“Rabbi Neril’s teaching is compelling and relevant to the environmental issues we face today. He beautifully bridges the gap between Jewish tradition and today’s concerns.” -Rabbi Lawrence Groffman, Temple Sholom of West Essex, Cedar Grove, New Jersey

“One of the best talks I have heard in a long time from a powerful and eloquent speaker. I was captivated from beginning to end by his timely and compelling message coupled with practical and concrete suggestions.” -Congregant, Congregation Beth Jacob, Oakland, California

“Rabbi Yonatan Neril offers a unique perspective on environmental Judaism. Through a traditional lens, informed by a rich variety of Jewish sources, Rabbi Neril presents a unique Jewish environmental ethic–when the natural world is at stake, the very moral and spiritual fabric of every person is at stake as well. Jewish environmentalism is not only concerned with our relationship with the world, it is primarily worried about our relationship with G-d.” -Rabbi Yonatan Cohen, Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley, California

“He spoke with great poise and rapport. Congregants were attentive, engaged, and inspired. Rabbi Neril’s Jewish Eco Seminar put a spiritual foundation to the challenges we face with the environment.” -Larry Steinman, past president, Temple Sholom of West Essex, Cedar Grove, New Jersey

“Rabbi Neril spoke articulately and passionately about Jewish tradition and concern for the environment, bringing authentic traditional sources to bear on these very pertinent modern concerns.” -Community Rabbi, California

• "Transcendent moments at Jewish Eco Seminars!…Jewish values grounded us in bringing heaven and earth closer together to do Tikkun Olam for the environment.”

• “Jewish Eco Seminars provided me with electrifying insights into Judaism and its teachings on the environment."

• “An inspiring educational experience that created an interactive dialogue for what Judaism teaches about caring for the environment.”

• “I felt very connected to the fruits and nuts we were eating because of their explanations and symbolism. It was fun to meet new people and hear their perspectives on the text we studied. Rabbi Neril’s teaching encouraged me to think of how I use and consume in my daily life, and how I can use products less wastefully as a result of this experience.”

Goals:

* Bolster Jewish educators’ awareness and knowledge of Jewish environmental teachings and empower them to teach on Judaism and the environment

*Engage and inspire young Jews concerned about the planet’s future by linking a core area of concern for them to Jewish teachings

* Reinvigorate Jewish education, enhance Jewish continuity, and catalyze a Jewish response to the environmental crisis

Objectives:

* Serve as a bridge connecting a cohort of dynamic Jewish environmental educators based in Israel and North America to institutions that either already train Jewish educators or that seek for their teachers in-service and pre-service professional development on teaching Judaism and the environment

* Provide professional development training and educational materials on Judaism and the environment for 200 educators who will reach 2000 participants in the 2010-11 academic yea

* Expose educators to a range of curricula and teaching materials developed by a broad range of Jewish environmental organizations

* Teach educators how to teach sample lesson plans and experiential, outdoor activities that relate to the textual learning * Offer follow-up support to ensure the integration of the seminar’s lessons into the educator’s regular teaching

For pricing, please contact us. We offer the following programs:

• Israel’s Water Challenges- At the Sataf Spring Nature Reserve enter a hewn-out water cistern and see first-hand age-old water collection methods and how they irrigate agricultural plots. Explore Jewish sources on water conservation in relation to this contemporary challenge, and consider possible solutions for Israel in the 21st century.
• Israel’s Environment- Enjoy an active and exciting experience on the ground in Israel linking modern Israel, contemporary environmental issues, and Jewish sources. Participate in a guided hike with experiential activities along the way! Learn about Jewish texts in chevruta style (paired learning), and contemplate intriguing questions.
• Trees- In the Jerusalem forest or another forested site in Israel, learn to relate to trees in a new way. Participate in an experiential activity in which your partner guides you to touch and identify a tree without looking at it – by sounds, sense of balance, smells, touch, and more. Learn Jewish teachings about the importance of trees to humans, and about our dependence on trees in the modern world in light of deforestation.
• Mud building- Get Dirty! At a location in or near Jerusalem, engage in a mud building workshop with an expert in this innovative construction method. Use local materials to construct a mud oven or dwelling. Learn about the broader meaning of this phenomenon by exploring Jewish teachings on the subject.
• Gardening with Israeli Children- At an elementary school in Jerusalem, work with Israeli children in planting or tending their school garden. With them, understand the growth process of vegetables and herbs and the educational significance of school gardens in Israel. Conclude by discovering how gardening is rooted in Jewish values and teachings.
• Israeli Organic Farming- Learn how organic farming is emerging in Israel and impacting modern Israeli agriculture. Enjoy a walking tour of an Israeli organic farm, guided by the farmer. Then study Jewish sources on organic farming and agriculture, and taste farm-fresh organic produce.
• Desert in Israel- Since the Jewish people were “born” in the desert, the deserts bordering Israel’s settled areas carry great significance. Feel the power of escaping civilization for a short while, and experience the soul silence of the desert through a guided hike and activities. Then carry the awe of the desert back into civilization by examining through the lens of Jewish teachings what values it offers for human societies.

Studies show that young people, and young Jews among them, are extremely concerned about environmental issues and the future of the planet. In an October 2008 poll of the Pew Research Center, 64 percent of U.S. voters under age 30 said the environment is “very important.” Jewish education has the potential to speak to the most burning issues that excite young Jews and the most pressing issues facing humanity. Yet Jewish education has yet to capitalize on this core concern as a key engagement point for young Jews. In particular, the link between Israel and the environment has been underemphasized. In an age where being Jewish is a choice, Jewish education often remains dissonant with the world we are a part of and uninspiring to many young Jews. Weak affiliation and disconnection from the Jewish people can follow suit.

Background of the Organization:

Jewish Eco Seminars emerged out of a successful 2008 pilot project of eight seminars for 140 Jewish educators in the San Francisco Bay Area, which was implemented by Canfei Nesharim and the Bureau of Jewish Education. The organization was launched in 2010 through the PresenTense Institute in the chair sponsored by the Jim Joseph Foundation. A global team of staff and volunteers implement its vision, led by founder and executive director Rabbi Yonatan Neril (see ‘Staff and Interns’ and ‘Faculty Team’ pages. Since its founding, Jewish Eco Seminars has reached a growing list of institutions in Israel and the United States (see ‘Past Clients’ and ‘US and Canada’ pages). Canfei Nesharim, the US-based Jewish environmental organization, serves as the US-fiscal sponsor.

* In Israel, we provide experiential, guided programs in English, Spanish, and Hebrew on a range of subjects and places for groups, couples and individuals.

* In North America, we deliver dynamic talks, classes, and activities on Israel-focused Jewish environmental topics to a range of Jewish institutions.

* We also offer free distance learning classes on Jewish environmental teachings through an online platform.