H. Jay Dinshah
Encyclopedia
Hom Jay Dinshah was founder and president of the American Vegan Society
and editor of its publication, Ahimsa magazine (1960–2000).
, United States. His father was a United States citizen who was born in India
and whose ethnicity was Parsi
, and his mother was a United States citizen whose family was of German ancestry. A lifelong vegetarian, in 1957, Jay Dinshah became vegan. He married the English-born Freya Smith in 1960. The two children of Jay and Freya Dinshah are Daniel and Anne.
early in 1960 and later that year married the English-born Freya Smith. Freya, whose parents were active in the Vegan Society (of England), contributed to the early growth of the American Vegan Society and is president of the American Vegan Society today. The American Vegan Society is headquartered at Malaga, New Jersey, on a family-owned parcel of land which they call "Suncrest", or "the Suncrest Educreational Center". The center is characterized by vegan publishing and outreach, vegan archiving, spiritual inspiration, providing people with an experience of vegan living, vegan food preparation demonstrations, maintenance of a small vegan garden, and extensive networking. Dinshah served the American Vegan Society as its president, and as an editor of its publication, Ahimsa magazine (1960–2000)
Ahimsa was a quarterly publication that explored compassionate living ("Ahimsa" meaning "dynamic harmlessness") as a philosophy, practical aspects of vegan living, and personal and cultural resources for vegans. They include vegan menus and recipes, and news about food. The American Vegan Society continues to publish a quarterly periodical, now titled "The American Vegan, with the subheading "Ahimsa lights the way." The American Vegan Society is now run by Freya Dinshah, Jay Dinshah's widow, and an AVS Board of close comrades in vegan living and outreach, nearly all of whom live within a short driving distance of Suncrest.
The American Vegan Society, follows views similar to Natural Hygienists but enhances them with Jainist attitudes of ahimsa and the elimination of all animal products and clothing apparel.
Jay was co-organiser of the 23rd World Vegetarian Congress in 1975, held in Orono, Maine
, which was hosted by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) and sponsored by the International Vegetarian Union
(IVU). From this event, the American Vegan Society and the North American Vegetarian Society were formed, and a movement to found and develop modern vegetarian organizations in North America was born, tapping the energies, insights, and resources of parallel movements throughout Europe and India.
Dinshah died in 2000 aged 66, reputedly of a chronic heart ailment unrelated to diet. The International Vegetarian Union memorialized Jay Dinshah in their IVU News issue of October 2000 That same year, he was posthumously awarded the prestigious (among global or international vegetarians) Mankar Memorial Award during the 2000 World Vegetarian Congress, held in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
.
American Vegan Society
The American Vegan Society is a nonprofit organization that promotes veganism in the United States.AVS was founded by 1960 by Jay Dinshah. The date of the earlier The Vegan Society 's founding, November 1st, is now celebrated annually as World Vegan Day.- Activities :* Information--e.g...
and editor of its publication, Ahimsa magazine (1960–2000).
Life
Dinshah was born in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. His father was a United States citizen who was born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and whose ethnicity was Parsi
Parsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
, and his mother was a United States citizen whose family was of German ancestry. A lifelong vegetarian, in 1957, Jay Dinshah became vegan. He married the English-born Freya Smith in 1960. The two children of Jay and Freya Dinshah are Daniel and Anne.
Vegan
Jay Dinshah founded the American Vegan SocietyAmerican Vegan Society
The American Vegan Society is a nonprofit organization that promotes veganism in the United States.AVS was founded by 1960 by Jay Dinshah. The date of the earlier The Vegan Society 's founding, November 1st, is now celebrated annually as World Vegan Day.- Activities :* Information--e.g...
early in 1960 and later that year married the English-born Freya Smith. Freya, whose parents were active in the Vegan Society (of England), contributed to the early growth of the American Vegan Society and is president of the American Vegan Society today. The American Vegan Society is headquartered at Malaga, New Jersey, on a family-owned parcel of land which they call "Suncrest", or "the Suncrest Educreational Center". The center is characterized by vegan publishing and outreach, vegan archiving, spiritual inspiration, providing people with an experience of vegan living, vegan food preparation demonstrations, maintenance of a small vegan garden, and extensive networking. Dinshah served the American Vegan Society as its president, and as an editor of its publication, Ahimsa magazine (1960–2000)
Ahimsa was a quarterly publication that explored compassionate living ("Ahimsa" meaning "dynamic harmlessness") as a philosophy, practical aspects of vegan living, and personal and cultural resources for vegans. They include vegan menus and recipes, and news about food. The American Vegan Society continues to publish a quarterly periodical, now titled "The American Vegan, with the subheading "Ahimsa lights the way." The American Vegan Society is now run by Freya Dinshah, Jay Dinshah's widow, and an AVS Board of close comrades in vegan living and outreach, nearly all of whom live within a short driving distance of Suncrest.
The American Vegan Society, follows views similar to Natural Hygienists but enhances them with Jainist attitudes of ahimsa and the elimination of all animal products and clothing apparel.
Jay was co-organiser of the 23rd World Vegetarian Congress in 1975, held in Orono, Maine
Orono, Maine
Orono is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It was first settled in 1774 and named in honor of Chief Joseph Orono of the Penobscot Nation. It is home to The University of Maine. The population was 10,362 at the 2010 census.- Geography :...
, which was hosted by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) and sponsored by the International Vegetarian Union
International Vegetarian Union
The International Vegetarian Union is an international non profit organization whose purpose is to promote vegetarianism. IVU was founded in 1908 in Dresden, Germany....
(IVU). From this event, the American Vegan Society and the North American Vegetarian Society were formed, and a movement to found and develop modern vegetarian organizations in North America was born, tapping the energies, insights, and resources of parallel movements throughout Europe and India.
Dinshah died in 2000 aged 66, reputedly of a chronic heart ailment unrelated to diet. The International Vegetarian Union memorialized Jay Dinshah in their IVU News issue of October 2000 That same year, he was posthumously awarded the prestigious (among global or international vegetarians) Mankar Memorial Award during the 2000 World Vegetarian Congress, held in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Positions Held in Vegetarian Organizations
- International Vegetarian Union (IVU), Executive Vice-President
- The Vegan Society (England), Vice-President
- North American Vegetarian Society, Founder and President, 1974–1979
- American Natural Hygiene Society, Acting Executive Director, 1983
- Vegetarian Union of North America, first President, 1987–1989
- Better Eating Coalition (various vegetarian and vegan groups) - late 1990s (under leadership of Dr. Richard SchwartzRichard H. SchwartzRichard H. Schwartz, Ph.D, is Professor Emeritus, Mathematics, College of Staten Island; President of the ; and co-founder and coordinator of the . He is best known as a vegetarian activist and advocate for animal rights in the United States and Israel...
).
Publications by H. Jay Dinshah
- Out of the Jungle, 1967, 1995
- Here's Harmlessness, 1964, 1993 - (an anthology edited by Jay Dinshah)
- Health Can be Harmless
- Song of India
- Numerous magazine articles (>250) and other writings
External links
- http://www.AmericanVegan.org
- http://www.VegSource.com
- http://www.vegsource.com/articles/dinshah.htm
- http://www.ivu.org/people/politics/dinshah.html International Vegetarian Union (IVU)
- http://www.vegsource.com/articles/dinshah_inquirer.htm The Philadelphia Inquirer
- 23rd World Vegetarian Congress
- North American Vegetarian Society
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kayastha - deemed of the Kayastha caste, prized in India over the Brahmins
- "The Life of a Karma-Yogi", "research and preparation by the Staff of Ahimsa Magazine", published by The American Vegan Society, 1973