A simple letter published in the London Jewish Chronicle during the 1960s sparked a global phenomenon. Vivien Pick, a student at the Royal College of Music, merely wanted to invite like-minded individuals to join a small circle of Jewish vegetarians in the London area. She did not expect the deluge of mail that followed. The response was so overwhelmingly large that she had to ask her father, Philip L. Pick, to manage the mounting correspondence.
Philip, a second-generation vegetarian himself, took that unexpected wave of interest and channeled it into something permanent. He went on to build the Jewish Vegetarian Society, serving as its president. What began as a modest local gathering quickly expanded into an international organization. Today, the society publishes a quarterly bulletin called the Jewish Vegetarian, which reaches readers across the globe and has become a vital force in the broader world vegetarian movement.
This global reach has touched many lives, including those of scholars and writers. It was through this very society and its quarterly bulletin that researcher Louis A. Berman first found the intellectual spark to explore the deep connections between Jewish tradition and a meatless diet. The society helped him realize that modern vegetarianism is far more than a passing dietary fad, connecting directly to the ancient ethical values of compassion.
The society has also worked to preserve the rich, forgotten history of Jewish vegetarianism. In the London headquarters of the organization, a portrait of Reverend Chaim Zundel Maccoby occupies a place of honor. Known as the Kamenitzer maggid, Maccoby was a passionate and saintly preacher who arrived in London in 1890. He wore shoes made of cloth to avoid using leather and drew massive crowds in the streets, teaching East End Jews the importance of showing compassion to all living creatures. The Jewish Vegetarian Society rediscovered his legacy, ensuring that his pioneering efforts were documented and celebrated.
Over the decades, the movement has continued to branch out across the Atlantic and beyond. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, sister chapters and related groups began appearing throughout North America, from Forest Hills, New York, to Baltimore, Maryland. It also captured the interest of young Jewish students on college campuses.
This growth reflects a deeper, long-standing hunger within the community. For many, vegetarianism offers a powerful way to hallow the everyday. It allows modern Jews to practice the core values of their heritage, such as preserving health, showing kindness to animals, and sharing the world’s food resources more equitably to combat hunger. Through a simple letter and decades of dedication, the Jewish Vegetarian Society transformed a personal lifestyle choice into a vibrant, international community that continues to flourish.
Bibliographic Information
- Title: Vegetarianism and the Jewish Tradition
- Subtitle: Relating Biblical and Rabbinic Thought to Modern Nutrition, Anthropology, and Psychology
- Author: Louis A. Berman (Professor of Psychology and Staff Counselor, University of Illinois at Chicago Circle)
- Publisher: KTAV Publishing House, Inc.
- Publication Year: 1982
- Edition: First Edition
- ISBN:
- Hardcover: 0-87068-756-5
- Paperback: 0-87068-285-7
- Historical Period Covered: Biblical Origins (approx. 3000 BCE) through Talmudic/Rabbinic Antiquity, Medieval Codification (Maimonides), early Diaspora, Victorian/Modern Vegetarian Movements, up to the early 1980s.
- Main Subject Areas: Jewish Ethics, Kashrut (Dietary Laws), Shechita (Ritual Slaughter), Biblical Animal Welfare (Tza’ar Ba’alei Chayim), Comparative Anthropology of Food, Evolutionary Psychology, Biochemical Nutrition, and Jewish History.