Animal new year celebrated in September

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This article was published 31/08/2024 (764 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Exactly one month before Jews worldwide gather in synagogues to commemorate the major holiday of Rosh Hashana and the start of a new Jewish calendar year, a smaller contingent of mostly progressive members of the faith are gathering online to celebrate a lesser-known Jewish holiday.

That holiday is Rosh Hashana L’Behemot, the New Year for Domesticated Animals. Rosh Hashana L’Behemot occurs each year on the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul, and, as a result, is also referred to as Ehad b’Elul. This fall, that date corresponds to Sept. 4.

Rosh Hashana L’Behemot dates back to the days of the ancient holy Temple in Jerusalem when it was customary to tithe every tenth animal in a flock and offer it up as a sacrifice to God. Tithing, and animal sacrifices, like many of the ancient rites and customs associated with the Second Temple, came to an end with the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. and the subsequent dispersion of the Jewish people into exile. Commemoration of Rosh Hashana L’Behemot, naturally, fell into decline as well.

The day itself, however, according to Aharon Varady, director of the Open Siddur Project—a grassroots initiative that digitizes diverse Jewish liturgy and texts—remained “documented but dormant, just waiting for the right moment to be revived.”

That moment has been taking its time to arrive, but Rosh Hashana L’Behemot has gradually begun to gain traction again. In recent years, the holiday has primarily evolved into a day on which Jewish community members are encouraged to pause and consider both their relationship with and their responsibility towards domestic animals.

“As Rosh Hashana L’Behemot is still evolving there is no usual way (to celebrate),” explains Rabbi Jonathan Bernhard, Executive Director of the Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA), “but common elements include some type of reading, prayer, teaching, or the blowing of the shofar.”

“Most congregations,” he adds, “do not do anything. We are trying to change that!”

JIFA’s determination to make that change is the reason it is partnering for the first time ever with the organization, Jewish Veg, in presenting the on-line, Alep B’Elul, Rosh Hashana L’Behemot celebration on Wednesday morning.

Similar to JIFA, Jewish Veg encourages compassion for animals and the adoption of plant-based diets — which, significantly, also will help alleviate the climate crisis — through the lens of Jewish teachings and values. The organizations’ shared hope is that their Zoom event will increase awareness about and actions aligned with their shared goals.

The 90-minute event will be hosted by Bernard and features a keynote address by Dr. Beth Berkowitz on the topic of “Making Animals a Part of the Jewish Family.” Berkowitz is a Jewish and religious studies scholar at Barnard College and the author of the book What Animals Teach Us about Families: Kinship and Species in the Bible and Rabbinic Literature.

The online event also will honour Dr. Richard Schwartz, a life-long animal rights activist, the founder of Jewish Veg, and a co -founder of the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians.

The author of significant writing on the topic of animal advocacy and the Jewish plant-based movement, Schwartz has repeatedly argued that veganism and vegetarianism is the highest manifestation of the Jewish dietary laws of kashrut.

swchisvin@gmail.com

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