Hanukkah is a time of celebration with gifts, games, money and special treats served for eight nights. Did you know that Jewish tradition values treating animals with compassion? It’s true! The Jewish concept of tsa’ar ba’alei chayim states that humans should never harm animals, like all animals Feel pain, have the capacity to love and suffer, have families and friends of your own, and deserve to be treated with kindness.
There are many fun ways to celebrate Hanukkah, including making animal-free versions of traditional Jewish recipes and using cruelty-free versions of menorah candles and chocolate gel. Hanukkah is the perfect time to celebrate compassionately with friends and family. In honor of the eight-night holiday, here are the eight vegan Jewish celebrities we’d love to share our homes with this holiday season:
Carol is no stranger to a compassionate Hanukkah celebration. Her video for PETA will inspire you to add some vegan twists to your favorite traditions.
This Christmas season it is important to remember those who came before us. Natalie has joined PETA in a video celebrating Isaac Bashevis Singer’s inspirational life and strong advocacy for women’s issues, LGBTQ rights and animal rights.
Mayim knows that going vegan is a piece of cake! Check out her recipe for vegan sufganiyot (vegan jelly donuts) to make this year’s Festival of Lights even brighter.
Hanukkah is an ideal time to teach our families to have compassion for animals. Alicia and her son Bear show how easy it is to start a conversation about food and animals:
Kat is proud of her Jewish heritage – and proud to be vegan!
Lenny grows virtually all of his own produce in his beautiful gardens. We just drool when we think of what he would bring to Hanukkah dinner.
The traditional Hanukkah colors may be blue and white, but make sure you join Lisa in adding some delicious green accents to the table.
Jon and his wife Tracey have made their New Jersey farm a home for pigs, goats and sheep rescued from slaughterhouses. Thanks to these animals and Tracey, Jon has a different perspective on how the food we eat ends up on our plates and is dedicated to veganism. If you’re looking for the perfect Hanukkah gift, look no further than Tracey’s book, Do Unto Animals: A Friendly Guide to How Animals Live, and How We Can Make Their Lives Better.
“[W]I ended up having a farm with pigs and goats and sheep… and it became untenable for me to make that decision, you know… that decision of, ‘I think you’ll be better off if I kill you.'”
-Jon Stewart
Have a Happy Hanukkah!
A holiday celebration free of meat, eggs, dairy and other animal-based foods is the perfect way to honor farm animals who are cruelly caged and slaughtered and denied everything that is natural and important to them.
If you’re looking for inspiration to celebrate vegan Hanukkah, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our guide that includes recipes for cruelty-free potato latkes, jelly-filled donuts, and more:
Guide to a vegan Hanukkah
After talking to your loved ones about going vegan this holiday season, give them their very own vegan starter kit. Chag sameach!
Send a vegan starter kit to a friend today
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