THE ENVIRONMENT
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Adopted at the 61st General Assembly
November, 1991
Baltimore, MD
BACKGROUND
The Jewish community's mandate to cultivate, protect, and nurture the environment is deeply rooted in our tradition. The commandment "Bal Taschit" enjoins "Do not destroy things from which humanity may benefit" (Deuteronomy, 20). The warning against idolatry founded in Deuteronomy reminds us that if we abuse the environment, displaying contempt for the integrity of God's creation, purse rain will cease to fall ...
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Climate Change and Energy
Exceprt:
Submitted by the Commission on Social Action to the Union for Reform Judaism’s 70th General Assembly
...For more than forty years the Reform Movement has advocated in defense of our environment and all those species — from the smallest creatures to humankind itself — that rely on our shared natural habitat and resources for survival.
...We now face the unprecedented challenge of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions, and the need for serious and urgent action on this ...
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Summary: This Rosh Hashanah sermon was presented by Rabbi Rabbi Mark Kaiserman of Temple Emanu-El of West Essex, Livingston, New Jersey.
Learn more at http://rac.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=2215&pge_prg_id=12704&pge_id=2403.
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Reform Jewish Movement and the Environment
Exceprt: As heirs to a tradition of stewardship that goes back to Genesis and teaches us to be partners in the ongoing work of Creation, we cannot accept the escalating destruction of our environment and its effect on human health and livelihood. It is our sacred duty to alleviate environmental degradation and the human suffering it causes instead of despoiling our air, land, and water.
For more than 40 years, the Reform Movement has been ...
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Overview
"Environmental justice" has entered the lexicon as the term of choice for describing the intersection of environmental and economic justice concerns, in particular, the impact of environmental degradation on the health and welfare of people of color, and low income and minority populations, both across national boundaries and within societies.
Across the world, poor people are affected disproportionately by environmental degradation. Two-thirds of lower-income urban dwellers across the globe breathe air that contains dangerously high levels ...
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The JCPA supports: substantial foreign aid and technical assistance to developing nations for environmental protection, sustainable economic development and family planning; U.S. ratification of international environmental treaties and provisions in trade agreements to protect the environment; efforts to address environmental degradation and resource shortages in regions where such developments might lead to either mass migration or armed conflict; incentives for the revitalization of cities through environmentally responsible "Brownfields" programs; policies ...
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Agriculture
COEJL and the JCPA (Jewish Council for Public Affairs) support comprehensive testing of all genetically engineered products for their capacity both to disrupt ecosystems and to cause illness.
COEJL supports policies which promote sustainable agricultural practices — including soil conservation, minimized use of pesticides and fertilizers, and maintenance of the genetic diversity of food crops (JCPA Agenda for Public Affairs 2000-2001). In addition, governments should protect agricultural lands and public health through programs to safeguard ...
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The sage Hillel says, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?" Ethics of the Fathers, 1:14
Anyone conscious of the dangers to the environment in today’s world sees the timeliness of Hillel’s saying. The environment effects us all both as individuals and as a collective. We all must be part of the “I” which is the human race and act for ourselves because otherwise who will. Further, action must happen now before any more irreparable harm is done to our world. Concurr...
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In a wonderful confluence of circumstances, the first night of Hanukkah in 2008/5769 fell on December 21, the northern hemisphere’s winter solstice. It is the longest night of the year, marking a day when the sun’s path is as low, as southerly and as scarce in its heavenly trek as it ever is. But it is also at this very moment that the darkening journey halts (sol-stice – sun-stopping). The sun stops, reverses course, and moves upwards and northward toward longer, lengthier hours of light again. The lengthening minutes of sunlight match the increasing ...
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By Jonathan Neril
View a source sheet/ discussion guide
And G-d said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I give between Me and you, and every living being that is with you, to generations forever; I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall happen, when I place a cloud over the earth, and the bow will be seen in the cloud, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living being among all flesh, and the water shall never again become a flood to destroy ...
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Green Glossary
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Just what is sustainability? What is organic? Do I have a carbon footprint? ...
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Purchasing
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Consider the environmental impacts of your everyday purchases from office and ...
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Excerpt
Eager to learn how you can help? This guide contains the following sections:
Conserve Energy
Conserve Land and Curb Consumption
Eco-Friendly Food, Cleaners and Other Products
Reduce Paper Wastage
Reduce Pollution
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Save Water
Learn more at http://urj.org/green/building/checklist/.
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Excerpt: This room-by-room Greening Guide includes the following sections:
Architecture: Greening the Building
Bathroom: Greening the Bathroom
Classroom: Green Learning
Commuting: Driving to Greener Pastures
Green Gardens: Eco-landscaping
Kitchen: Eco-Kosher
Office Space: Greening Your Work
Learn more at http://urj.org/green/building/checklist/.
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Greening Your Building
Excerpt: When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you do not ...
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Excerpt:
An energy audit is the first step in understanding the current energy consumption in the synagogue facility (or home) and how to improve upon its efficiency. Energy audits can be conducted by professional engineers and participating local utility companies; or you (and members of the congregation) can do it yourselves.
...Here are some other additional energy saving suggestions from www.stopglobalwarming.org:
Insulate your water heater and turn the thermostat down to 120 degrees – save 1500 lbs of CO2 and $70 ...
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Summary:
Incorporate envrionmental awareness into your holiday celebrations with these holiday guides for Shabbat, the High Holidays, Sukkot, Chanukah, Tu B'Shevat and more. The guides also cover secular celebrations including Thanksgiving and Fair Trade Month.
Excerpts:
Chanukah
...
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Travel Justly
Excerpt: The work of tikkun olam does not just happen at home. When we travel, we can help build a more just, more sustainable world, rather than make travel choices that tread heavily on our environment and our fellow human beings. As we work to green our Movement and continue to champion the rights of all our neighbors, especially those with the greatest need, we can use travel as a way to honor our Jewish values.
The URJ is committed to traveling justly, and we hope you will join us in this effort! Learn more about the impact travel has on ...
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Sample Programs:
A Life-Long Commitment to Food Justice: Beth Haverim Shir Shalom (Mahwah, NJ)
Counting the Omer: Main Line Reform (Wynnewood, PA)
Learn more at http://resources.rj.org/rac/food/.
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Recipes for Ethical Eating
To help you find exciting and delicious alternatives to red meat, we've pulled together a few great non-meat recipes from Entrée to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora and Chocolate Chip Challah and Other Twists on the Jewish Holiday, two wonderful cookbooks published by the URJ Press.
Learn more at http://urj.org/life/food/?syspage=document&item_id=27464.
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