The Forgotten Commandment

“We are creatures of violence toward one another, and savage plunderers of kindred beings. Might we instead become the wisest of creatures? The most generous? Truly human? Drawing upon deep reservoirs of religious tradition, Anson Laytner creatively and deftly draws the straight lines between our contempt for human life and for the lives of our beyond-human kin. All this in a compact book that reads like a good mystery you don’t want to put down. I didn’t.”


—Carla V. Pryne, Episcopal priest





“Anson Laytner’s engaging tale leads the reader on a journey through Jewish history to explore questions about humanity’s capacities for both evil and righteousness. As our world teeters on the edge of ecological disaster, we are all like the young couple at the center of this story—challenged to balance personal desires and responsibilities with the call to action at the speed and scale demanded by the climate crisis.”


—Mirele B. Goldsmith, co-founder, Jewish Earth Alliance





“In this era of religious misunderstanding, The Forgotten Commandment, a beautiful tale of harmonious relationships among the peoples of the Abrahamic faiths, comes as a balm for the soul. A riveting story filled with drama and intrigue, Anson Laytner weaves together tidbits of little-known Jewish history with psychological insight and pearls of the Bible’s universal wisdom. Laytner accomplishes all this while bringing forth an authentic spiritual ecological message in a compelling and accessible way—so needed in the world at this time.”


—Ellen Bernstein, founder, Shomrei Adamah





“The Forgotten Commandments reads like a suspense novel that kept me interested from beginning to end. It has a challenging, hopeful message that can raise environmental awareness during this critical time and help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path.”


—Richard H. Schwartz, president emeritus, Jewish Vegetarians of North America