard Schwartz (Please share)

The Judaism of Richard A Study Evening Celebrating Prof. Richard Schwartz's 90th birthday Tuesday, April 9th (Aleph B'Nisan), 12:30 pm US Eastern time 8 Balfour Street, Jerusalem. With speakers Rabbi David Rosen, Professor Yael Shemesh, Rabbi Adam Frank and Prof. Richard Schwartz himself.   "Judaism and Vegetarianism," "Judaism and Global Survival," "Vegan Revolution," and "Who Stole My Religion" are just some of the books by pioneering Jewish scholar Richard Schwartz. He also has over 300 articles at Jewish-Vegan.org. For decades Prof. Schwartz has been a leading voice advancing Jewish responses to our current pressing problems. Eight years ago Richard made aliya from the US with his wife, and he keeps writing and raising alarm calls from his new home in the Judean Hills. This study-evening will be inspired by his vision of Tikkun Olam and his ideas on the way Jewish teachings project on our diet in this imperiled world of the 20th and 21st centuries.   Admission free.   Light vegan refreshments will be served.

No presents are expected!

The event can be watched via Zoom, starting at 7:45 PM at https://lnkd.in/dSuRnCNT

About our other speakers:   The International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee for more than two decades, Rabbi David Rosen has taken leave from this position to serve as the Special Advisor to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. He is the former chief rabbi of Ireland.   Prof. Yael Shemesh is a professor in the Bible department of Bar Ilan University. In addition to her scholarly work, which concerns , inter alia, the issue of compassion towards animals, Prof. Shemesh is a long-distance runner and author of the blog "Long Distance Vegan.”   Rabbi Adam Frank served as rabbi of the Conservative Movement’s Congregation Moreshet Yisrael in downtown Jerusalem, from 2005 to 2019. He is an activist in the areas of religious pluralism and animal welfare in Israel (co-chair of the Jerusalem Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Mar 20 · linkedin

Please visit my newly revised, updated website at Jewish-Vegan.org to see my over 300 articles and other materials about climate change, veganism, animal rights, environmental sustainability, and related issues.

I would be happy to email complimentary PDFs of my book "Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, Revitalizing Judaism" to EVERYONE who emails me at [email protected] .

Related Questions

What inspired Richard Schwartz to become a vegetarian?
How has Richard Schwartz's work impacted the Jewish community?
What are the main arguments in Richard Schwartz's book "Judaism and Vegetarianism"?
How did Richard Schwartz's course "Mathematics and the Environment" influence his activism?
What is the "New Year for Animals" initiative that Richard Schwartz is promoting?
Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.
Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., photo 1
Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., photo 2
Add to my network

Experience

President at Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians
President at Jewish Vegetarians of North America

Education

PhD in Applied Mechanics/Civil Engineering from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-New Brunswick (1961 - 1967), Masters in Civil Engineering (MCE) in Civil Engineering (Structures) from City

Location

Staten Island, New York, United States