What role does empathy have in our food consumption? Using Jewish texts to explore the treatment of animals, Simon Feil demonstrates how empathetic treatment of animals is part of the moral requirement of a Jewish ethical code. Challenges us to eat empathetically, Feil argues that by becoming more educated and empathetic consumers—knowing where our meat is coming from and only buying from responsible and ethical producers— we create a ripple effects on the moral health of our society: nurturing our empathy to animals will increase our empathy towards each other.
Simon Feil is an actor who has appeared in shows like Gotham, House of Cards, and Inside Amy Schumer. He has also worked in Jewish education, as a safety educator for the FDNY, for Taglit-Birthright Israel, and hosted and emceed events for non-profits and international corporations. Feil currently runs an events company specializing in interactive sushi lessons. He is the founder of a humane, kosher meat co-op called Kosher Conscience that was at the forefront of the New Jewish Food Movement and was written up in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and mentioned in Sue Fishkoff’s book Kosher Nation.
