How do environmental issues register differently in different cultures? (Or do they?)

Before taking this course, I didn’t think that environmental issues could be interpreted differently by different cultures. I thought, for the most part, that there were facts about humans and our effect on the environment that were objective, indisputable, and self-evident. For example, if the amount of greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is increasing, we must decrease our output of these gases. Or, if the abuse of animals is somehow ingrained in the norms of our society, the obvious answer is to cease that that cultural norm. Although the solution, at this level, seems simple, the way in which human beings actually achieve that goal is not. This is where the differences between cultures has an affect on how we can collectively combat climate change and negative impacts on the environment that humans are responsible for.

This week, in response to what we discussed in class, I decided to do more research on how my culture has directly or indirectly moulded my opinion towards environmental issues. Specifically, I wanted to know how ecological awareness is viewed in the Judaic tradition.

Although there aren’t many ancient Jewish traditions that are explicitly environmental, in the 1980’s Richard Schwarz wrote a book called Judaism and Vegetarianism, which essentially makes the case that vegetarianism is encouraged by Jewish values. This is based on two Jewish concepts of Kashrut and Tza’ar ba’alei chayim. These principles act as a reminder of the seriouesness of taking another living creature’s life and forbid inflicting uneccessary on animals.

At least as a child, it was difficult to square these principles with traditions that seemed to contradict them. For example, Kapparot is a tradition practiced by some orthodox jews that involves swinging a chicken around your head. It meant to help atone and the chicken is given to charity after the ritual is finished.

Many modern Talmudic scholars have argued that not only is this tradition not compatible with modern values of respect for animals, but also it fails to square with the Jewish principles outlined above. As a result, this tradition is becoming has become less popular in recent years.

Kapparot serves as a great example of certain out-dated traditions are properly dealt with in the context of modern values. It is very difficult to, as an outsider to a culture, impose your own values on another tradition. However, if people within the tradition speak up and educate those around them, it is possible to square tradition with a progressive world. This is true not only for environmental values, but general morality as well.

Gershom, Yonassan, and Richard Schwartz. “THE CUSTOM OF KAPPAROT IN THE JEWISH TRADITION.” jewishveg. n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2017.

Schwartz, Richard H. Judaism and vegetarianism. New York: Lantern , 2001. Online.

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The Journal News. “Monsey, NY – county cites Kapparot ritual site.” vosizneias. VosIzNeias, 22 Sept. 2009. Online. 5 Feb. 2017.