H. Jay Dinshah
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The late H. Jay Dinshah (November 2, 1933, to June 8, 2000), a lifelong vegetarian born in India of Parsi parentage, with his English-born wife, Freya Smith Dinshah, founded in February 1960, the American Vegan Society of Malaga, New Jersey, on a family-owned parcel of land they called "Suncrest", or "the Suncrest Educreational Center", characterized by vegan publishing and outreach, vegan archiving, spiritual inspiration, vegan food, organic gardening, and extensive networking.
In 1957, Jay Dinshah became vegan. After its founding, Dinshah served the American Vegan Society as its president, and as and editor of its publication, Ahimsa magazine (1960-2000)
The two children of Jay and Freya Dinshah are Daniel and Anne.
Their publication is Ahimsa, a quarterly that explores compassionate living ("Ahimsa" or "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 (AVS) motto is "Ahimsa lights the way". It 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 living within a short driving distance of Suncrest.
The AVS mailing address is: American Vegan Society (AVS). 56 Dinshah Lane. PO Box H. Malaga, NY 08328. 609-694-2887
www.AmericanVegan.org
The American Vegan Society, founded by Indian-born Jay Dinshah, follows similar views [as Natural Hygenists] but enhamces them with Jainist attitudes of ahimsa and the elimination of all animal products and clothing apparel. Freya, Dinshah's wife, helps to run the active organization that includes a retreat called Suncrest and a magazine, Ahimsa. - Janet Barkas in 'The Vegetable Passion', 1975
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 and sponsored by the International Vegetarian Union (IVU). http://www.ivu.org/congress/wvc75/index.html
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.
Always of a tense temperament, Dinshah passed at 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 [1], the year he passed.
That same year, he was posthumously awarded the prestigious (among global or international vegetarians) Mankar Memorial Award [2]during the 2000 World Vegetarian Congress, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
[edit] American Vegan Society History
Under their seemingly indefatigable energies and their "evangelical" enthusiasm for promoting veganism AS "dynamic harmlessnes" ("Ahimsa" derived from the Sanskrit, meaning "not to harm"), Jay and Freya Dinshah, , beginning almost immediately after their founding AVS on the parcel of land the Dinshah brothers inherited from their father, started a magazine (for four decades called "Ahimsa", from 1960 to 2000, now called "American Vegan", organized a number of conferences, and conducted vegan promotional tours.
In 1961, the American Vegan Society organized and carried out a Coast to Coast Crusade for Veganism across North America, including various parts of Canada and the USA In 1965, the American Vegan Society organized and carried out North Atlantic Lecture Tour (Iceland, Britain, Europe) In 1967 and 1968, the American Vegan Society organized and carried out an international ("Round the World") Lecture Tour. Through these efforts, Jay Dinshah managed to lecture to vegetarian audiences in 19 different nations, on 5 continents, with the benefit of local interpretation into a dozen languages by ad hoc local polyglots, reputedly found widely in some communities of widely-traveled vegetarian entrepreneurs.
The name of the AVS quarterly, Ahimsa, was changed in 2001 to American Vegan.
[edit] American Vegan Society Conventions
1995, 8th International Vegan Festival, in San Diego California, AVS cohosted with VUNA (Vegetarian Union of North America) and Vegans International (VI).
Alternate conferences and conventions were held, largely in the USA Northeast (New Jersey and New York) but also in California (Arcata), Colorado (Denver), Oregon (Portland), and Washington, often sharing logistical responsibilities with local and regional vegetarian societies.
For a number of years, convention proceedings were videotaped (beginning in 1989).
The Dinshahs conducted weekend workshops, cooking classes, and other educational programs at Suncrest in Malaga, as early as 1969.
[edit] 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, 1975
[edit] Books Published by AVS
[edit] 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
[edit] Publications by Freya Dinshah
The Vegan Kitchen, 1965, 1997
[edit] Publications by Anne Dinshah (daughter)
Hearty Healthy Helpings Anne Dinshah, 1999
[edit] Publications by Others
[edit] Online Public Memorials for H. Jay Dinshah
VegSource.com - http://www.vegsource.com/articles/dinshah.htm
International Vegetarian Union (IVU) - http://www.ivu.org/people/politics/dinshah.html
The Philadelphia Inquirer - http://www.vegsource.com/articles/dinshah_inquirer.htm
[edit] Family Members of H. Jay Dinshah
Jay was the sixth of eight children, to Dinshah P. Ghadiali (father had a Parsi background) and Irene Grace Dinshah Cyrus - Roshan - a former Methodist minister who became a Quaker, active in Friends Vegetarian Society Jal - Darius - Noshervan - Jay - Sarosh - (1 missing)
Jay is survived by his: wife (widow) Freya son Daniel daughter Anne sister Shireen brothers Cyrus, Roshan, Jal, Darius, Noshervan, and Sarosh
Jay and his brothers,
