Passover and vegetarianism? Can the two be related? After all, what is a seder without gefilte fish, chicken soup, chopped liver, chicken, and other meats? And what about the shankbone to commemorate the paschal sacrifice. And doesn't Jewish law mandate that Jews eat meat to rejoice on Passover and other Jewish festivals?

An increasing number of Jews are turning to vegetarianism and they are finding ways to celebrate vegetarian Passovers while being consistent with Jewish teachings.

Contrary to a common perception, Jews are not required to eat meat at the Passover seder or any other time. According to the Talmud (Pesachim 109a), since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews need not eat meat to celebrate Jewish festivals.

The use of the shankbone originated in the time of the Talmud as a means of commemorating the paschal lamb. However, since the talmudic scholar, Rabbi Huna, states that a beet can be used for this purpose (Pesachim), many Jewish vegetarians substitute a beet for the shankbone. The important point is that the shankbone is a symbol and no meat need be eaten at the seder.

Jewish vegetarians view their diet as a practical way to put Jewish values into practice. They believe that Jewish mandates to show compassion to animals, take care of our health, protect the environment, conserve resources, and share with hungry people.

Karpas has many meanings.  It can refer to the flourishing of the Israelites in Egypt, and the saltiness of the Israelite's tears.  For us, Karpas refers to the many veggies present on our Seder plate and in our Passover meal. 


haggadah Section: Karpas
Source: https://www.jewishveg.org/schwartz/passover.html