Alex Hershaft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alex Hershaft
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Hershaft in 2015
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| Born | 1 July 1934 Warsaw, Poland
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Ph.D, Inorganic Chemistry |
| Alma mater | Iowa State University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, author, activist |
| Known for | Co-founding the U.S. animal rights movement |
Alex Hershaft is an American animal rights activist and a Holocaust survivor. He is known for helping to start the animal rights movement in the U.S. He co-founded and was president of the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM). This group, started in 1976, works to protect animals that are raised for food. Before his work with animal rights, he spent 30 years in science and environmental consulting. He also played a big part in movements for religious freedom and a cleaner environment.
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Early Life and Escaping Danger
Alex Hershaft was born in Warsaw, Poland, on July 1, 1934. His parents, Jozef and Sabina Herszaft, were Jewish. His mother was a mathematician, and his father was a chemist. Jozef Herszaft studied heavy water, which is used in nuclear reactors.
His parents' research was very important as scientists learned about nuclear energy. Both were offered visas to continue their work in the U.K. and the U.S. A colleague, Jozef Rotblat, left for the U.K. just before World War II began in 1939. He later won the Nobel Peace Prize for working against nuclear weapons. Alex's father wanted visas for his wife and son, but they arrived too late.
During the war, Alex's family was forced to live in the Warsaw Ghetto. This was a small area where Jewish people were made to live by the Nazis. In late 1942, the Nazis began sending people from the Ghetto to death camps. Alex, his mother, and his grandparents managed to escape and hide. Alex and his mother were freed by the Allies in 1945. After spending five years in a refugee camp in Italy, Alex came to the U.S. in 1951 when he was 16.
A Career in Science and Environment
Alex Hershaft studied at the University of Connecticut, getting his degree in 1955. He was active in student government and the school newspaper. He then earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Iowa State University in 1961. There, he worked for the Atomic Energy Commission.
He taught chemistry in Israel for a short time. When he returned to the U.S. in 1963, he worked for the Center for Naval Analyses. He helped analyze naval operations.
In 1967, Alex joined the Grumman Aerospace Corporation. He looked into new ways to control air and water pollution and manage waste. In 1969, a year before the first Earth Day, he started a group to discuss environmental issues in the New York area.
Later, he moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for consulting firms like Booz Allen Hamilton. He studied water management, the effects of power plants, and how to use satellite data for Earth resources. He also directed environmental studies for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
From 1977 to 1981, he worked for the Mitre Corporation. He studied pollution from heating fuels and helped create plans for cleaning up hazardous waste sites as part of the U.S. Superfund program.
Working for Social Justice
Alex Hershaft was always involved in student activities. In 1961, while in Israel, he led a protest that started a movement for religious freedom. This group worked to end strict rules by Orthodox authorities that affected secular and other forms of Judaism.
From 1965 to 1978, he served on the board of the American Humanist Association. This group believes that people can live good lives based on ethics, without needing to believe in a supernatural being.
Becoming a Vegan and Animal Rights Activist
In 1961, Alex stopped eating meat. In 1975, he became involved in the vegetarian movement after attending a conference. In 1981, he decided to become a vegan, meaning he stopped eating all animal products.
In 1976, he started the Vegetarian Information Service (VIS). This group shared facts about the benefits of a vegetarian diet. He also spoke to Congress about nutrition and food safety laws.
Alex organized conferences to promote vegetarianism. Some people at these meetings were inspired by Peter Singer's 1975 book Animal Liberation. They felt the discussions should also include animal rights.
So, in 1981, Alex organized "Action For Life." This big conference in Pennsylvania is seen as the start of the U.S. animal rights movement. Many important animal rights leaders attended, like Peter Singer and Ingrid Newkirk. These conferences continued for several more years.
Right after the 1981 conference, Alex Hershaft founded the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM). This group works to promote a vegan lifestyle and animal rights.
As president of FARM, he started several important events and programs:
- World Farm Animals Day in 1983
- Great American Meatout in 1985
- The second round of national animal rights conferences in 1997
- Pay Per View (now called 10 Billion Lives) in 2011
He stepped down from running FARM in 2013. He now serves on the Advisory Council of Jewish Veg. Alex has written many letters to newspapers about the benefits of a vegan diet. He also gives talks about personal growth, leadership, and how to create social change.
Awards and Recognition
Alex Hershaft has been listed in important books like Who’s Who in America. He has been honored for his work in both the U.S. Vegetarian Hall of Fame (1998) and the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame (2001). He is also an honorary member of the International Vegetarian Union.
He served on the governing council of the International Vegetarian Union from 1984 to 2000. He was also on the board of In Defense of Animals, another animal rights group, from 2001 to 2009.
Personal Life
Alex Hershaft married Eugenie (Genia) Krystal in 1962. They later divorced in 1979. Their daughter, Monica, was born in 1966. She later opened a health and nutrition center in Los Angeles.
Alex became a vegetarian in 1961 and a vegan in 1981. He has always been active, playing soccer, running marathons, and now enjoying folk dancing and swimming.
See Also
In Spanish: Alex Hershaft para niños
- List of animal rights advocates
