Yum Tov! Mayim Bialik Shares Tips for An Animal-Friendly Seder in New PETA Video
For Immediate Release:
April 10, 2025
Contact:
Allyson Spellman 202-483-7382
With Passover fast approaching—and more people than ever before parting with meat, eggs, and dairy out of concern for animals, their own health, or the planet—actor and longtime vegan Mayim Bialik stars in a new PETA video offering lox of suggestions for preparing a delectable and healthy vegan Seder dinner that spreads a little light to all.
“I’m having a vegan Passover. Why? Because it’s simple, delicious, and kind to animals,” Bialik says in the video.
Bialik shares how several Seder staples are already vegan, including Charoset (when made with agave instead of honey) and Maror, or bitter herbs. To keep the feast Kosher, Bialik recommends swapping lamb shank with a red beet or meaty mushroom—as allowed in the Talmud—while a hardboiled egg can be nixed in favor of anything representing Spring or renewal, such as a flower.
“The traditional Beitzah egg on the ritual seder plate is supposed to symbolize life, but you know what? The lives of chickens exploited and slaughtered in factory farms aren’t exactly a cause for celebration,” says Bialik.
In addition to honoring the mitzvah of tz’ar ba’alei chayim (which prohibits causing unnecessary suffering to animals), each person who goes vegan dramatically reduces their food-related carbon footprint and slashes their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. PETA’s free vegan starter kit and guide to an animal-friendly Seder are filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch.
“From matzoh ball soup to vegan gefilte fish, PETA’s got you covered with delicious cruelty-free recipes,” says Bialik. “Chag Sameach!”
PETA points out that lambs recognize their mothers after only one day, and they can identify each other by their individual bleats, while mother hens begin to teach calls to their chicks before they even hatch.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
