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A collection of materials related to projects that are greening the Jewish community.
From the Blogs
Eco-Friendly Summer-2015 Edition
- June 2, 2015
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 sunscreens is commonplace from May through August. Many sunscreens, however, contain chemicals and may be harmful to the skin and the environment. Look for a sunscreen made with organic ingredients and no chemicals. Read the ...
Hazon Philadelphia’s Ride the Pines
- May 31, 2015
We are excited to announce Hazon Philadelphia’s Ride the Pines - Sunday, May 31st, at the JCC Camps in Medford, NJ. Ride the Pines is a fully-supported bike ride and community experience for people of all cycling levels and ages, bringing together organizations like ours from across the Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Jewish communities. Join friends for routes through pine forests, farmland, and local villages, culminating in a barbecue lunch of kosher, pasture-raised meat from Grow and Behold, followed by an interactive marketplace of local, ...
Greening Your Shavuot
- May 6, 2015
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 celebrate the environment and the natural world on this spring holiday. Plant seasonal, native plants and flowers for the holiday: One Shavuot tradition involves decorating our homes and synagogues with festive flowers and ...
Alon Tal tells why it is important to vote for Green Israel Now!
- April 27, 2015
- 1 comment
Last chance to help us make Israel a greener, environmentally healthier land: Until the end of April you can vote online for the upcoming World Zionist Congress. The results determine, among other things, the division of power at the Jewish National Fund’s international board. For the past decade I have sat on the JNF board, largely because of the support and intervention of the Green Zionist Alliance – a wonderful group of young environmentalists who decided to get involved and improve Israel’s environmental performance. This support has allowed me to ...
Eco-friendly Eating: What You Eat and its Impact on the Planet
- April 14, 2015
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 climate pollution that our food creates happens before we buy it. The extent of these impacts depends on how much energy, land, feed or fertilizer, processing, and transportation is required to put a particular food on our tables. ...
GREENING YOUR PASSOVER IN 2015
- March 23, 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 friendly” for this holiday, consider following all or some of the tips below: Help the environment by reducing waste as you empty your home of chametz (leavened foods such as breads, pastas, etc). Give leftover bread and grain-...
Eco-Friendly Tips for Winter
- February 26, 2015
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: User safer antifreeze: Just 2 ounces of the standard ethylene glycol antifreeze can kill a dog. Propylene glycol offers a much less toxic alternative (although with fossil fuel origins, it's hardly eco-friendly). Since both ...
Going Green for Valentine’s Day
- February 4, 2015
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 of environmental impact. Below are a few ways to do so: --Give an eco-friendly gift: Avoid the mall or department store. Go eco-friendly with your gift. Some ideas include fair trade chocolate, organic handmade soap or a ...
Eden Village is hiring farm educator apprentices for 2015 growing season!
- January 26, 2015
Eden Village Camp is Hiring! Submit Your Application About Eden Village Camp: Eden Village Camp aims to be a living model of a thriving, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and inspired Jewish spiritual life. By bringing the wisdom of our tradition to the environmental, social, and personal issues important to today’s young people, we practice a Judaism that is substantive and relevant. Through our Jewish environmental and service-learning curricula, joyful Shabbat observance, pluralistic Jewish expression, and inspiring, diverse staff ...
Grow & Behold Kosher Pastured Meats
- January 16, 2015
Ordering Information Place your order online at www.growandbehold.com, where you can see what we currently have in stock, what we offer, and our prices. Or, give us a call at 888-790-5781 Mon - Thurs. from 9am-5pm EST and Fridays from 9am-12pm EST Any questions can also be sent to info@growandbehold.com Our Story While working on organic farms, we fell in love -- with each other, and with the work of feeding people good food produced by farmers who love the work and the land. We knew that the meat raised on pasture was not only of the highest quality ...
Do’s and Don’t’s of E-Recycling
- January 9, 2015
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 an unreliable e-recycling organization can result in toxic waste that threatens health and safety. Keeping in mind the Jewish value of baal tashchit (do not waste) , there are a number of things you can do as you consider ...
“Farm the Land Grow the Spirit Summer 2015″
- January 5, 2015
- 1 comment
flgs_2015 This ia a free opportunity for young adults 19-29 to come together in an interfaith setting for Jews, Christians and Muslims to live, farm and study together from June 1st - July 23rd 2015 at the Stony Point Conference Center in Stony Point, NY, with time for mentoring and vocational discernment. It is a Multifaith, Peace, Justice and Earthcare program. We seek students who are grounded in their religious tradition, serious about spriiuality and the state of the planet, and open to learnig and living in an intentional community setting. This is our 6th ...
Start-Up Moshav: Growing our Demonstration Garden in Berkeley, California
- December 2, 2014
Young Urban Moshav provides a community engagement approach to creating the local Jewish Community Center's new educational garden.
Make Your Thanksgiving Celebration Eco-Friendly
- October 29, 2014
Thanksgiving, while an ecumenical holiday, is a great time to consider the Jewish principle of baal tashchit (do not waste). There are many things you can do to make your celebration of this holiday more earth friendly. Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible: Try to buy only as much food as you need and look for food that either has no container or that has a container that can be recycled. Plan to compost any non-meat food items that can't be eaten (such as carrot peel) or that have to be thrown out after the meal. Also plan to use reusable cloth napkins ...
Cranberry Shabbat with Mayan Tikvah
- October 5, 2014
Cranberry Shabbat Saturday, October 25, Raindate, November 1 Wachusett Reservoir, Boylston Join us for our annual Cranberry Shabbat. We will intermix songs and prayers with wild cranberry picking, and share a picnic lunch at the end. Please bring something to share and your own drinks and utensils. (Warm soup sounds good for a picnic in October!) Also bring containers for the cranberries. Most of our pickings will be given to a homeless shelter for their Thanksgiving dinner. There may be muddy spots, so be prepared footwear-wise, and it could be windy and chilly ...
The MAP: Sukkot (and Shmita) Resources and Events
- October 3, 2014
SUKKOT AND SHMITA RESOURCES AND EVENTS contributed by all the organizations and initiatives on “the Map” http://jewcology.org/map-of-initiatives/ Here’s a quick bit of Sukkot Torah to start us off: “The four species of the lulav represent the four types of ecosystems in the land of Israel: desert (date palm), hills (myrtle), river corridors (willow), and sh’feilah, the lowlands (etrog). Each species has to be fresh, with the very tips intact – they can’t be dried out, because they hold the water of last year’s rain. Together, they make a kind of map ...
Tips for an Eco-Friendly Simcha
- October 1, 2014
Planning a simcha, such as a wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or bris, offers many opportunities to make an environmental impact. Every choice you make in planning your event can be a chance to make a statement about the importance of respecting and preserving God's creation, the Earth. Here are some ideas of ways to reduce waste as you prepared for the big day. Reduce paper use: Consider using the Internet for all or some of your announcements about your event. Invitations can be sent electronically. RSVPs also can be sent to a specially designated email address ...
A Green Opportunity to Share Love with Israel – Steven’s Garden
- September 23, 2014
- 3 comments
Memorial community garden founded by Tzeddekes Tamar Bittelman z"l in Tzvat reaches its “chai” birthday and new generations.
Earth Etude for Elul 28- Sweet and Sour Grapes
- September 22, 2014
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by Rabbi Robin Damsky I am in my favorite place at my favorite time: in the garden, in the morning, before the cars have started up, before the noise of lawnmowers and leaf blowers. The crickets are singing, the birds responding. The rising sun’s light filters through the leaves. A beginning. It has been a tough year in the garden. An endless winter caused a late start and temperatures have been cooler than usual. A call from critter to critter that I cannot hear lets them know there is bounty on my corner. Maybe it’s because the peach tree lost its ...
Earth Etude for Elul 16- The Compost Bin in Our Hearts
- September 11, 2014
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by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen My compost bins are so much more than just a place where compost happens. The area beside the three wire and wood bins is place where I often feel my father’s spirit – he was raised on a farm, and though he became a professional, gardening was in his blood, and he spent much of his spare time in his garden and his orchard. Yet, it is not just the reminders of my father or the sense of his hovering spirit that gives meaning to my compost bins. They are symbolic of so much – which may be more the truer reason that I think ...
