– **History[edit]**
– Founded in 1975 by Jonathan Wolf
– Affiliated with Jewish Vegetarians of England
– Wolf: “Vegetarianism is the highest form of Judaism”
– Initial leaders: Charles Stahler, Debra Wasserman, Isaac Luchinsky, Florence Mitrani, Richard H. Schwartz, Rabbi Noach Valley
– Richard H. Schwartz became president in 2002
– **Activities since 2013[edit]**
– Jeffrey Cohan became executive director in 2012
– Added professional staff and built a board of directors
– Created Veg Pledge campaign in 2015
– Forged partnerships with Hazon, Hillel International, Birthright Israel
– Speakers bureau gives presentations nationwide
– **See also[edit]**
– Jewish vegetarianism
– Vegetarianism and religion
– Judaism and environmentalism
– List of vegetarian organizations
– **References[edit]**
– Cohen & Sales article in The Forward (2017)
– American Jewish Year Book 2014
– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article on Jewish vegan movement
– Various books on Judaism and vegetarianism
– Articles and statements by Jewish Veg
– **Notable Figures and Partners[edit]**
– Dr. Alex Hershaft, holocaust survivor and founder of FARM
– Rabbi Noach Valley, president in the 1990s and early 2000s
– Israel and Eva Mossman, leaders in the mid-1980s
– Notable rabbis supporting veganism
– Partnerships with Hazon, Hillel International, Birthright Israel
Jewish Veg is an international 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to encourage and help Jews to embrace plant-based diets as an expression of the Jewish values of compassion for animals, concern for health, and care for the environment. Jewish Veg was formerly called Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) and, prior to that, the Jewish Vegetarian Society of America.