The dairy industry
Photo: Effi Sharir
The first fruits of Anonymous: A dairy-free Shavuot
At stands in Tel Aviv and Haifa, animal rights activists encouraged passersby to sample dairy substitutes. “Especially on Shavuot it’s important to remember that the cows do not enjoy being made into outstanding production machines”
Activists from “Anonymous for Animal Rights” are seeking to spoil the cheese festival that is Shavuot. On Sunday, at stands in central Tel Aviv and Haifa, they marked a dairy-free holiday called “Shavuot without Cruelty,” entreating passersby to try drinks made from soy cheese, taste fruits and vegetables, and for dessert to have empty milk cartons describing the cruelty in the lactose industry.
“Shavuot has become a PR holiday for the dairy industry, and we are seeking to protest this,” explains Gil Sarussi, organizer of the Tel Aviv event. “We wanted to remind people that the original spirit of the holiday glorified the abundance of vegetables with which the land is blessed.”
According to representatives of the organization, “We are opposed to turning Shavuot into a holiday for the dairy industry, and we seek to remind people that modern cows do not enjoy the fact that they are outstanding production machines.”
“On the contrary,” they add, “the production of every glass of milk involves udder infections, separation of newborn calves from their mothers, cutting of their flesh, and burns without anesthesia.”
In addition, they say, “It is no secret that the intensive milking and the genetic distortions that result from the need to increase the amount of milk the cows produce condemn them to diseases, pain, and collapse at an early age. Through ‘improvements’ the farmers have increased the daily amount of milk that is drawn from the bodies of cows to some 40 liters and more, but since their bodies are not suited to the change, they suffer from many diseases and exhaustion.”
“Anonymous” spokeswoman Bernadette Bauer notes, “We offered people ‘dairy’ products made from vegetables sources. They were happy to taste soy chocolate ‘milk,’ vegetable-based delicacies, and soy cheeses with herbs or olives, and most of them had a hard time believing that the products did not contain milk. Especially at Shavuot we call upon people to remove milk from their menu, and to try the alternative products. They are no less tasty and a lot more healthy.”
