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JRF's Sustainable Synagogue Initiative - NEW RESOURCES JUST ADDED!
With the enthusiasm around JRF's Omer Learning Initiative, as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change Initiative, JRF is deepening its work with member communities and partner organizations (JCPA, COEJL) in the area of sustainability. Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent participation in the years ahead. The call included an overview of our movement's work in this area RRC rabbinical student Derek Rosenbaum (JRF's Tikkun Olam Intern) and myself. Topics covered by guest teachers Julie Dorfman, Rabbi Yitz Husbands Hankin, Hazzan Eric Schulmiller and Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb included: Greening Synagogue practices, everyday sustainability across the synagogue system, eco-kashrut and greening synagogue practices. A second call on Sustainability and Jewish life was held on Wed. March 5, 2008 as part of JRF's PEARL leadership learning initiative. You can view the 30 page information packet prepared for that call and the audio of the call as well.TO VIEW AND LISTEN CLICK HERE Read Brant Rosen's Yom Kippur devar Torah that inspired the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston to reach for the highest level of sustainability in their capital campaign. You will also find documents from JRC about their Green policies, educational material and promotional flyer for environmental awareness attached below. Also see the JTA's February 2008 coverage of JRC's receiving the first Platinum LEEDS rating for a synagogue in the United States: JANUARY 2008- NEW RESOURCES JUST ADDED! For an equally inspiring High Holy Day sermon see Rabbi Sheryl Lewart's talk on living an environmentally sustainable life and Kehillat Israel's Five Mitzvot for Sustainable Living. Also available is a wonderful meditation on environmental consciousness tied to the seven days of creation by Peter Goldberg of Shir Hadash, Milwaukee, WI, and inspiring materials from Dor Hadash, PA and Darchei Noam, Toronto, Canada and JRC, Evanston, IL (both moved into their new environmentally upgraded buildings in 2008). JRF's landmark 1990 resolution on environmental issues and the evolving guidelines for Sustainable Jewish community are also available on-line! We have also included a scenario for your consideration, developed by Roni Handler, Derek Rosenbaum and Donna Kirshbaum for the 2006 JRF convention workshop on Jewish values-based decision making and the environment. How does your community's practices align with the JRF resolution and the actions and commitments of other JRF communities? To add your resources to this initiative please e-mail SZevit@jrf.org
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 Darfur Syndicate |
Milwaukee Congregation Insitutes "Green Year"
Milwaukee Congregation Insitutes "Green Year"
Shir Hadash of Milwaukee is slating the upcoming "shemita" or "Sabbatical" year as a "green" year for its congregation. The central theme of the year will be to explore how we as Jews can give our stressed and endangered world a rest. An ad hoc committee chaired by two Shir Hadash members will oversee and coordinate events, classes, educational and ritual opportunities all tied to the yearly round of holidays and holy days of the Jewish calendar.
The year-long exploration of Judaism and the environment commenced during the Yamim Noraim (High Holy Days) with the distribution of meditations on our spiritual and practical connections to nature based on the successive days of creation as set forth in Genesis 1. On Yom Kippur one of the four Al Het (confessional) recitations was devoted to environmental concerns. During Sukkot, Shir Hadash's annual Sukkot dinners encouraged participants to use locally grown food.
Each congregational committee will be involved in some way in the exploration of environmental concerns. Some of the ideas being considered include discussion/study groups devoted to the study of Biblical, rabbinic, modern Zionist and contemporary literature on the subject, having the Religious School students grow wheat and barley for the Omer period as well as developing an Omer calendar they could sell to benefit environmental causes. Other ideas on the table include: study of oil/energy issues at Hannukah, using Passover to examine our enslavement to material goods and consumerism. By Shavuot the goal is to have worked out rules of eco-kashrut and an ethical purchasing guide for the congregation with suggestions for personal use. Other options include inviting a major speaker to the congregation sometime during the year and possibly a weekend retreat devoted to environmental issues. We hope to have the rabbi and other service leaders make creative use of the year's theme while leading services.
The congregation hopes to send a delegation to the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation convention in November of 2008 to exchange and expand ideas with fellow congregations - carrying the theme forward into the future.