An ancient Jewish holiday once used to count livestock for tithing is being revived this August as a worldwide call for compassion toward animals, sustainable food systems and an end to unnecessary animal suffering.
Jewish Vegan Life has launched a global campaign celebrating the New Year for Animals, with synchronized events in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Montreal and Jerusalem, alongside an international livestream on August 9 featuring partners including Mercy for Animals, The Good Food Institute and Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.
The organization is reinterpreting the little-known holiday through the Jewish principle of Tza’ar Ba’alei Chaim—the prohibition against causing unnecessary suffering to animals—arguing that modern factory farming challenges Jews to reconsider how ancient values apply to today’s food system.
“Judaism contains a profound blueprint for animal stewardship,” said Michael Gribov, Head of Movement Building for Jewish Vegan Life. “The New Year for Animals is a call to step away from factory farming, aligning our modern food choices with our deepest spiritual values.”
Events will include vegan seder meals, community dinners, educational discussions and plant-based potlucks designed to connect Jewish tradition with environmental stewardship and animal welfare.
Among the featured speakers is Rabbi David Rosen, who said the Torah established protections for animals long before modern animal welfare organizations existed. “There is special value in identifying a day in the year for particular attention to our obligations towards animal life,” he said.
Jewish educator Dr. Richard H. Schwartz, who has long advocated reviving the holiday, called the initiative “a necessity to heal our world” amid climate change and industrial animal agriculture.
The campaign culminates in local gatherings on August 13 in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Jerusalem, where participants will explore Jewish teachings on stewardship through food, discussion and community.
Jewish Vegan Life says the initiative aims to reconnect Jewish identity with values of compassion, environmental responsibility and respect for all living beings while inviting people of all backgrounds to participate.
More information and event registration are available at Jewish Vegan Life
