Natalie Portman Just Launched a Vegan Passover Challenge

Vegan actor Natalie Portman has called for her Instagram followers to share their favorite plant-based Passover recipes.

For the first 15 sharers, Portman agreed to donate an unspecified amount to the coronavirus charity of their choice.

“Before April 8, post a pic of your favorite Passover recipe w/ the recipe instructions,”  Portman wrote on her Instagram Story.

She added: “Tag @natalieportman #veganpassover and an organization you want to highlight fighting COVID-19. I will then donate to the org of your choice, for the first 15 recipes I share!”

Portman regularly promotes vegan cooking and charitable causes via social media and often shares vegan recipes. She recently shared her support for World Central Kitchen (WCK) through a short cooking video.

Portman noted in the text alongside the video that many families rely on schools for free school dinners. She specifically thanked WCK and chef Jose Andres for “distributing nutritious meals to children who rely on their schools for food.” 

WCK’s Chef’s For America program is currently serving nearly 100,000 meals every day to vulnerable people and frontline workers in the U.S. who may be unable to access affordable staples.

Natalie Portman and Veganism

Portman, a childhood vegetarian, first became vegan in 2009 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Eating Animals.” She went on to narrate 2018’s documentary of the same name.

In 2017, she received recognition at the Environmental Media Association awards for her ongoing commitment to sustainability. During her speech, Portman explained why she is vegan and how that intersects with sustainability.

“Factory farming is responsible for most of the air, water [and] land pollution that disproportionately affects our poorer communities,” she said. “We get to make decisions three times a day [about] what we do with our planet and can make a difference by even once a day or once a week choosing not to eat animals or animal products.”

Some experts believe that factory farming and other industrialized agriculture could elevate the risk of future pandemics similar to coronavirus. Portman is encouraging her followers to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic for the safety of vulnerable community members.

“Some of my friends are immuno-compromised, pregnant, and particularly vulnerable,” she recently posted on Instagram. “I’m staying at home for them and for the millions of healthcare professionals risking their lives every day for us. Who are you staying home for?”