LOS ANGELES (April 18, 2024) — In Defense of Animals’ Interfaith Vegan Coalition and Jewish leaders worldwide are encouraging communities to host vegan seders (traditional Passover meals) and go vegan for Passover this year, which happens to fall on Earth Day, April 22, a phenomenon that won’t happen again for another 30 years. 

A plant-based food system can benefit the environment by reducing our carbon footprint and decreasing greenhouse gasses while fostering reforestation and preserving natural resources. 

“A global phaseout of animal agriculture has the potential to stabilize greenhouse gas levels [in] 30 years,” said Michael Gribov, Head of Movement Building for Jewish Vegan Life, citing a study and pointing out that “This is the exact timespan until the next alignment of Passover and Earth Day.” 

According to Richard Schwartz of Jewish Veg, shifts toward vegan diets are especially valuable for protecting the environment. “Eating vegan reduces emissions from cows and other ruminants of methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times as potent per unit weight as CO2 in heating the atmosphere. If the 43 percent of the world’s ice-free land that is currently being used for grazing and growing feed crops for animals was reforested, the additional trees would sequester much atmospheric CO2, reducing it from its current very dangerous level to a much safer one, potentially leaving a healthier, environmentally sustainable world for future generations.”

Jewish member organizations of the Interfaith Vegan Coalition have created a plethora of resources to help people celebrate vegan seders, complete with vegan Passover Haggadahs (prayer guidebooks) and delicious vegan recipes for everyone to enjoy. Jews can even take a Vegan Passover Earth Day Pledge, thanks to Jewish Vegan Life. The organization estimates that 500,000 Jews worldwide will celebrate a vegan Passover this year. 

On a vegan seder plate used for Passover rituals, vegans can replace the lamb shank bone with a beet and the chicken’s egg with an avocado, potato, or peeled radish. Although the look is different, the symbolism remains the same. 

“This is the perfect time to host a vegan Passover Seder since the holiday falls on Earth Day,” suggests Lisa Levinson of In Defense of Animals and co-founder of the Interfaith Vegan Coalition. “Our Jewish Vegan Advocacy Kit contains spiritual resources, making it easier for everyone to go vegan for Passover and beyond!”

Quotes from Jewish Leaders

“Passover, the Jewish festival of freedom, commemorating the freeing of the ancient Israelites from Egypt, is an ideal time for Jews and others to shift to vegan diets. This is especially important today in many ways, especially in efforts to avert a climate catastrophe and leave a habitable, healthy, environmentally sustainable world for future generations.” — Richard Schwartz, Author and President Emeritus, Jewish Veg 

“Passover is a time of reflection, renewal; a celebration of redemption, freedom, and the power of collective action. This year, as we commemorate the Exodus from Egypt and the renewal of spring, we have a unique opportunity to extend the spirit of liberation to all beings and to our planet. Our actions in 2024 will resonate in 2054, shaping the destiny of life on Earth. Let’s come together to ensure a legacy of positive change for the planet we all hold dear.” — Raquela Karamson, Founder and CEO, Jewish Vegan Life

“While Passover celebrates a specific event, it has a universal message - the message of the importance of freedom and to be redeemed from negative forces so that we may strive for the highest ideals - the Godly and the goodly. This should lead us to reflect on what bad practices we/our word are enslaved to today from which we need to be redeemed. The atrocious cruelty to animals for the sake of human indulgence, and the damage this does to our souls and to our natural environment in so many ways, is one of the greatest forms of servitude today, from which we need to be redeemed. May this Passover inspire more and more people to lead lives of greater compassion and wellbeing.” — Rabbi David Rosen, International President, Religions for Peace

“Jewish Veg would like to wish the community a Happy Passover! We hope that we can expand the view of liberation to include the other beings who live on this planet with us so that we can work on building a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world together.” — Lisa Apfelberg, Executive Director, Jewish Veg

“On Passover, Jewish people celebrate freedom from slavery, years and years of hardships and slavery. There is no better way to celebrate our own freedom than to sanctify the freedom of others, human and non-human animals. This Passover, choose a plant-based Seder, and show your compassion for all, freedom for our souls, the animals, and our planet." — Yael Gabay, Co-founder, Freedom 4 Animals

Vegan Passover Resources by Interfaith Vegan Coalition Member Organizations & Allies

• Passover Earth Day Campaign and Passover & Earth Day Article by Jewish Vegan Life
• Vegan Pesach Guide and Passover Supplement by Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy
• Call to Rethink Passover Seder Plate Article and Community Passover Resources by Jewish Initiative for Animals
  
  • The Passover Egg Haggadah Supplement
  • Passover Planning and Learning Guide: Setting a Conscious Table
  • Pantry Pesach Recipe Guide
• Articles by Richard Schwartz: 
  
  • Passover and Earth Day
  • Celebrating Passover as if Global Survival Matters 
  • Passover and Vegetarianism and Veganism
  • Environmental Connections to Passover
  • How Kosher Plant-Based Diets Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet and Why It’s So Important During Passover
  • Inconsistencies in Passover Eating
  • More articles on Jewish-Vegan.org
• Vegan Passover Haggadah by Jewish Veg
• Sustainable Passover Resources by Adamah
• Jewish Vegan Advocacy Kit by Interfaith Vegan Coalition with quotes, books, articles, videos, hymns, songs, prayers, websites, rituals, and spiritual support.
• Vegan Gluten-Free Passover Recipes by Eating with Elaine
• Vegan Passover Survival Guide by Family Friends Food

### NOTES ###

Vegan Passover Video: https://youtu.be/KWYizCDTH2E?t=29

In Defense of Animals started the Interfaith Vegan Coalition to help animal activists and spiritual leaders bring vegan values to spiritual, ethical, and religious communities. The coalition provides faith-based tools to help all faith and secular wisdom traditions practice the ideals of nonviolence, lovingkindness, and harmlessness toward all animals. The coalition is composed of 47 member organizations, 5 allied organizations, one affiliate organization, and one partner organization Animal Interfaith Alliance, comprising 17 organizations, all working in harmony for a common cause.

Interfaith Vegan Coalition Member & Allied Organizations Quoted Above:

Jewish Initiative for Animals
Jewish Veg
Jewish Vegan Life
Shamayim: Jewish Animal Advocacy
SERV: Society of Ethical & Religious Vegetarians

Contacts:

In Defense of Animals, Interfaith Vegan Coalition, Lisa Levinson, lisa@idausa.org, (215) 620-2130

Interfaith Vegan Coalition, Judy Carman, judycarman@ymail.com, (785) 887-9965

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization based in Marin, California, with over 250,000 supporters and a 40-year history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in India, South Korea, rural Mississippi, and Central California. www.idausa.org/sustainableactivism

The Interfaith Vegan Coalition helps animal activists and spiritual leaders bring vegan values to spiritual, ethical, and religious communities. The coalition provides tools to help all faith and secular wisdom traditions practice the ideals of nonviolence, lovingkindness, and harmlessness toward all animals. www.interfaithvegancoalition.org

 ### ENDS ###