Jewish Environmental Initiative, a committee of the JCRC of Saint Louis

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To educate the Saint Louis Jewish community about the connection between Judaism and the environment and to help Green the Jewish community in terms of its practices. We also collaborate with other environmental organizations on projects,initiatives and advocacy.

We run a monthly environmental blog, Planet JewishWe hold an event annually called “Project Noah: A week for the environment” in which we send resources to all area Jewish organizations urging them to incorporate the environment into their sermons or activities or ed programs the week that Parsha Noah is read–AND we hold a community event that week as well. We have an active teen group that does presentations and runs a native plant sale/rain barrel raffle every year.


Content added by this initiative's owner

Eco-Friendly Summer-2015 Edition
June marks the official beginning of summer.  What a great time of year to get outdoors and practice the principles of reducing waste and honoring G-d’s creation, the Earth.  Here are a few suggestions of summer activities to reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment. Use natural methods to protect against the sun:  Use of ...

Greening Your Shavuot
The holiday of Shavuot is coming soon.   Shavuot celebrates the occasion of G-d  giving the Torah to all of the Jewish people.  It also is known as the Festival of First Fruits.  In Biblical times, Shavuot was the first day in which individuals could bring first fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem. Listed below are a few things you can do to ...

Eco-friendly Eating: What You Eat and its Impact on the Planet
Every day and every meal, we make food choices.  When we do, we invariably make an impact on the planet because different foods carry different environmental footprints.  Below are a few things to keep in mind in terms of what you eat and its effect on God’s creation, the Earth. Choose less meat in your diet:   Most if not all of the ...

GREENING YOUR PASSOVER IN 2015
Passover celebrates the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery to freedom.  It is also rooted in the agricultural cycle of the year and coincides this year with the beginning of spring. It references a time when our ancestors were more connected on a daily basis to the natural world.  To become more connected to the Earth and go “eco ...

Eco-Friendly Tips for Winter
As we head into the last month of winter, being mindful not to waste (the Jewish principle of baal tashchit) and  to care for the Earth should still be on your mind.  Even in the cold months, there are things you can do to use less energy and find winter-friendly products that are less harmful to the environment. Below are a few suggestions: ...

Going Green for Valentine’s Day
If there is a special someone in your life, Valentine’s Day is a day when you probably feel compelled to celebrate and give a gift.   At the same time, this holiday can be the height of commercialism and yet another reason to shop for high end “stuff.”  Consider rethinking the holiday and using it as a way to show love while being mindful ...

Do’s and Don’t’s of E-Recycling
With the large increase over the past few years in electronic communication devices, and the fast pace in which new versions of the latest cell phones and tablets come out, there is a potential for concern about what is happening to old electronic devices when they are replaced.  Electronic gadgets that are simply tossed in the garbage or sent to ...

Greening Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a time where we celebrate the renewal of the eternal flame and rededication of the Temple.  It is a great time to rededicate ourselves to the goal of preserving God’s creation, conserving energy and helping the environment.  Here are a few things you can do leading up to, and during, the holiday to rededicate yourself to making the ...