Hands-On Greening Subscribe
A collection of materials related to projects that are greening the Jewish community.
From the Blogs
Workshop: Urban Composting – From Scraps to Soil
- September 22, 2011
This year during Chol HaMoed Sukkot we will connect to the earth with our hands in the soil. I am teaching friends and neighbors how to compost right here in the city. I've partnered with a nifty new start-up for this inaugural venture. In the future, this workshop will be taught in the context of Jewish education, just like we did/do at the Teva Learning Center. Read more and sign up at the link. Most of all, tell your friends in Chicago. Shana tova! http://www.dabblehq.com/events/urban-composting-scraps-to-soil/ Urban Composting: Scraps to Soil ...
Easy Ways to Use Less Paper
- September 12, 2011
One of Judaism’s important teachings is bal tash’chi, which means “you shall not waste.” In Deuteronomy 20:19, Jews are advised not to cut down or destroy trees, even in a time of war. Using less paper is one way you can do your part to save trees. You can also reduce the use of water and the environmental effect of chemicals that are used to manufacture the paper. It is very easy to use less paper and make a difference to the environment: Don’t discard paper that has only been printed on one side. “GOOS” ...
Sit Under a Vine and Fig Tree, and You Shall Not be Afraid!
- September 8, 2011
‘Every one shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for Hashem has spoken.’ Micah 4.4 What is it about growing your own fruits and vegetables that alleviates fear? Why does Micah believe Hashem has spoken through the act of farming or gleaning? Why a grape vine and fig tree? Why not under the string beans or cherry tomatoes? As I sit in my back yard, positioning myself between my grape vine, fig tree, string beans and cherry tomatoes, I begin to understand what Micah might have meant all those years ...
Grassroots Jewish Women’s Community
- September 8, 2011
By Teri Jedeikin Kayam Farm Multicultural Educator True to its name sake, The Matriarch’s Orchard watches over Kayam Farm from its place upon the hill. Its landscape, gently sloping towards vineyards and strawberry patches, is rich with fruit trees, berry bushes and spiritual symbolism. It is a space created by women for women - a radical innovation that invites Jewish women to engage with each other and with all women of diverse ages and heritages. The orchard is an ecological and spiritual learning space where integration of mind, body and spirit is ...
Israeli company brings light to third world countries
- August 21, 2011
By Eva Levin Photos by Irene2005 and Globe Light & Water Systems Inc. The giant structures line most of our major roads and have become an integral part of the urban landscape. Yet to most Westerners, streetlights are so common they hardly get noticed by anyone. That is not the reality for most third world countries. Many African countries, for example, have a complete lack of street lighting on major streets, making it extremely dangerous to drive in anything but clear and sunny conditions. That is why Globe Light and Water Systems (GLW,) an Israeli ...
PotatOde
- August 11, 2011
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The 2nd in a series of poems about vegetable growing in my garden. Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PotatOde I’m growing potatoes it’s ever so sweet They grow underground and taste good to eat They take up much space as the plant it abounds You pile up dirt over the tubers in mounds The plants grow wild, a darkish green color Purple and white comes the small gentle flower I am forced to choose between beauty and ...
Jewish youth starts teen environmental group
- August 9, 2011
Ariel Allen, age 16, a resident of Atlanta, GA, a student of The Paideia School and a current Bronfman Fellow, is a winner of Action For Nature’s 2011 International Young Eco-Hero Award. Allen was honored for starting a Jewish Teen environmental group. San Francisco, CA (July 22, 2011) – Kosher Crew, founded by Ari, motivates Jewish teens to become active conservationists by taking part in tikkun olam, or “healing the world.” Inspired by two summer internships with the Student Conservation Association, he runs fun, peer-led ...
The Beauty of Compost
- August 9, 2011
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(reposted from Rabbi Nina Cardin's blog: http://blog.bjen.org/ ) A brief respite from the summer's heat: I had been looking for the perfect counter-top compost container and had not been able to find one. So, in desperation, I simply reached for a clear plastic cannister that would otherwise be holding flour or rice or granola or some such. We keep it by the sink and dump our food shards in there. Surprisingly, fresh compost is not always unattractive. Neither is nicely "cooked" compost. Good finished compost ready to be used is often rich and aromatic. It is ...
The Power of Electronic Recycling
- August 8, 2011
“Look at My works. See how beautiful they are, how excellent. See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world. For if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.” (Midrash Ecclesiates Rabbah 1 on 7:13 c. 9thcentury) In today’s ever more technological world, the number of electronic items the average person uses and wears out continues to grow. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans now own approximately 24 electronic products per household. As Jews we should be mindful not to immediately throw out ...
Eco Connection launches in South Africa!
- August 7, 2011
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From the baking heat of Israel’s summer, Sviva Israel’s Director of Media & Technology flew last week to a chilly Johannesburg winter, to launch the Eco Connection in our first South African school. Despite the cold, she was warmly welcomed by the Israel Centre, under the directorship of Shimon Shamila, and the 7th grade students of the Torah Academy Girls School, who were all very excited to begin their participation in the Beit Shemesh-South African Eco Connection. The Beit-Shemesh South Africa Eco Connection is supported by the Beit Shemesh-Mateh ...
Georgia youth wins International Young Eco-Hero award
- August 4, 2011
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Kosher Crew, founded by Ariel Allen (Ari) of Atlanta, Georgia, motivates Jewish teens to become active conservationists by taking part in tikkun olam, or “healing the world.” Inspired by two summer internships with the Student Conservation Association, he runs fun, peer-led outings to do hands-on environmental work. Kosher Crew’s goal is to motivate participants to be active and healthy and to make a positive impact on the environment while encompassing core values of Judaism. He wanted to create something for Jewish youth because so many environme...
Embracing the Beast Within
- August 3, 2011
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I am not going to overcomplicate this. I’m an animal. We all are. And I’m not simply referring to our taxonomic classification. I’m talking about being the kind sweating, salivating, heart-pounding beasts that you see on the National Geographic channel. As Jews we tend to shy away from describing ourselves this way. We prefer to stress our godly characteristics; reason, free will, and control (after all, it was a snake that got us banned from the Garden of Eden). However, our inner animals don’t wither away and die when we deny them. They ...
Back from KAYAM
- July 29, 2011
Back from The Farm Kayam Farm- the scene of "Planting Seeds: The First Jewish Early Childhood Conference." It was better than imagined. It was the participants willingness to "dig deeply" on all fronts that mattered. People came from as far as Seattle,North Carolina, Texas, Boston and Worcester, Florida and New York as well as from nearby Virgina, Pennsylvania,New Jersey and of course Baltimore. There were nature specialists, ece directors, teachers, a rabbi and a great mix of ages and persuasions. There were the gardeners and the ...
The Mitzvah of Planting Trees
- July 27, 2011
“Let no one ever cease from planting. Fields filled with trees greeted us at birth, and we should add to their number even in old age.” Midrash: Genesis 2:8 “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Anonymous One of the best things individuals can do to help the environment is to plant a tree. Trees alter the environment in which people live by moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water and harboring wildlife. Planting trees is also a Jewish imperative. It is one way that we as Jews can ...
New System Tells You How Much Electricity Every Plug In Your House Is Using
- July 24, 2011
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By Alona Volinsky Photo by Rennett Stowe It doesn’t matter which country you live in, the price of electricity is high. So let’s say you want to reduce the monthly electricity bill for your home, or your office — how do you know where to start? Does a fridge consume more electricity than a dishwasher? A dishwasher more than a television? Does it cost anything to leave a device plugged in overnight? These are all questions most of us don’t know the answer to, because our electricity bills don’t break down electricity consumption ...
Reflections on a Snow Pea
- July 13, 2011
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Reflections on a Snow Pea Green, flat, with a little elf hat Crispy, sweet, great to eat I wanted a snow pea, I planted a seed It grew past the radishes, carrots and weeds It reached to the sky, up my stakes and trellis My neighbors looked on, boy were they jealous It gave a white flower, then a small pea Which reached out from its blanket for something to see. The pea grew quite quickly, we’ve had lots of sun It’s time for the harvest, where we’ll reap a ton One as a tester and one to confirm One for my ...
Where the Fruit Comes From
- July 7, 2011
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It's humid and in the 90s, the sun is high in the summer sky, and it's time for blueberry picking! We picked ours a couple of weeks ago, on an organic farm not too far from our house. I love picking fruits and berries in the summer, but I find blueberries most enjoyable. Maybe it's the way that the abundance of berries just falls into your hands; maybe it's that the bushes are at arms level. Or maybe it's just that it's the first fruit we pick in the season. In the hustle of beginning summer, we have to remind ourselves to pick ...
Blessings for all
- July 7, 2011
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Jews love blessings. We bless our food, our weather, and our new clothes-nearly everything. Why then do we not have a blessing for planting? Today at camp, we began planting our garden. Campers were able to dig their hands—too often used for texting and videogames— into rich soil. They planted tomatoes, brussel sprouts, sweet peppers, basil, cabbage, and kohlrabi, but before we put these life-sustaining plants into the ground, we took a step back to surround our actions with consciousness and purpose. I had all the campers write their own blessings for ...
Planet Jewish: “Greening” your Shabbat
- July 7, 2011
Shabbat is a day of rest and spiritual enrichment for the Jewish people. It is a wonderful time to reflect on the Jewish principle of ‘bal tashchit’ which forbids wastefulness. Here are a few ways to enrich Shabbat by being more mindful of our connection to the land and of the importance preserving and restoring the Earth rather than wasting resources. Make the Shabbat Table More Sustainable. For Shabbat candles, consider using natural candles such as those made of beeswax. Beeswax candles are clean-burning, non-allergenic and are a renewable resour...
Planet Jewish
- June 7, 2011
According to Jewish teachings, human beings were placed upon the Earth with the responsibility “to till it and to tend it” (Genesis 2:15). One way way “to till and tend the Earth” is by composting. Composting, the practice of mixing decaying organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, to create a nutrient rich fertilizer, has many benefits. Who wouldn’t want to save the planet one piece of trash at a time while producing a plant food that would make master gardeners proud. Read more at http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/blog.aspx?id=345.
