Jewish American Heritage Month: How My Jewish Roots Inspired a Life of Animal Advocacy

I grew up in Northern California in a Jewish Renewal community founded by my parents and a local rabbi. Jewish Renewal is a progressive movement that emerged from the counterculture of the 1960s, blending traditional Jewish practice with music, meditation, and spirituality. 

From an early age, my Jewish upbringing taught me that I had a role to play in creating a more just and compassionate world. Three key principles guided this ethos: 

Tikkun Olam 

Hebrew translation: Repair the world 

In practice: It is our responsibility as Jewish people to make the world a better place. This can mean volunteering, treating others with compassion, or supporting causes that align with our values.  

Tzedakah 

Hebrew translation: Charity or righteousness

In practice: An ethical obligation to help those in need through financial giving. (It’s probably no surprise I became a fundraiser!) 

Mitzvah (singular) / Mitzvot (plural) 

Hebrew translation: Commandment or duty 

In practice: Commonly used to describe a good deed—like saying, “What a mitzvah that they rescued that elephant!” 

These values came to life in my community. We served meals at soup kitchens, created care packages for women’s shelters, and handed out sandwiches to our unhoused neighbors. 

When I was preparing for my Bat Mitzvah—a significant coming-of-age ritual at age 12—I took on a volunteer project, as is customary. As an animal lover, I had just learned about the exploitation of moon bears for their bile. I was horrified, and I gathered signatures to help end bear bile farming. 

As part of the tradition, I donated 10% of my Bat Mitzvah gifts to a cause of my choice. I decided to ‘adopt’ a chicken from a farm sanctuary. Her name was Lydia, and I proudly kept her photo on my wall for years. 

In high school, I joined a teen program at the Jewish Federation that formed a temporary foundation board. We wrote a mission statement, reviewed grant proposals, and awarded funding to organizations. This was my first hands-on experience in philanthropy—but certainly not my last. 

That experience led me to pursue a degree in Community Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where I focused my studies on Agriculture and Food Justice. Later, I earned a plant-based culinary degree, deepening my commitment to transforming food systems.  

My Jewish identity has shaped so many elements of my life—my education, my career, and even my food choices. I was raised with the option to eat meat, but I always opted out. As I grew older and more self-aware, that instinct grew stronger, and as a young adult, I made the decision to become vegan.  

For me, eating a vegan diet is one way I live out Tikkun Olam every single day. By choosing compassion on my plate, I’m helping create a better world for animals, the planet, other people, and future generations. 

Today, as the Senior Philanthropy Manager at World Animal Protection, I’m fortunate to help others live out the value of Tzedakah by supporting our critical work. Every day, our organization commits Mitzvot—liberating animals from captivity and challenging the systems that commodify and exploit them. 

When I reflect on this full-circle journey—raising funds to end bear bile farming and other forms of animal exploitation, fighting factory farming to give chickens like Lydia a chance at a better life—I see how the values instilled in me through my Jewish upbringing became the foundation for a lifelong commitment to animal advocacy.