Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

JRF, in keeping with the movement's resolution on the environment, our commitment as a Jewish People and as stewards of the health and welfare of the planet, has joined the Climate Change Campaign to address the global warming crisis. The campaign is sponsored by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), with support from the Religious Action Center (RAC). This is one of those calls to action that can change how North American Jewry responds to the daunting environmental problems confronting us and future generations.

A significant part of the campaign will include helping Jewish congregations, institutions, and individuals purchase and install energy-efficient, cost-effective compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs during the week of Hanukkah 2006, as part of moving the Jewish community and the country forward in its understanding and support of energy conservation. Our message is as easy as changing a light bulb: If you could conserve energy and help stop global warming in one simple step, wouldn't you? CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs. This means less production of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and toxic waste.

If every U.S. household replaced one bulb with a CFL, it would have the same impact as removing one million cars from the road. The campaign, "A Light Among the Nations" (AKA "How Many Jews Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?"), will engage the Jewish community in education, advocacy, and concrete action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This modern day commemoration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, will most importantly bring the issue of global climate change front and center in Jewish public life. Here’s how your JRF community can take immediate action:

• Participate in the campaign – contact climatechange@coejl.org to let COEJL know the name and location of your congregation or Jewish institution.
• Designate a point person who will stay committed throughout the campaign and let COEJL and JRF know this person's name and contact information so that s/he can stay in touch with the larger coalition and keep your organization informed.
• Outreach - Share with COEJL the names of other congregations and Jewish institutions in your community who can participate in the campaign.
• If you are a rabbi (or if you are representing a rabbi), commit to speaking about and inspiring your congregation about the goals of this campaign during the High Holidays. Email COEJL at climatechange@coejl.org if you would like sermonic materials. You can also check the Tikkun Olam resources in the JRF Resource Library.
• If you are a teacher, lay leader, or activist, educate yourself about the Jewish response to global warming on COEJL's resource pages.

The campaign has received enthusiastic support from all of the major denominations and numerous Jewish institutions. Over one hundred influential leaders from the Jewish community, synagogues, organizations, and activist groups representing hundreds of thousands more, participated in the initial campaign launch meeting/conference call on July 31st, 2006. For more information visit: www.coejl.org/climatechange or contact climatechange@coejl.org. For more information on JRF's involvement in this initiative please contact Rabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach, External Affairs and Tikkun Olam at SZevit@jrf.org.