Download the free “Haggadah of the Inner Seder” (18 pp.). PDF, RTF, and DOC versions, along with a brief guide to the haggadah’s features, can be found at: http://neohasid.org/zman/pesach/InnerSeder/.
You can also go to neohasid.org for Omer Counter apps, and for information about David Seidenberg’s new book, Kabbalah and Ecology: God’s Image in the More-Than-Human World, published by Cambridge University Press.

“May the merciful One turn our hearts toward the land,
so that we may dwell together with her in her sabbath-rest the whole year of Shmita.”

Harachaman hu yashiv libeinu el ha’aretz
l’ma’an neisheiv yachad imah b’shovtah, kol sh’nat hash’mitah!

הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יָשִיב לִבֵּינוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ לְמַעַן נֵשֵב יָחַד עִמָהּ בְּשָׁבְתהּ, כָּל שְׁנַת הַשְׁמִיטָה

The words of this blessing were written by Rabbi David Seidenberg. Nili Simhai made it into a singable liturgy by setting the words to the “Sosne Nigun” by Jonah Adels, z”l. (Listen to the song at www.neohasid.org/resources/shmita-harachaman.)Harachaman blessings come after the main part of the blessing after the meals, and they ask for special blessings, including blessings related to Shabbat and holidays. Sing it at your Tu Bish’vat seder and at every meal this whole Shmita year!

Shmita means “release”, and the Shmita year is about release or liberation for the land, liberation between the people and the land, and liberation between people themselves. This Harachaman blessing references all three kinds of liberation, and it does that by using three different verbs that include the letters Shin ש and Bet ב. The first, yashiv, comes from the word “turn”, lashuv, לשוב, and it refers to our returning to a right relationship on a heart level with the Earth. The second, neishev, comes from “to settle” or “dwell”, lashevet, לשבת, as in shevet achim gam yachad — how good it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together, and it refers to liberation between individuals in the year of release, when debts are canceled and food is shared. The third, b’shovtah, comes from lishbot, לשבות, to rest, and it refers to the shabbat that the land itself enjoys in the Shmita year, as it says, “the land will enjoy her sabbaths”. This is the true nature of tikkun olam: tikkun, repair and restoration, on all these levels together. That is what must happen to fix the world.

You can download the PDF at neohasid.org/pdf/Shmita-Harachaman.pdf or get a PNG graphic of the blessing at neohasid.org/resources/shmita-harachaman/ (there are 8 Harachamans per page) to use at your Tu Bish’vat seder and for every meal during this Shmita year.

The words fit into the song like this:

Harachaman hu yashiv libeinu
el ha’aretz, el ha’aretz
Harachaman hu yashiv libeinu
el ha’aretz, el ha’aretz 

l’ma’an neisheiv yachad imah
imah b’shovtah
neisheiv yachad imah
imah b’shovtah

kol sh’nat hash’mitah
kol sh’nat hash’mitah
kol sh’nat hash’mitah
kol sh’nat hash’mitah

Time: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 5:00PM

Tu Bishvat — the full moon of Shvat — the New Year for the Trees is Wednesday! It's the Kabbalistic celebration of the cosmic Tree of Life, and it's been the focal point of Jewish ecology since the 70's. There are beautiful rituals, and NeoHasid has tremendous resources you can use to celebrate, including 3 different haggadot, source sheets, and the original Tu Bishvat blessing. Go to: http://neohasid.org/resources/tu_bishvat/

Tu Bishvat is the time we pray for the fruit trees to have enough water, sunshine, and love to be able to produce for all of us (all the creatures, not just humans). And it's a time when we reflect on fixing the "sin of the human eating the fruit of the tree of knowing" — which essentially means reflecting on how much and how greedily we take, and how we might change that.

You can get all the resources you need to make a seder/ritual meal (except the fruit) on neohasid.org. You can also get a simple 1-page haggadah/guide on neohasid.org. Here's a list of ingredients for an easy seder: 3 kinds of nuts (like walnut, almond, coconut), 3 kinds of fruit with pits (like olives, dates, avocado), 3 kinds of fruit with edible skin (like apple, grapes, peach, orange, carob), two bottles of white grape juice and one of red. The guide online will tell you how to do it. There's a list below of all the other Tu Bishvat resources you'll find.

And here's a bit of Tu Bishvat Torah, paraphrased from Pirkei d'Rabi Eliezer ch.12. It's from my book on ecology and Kabbalah — which is almost almost completed.

******************

>When God created the first human being, Adam Harishon, and stood the creature up, it was magnificent like one of the ministering angels. God said: "If I let this one be the unique and only human in the world, then all the other creatures will see it and say, 'this one created us'. Therefore, 'it is not good for the adam to be alone'. (Gen 2:8) So God split the human into male and female.

>When the Earth heard that there would be human beings would multiply, she trembled and quaked. The Earth said: "I do not have in me the strength to feed the flocks of humanity." God said: "I will feed humanity at night with sleep, and so share the burden with you."

According to this midrash, humanity must bet fed by our sleep, by our resting, by our dreaming, by being connected to the realm of the unconscious, to the realm of the soul. If we are not fed in this way, we can (will?) overwhelm and destroy the Earth.

What about the way we live now makes it hard to connect to the unconscious? How can we strengthen our connection to it?

*******************

If you're in the Boulder CO area next week, I'll be leading a community-wide seder at Nevei Kodesh. And if you're in the Pioneer Valley of MA next Shabbat (Jan 17-18), I'll be leading Tu Bishvat learning at the Jewish Community of Amherst. And of you're in the Bay area, you can fond out about EcoJews of the Bay's seder at: https://www.facebook.com/events/601539973233485/

********************

Tu Bish'vat on neohasid.org:

Find ideas about leading the seder, commentary on the JNF, the prayer for the trees from the original seder, texts to learn and teach at your seder, and more.

"The works" for Tu Bishvat

Haggadot, brakhot, text study sheets, in one zip file. Direct download — 1 MB.

A simple Tu Bishvat Haggadah

An all-English simple haggadah for Tu Bishvat with intro.

A basic version of the well-known flowchart Haggadah

An haggadah all in English with a smidgeon of Kabbalah, accessible for beginners to Kabbalah or to Jewish practices.

One-page flowchart Haggadah plus more links

A flowchart haggadah on a single sheet, in three versions including. Plus some quick links to other resources.

The Ultimate Text Crunching Sheet for Tu Bish'vat

Study, for many days or for one seder, some of the great Jewish and Kabbalistic texts on fruit, trees and the earth.

Shirat ha'asavim ~ The Song of the Grasses

A rough recording of the well-known Naomi Shemer tune, in time for Tu Bish'vat.

How to make a Kabbalstic Tu Bishvat Seder

Instructions on how to run a seder, how to use the blessing from the first Tu Bishvat seder, and how to use the One-page Haggadah chart.

A Prayer for the Earth – Hebrew and English

Y'kum Purkan Lish'maya: A prayer for the earth, for use in your synagogue, minyan, or havurah; for Earth Day, Rainbow Day, Shabbat Noach, Shabbat Behar/Bechukotai, everyday.

Blessing from the first published Tu Bish'vat Seder

From the 16/17th century seder manual, P'ri Eitz Hadar, based on the Kabbalah of the four worlds. The original seder calls on us to bring blessing to all creation.

The Giving Tree: A Way to Honor Our Vision for Israel

Planting a tree for the future sounds like second nature, a wise investment for both Israel and the planet. But whether you think about doing this at Tu Bish'vat or during the Omer when it's really planting time, it's a little more complicated than donating to JNF…

Birkat Ha-ilanot

Once a year there is Jewish custom is to say a special blessing on flowering fruit trees. It happens in spring, especially during the Omer, but it's also a good teaching for Tu Bish'vat. You'll also find some other good tree texts here.

Longer meditations on Pri Etz Hadar

Imagine a Jewish practice which has the purpose of restoring all the species and creatures, and all the sparks they contain, to the fullness of blessing.

Tu Bish'vat wisdom

Three teachings about how holy eating brings blessing to all life and all creatures, submitted by Jacob Fine.

Become a partner in engaging your community this year!

Together, we will organize Jewish campaigns throughout the year to help you learn about opportunities to make a difference on key environmental issues at the national and state level, to get to know your elected representatives, and to engage your community.

How can Jewish environmental advocacy make a difference?

The Jewish community has a long history of championing support for Israel and social justice causes. For the last twenty years, we have been learning and changing our behaviors to protect our environment. To address this critical global challenge, it is now time for us to unite in support of sustainable policies that reflect our Jewish interests and values, to make a meaningful impact at the state and national levels and beyond.

Explore our current Year of Engagement Opportunities:

• Campaign #1: Wish Your Reps a Happy Tu Bishvat
  
• Basics of Advocacy for Jewish Environmentalists: A Citizen Training Webinar
  

Campaign #1: Wish Your Reps a Happy Tu Bishvat!

We are beginning the Year of Engagement with a simple but effective way to begin a conversation about environmental advocacy with your family, community, and elected officials.

For our first Year of Engagement campaign this year, we encourage you to send a simple letter to your representative to wish them a Happy Tu Bishvat and explain why our nation needs sustainable climate and energy policies.

On Tu Bishvat, many Jewish communities get together for seders and to learn about Jewish environmentalism. If your community has a shared event, invite them to join along with you in your letter.

To help you turn your Tu Bishvat into a policy engagement opportunity, we’ve created:

•Activity instructions (PDF),

•A template letter for your elected representatives (editable .doc file),

•An example letter to show you what it will look like (PDF), and

•some talking points to help you engage your community (PDF).

Each of these materials can be previewed below if you are logged into google. Or simply click the links to download the files.

We hope you’ll take this opportunity to begin to share your views with your elected representatives and your community. Let us know after you take this action!

Basics of Advocacy for Jewish Environmentalists: A Citizen Training Webinar

To build a more sustainable society, we need more than just individual action: we also need sustainable policies at the local, state and national level. Many Jewish environmentalists want to get involved with advocacy, but aren’t sure exactly where to start. The advocacy world can feel like a confusing maze. When should I call my representative? What kind of letter will make the most difference? How do you schedule a meeting?

Join COEJL, Canfei Nesharim and Jewcology for “Basics of Advocacy for Jewish Environmentalists,” an opportunity to learn about the basic tools of advocacy and how you can make a difference. We explored the challenges and opportunities of advocacy, tools to help you, and practice some specific skills to help you get started.

Recent webinars:

• Monday, March 31 at 8:00-9:30 pm. 
• Tuesday, January 28 from 12:30-2:00 pm. View the webinar here!

Want to hear about future opportunities? Let us know.

This training requires your active participation, so please plan to have computer, internet and telephone available and to be present for the full 90 minutes. Space is limited. This webinar is free, thanks to the generous support of our Year of Engagement sponsors.

(from http://neohasid.org/zman/chanukah/ice_menorah/)

First, here's what's cool about an ice menorah: reflections in the ice; it floats – water is amazing and awesome; renewable resource – and if it's cold enough where you are, just freeze it outside; meditate on climate change and melting glaciers, and resolve to do something about it!

Here's how to do it:

1) Set candles in cardboard brace.

2) Fill loaf pan or any container part way and set brace over it — see diagram. Candles should be immersed half inch or more in water.

3) Shamash (not pictured) — fill dixie cup or any small cup or jar with a few inches of water and set shamash candle in that.

4) Freeze it all.

5) Remove ice with shamash, put it on top of ice in loaf pan. add another half inch or more of water to freeze the shamash to the rest of the menorah.

6) You can carve a little channel for melted water to flow away from the shamash

(idea and execution – Heidi Creamer; diagram and instructions – David Seidenberg; neohasid.org)

for pictures of a real ice menorah, before and after it's lit, go to http://neohasid.org/zman/chanukah/ice_menorah/

You'll notice while the menorah is burning that the melted ice warms up and creates its own channels (see pic above), sometimes making holes through the ice. Among other things, that's a great moment to talk about melting glaciers. Let us know what you do and how it goes!

You can design meditations on water, on climate change and glaciers, on renewable resources, on science, using this project. Send ideas to rebduvid8@gmail.com and I'll post them here.

I’ll explain below why the number 79,000 is wrong for ecological and sociological reasons. But we have to make two other huge assumptions to even imagine a Thanksgivukkah in 79,000 years. One is that Thanksgiving will exist 79,000 years from now. Given that the United States has only been around for 200-some odd years, and that the nation-state hasn’t even been around for a thousand years, that’s a pretty big stretch.

The other is that Torah, Chanukkah and the Jewish people will still exist as a culture in 79,000 years. I’d bet on the second assumption sooner than the first, since religions and cultures live a lot longer than nations: rabbinic Judaism is about two millennia old, and what is possibly the oldest living culture, the Australian aborigines, maybe on the order of 60,000 years old. But according to the traditional rabbinic understanding of Judaism, the Messiah should come long before that.

So where did people get the number 79,000 from? People assume the Gregorian and Jewish calendars will unfold mechanically for the length of human civilization, without adjustments. In that case, Chanukkah will wander forward with the Jewish calendar about 6 minutes a year, and won't come back round into fall/winter for 79,000 years.(1) But all we have to do to keep Chanukkah and the other holidays in sync with the seasons is to add one less leap month every 7,000 years or so.

We have to do it, because Pesach (Passover) needs to be in the northern hemisphere's spring, “when the crops are judged” (Rosh Hashanah 1:2). Chanukkah needs to span the darkest night, the new moon closest to winter solstice. And most of all, we need our calendar and societies to be in sync with Nature.

That shouldn’t be too hard. After all, we’ve only had a fixed calendar since the time of the astronomically-savvy Shmuel, since maybe the 3rd or 4th century. For most of our history, we arranged our calendar by watching the skies and the rhythm of the seasons.(2) We never even set when the next month started, until witnesses came to the Beit Din (court) to say they saw the crescent moon. It was so important to get this right that people were allowed to violate Shabbat in order to get there to testify!

In any case, if we can’t get back into harmony with those rhythms, you can bet in a few centuries there won’t be a Thanksgiving, or a Chanukkah, or even a Torah to teach us about Pesach.

So let’s focus on 2070 first. Not only will the two youngest generations be around for Thanksgivukkah 2, but we will probably have a pretty clear idea about something everyone is worried about now: how severe is climate change going to get? Will the next Thanksgivukkah take place in a world where billions of people living on the coasts are turned into refugees? Will there be enough food in 2070 for the 8 billion people who will be alive then, when the normal growing season, and the ecosystem, might be changing rapidly in many places?

These are just big questions now, but by Thanksgivukkah 2 we will have concrete answers. So here’s one more question, for those of us who will not be around for Thankgivukkah 2: what wish would you have for the generations that will be here, that will inherit this world we are co-creating?

Here’s a suggestion: take a moment during Thanksgiving, when family and friends are gathered, to share not just the material blessings of the feast, but blessings of a different sort, the kind of blessings for when we won’t see each other for a long time, blessings we might give the people we love before leaving this world. Blessings like this:

“May the next Thanksgivukkah be a time of health and abundance for all of you who will receive the world from our hands. May we together find away to make sure that there is health and wealth and beauty not just for our family, not just for the Jewish people and humanity, but for all living creatures who share this planet with us. May the One bless us with the power and wisdom to birth a society that shows love to the world around us, that lives with love towards all beings.”

Maybe you can add the priestly blessing that parents say to children on Friday night, or the prayer for Creation on neohasid.org (http://neohasid.org/stoptheflood/earthprayer). But remember, we who will ultimately pass this world on to our children will only get to wish this blessing once.

If we do it right, maybe we’ll have a slightly better chance of making it whole to Thanksgivukkah 2. Maybe even to that Thanksgivukkah beyond the horizon, in 79,000 years.

Rabbi David Seidenberg is the creator and director of neohasid.org. His book on ecology and Kabbalah will be published next year by Cambridge University Press. David teaches on Jewish thought, spirituality, and ecology throughout North America, in Israel, and in Europe. Neohasid.org is a member of the Green Hevra.

This article also appears on the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-david-seidenberg/thanksgivukkah-2-coming-s_b_4325703.html

_________________

1) The Jewish calendar is both lunar and solar. Since 12 lunar months makes about 354 days, an thirteenth month gets added every few years to keep the calendar in sync with the sun's cycle. In a 19-year cycle, 7 out of 19 years have an extra month ("Adar 2"). But when the cycle returns to its technical starting point after 19 years, it is actually about 123 minutes ahead of where it started in relation to the sun. So the calendar moves ahead of the actual cycle of the sun about one day in 220 years.

2) That’s how it once was with every measurement in Jewish law. For example, the time it takes to walk 1 mil (a little more than half a mile) is how long you have to finish baking matzah in order for it to be used on Passover (Pesachim 46a), and the time when Shabbat ends is when three stars come out. Nowadays, we define everything in Judaism by precise measurements: minutes and seconds, ounces and grams, etc. (even though there are multiple opinions about each of those precise measurements). But even the length of an hour changed from season to season in Talmudic times, and from day to night, and it still changes, for example, when determining the time to say the Sh'ma prayer.

3) Photo is of the Beit Ahavah solar ner tamid, along with menorah and Tree of Life (Northampton MA).

Please share widely.

Cadette Girl Scout Troop 4056 is pleased to present, as its silver award project, this cookbook of recipes that not only use leftover or excess food as ingredients but also conform to Jewish dietary laws, or kashrut. In preparation for this project, the troop earned the New Cuisines badge and experimented with cooking foods from different times, places and cultures. The troop also volunteered in the kitchen at Martha’s Table, a Washington, D.C. organization that prepares over 1,000 meals per day for needy residents of the city. The Troop learned about the Biblical commandment not to waste food, and brainstormed ways of using food that might otherwise go to waste. Members of the troop collected recipes from their families. They tested recipes, typed and edited copy and provided photographs of completed recipes.

This cookbook contains recipes that use three different categories of “leftovers.” The first category includes traditional leftovers–dishes prepared for one meal that are then repurposed into a second meal. For example, if roasted chicken and rice are served on Monday, any leftover chicken can become a chicken pot pie or chicken jambalaya later in the week and the leftover rice can be reused in kugel or as fried rice. Other common leftovers in this category are leftover cooked vegetables and leftover cooked pasta. The second category includes leftovers that are not previously cooked but that might be tossed out as garbage, such as potato and carrot peels, chicken wings and necks (which come with the whole cut up chicken but which my family doesn’t eat), or a pumpkin that has been used for a Fall display. The third category includes foods that were purchased in bulk and are in the refrigerator or pantry but will spoil or go stale if not used. These foods include milk, eggs, bread, cereal, bananas and apples, and for any family with a backyard vegetable garden, tomatoes and zucchini, in season.

Troop 4056 developed this project as a part of the 2013 Year of Jewish Action on the Environment, developed by the Jewish-environmental organization Canfei Nesharim and its Jewcology program. The year-long program focuses on actions to save energy and reduce food waste, practical actions called for by the Jewish mitzvah of bal tashchit. Jewcology.com is a social media portal where Jews who care about the environment can connect and share resources. As part of the Year of Action, Jewcology members can take action and check a box to see their personal impact, and can also see the shared impact of the entire Jewcology community. You can see the full program at www.jewcology.com/action.

This cookbook is the featured online tool for the Year of Action’s “Food Waste Action #8: Make Leftovers” and, as such, will be distributed to Jewish communities worldwide. Troop 4056 wishes to thank Evonne Marzouk and Canfei Nesharim for helping develop the project and for distributing the cookbook.

Laura Warshawsky

Advisor, Troop 4056

Silver Spring, MD

September 2013

But this birthday is not just one of celebration. The line we add after "Hayom Harat Olam" is "Today the world stands in judgment."

These two motifs alone should give us pause today to consider what we are doing to the planet, to how we can restore the balance of the atmosphere, the balance of the waters and the air, of the forests and plains, the ocean and the continents.

"Today the world is born" — so says the liturgy according to most translations. But let's look more closely at the words "Hayom Harat Olam" to see what they can teach us.

"Harah" or "Harat" means pregnancy, conception or gestation. Not birth, but the process which leads up to birth. If we wanted to say "the birth of the world" we would say "leidat ha'olam". And "olam" can mean world, but if we wanted to say "the conception of the world," we would add the definite article and say "harat ha-olam." "Olam" by itself really means eternity, from the root that means "hidden," or more precisely, the infinite that is hidden, that is beyond our limited perception.

So "Harat Olam" means very literally, "pregnant with eternity", or "eternally pregnant." The day of Rosh Hashanah is pregnant with eternity.

What deeper evocation could one find of this wondrous and miraculous creation than "eternally pregnant," always bringing forth new lives, new creatures, even new species? Always dynamic, growing; balanced not like a pillar on its foundation, but like a gyroscope, turning and turning. What higher praise of the Creator? What greater potential in this moment, than for it to be "pregnant with insights, with hopes, that are as great as eternity"?

Jeremiah said, "Let my mother be my grave and her womb be pregnant eternally / v'rachmah harat olam." (20:17) This is the scriptural source of the expression "harat olam." On a very personal level, this verse is an expression of Jeremiah's profound grief. In Job, however, our planet is imagined as a womb, as in, "when the sea gushed forth from the womb." (38:8) Jeremiah's lament, applied to the Earth, becomes one of the truest and most loving sentences in the Tanakh. This Earth is a mother to us and it is our grave; it is eternally pregnant, and from our deaths will come new life and new lives.

When we hear the shofar and call out, "Hayom harat olam!" may we find hope, may we find courage, may we find blessing, in this moment on this planet filled with birth and death, pregnant with eternity.

"Hayom harat olam." "Today," the day of Rosh Hashanah, we birth new intentions and conceive new possibilities. Today is our day, today we are alive on this planet, as we say in the liturgy, "All of you alive today / Chayim kulchem hayom." Today our choices will gestate the future, for our children, and for the children of every species upon the Earth.

We pronounce blessings on ourselves at the end of the Rosh Hashanah service, blessing about "today." We shout and sing: "Hayom t'amtzeinu." "Today you will find courage." "Hayom t'varcheinu." "Today you will be blessed."

And the Psalms say: "Hayom im b'kolo tishma'u." "Today, if you will listen to the Voice." Let us listen to all the voices crying out, the voice of the Earth, and the voices of every creature, and hear in them the divine Voice.

On Rosh Hashanah, as we really listen to the shofar, may new feelings and intentions be birthed within us. Then we will know what it means when we receive the blessing, finally: "Hayom ticht'veinu l'chayim tovim." "Today you will be inscribed into life."

If you find value in the prayer very humbly invite you to make use of it and to share it with others.

Richard Shavei Tzion

Jerusalem

* My grateful thanks to: Rabbi Professor Benjamin Ish-Shalom, Gabi Lindenberg, Levia Piurko, Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, Ruti Spero, Gilad Stern, Ido Tauber and Naora Yahav.

(Alcohol, used in many hand-sanitizers, and vinegar, are alternatives that can be used as bacteriacides but which can be processed by the ecosystem without a problem.)

All of this is done in the name of making money. We live in a foolish society where money matters more than life. We create needs that don't exist and meet them with products that kill.

And it happens in the name of ecology, and not just in the name of sanitizing our lives.

CFL's, compact flourescent bulbs, are supposed to be an important way to cut down on CO2 emissions. They help some, sure, but they are laced with mercury, and they use many times the energy of LED bulbs. And now that they are basically required, they are being manufactured in all kinds of shoddy ways that give us plenty of bulbs that last a lot shorter time than an incandescent bulb. So what we've done is create a huge new stream of mercury that is entering the environment.

It's also true that the extra power it takes to light an incandescent bulb means, in our filthy energy economy, that more coal is burned, which also releases mercury into the air. But if you break a CFL bulb, your releasing mercury in a gaseous form in an enclosed space–that's many many times the mercury exposure that you might get in almost any other context, in a form that is absorbed directly into your lungs.

That's assumining your energy comes from coal. If it comes from other sources (e.g. natural gas, and of course, renewables all the more so), then your bulb is one drop in a mighty stream of mercury being poured into the ecosystem that would never have been released except because of our laws that are pushing CFL's.

CFL's are supposed to be good things. I'm not even touching on fracking and GMO's and all the other great ideas that are putting us in a worse position than we have ever been for survival–even if we were to stop global climate disruption now, which we are not doing. Not a pretty picture.

What about nuclear power, btw–another idea that has arisen anew as an alternative to CO2 emissions and global climate disruption? Well, the lethal products of nuclear power will outlast our species and many many other species. Some of those radionuclides will persist to harm all forms of life for as long as they exist on this planet. We can't figure out how to stop global warming, but we are going to figure out how to sequester lethal radioactive waste for many many times longer than human civlization has existed? Not likely.

It's bad enough for us to create conditions on this planet that will harm the lifeforms that exist now–the Cenozoic patterns of life typified (in the human mind) by birds and mammals. Life can evolve to meet the new conditions created by global climate change. We may or may not be part of that life, but it will continue. Shall we now also create conditions that will harm all the lifeforms that don't yet exist?

We need to be thinking very long term. Not just seven generations, but beyond the life of our species, to the worlds that will unfold over millions of years and not just over millenia, if we want to act responsibly now.

Rabbi David has been researching Shmita since 1986 and teaching about Shmita since 1993. He is also the organizer of Rainbow Day (May 6-7 this year–see jewcology.com/resource/Rainbow-Day for details). David's writings about ecology include the following d'var Torah about Shmita for this year's Shabbat Behar campaign, hosted also at shmitaproject.org, where you can get lots more resources on Shmita. Read the d'var here, read it in the Huffington Post if you like, or download the pdf (link on right column).

Go to shmitaproject.com for more resources on Shmita and Shabbat Behar. Also, within the Shmita Project site, you can find core Shmita texts, core Shmita principles and core Shmita values/ethics. Go to jewcology.com for Rainbow Day resources.

_______________

"Shmita: The Purpose of Sinai"

Rabbi David Seidenberg, neohasid.org

What does Shmita, the Sabbatical year, have to do with Mt. Sinai? מה עניין שמיטה אצל הר סיני

This question was famously asked by one of the oldest midrashim, Sifra (Behar 1) and it has been pondered over for centuries. The question arises from the way the portion about the Sabbatical year is introduced in the Torah: "YHVH spoke to Moshe in Mount Sinai saying: Speak to Israel’s children and say unto them: When you come to the land which I give you, the land will rest, a shabbat for YHVH…In the seventh year, it will be the Sabbath of sabbaths for the land, a Sabbath for YHVH." (Lev. 25:2-4) If all the commandments were given at Sinai, the midrash wonders, why is Mt. Sinai only mentioned here?

And the answer that we can give today is deceptively simple: the whole purpose of the covenant at Sinai is to create a society that observed Shmita. It is in a land where Shmita is observed that human beings will learn to respect the Earth herself, by remembering that none of us can own her. "For the land is mine," God declares, “and you are strangers and settlers with me.” (Lev. 25:23)

And if none of us can own the land, cannot sell it and buy it, then what we do own is ultimately not ours, then the difference between rich and poor is not "just the way things are," then a person cannot be owned and the difference between slave and master is not real and not loved by God. In the Sabbatical year debts are canceled, and the land is ownerless. In the seventh sabbatical year, the Jubilee, all slaves are freed (including those who did not exercise their right to go free after the sixth year of their own service) and every family returns to its achuzato, its original landholding, becoming equal to every other family.

Only in such a society, where "property" does not designate the right to use up what one owns, but rather a kind of fleeting relationship to what one cares for, can people learn the true meaning of justice. Only in such a society can people learn to share their wealth, nurture the poor alongside everyone else, relieve debts, end hunger, and respect the fundamental human right to be free. The Sabbatical year was the guarantor and the ultimate fulfillment of the justice that Torah teaches us to practice in everyday life, and it was a justice that embraced not just fellow human beings, but the land and all life. The Sabbatical year was the ultimate meaning of rest, which we practice every week in the observance of shabbat. It was the Sabbath of sabbaths, Shabbat shabbaton.

After telling us outright that Sinai is about Shmita, the Torah also gives us other pointers to Shmita’s ultimate significance. Failure to let the land rest is one of only two mitzvot that are described as being the cause of exile from the land (the other being idolatry), while the purpose of exile itself is described as a way to force human beings to let the Earth rest. If we do not observe Shmita, still "the land will enjoy her Sabbaths…All the days of her being emptied she will rest what she didn't rest during your Sabbaths, when you were dwelling on her." (Lev. 26:34) The Torah is clear: It is possible for us to have shabbat without giving the land rest, but doing shabbat just for ourselves, even just for God, is not enough. Exile happens because the land’s right to rest comes before our rest.

There’s another clue to the importance of Shmita, a more subtle one. During the Shmita year, we are commanded to let the wild animals eat freely from our fields. "The shabbat of the land (what the land grows while it is resting) will be for you for eating: for you and for your servants and hired-workers and for your settler living as a stranger with you, and for your beast, and for the wild animal which is in your land, all of her produce will be for eating." (Lev. 25:6-7) The rabbis further expanded the meaning of this law, so that everyone was required to leave any gates to their fields open, and one could not eat in one's house food that was not also growing in the fields—in other words, so that human beings and wild (and domestic) animals were eating the same food.

Think about the only other time when humans and all the animals ate alongside each other in peace according to the Torah. When, and where, did it happen? It was in the Garden of Eden, before so many tragedies befell humanity. Before the flood. Before the relationship between humans and animals was torn asunder; before humans exiled themselves from the Earth. After the flood, the animals live in mortal terror of human beings. After the flood, God makes a covenant—not with the human beings, but with all the animals—a covenant to not destroy the Earth because of humanity.

It is the Sinai covenant which is meant to bring back into harmony a world twisted by human greed and violence. It is the Sinai covenant that is meant to restore the fellowship of human and animal, and to reorder our values, so that the well-being of the land and the community of life takes precedence over our own perceived needs. This is what it means to "choose life so you may live, you and your seed after you." (Deut. 30:19) This is what it means to “increase your days and your children’s days on the ground for as long as the skies are over the land.” (Deut. 11:21)

In modern parlance we call it "sustainability," but that’s just today’s buzzword. It’s called Shmita in the holy tongue, "release"—releasing each other from debts, releasing the land from work, releasing ourselves from our illusions of selfhood into the freedom of living with others and living for the sake of all life.

How is it, then, that our generation is the one that can answer the question, "Mah inyan Shmita etzel Har Sinai? How does Shmita emanate from Mt. Sinai?" It is because it is only now, when we see that human beings can really "ruin My world" and that there may be "no one who will come after you to repair it," (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13) only now can we understand what Shmita means. Only now can we see that the meaning of Mt. Sinai is Shmita. May it be Hashem’s will that we are seeing this in time to fulfill the vision, to "proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all her inhabitants," (Lev. 25:10) to all those souls traveling together with us on this planet.

“The need to address our dependence on fossil fuels and increase our energy security has become central to our time. Although international commitments and legislation in Washington are critical in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy independence, our challenge is not to passively wait for policymakers to finally make their next moves. We need to bring our communal, institutional and personal strengths to bear now.”

- Sybil Sanchez, Director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life

Below is the full list of Energy Saving Actions released so far in Jewcology’s Year of Action. Looking for Food Waste Actions? Visit the Actions to Reduce Food Waste page.

Energy Saving Actions

1. Assess Energy Use in my Home

Knowledge is power. The first step in any large undertaking is to find out where you are now!

Set aside an hour to walk around your home and make note of areas where energy may be wasted. Look for drafts, leaks, old appliances and light bulbs, and things plugged in that are not being used.

Online tool: For more ideas, see this “Do It Yourself Home Energy Audit.”

By taking this action you will save “1 shtickel of energy wisdom,” by which we mean, you are well on your Jewish way to saving energy! Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

2. Replace 3 Incandescent Light Bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Trade in your old light bulb for a spiral! You’ll save energy, save money, and reduce carbon emissions.

How do CFLs work? CFLs produce light differently than incandescent bulbs. In an incandescent, electric current runs through a wire filament and heats the filament until it starts to glow. In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing argon and a small amount of mercury vapor. This generates invisible ultraviolet light that excites a fluorescent coating (called phosphor) on the inside of the tube, which then emits visible light. CFLs need a little more energy when they are first turned on, but once the electricity starts moving, use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Older CFLs used large and heavy magnetic ballasts that caused a buzzing noise in some bulbs. Most CFLs today — and all ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs — use electronic ballasts, which do not buzz or hum.

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a light bulb that’s earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save enough energy to light 3 million homes for a year, save about $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to those from about 800,000 cars.

Online tool: Wondering which bulb to purchase? Download this great Bulb Purchasing Guide from Energy Star.

By taking this action you can save approximately 238 lbs CO2 in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

Please note:

CFLs are hazardous waste. When your CFL burns out, EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local options for recycling CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury, and all other household hazardous wastes, rather than disposing of them in regular household trash. Learn more: http://www2.epa.gov/cfl/recycling-and-disposal-after-cfl-burns-out

CFLs and other fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. If a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor. To minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA recommends that residents follow the cleanup and disposal steps described on this page: http://www2.epa.gov/cfl/cleaning-broken-cfl-detailed-instructions

3. Tighten Your Home

Is your precious energy slipping through the cracks? According to EPA estimates, homeowners can typically save up to 20% of heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% of total energy costs) by air sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces, and accessible basement rim joists.

Online tool: Want to learn more about the process of insulation? This handy website provides good information and tips.

By taking this action you can save approximately 1038 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

4. Make Friends with the Trees

Let the trees do the work! Landscaping can be a natural and beautiful way to cool your home in summer and reduce your energy bills. Trees and shrubs can provide shade, break the wind, and reduce your energy bills. A well-placed tree can save up to 25% of the energy used in a typical household! And daytime air temperatures in the summer can be 3°–6° cooler in tree-shaded neighborhoods than treeless areas.

Online tool: Learn more about landscaping! This handy website provides good information and tips.

By taking this action you can save approximately 2820 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

5. Just How Much Difference Do 2 Degrees Make?

During the heat of summer, it can be tempting to set the thermostat to “arctic freeze.” But there is a cost to constantly running the energy-intensive air conditioner, and by keeping the temperature slightly higher, you can reduce your electricity consumption and lower your energy bill. Try raising the temperature setting on your AC by 2 degrees this summer.

Need extra cooling? Instead of lowering the temperature setting, use a fan to circulate air, a more efficient choice.

Online tool: EPA’s “Reducing Energy Use” page is full of ways to cut energy expense, encompassing both heating and cooling.

By taking this action you can save approximately 115 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

6. How You Get There Matters!

Carpooling and taking public transportation reduces the need for more cars on the road. By catching a ride on the bus, or sharing a ride to work or school, you can really reduce your carbon footprint!

• Option A: Carpool to school or work with one other person.
• Option B: Take the bus or other public transportation to work or school.

Online tool: Learn more about carpooling and taking public transportation! Designed for students, this handy EPA website provides good information and tips for everyone.

By taking this action you can save approximately 315 kWh (carpool) or 632 kWh (public transport) in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

7. Use Efficient Appliances

Action: Replace my dishwasher with an ENERGY STAR model

Saving more than just the time you would spend washing dishes by hand, ENERGY STAR rated dishwashers are 20% more water efficient and 10% more energy efficient than standard models. They use sensors to determine how much food is on dishes and adjust the washing to increase water efficiency.

To increase the water saving, here are some “best practices” suggested by ENERGY STAR’s website:

• Scrape food off dishes rather than rinsing before putting dishes in the dishwasher.
• Load the dishwasher as full as possible for each load.
• Select the washer’s no-heat drying action.

In addition, there are federal tax credits available for many ENERGY STAR rated products. Learn more here.

NOTE: While this action focuses on dishwashers, of course it also makes a difference to buy all kinds of ENERGY STAR appliances. Learn more here.

Online Tool:

Learn more about energy efficient dishwashers! This handy website provides good information and tips.

By taking this action you can save approximately 34 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

8. Turn off the TV

Action: Replace 2 hours of watching TV per week with an energy-free activity.

By replacing 2 hours of watching TV per week with an electricity-free activity (like going for a walk or reading a book outside), you can reduce your energy consumption. You’ll also get an extra two hours in your week! Try a hike—through the woods or around your neighborhood, playing tennis or basketball at a nearby court, a trip to the library, or other items on your to-do list. You are saving energy and improving your quality of life—enjoy!

Online Tool:

Writer and activist Michael Bluejay’s online electricity saving guide provides a TV energy use calculator, as well as a guide to TV energy use:

By taking this action you can save approximately 15 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

9. Unplug Energy Vampires

Action: Unplug DVD player while not in use.

Think about how often your DVD player is technically on, but not playing a movie. All that time, it is using energy, just like many other appliances do in sleep mode. Your DVD player belongs to a class of appliances that draw “standby power” even when they are supposedly not in use.

A surprisingly large number of electrical products — TVs to microwave ovens to air conditioners — cannot be switched off completely without being unplugged. A great place to start is keeping your DVD player unplugged while you are asleep or at work. There’s no need for your DVD player to draw energy when you know you won’t be using it!

Online Tool:

Want to learn more about the energy vampires in your home? Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s website provides a brief guide to measuring your home’s standby power use.

PRO TIP:

There are devices that will automatically turn off your DVD, VCR, Xbox, Wii, etc when the TV turns off. They look like a regular power strip but have energy efficiency technology. Here is the brand that I install in my customer’s homes during energy efficiency consultations. Check out this video.

Submitted by our friend Reuven Walder of EcoBeco

By taking this action you can save approximately 45 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

10. Cold Water Wash

Action: Wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot.

Washing machines typically have several water temperature settings for the wash/rinse cycles. Many people have different opinions about which clothes to wash on which settings, however, all but the dirtiest clothing can be effectively washed on cold. Switching to cold water can save the average household $30-$40 annually, depending on whether the home’s water heat is electric- or gas-powered.

Skeptical about whether cold water will get clothes clean? Try doing all laundry on cold for a week, and see if clothes are washed to satisfaction. Since cold water is gentler than warm or hot water, there’s nothing to lose. Give it a try!

Online Tool:

Looking for more tips for how to save energy while doing your laundry? Check out this handy resource from Earth911.

By taking this action you can save approximately 355 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

11. Eat Less Meat

Action: Replace one six-ounce portion of beef with a plant-based meal each week.

While red meat is widely known as a cholesterol and high blood pressure culprit, it also has an effect on the health of our planet. The production of meat is much more costly in terms of energy than the production of plant foods.

Replacing one serving of beef with a plant-based food significantly cuts associated greenhouse gas emissions, due to the combination of the reduction in required input energy from fossil fuels to grow plants vs. livestock and the fact that cattle, unlike vegetables, produce methane gas as a consequence of enteric fermentation, a greenhouse gas over 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Eating lower on the food chain means lower energy costs for food production. Beans or nuts make protein- rich alternatives to meat, as do quinoa, tempeh, and many kinds of vegetables, such as kale, broccoli or spinach.

*Thanks to the Jewish Vegetarians of North America for helping us think through this action.

Online Tool:

For cooking ideas, check out Meatless Mondays’ recipes page, available free online. Meatless Mondays is an organization focused on helping people reduce their meat consumption by replacing meat meals with vegetarian meals one day per week.

By taking this action you can save approximately 423 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

12. Save Energy on Heating and Cooling

Action: Save energy by turning back the thermostat by 8 degrees when you are away from home or at work.

You can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for eight hours a day from its normal setting. You can do this automatically by using a programmable thermostat and scheduling the times you turn on the heating or air conditioning. As a result, the equipment doesn’t operate as much when you are asleep or not at home. Just like turning off the lights before leaving the house, turning the air conditioning or heating down when you’re on your way out will save you energy and lower your bills.

Important note: If you have a heat pump, don’t do this without a programmable thermostat.

Online Tool:

Check out this more detailed guide to thermostat operation and energy savings as well as a tool from Energystar.gov for planning temperature settings throughout the week.

By taking this action you can save approximately 415 kWh in a year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

Most people recognize that they waste some of their food, but haven’t put effort into reducing it. The goal of the Year of Action’s Food Waste Actions is to raise awareness about this topic, and empower you with practical ways to reduce food waste in your home and community.

Below is the full list of Reduce Food Waste Actions released so far in Jewcology’s Year of Action. Looking for Saving Energy Actions? Visit the Actions to Save Energy page.

Reduce Food Waste Actions

1. Track My Food Waste for a Week

Learn more about the food you are throwing away in your home; the types of foods you are throwing away, when you’re throwing it away, and why.

Online tool! You can use this great food waste diary as a tool, and make notes to record what you’ve learned! Download the Food Waste Diary.

By taking this action you will save “1 shtickel of food waste wisdom,” by which we mean, you are well on your Jewish way to reducing food waste! Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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2. Save the Perishables!

You can save money and reduce food waste by simply opening the door of your refrigerator and checking the expiration dates! How often do you find that the ‘use by’ date on a package has passed, and you end up throwing it away? Get in the habit of checking the perishable items in your fridge to eat them on time. Move them into the freezer if you don’t think you’ll have time to eat them.

Learn more about “Use By” dates. This handy website provides good information and tips.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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3. Plan Ahead!

Save money and reduce food waste by planning meals ahead of time! Before you go to the store, use a meal planner and create a customized shopping list to figure out what you need. With a little forward planning, you can use what you have and buy what you need, reducing the amount of food you throw away.

Tools to help you: Check out this great meal planner and blank shopping list from our friends at Love Food, Hate Waste.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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4. Eyes Bigger than Your Stomach?

Eyes bigger than your stomach? Once that food is on your plate, it’s either going in your mouth or in the trash. Prevent food waste with these tips:

1. Find out what is available first.

2. Start with small samples, especially if there are choices you’ve never tried before.

3. Take less than you think you’re going to eat. You can always go back to get more.

4. Teach your children to try a small portion first. Encourage them to finish what they have before taking more food.

(Credit: Sarah Rebecca Bedder)

Tools to help you: Here’s an interesting campus activity to try.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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5. Plan a Picnic!

Appreciate food and nature at the same time — go for a picnic. Take the nice weather as an opportunity to clean out your fridge and enjoy an outdoor lunch with friends or family. But don’t bother with a special shopping trip to buy food for the outing, instead, use food that you already have. A picnic is a good opportunity to use up food odds and ends, and it’s OK if everyone eats something different.

When you go out, remember that there’s no need to give in to the custom of bringing disposable plastic utensils and plates to a picnic. Treat yourself to real metal utensils and reusable flatware — this is a waste-free picnic after all!

Tools to help you:

• For a picnic or any other away from home meal-making, try out some ideas from EPA’s Waste-Free Lunch Poster.
• And here are some picnic recipe ideas from LoveFoodHateWaste’s Money-Saving Blog.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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6. So Much Bread

How do you use bread? Toast at breakfast, sandwiches for lunches? Now consider how your bread-buying habits align with this consumption. Are you using all the bread that you buy?

By moving that loaf of bread—the one that’s been sitting on the counter or in the back of the fridge—to the freezer, you ensure that there will be slices available for quick meals during the week.

Or pack the bread in a vacuum sealed bag, store-bought or homemade, removing air and allowing bread to keep for longer.

One specific example of bread food waste can occur as a side effect of how we use challahs for our Shabbat meals. We’re used to big, braided challahs for most of the year, and big, round challahs for the high holidays. Do the members of your family devour it the moment it’s cut, or does a large quantity end up in the fridge or freezer, forgotten?

If so, consider alternatives to the big loaf of challah, such as rolls, to keep bread supply in line with consumption.

Tools to help you:

• Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we all end up with stale bread taking up space in our kitchen from time to time. Before chucking the loaf, check out this list of further recipes using “aged” bread.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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7. Stock Up on Ingredients

Keep your cupboard full of nonperishables so you can be ready when it comes time to reuse those leftovers.

Having essentials such as flour and baking products, canned beans and tomatoes, and everyday spices on hand allows you to incorporate perishables into meals, without having to make an extra grocery store trip. Those baked potatoes from two days ago (which are getting sort of dry) could easily become hash-browns, home-fries, or potato salad with the right ingredients on hand.

Have fun with this! There are unlimited ways to reincorporate leftovers into tonight’s meal, and they all start with having a few ingredients on hand.

Tools to help you:

• “The kitchen cupboard is the nerve centre of your kitchen – keep it well stocked and you will save time dashing to the shops for that single ingredient and will always have a delicious meal at hand even when the fridge is looking bare.” LoveFoodHateWaste’s webpage lists a collection of potential cabinet-fillers for inspiration and to help get you started.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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8. When Life Gives You Leftovers, Make a New Meal!

The leftovers from last week’s meal may look a lot less appetizing than the food you bought yesterday. But if they stay in the back of the fridge, they’re going to end up in the trash!

Going the extra mile to reuse leftovers can really make a difference in your home waste stream—you’ll start to notice that the garbage needs to go out less and less often. And you can redeem your leftovers by making delicious new dishes. Take advantage of this chance to hone your cooking skills and reduce food waste!

When life gives you leftovers, make a new meal.

Tools to help you:

• New! With this action, we are also proud to present the launch of a new resource: When Life Gives You Leftovers, Make a New Meal – a cookbook of leftover recipes developed for the Year of Action by the Jewish Cadette Girl Scout Troop 4056 in Maryland. Check it out and make your own delicious leftovers!

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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9. Keep Food Fresh Longer

The way you store your fruits, vegetables and other perishables can increase or decrease their shelf life. To keep perishables fresh as long as possible, consider these storage suggestions:

1. Separate fruits and veggies. Ethylene gas produced by ripening fruits and vegetables accelerates ripening in nearby fruits and vegetables. In particular for leafy vegetables, this can quickly cause spoilage.

2. Keep bananas and pineapples at room temperature or below, but do not refrigerate. Onions and potatoes are also best stored in a cool, dark place.

3. Wrapping celery tightly in aluminum foil and refrigerating will keep stalks crisper for longer. The foil can then be reused for the next batch of celery.

4. Bread should be stored in a dry place to prevent mold. It does better in the freezer than the refrigerator, where it goes stale more quickly, and fresh bread keeps best in a cool, dark place. Another effective way to keep bread fresh longer is to use vacuum-sealed plastic storage bags.

Tools to help you:

• Check out this online guide listing proper storage techniques for more than 30 kinds of fruits and vegetables.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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10. Plan Ahead to Use Your Bread

Every year, there seems to be a mad dash after Purim to get rid of our leavened bread (chametz) products before Passover. Why? Many of us keep stockpiles of pasta, crackers, and other staples in our pantries and loaves of bread in our refrigerators throughout the year without a second thought. Then the Jewish month of Nissan comes. We are commanded to get rid of our leavened bread, and yet we must also attend to the commandment bal tashchit, don’t destroy, which specifically applies to wasting edible food. Donating nonperishable chametz to food drives is a good way to go. But what do you do with all that extra bread? I know you can’t eat ten sandwiches daily until the Holiday of Matzah commences.

Here are some ways to get new life out of old bread:

1. Don’t buy it in the first place — as long as new bread purchases do not exceed your household demand for bread, there is no reason that it should accumulate into a pre-Pesach problem.

2. Make crumbs — stale bread and especially bread that’s been toasted, makes good fodder for bread crumbs or croutons — and they ought to keep much longer than a loaf.

3. Or try this more unconventional use — a slice of bread placed in the pot after cooking can remove the burnt taste of overcooked rice; in addition, it will remove excess water.

4. Be creative! Take advantage of the months before Passover to try out new chametz recipes, for example, one of these Pre-Pesach bread recipes, or whatever you can whip together with the flour, pasta, cereal, etc. you’ve got to use up.

Tools to help you:

• If eating ten sandwiches daily doesn’t sound so bad, here are some diverse vegetarian sandwich recipes to keep things interesting.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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11. Rescue Aging Fruits

Don’t let fear of fruit going bad stop you from picking up produce on your next visit to the grocery store. Though untreated fruit will go from unripe to ripe to overripe within a week (or less), there are methods to preserve fruits beyond their typical counter-life. When your fruit is just overripe enough so that no one in the house wants to eat it, try one of these tasty techniques to extend the life of your fruit:

1.Smoothies – Although smoothie recipes abound, the only ingredient you really need is a blender. Whatever fruit you have on hand can just be tossed in. Feeling worried it won’t come out tasting right? Try this template recipe for a fruit-vegetable smoothie. Try different combinations and discover what you like best!

2.Fruit leather and dried fruit – These can be made in the oven, but are best made in a dehydrator, which is more energy efficient, or even outside in the sun in a warm, dry climate. Place either pureed or thinly sliced fruit into a pan, and bake it on low heat for many hours until it is dry and chewy. Fruit leathers are a good use of overripe or bruised fruit, and can keep up to a month at room temperature (longer in the fridge or freezer). Here is a guide to dehydrating fruit from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

3.Jams, jellies, and preserves – Often incorporating a special ingredient called pectin, jams, jellies, and preserves can last more than a year. Mastering homemade jam-making can seem daunting, but you can get started with something simple such as the raspberry jam recipe listed at the end of this Guardian food-section article. More information on making jams and jellies and numerous recipes can be found here.

Tools to help you:

• Check out the University of Georgia Co-op Extension Service’s “Preserving Food: Drying Fruits and Vegetables” guide to DIY dehydration.

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

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12. Cook in Bulk

Making a casserole or a kugel? Use the extra ingredients to make two instead of one, and put the second in the freezer for later. Baking more than one will help you avoid wasting that large supply you bought at Sam’s Club or Costco, and will help with meal planning next time.

The potential benefits of cooking in large batches include the time you save yourself from having to spend cooking later in the week, the energy cost of heating up the stove or oven, the cost of ingredients, which are often cheaper sold in bulk, and knowing that there’s always something in the house to eat. And while, you’re at it, with all that food tucked away in the refrigerator, what better time to invite guests over for a meal?

Tools to help you:

• “Double Your Dinner for a Food Waste Winner!” Great tips from the Love Food, Hate Waste Campaign

By taking this action you will save approximately 11,614 Food Calories during the course of the year. Learn more about our assumptions in the Year of Action.

Reduce Food Waste Actions

1. Track My Food Waste for a Week

Learn more about the food you are throwing away in your home; the types of foods you are throwing away, when you’re throwing it away, and why.

You can use this great food waste diary as a tool, and make notes to record what you've learned! Check it out here: http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/sites/files/lfhw/LFHW_Food_Diary_WEB_FORM_2.f1ce6cf5.4870.pdf

By taking this action you will save "1 shtickel of food waste wisdom," by which we mean, you are well on your Jewish way to reducing food waste!

Energy Saving Actions

1. Assess Energy Use in my Home

Knowledge is power. The first step in any large undertaking is to find out where you are now!

Set aside an hour to walk around your home and make note of areas where energy may be wasted. Look for drafts, leaks, old appliances and light bulbs, and things plugged in that are not being used.

For more ideas, see http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits. Add what you discover in the notes box, which appears when you check this item.

By taking this action you will save "1 shtickel of energy wisdom," by which we mean, you are well on your Jewish way to saving energy!

We live in an amazingly diverse world, with approximately 8.3 million unique species described by scientists, and likely twice that number that have not yet been discovered. Jewish sources teach that G-d has joy in the diversity and continuity of creation, and that G-d sees a purpose in each of these species. This biodiversity is an expression of G-d’s glory, a testament to the extraordinary creativity of our Creator.

Our tradition has a tremendous sense of appreciation for the diverse and numerous species on this earth. In addition, we benefit from and can learn a great deal from other species. As human beings, masters and stewards of the world, it is our responsibility to support the continuity of this diverse and extraordinary creation. Recognizing this should impel us to utilize the natural world with great care and responsibility.

The Glory in Creation: Valuing Biodiversity

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• Longer Article

• Source Sheet
  

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These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!

We live in an amazingly diverse world, with approximately 8.3 million unique species described by scientists, and likely twice that number that have not yet been discovered. Jewish sources teach that G-d has joy in the diversity and continuity of creation, and that G-d sees a purpose in each of these species. This biodiversity is an expression of G-d’s glory, a testament to the extraordinary creativity of our Creator.

Our tradition has a tremendous sense of appreciation for the diverse and numerous species on this earth. In addition, we benefit from and can learn a great deal from other species. As human beings, masters and stewards of the world, it is our responsibility to support the continuity of this diverse and extraordinary creation. Recognizing this should impel us to utilize the natural world with great care and responsibility.

These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

See all Core Teaching #18: Guard Yourselves Very Well materials!

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!

Click here to listen to Jewcology's podcast on Biodiversity.

These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

See all Core Teaching #18: Valuing Biodeversity materials!

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!

Enjoy this Hebrew/English source sheet and study guide on the topic of Biodiversity. Discussion questions provided!

These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

See all Core Teaching #18: Valuing Biodiversity materials!

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!

The Glory in Creation: Valuing Biodiversity

By Rabbi Shaul David Judelman

We live in an amazingly diverse world, with approximately 8.3 million unique species described by scientists, and likely twice that number that have not yet been discovered.[1] Jewish sources teach that G-d has joy in the diversity and continuity of creation, and that G-d sees a purpose in each of these species. This biodiversity is an expression of G-d’s glory, a testament to the extraordinary creativity of our Creator. As Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks[2] teaches, “the unity of God is to be found in the diversity of creation.”[3]

One of Judaism’s greatest beliefs is in the intention invested by the Creator in His Creation. Our tradition has a tremendous sense of appreciation for the diverse and numerous species on this earth. In addition, we benefit from and can learn a great deal from other species. As human beings, masters and stewards of the world, it is our responsibility to support the continuity of this diverse and extraordinary creation. Recognizing this should impel us to utilize the natural world with great care and responsibility.

Intentions of the Creator

At the beginning of Genesis, the Torah describes human dominion over all things. These verses have shown themselves to be deeply prescient. Today’s modern human technological development has demonstrated this dominion to the greatest extent. The metals in our computers, the organic compounds in our medicines and even the paper in our hands are all examples of our mastery over the world.

But in addition to being used by human beings, each species also has a Divine-given purpose. According to the Talmudic sage Rav, “Of all the things that the Holy One, Blessed be He created in this world, He created nothing without a purpose.”[4] For example, the Midrash (Oral tradition) teaches, “Even things which appear to you to be superfluous in this world, like flies, fleas and mosquitoes, they are a part of the creation, and they carry forth the will of the Holy One, even the snake, the mosquito and even the frogs!”[5] All creatures from humans to mice to rivers to sand are seen as a manifestation of G-d’s wisdom and glory. This incredible diversity is one of the wonders of our world.

This biodiversity can be a source of wisdom and inspiration for human beings. Scattered across the Oral Tradition are recordings of our Torah sages with appreciation of the great intricacies in the natural world. For example, Psalm 104 teaches us about the habitats of many animals and the perfection with which they fit into the natural order: “As for the stork, the cypress trees are her house. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; the rocks for the badgers.”[6] Ethics of the Fathers further teaches us what we can learn from other species: “Yehudah Ben Teima says, be bold like a leopard, with ease like an eagle, run like a deer and be valiant like a lion to do the Will of your Father in Heaven.”[7]

Often, to understand what our texts intend we are referred back to the plants and geographies of the land of Israel. Psalms 128:3 states, "Your children are like olive shoots around your table." Without knowing how olive trees grow shoots around the base of the trunk, and that the olive is unique in its refusal to accept grafts from other trees, the blessing of the psalm is rather empty and lost. These and countless other references across the Oral tradition demonstrate that our Sages had an intimate awareness of their natural world.

Maimonides teaches that contemplating creation helps us fulfill the commandment of loving the Creator. He writes:

“And what is the way to love G-d and fear G-d? When a person will contemplate in the incredible creation and the great creatures and see in them G-d’s inestimable and limitless wisdom- [that person] will love and praise and desire a great urge to know the Great Name. As King David said, ‘My soul thirsts for G-d, the Source of Life.’…As the sages said regarding love, that through love of G-d, we come to know [the One who]spoke and the world came to be”[8]

Continuity of Creation

The Jewish tradition is rich with sources indicating the importance that G-d places on the continuity of species, from the prohibition against mixing species (kilayim)[9] to the requirement to send away the mother bird before taking eggs (shiluach haken).[10] The Ramban understands the “permanent existence” of creation to be the key reason for why G-d considered it “very good” on the sixth day,[11] and understands G-d’s instruction 'Let the earth sprout forth sprouts' to represent the intentional incorporation of the capability of renewal and regeneration into the scheme of creation.[12]

In the following excerpt from the Talmud, Rabbi Hanina bar Papa explores the source of G-d’s great joy in the Creation: from the fact that a certain species reproduces “according to its kind.”

Rabbi Hanina bar Papa explained the verse (from Psalms 104:31) “Let G-d’s Glory (Kavod) be forever, as G-d rejoiced with His creation.” [What was G-d’s great joy in Creation? What is the connection between the joy and the Glory?] The ministering angel of the world exclaimed this verse at the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, told the trees to bring forth seed specific to each species, [for] the grasses, on their own accord, made a Talmudic deduction. [They reasoned:] “If the Creator desires for all the species to be mixed together, then why would He command ‘seed for each species’ to the trees?! [Apparently, therefore, He wants them to preserve their integrity and not be interbred.] And further- the trees stand each one distinctly yet they were commanded to bring forth their own seed- [therefore] we, the grasses must even more so need [to bring forth] our own seeds.” Immediately each grass brought forth seed for its own species and the Minister Angel of the world proclaimed, “Let His Glory be Forever, as G-d rejoiced about His creation.”[13] ”

In this teaching, G-d’s glory is expressed by the Sages through the multitude of species, and their ability to procreate – to last “l’olam”- forever. The Sages saw G-d being joyous that the creations (in this case, the grasses) were seeking to continue their existence. It seems that the grasses recognized the effort invested in creating them and sought to preserve the unique character of their species. G-d rejoices when an element of creation understands and implements His will, in the same way as a parent rejoices upon seeing its child continue a path of goodness.

Jewish tradition teaches us that G-d considers the continuity of creation to be of importance. While of course species come and go, if by our actions we are directly causing the extinction of species, and certainly if human actions are as a group causing a mass extinction event at this time in history, we must pause to wonder if we are disrespecting the value of those creations in G-d’s plan – and perhaps destroying aspects of creation imbued with Divine wisdom and intention.

Today, our actions have started to threaten the well-being of many eco-systems and the species therein. We are surely having dominion; but are we fulfilling our job as stewards? In our actions, how well are we applying the Creator’s intention toward His Creation?

Biodiversity in Our Time

Ecologists have discovered the extent of interdependence within all the disparate elements of creation. Without the sun, water and microbes in our topsoil we would have nothing to eat. Without the vast acreage of rain forests converting carbon dioxide to oxygen we would have trouble breathing. Even the most minute of species sometimes plays a critical role in the concert of life. [14]

Our sources allude to this incredible phenomenon every time we partake of this world – even after a simple drink of water. The after-blessing proclaims: “Blessed are You, Creator of many living beings and their lackings, for all you have created to sustain them – Blessed is the Life-Giver of all!” This blessing highlights the interdependence of all things.

Scientists define biodiversity as “all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms existing and interacting within an ecosystem.”[15] Species diversity in an ecosystem enhances its ability to adapt to change. Just as the success of a sport team depends on a variety of skills in each player to adapt and address various challenges, a diverse spectrum of plant and animal life in each bio-sphere is needed to flourish amidst natural changes.

Maintaining species biodiversity is a global challenge which requires a global partnership for meaningful results. To address this challenge, in 2002, the 193 nations signing onto the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity[16] adopted a 2010 target to achieve “a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level, as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth.” Later in 2002, this target was endorsed by world leaders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.[17]

The second Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-2) in 2005 urged the importance of meeting this target, stating that “we are currently responsible for the sixth major extinction event in the history of the Earth, and the greatest since the dinosaurs disappeared, 65 million years ago.”[18] The GBO reports track approximately 3,000 wild populations of species.

The third Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3), produced in 2012, acknowledged the failure of governments to meet their 2010 target. The report warned that “there is a high risk of dramatic biodiversity loss and accompanying degradation of a broad range of ecosystem services if ecosystems are pushed beyond certain thresholds or tipping points.”[19]

According to the GBO-3, amphibians are “deteriorating” in status, and nearly 25% of all plant species are estimated to be threatened with extinction. The report shows that between 1970 and 2006, the wild vertebrate species fell by an average of 31% globally, with the decline “especially severe in the tropics (59%) and in freshwater ecosystems (41%).” Findings indicate that species in all groups with known trends are, on average, being driven closer to extinction.[20]

Human welfare depends on the services provided by healthy, biodiverse ecosystems. However, as the GBO-3 reported, tropical forests, inland water and wetlands throughout the world continue to be lost at a rapid rate. [21]

According to the UN Environment Program, “Biodiversity loss makes ecosystems more vulnerable to shocks and disturbances, less resilient, and less able to supply humans with needed services.”[22] The GBO-3 report forecasts that effects of biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption will be disproportionately felt by the rural poor, as they depend directly on biodiversity for a particularly high proportion of their basic needs.[23] One driver of biodiversity loss is habitat destruction, and this too affects human beings. For example, the damage to coastal communities from floods and storms can be dramatically increased when wetland habitats have been destroyed or weakened.

The effects of lost biodiversity will also be felt by humans in other ways, since we rely on plants and animals for food and medicine. This poses a threat to the health and well-being of millions of people directly dependent on the availability of wild species. Globally, about 80% of people in developing countries rely on traditional medicines, most of which are derived from plants.[24]

With respect to these losses, the Rambam taught,

“in every generation new benefits from herbs and types of fruits are discovered that were not known earlier, and many benefits are derived from them, and [while] it is not in man's capability [presently] to derive the benefits from everything that grows … it will be revealed through experimentation as the generations pass."[25]

In our times the prescient words of Maimonides have transpired.[26] Of 520 new drugs approved in the United States between 1983 and 1994, 39% were natural products or derived from them. In addition, nine of the twenty best- selling non-protein drugs in 1999, were derived, directly or indirectly, from natural products. These had combined annual sales of over $16 billion.[27] On average, species of birds and mammals used for food and medicines face a greater extinction risk than species that are not so used. They are moving more quickly into higher risk categories, partly due to over-exploitation and habitat loss.

The five principal pressures directly driving biodiversity loss are habitat change, overexploitation, pollution, invasive alien species and climate change.[28] To address this threat, we need to improve our efficiency in the use of land, energy, fresh water, and materials, and support efforts to minimize wasteful consumption. [29]

Habitat loss is a key contributor to biodiversity decline. For example, in the United States, more than 85 percent of forest habitats have been permanently destroyed or logged in the United States and 99% of the eastern United States’ forests have been cut. [30] We exacerbate this problem by buying unsustainable wood products. One of the main causes of forest destruction is illegal logging, fed by the high demand for timber and timber products in our stores and homes. The international trade of illegally logged products has been estimated at $5 billion per year.

To help protect species diversity, ask questions about where your wood products (like garden furniture, tools or wood flooring) come from. Look for the Forest Stewardship Council label. If you don’t see it, ask![31] You can also buy used furniture and other products. And when disposing of furniture, give it to others, instead of throwing it out.

If you eat fish, another way to reduce species decline is to buy fish with robust populations. The Monterrey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch provides helpful information to make more informed decisions.[32] Finally, do not buy products made from the skin, fur, bone, shell, beak or hooves of endangered species.[33]

In this article we have learned about G-d’s intentionality behind the diversity of species in creation, the unfolding mystery of how each species is doing its part for the sustaining of the whole, and the potential medicines, insights and wonder we have yet to uncover in these species. Imitating the attributes of G-d is a central Jewish value,[34]and we must emulate G-d's concern for the diversity of His Creation. We can start by better preserving, observing and appreciating the incredible creatures living alongside us. Let us emulate the Creator with our appreciation of all of the creation, and take actions now to protect biodiversity for ourselves and our fellow creatures on the planet.

Raised in Seattle, Washington, Shaul Judelman came to Israel after completing a BA at Pitzer College and received rabbinic ordination at the Bat Ayin Yeshiva. He founded and directed the Eco-Activist Beit Midrash from 2005-2011 and participated in Halichot Olam, a halachic think-tank on environmental issues. Today, he is the director of JiVE! – Jerusalem Volunteers for the Environment, an initiative of Teva Ivri and lives with his family in Gush Etzion.

[1]This figure does not count the potential millions of bacterial species See “Number of species on Earth tagged at 8.7 million,” by Lee Sweetlove, 8.23.11, Nature News, based on a study published in PLoS Biology, online at http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110823/full/news.2011.498.html

[2] Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks is Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, selected by the United Synagogue in Britain.

[3] The Dignity of Difference, Continuum: New York, 2003, p..53

[4] Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat 77b

[5] Bereishit Raba 10:7

[6] Psalm 104:17-18. This lesson is elucidated in “L’ovda Uleshomra: Judaism and the Environmental Ethic,” by Ilana Stein, Compendium of Sources in Halacha and the Environment, 2005, published by Canfei Nesharim.

[7] Pirke Avot 5:23

[8] Hilchot Yesodei Hatorah, 2:2

[9] Leviticus 19:19

[10] See commentaries of Ramban and Abarbanel to Deuteronomy 22:6.

[11] Ramban to Genesis 1:11

[12] Ramban to Genesis 1:31. The Ramban makes a similar point in his commentary to Genesis 1:4.

[13] Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Chullin, p 60a, translation by R Shaul Judelman.

[14] There are many Jewish sources that also teach this understanding. For example, see Midrash Rabbah – Leviticus 22:1, (Vilna edition), translation adapted from Soncino translation “And the superiority (yitron) of earth is in everything…” (Ecclesiastes 5:8)… Rabbi Judah said: Even things that seem to you superfluities in the world are also included among the things that are a benefit to the world; bast is for making ropes, twigs are for hedging gardens.” Additional examples have been provided in the source sheet accompanying this article.

[15]Vandermeer and Perfecto, Breakfast of Biodiversity: the Truth about Rainforest Destruction, 1995, Food First Books: Oakland, p. 185 as cited in Dr. Miguel A. Altieri,“The Ecological Role of Biodiversity in Agroecosystems,” Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment74 (1999) p. 19–31,online at http://www.geography.siu.edu/courses/429/AgroEco/AgroEcoC.pdf

[16] The United States is not a party to this convention. Israel is. See the full list of parties at http://www.cbd.int/convention/parties/list/.

[17] Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2006) Global Biodiversity Outlook 2. Montreal, 81 + vii pages, online at http://www.cbd.int/doc/gbo/gbo2/cbd-gbo2-en.pdf

[18] Ibid.

[19] Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2012) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3. Montreal, 95 + vii pages, online at

http://www.cbd.int/gbo3/?pub=6667&section=6729

[20] Ibid. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 19% of marine fish stocks are overexploited, 8% are depleted or recovering from depletion, while more than half are fully exploited.

[21] Ibid. Between 56% and 65% of inland water systems suitable for use in intensive agriculture in Europe and North America had been drained by 1985. The respective figures for Asia and South America were 27% and 6%. The report notes that “the overall projected degradation of inland waters threatens the prospects for food production from freshwater ecosystems. Coastal habitats continue to decline, which threatens highly valuable ecosystem services including the removal of “significant quantities” of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”

[22] “Biodiversity,” by Neville Ash and Asghar Fazel , UN Environment Program, online at http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/report/05_Biodiversity.pdf

[23] Ibid.

[24] GBO-3, “Species populations and extinction risks”: http://www.cbd.int/gbo3/?pub=6667&section=6691

[25]Rambam, Introduction to the Mishna

[26] As of 1993, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide came from plant-derived sources, and 25% of Western pharmaceuticals were derived from rainforest ingredients. Yet less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants had been tested by scientists. Over 100 pharmaceutical companies and several branches of the US government, including giants like Merck and The National Cancer Institute, engage in plant research projects for possible drugs and cures for viruses, infections, cancer and even AIDS. From James A. Duke. “Medicinal plants and the pharmaceutical industry,” p. 664-669. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), New Crops. Wiley, New York, 1993, online at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-664.html

[27] Harvey, A., “Strategies for discovering drugs from previously unexplored natural products,” Drug Discovery Today #5, 2000, p. 294 –300, online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359644600015117. Drug Discovery Today is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal. As cited in Gaston, Kevin J., and John I. Spicer. Biodiversity: An Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2003.. An earlier study noted that 47 pharmaceuticals have been developed from rainforest plant extracts, and estimated that an additional 328 remain to be discovered. See Mendelsohn, R. & Balick, M.J.(1995) The value of undiscovered pharmaceuticals in tropical forests. Economic Botany, 49,223–228.

[28] Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, Executive Summary, available at http://www.cbd.int/gbo3/?pub=6667&section=6673. According to the GBO-3, as of 2010, these drivers are all either constant or increasing in intensity.

[29] Ibid.

[30] The US Department of Fish and Wildlife, “Important Facts about Habitat Loss and Birds,” May, 1999, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/ref/collection/document/id/272

[31] See : http://us.fsc.org/

[32] The Seafood Watch is available at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx.

[33] This applies especially when buying souvenirs when travelling. See http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/what_you_can_do/ for information on this and other ways to protect species.

[34] Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sota 14a. There is a famous Midrash dealing with a conundrum presented in the verse "You, who cleaved to the Lord your G-d, are all alive today." (Deut. 4:4)) After all, G-d is incorporeal- how could we be described as "cleaving" to a non-physical G-d? The Talmud answers that the intention is really that we will emulate G-d: "Rather, this means you should cleave to God's attributes. Just as God clothed the naked [Adam and Eve], so too you should cloth the naked. Just as God visited the sick [Abraham after his circumcision], so too you should visit the sick. Just as God consoled the mourners [Isaac after Abraham's death], so too you should console the mourners. Just as God buried the dead [Moses], so too you should bury the dead.”

The Glory in Creation: Valuing Biodiversity

By Rabbi Shaul David Judelman

According to the Talmudic sage Rav, “Of all the things that the Holy One, Blessed be He created in this world, nothing was created without a purpose.”[1] All creatures from humans to mice to rivers to sand are seen as a manifestation of G-d’s wisdom and glory.[2] As Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks teaches, “the unity of God is to be found in the diversity of creation.”[3]

We live in an amazingly diverse world, with approximately 8.3 million unique species described by scientists, and likely twice that number yet to be discovered.[4] This biodiversity is an expression of G-d’s glory, a testament to the extraordinary creativity of our Creator.

At the beginning of Genesis, the Torah describes human dominion over all things. These verses have shown themselves to be deeply prescient. Today’s modern human technological development has demonstrated this dominion to the greatest extent. The metals in our computers, the organic compounds in our medicines and even the paper in our hands are all examples of our mastery over the world.

But in addition to being used by human beings, each species also has a Divine-given purpose. For example, the Midrash (Oral tradition) teaches, “Even things which appear to you to be superfluous in this world, like flies, fleas and mosquitoes carry forth the will of the Holy One! Even the snake, the mosquito and the frogs!”[5]

The Jewish tradition is rich with sources indicating the importance that G-d places on the continuity of species, from the prohibition against mixing species (kilayim)[6] to the requirement to send away the mother bird before taking eggs (shiluach haken).[7] The Ramban understands the “continued existence” of creation to be a key reason for why G-d considered it “very good” on the sixth day.[8] In the Talmud, Rabbi Hanina bar Papa explains a verse about G-d’s great joy with the creation as stemming from the fact that even simple species seek to ensure their genetic survival (Tractate Chullin 60a).

In our times, human actions are driving a tremendous decline in biodiversity. According to the second Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-2) of the United Nations Environment Programme, “we are currently responsible for the sixth major extinction event in the history of the Earth, and the greatest since the dinosaurs disappeared, 65 million years ago.”[9] The third Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3, which tracks 3,000 species), reported that amphibians are “deteriorating” in status, and nearly 25% of all plant species are estimated to be threatened with extinction. The report shows that between 1970 and 2006, the wild vertebrate species fell by an average of 31% globally, with the decline “especially severe in the tropics (59%) and in freshwater ecosystems (41%).” [10]

The third Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3), produced in 2012, acknowledged the failure of governments to meet their 2010 target to protect biodiversity. The report warned that “there is a high risk of dramatic biodiversity loss and accompanying degradation of a broad range of ecosystem services if ecosystems are pushed beyond certain thresholds or tipping points.”[11]

Human welfare depends on the services provided by healthy, bio-diverse ecosystems. The effects of biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption disproportionately impact the rural poor, who depend directly on biodiversity for a particularly high proportion of their basic needs.[12] But the effects of lost biodiversity will also be felt by humans in other ways, since we rely on plants and animals for food and medicine.

Over 100 pharmaceutical companies and several branches of the US government, including giants like Merck and The National Cancer Institute, engage in plant research projects for possible drugs and cures for disease. As of 1993, 25% of Western pharmaceuticals were derived from rainforest ingredients. Yet less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants had been tested by scientists.[13] As these species disappear, the opportunity for them to cure diseases disappears with them.

You can make a difference to protect species diversity. First, ask questions about where your wood products come from. In America, look for the Forest Stewardship Council label. If you don’t see it, ask![14] If you eat fish, use the Monterrey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch to make more informed decisions.[15] Finally, do not buy products made from the skin, fur, bone, shell, beak or hooves of endangered species.[16]

In this article we have learned about G-d’s intentionality behind the diversity of species in creation, and the potential medicines, insights and wonder we have yet to uncover in these species. Imitating the attributes of G-d is a central Jewish value, and we must emulate G-d's concern for the diversity of His Creation.[17]

We can start by better preserving, observing and appreciating the incredible creatures living alongside us. Let us emulate the Creator with our appreciation of all of the creation, and take actions now to protect biodiversity for ourselves and our fellow creatures on the planet.

Raised in Seattle, Washington, Shaul Judelman came to Israel after completing a BA at Pitzer College and received rabbinic ordination at the Bat Ayin Yeshiva. He founded and directed the Eco-Activist Beit Midrash from 2005-2011 and participated in Halichot Olam, a halachic think-tank on environmental issues. Today, he is the director of JiVE! – Jerusalem Volunteers for the Environment, an initiative of Teva Ivri and lives with his family in Gush Etzion.

This material was produced as part of the Jewcology project. Jewcology.comis a new web portal for the global Jewish environmental community. Thanks to the ROI communityfor their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

[1]Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat 77b

[2]See Bereishit Raba 10:7

[3]The Dignity of Difference, Continuum: New York, 2003, p..53. Rabbi Sacks is Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, selected by the United Synagogue in Britain.

[4]This figure does not count the potential millions of bacterial species See “Number of species on Earth tagged at 8.7 million,” by Lee Sweetlove, 8.23.11, Nature News, based on a study published in PLoS Biology, online at http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110823/full/news.2011.498.html

[5]Bereishit Raba 10:7

[6]Leviticus 19:19

[7]See commentaries of Ramban and Abarbanel to Deuteronomy 22:6.

[8]Ramban to Genesis 1:11 The Ramban makes a similar point in his commentary to Genesis 1:4 and 1:31.

[9]Ibid.

[10]Ibid. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 19% of marine fish stocks are overexploited, 8% are depleted or recovering from depletion, while more than half are fully exploited.

[11]Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2012) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3. Montreal, 95 + vii pages, online at

http://www.cbd.int/gbo3/?pub=6667&section=6729

[12]Ibid.

[13]From James A. Duke. “Medicinal plants and the pharmaceutical industry,” p. 664-669. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), New Crops. Wiley, New York, 1993, online at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-664.html

[14]See: http://us.fsc.org/

[15]The Seafood Watch is available at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx.

[16]This applies especially when buying souvenirs when travelling. See http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/what_you_can_do/ for information on this and other ways to protect species.

[17] Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sota 14a. There is a famous Midrash dealing with a conundrum presented in the verse "You, who cleaved to the Lord your G-d, are all alive today." (Deut. 4:4)) After all, G-d is incorporeal- how could we be described as "cleaving" to a non-physical G-d? The Talmud answers that the intention is really that we will emulate G-d: "Rather, this means you should cleave to God's attributes. Just as God clothed the naked [Adam and Eve], so too you should cloth the naked. Just as God visited the sick [Abraham after his circumcision], so too you should visit the sick. Just as God consoled the mourners [Isaac after Abraham's death], so too you should console the mourners. Just as God buried the dead [Moses], so too you should bury the dead.”

Assumptions for Energy Actions

General disclaimer:

The purpose of this program is to demonstrate our shared impact as a group, and so we’ve taken advantage of U.S. national averages.  Depending on where you live and your specific energy circumstances, your individual results may vary.

To learn more about your personal energy use and savings, we suggest using the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick: https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=HOME_ENERGY_YARDSTICK.showGetStarted&s=m.

Energy savings accounted in this program relate only to direct energy consumed.  Estimated savings do not include embodied energy or lifecycle analysis.

Energy Action #1: 
We assume that you’ll gain a bit of wisdom by assessing your energy use.  Remember, the real impact starts when you ACT on what you’ve learned!

Energy Action #2: 
This assumes that 60 watt incandescent light bulbs are replaced with 13 watt compact fluorescents, and that lights are on for 3 hours per day. This saves 51 kWh per year per bulb switched, which is 153 kWh per year for three bulbs. The national average for kWh to CO2e is = 1.55536126/ pounds CO2/kWh, which gives a total savings for this action of 237.97027278 lbs of CO2e.

Sources:ENERGY STAR Data Book Worksheet for 2011. More of these details and assumptions are available in a downloadable spreadsheet at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/ghgemissions/GHGCalculator.xls. kWh to CO2e conversion from http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/refs.html.

Facts about CFLs mentioned in the action are available at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls_about#how_work and http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LB .

Energy Action #3:

Assumptions for Food Waste Actions

#1: We assume that you’ll gain wisdom by tracking your food waste.  Remember, the real impact starts when you ACT on what you’ve learned!  Stay tuned.
#2-12: In this Year of Action we present a total of 11 food waste actions with practical impact.  Since it’s nearly impossible to know how much savings can accrue from any one action, we’ve settled on a different strategy.  We know that in the United States, the average person wastes 1400 kilocalories (food calories) per day, which is a total of 511,000 food calories per year.

The Jewish tradition places a strong value on being healthy. The Torah states, “Guard yourself and guard your soul very much" and “You shall guard yourselves very well." The Jewish Sages explain that these verses refer to the mitzvah (commandment) of protecting one’s physical body and health.

There are very many applications of this mitzvah to guard our health. Jewish law employs a term– Ba’al Nefesh Yachmir, or “A master of the spirit will be stringent”– when a sage senses a cause for concern but does not find it appropriate to forbid something to the public. One relevant item for all of us and our families is the reduction of exposure to chemicals such as pesticides.

Guard Yourselves Very Well: Protecting Our Health

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These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!

The Jewish tradition places a strong value on being healthy. The Torah states, “Guard yourself and guard your soul very much" and “You shall guard yourselves very well." The Jewish Sages explain that these verses refer to the mitzvah (commandment) of protecting one’s physical body and health.

There are very many applications of this mitzvah to guard our health. Jewish law employs a term– Ba’al Nefesh Yachmir, or “A master of the spirit will be stringent”– when a sage senses a cause for concern but does not find it appropriate to forbid something to the public. One relevant item for all of us and our families is the reduction of exposure to chemicals such as pesticides.

These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

See all Core Teaching #17: Guard Yourselves Very Well materials!

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!

Guard Yourselves Very Well

By Evonne Marzouk and Rabbi Yonatan Neril[1]

The Torah teaches us to choose life.[2] The decisions we make must enhance our ability (and the ability of others) to live in this world as healthy physical and spiritual beings. The Sages throughout the generations internalized this concept very deeply both in the way they lived their own lives and in the way they guided others to live. In this article, we will explore the Jewish value of protecting our health, and how these lessons can guide us in our complex world, particularly in relation to one health challenge: our modern use of pesticides.

The Jewish tradition places a strong value on being healthy.The Torah states, “Guard yourself and guard your soul very much"[3] and “You shall guard yourselves very well."[4] What does the Torah mean when we are commanded to “guard ourselves” and to “guard our souls”? The Sages explain that these verses refer to the mitzvah (commandment) of protecting one’s physical health.

G-d cares a great deal about how we treat our bodies. The body was given to us as a vessel whose primary function is to house the soul so that the soul can dwell in this world and fulfill its purpose. Maimonides(Spain, 1135-1204)explains this obligation as that one needs to distance oneself from things that might damage one’s body, and accustom oneself to a healthy lifestyle, because it is not possible to understand the ways of G-d when one is sick .[5] Elsewhere, he explains that there is a positive commandment to remove any potentially lethal hazard, and to be extremely careful to protect one’s health. (Mishna Torah, Hilchot Rotzeach 11:4)

According to the Sefer HaChinuch (Spain, 13^th century), it is our responsibility to guard against natural occurrences which may harm our bodies – not only things that can end a person’s life but also things that can damage a person’s body.[6]

This commandment is codified in the Shulchan Aruch,[7] the primary compilation of Jewish law (Rabbi Yosef Caro, Israel, 1488-1575). It states that we should avoid “any matter that threatens human life… to remove it and to guard against it and to be very careful about the matter.” The Shulchan Aruch cites another Torah verse, “do not place blood” (Deuteronomy 22:8), to enjoin us to remove any danger we might cause to ourselves or others. For example, the Shulchan Aruch includes “not placing one's mouth on a flowing pipe and drinking, not drinking at night from wells and ponds, lest one swallow a leech and not see it…” as examples of being careful to protect one’s health.[8] These lessons demonstrate the exceedingly high importance that Jewish tradition places on preserving our lives and protecting our health.

There are many applications of the commandment to “guard yourself and guard your soul.” One relevant item for all of us and our families is the reduction of exposure to chemicals such as pesticides.

Pesticides: Agricultural Necessity or Health Threat?

Jewish law employs a term– Ba’al Nefesh Yachmir, or “A master of the spirit will be stringent”– when a sage senses a cause for concern but does not find it appropriate to forbid something to the public. As one modern scholar notes, this category in Jewish law may be a fitting response in modern society to a specific potential danger: the danger posed by pesticides.[9]

After Adam eats from the forbidden fruit, G-d says to him, “Cursed be the ground for your sake; with toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life.”[10] On this Rashi comments: “It will bring up cursed things for you, such as flies, fleas, and ants.” The following verse states, “And it will cause thorns and thistles to grow for you.”

The Torah makes clear that the agricultural efforts of humans will be complicated by pests and weeds, which compete against the crops humans are trying to cultivate. For thousands of years, humans have been trying to battle this reality. In the past fifty years, synthetic pesticides have been used to kill or deter crop-destroying pests. These pesticides have provided tangible benefits to human society, as well as a number of significant impacts on human health.

By definition, pesticides are toxic. They are designed to kill, repel or inhibit the growth of living organisms.[11]Used against insects, mammals, plants, fungi, nematodes and other creatures, they are intended to reduce problems caused by these creatures in agriculture, public health, or homes, schools, buildings and communities.[12] Pesticides are also harmful to human health, causing an estimated one million to five million cases of pesticide poisonings every year, with 20,000 deaths among agricultural workers.[13]

Since the 1960s, the use of pesticides has grown exponentially, in part due to the industrial production of pesticides and their spread throughout the world, and in part due to the expansion of agriculture to newly-cultivated areas in this period. In 2006 and 2007, the world used approximately 5.2 billion pounds of pesticides.[14]The United States used 22% of the world total, at approximately 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides.[15]

Humans today benefit in significant ways from the use of pesticides. In many circumstances, pesticides are the only effective means of controlling disease organisms, weeds, or insect pests. Consumers benefit from pesticides through wider selections and lower prices for food and clothing. Pesticides also play an important role in protecting homes and businesses from termite infestations, and prevent the outbreak of disease by controlling rodents and insects.[16]The general public also benefits in important ways from the use of pesticides for the control of insect-borne diseases and illnesses, such as malaria.[17]

Unfortunately, the widespread use of pesticides, sometimes in indiscriminate ways, also leads to a number of negative effects. For example, pesticide poisoning can result from a single or short-term exposure, causing death. There are also risks of chronic impacts to human beings from long-term exposure to pesticides, including pesticide residues in food. When pesticide residues enter streams or groundwater, natural resources can be degraded, and pesticides that drift from where they are applied can harm or kill other plants, birds, fish, or other wildlife.[18]

Humans are exposed to pesticides in multiple ways, including through residues in drinking water and foods, and by touching areas sprayed with pesticides. Pesticides are applied to crops as well as lawns and vegetation in residential and commercial areas. With regard to groundwater taken from public wells in the United States, approximately 90 million Americans rely on groundwater for drinking water,[19] and some of that water is drawn from public wells and contains pesticide residue.[20] A study from the US Geological Survey found that “one or more pesticide compounds were detected at concentrations greater than benchmarks in about 3 percent of source-water samples from public wells.”[21]

Scientific studies have shown that pesticides contribute to a variety of health effects in people. A study of 200 pesticides found that several exhibited endocrine-disrupting potential,[22]meaning they negatively affect the endocrine system. The American Medical Association recommends limiting exposure to pesticides and using safer alternatives, concluding that:

Current surveillance systems are inadequate to characterize potential exposure problems related either to pesticide usage or pesticide-related illnesses. Considering these data gaps, it is prudent for homeowners, farmers, and workers to limit pesticide exposures to themselves and others, and to consider the use of the least toxic chemical pesticides or nonchemical alternatives.[23]

More recently, a report in AmedNews, a publication of the American Medical Association, cited a report in Pediatrics indicating that pesticides may increase the risk of attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder in children.[24]

The US Environmental Protection Agency writes that “Long-term exposure to pesticides may cause serious health effects such as birth defects, learning disabilities, organ damage, and forms of cancer, including leukemia, breast cancer, and brain tumors.”[25] In addition, pesticides are one form of endocrine disruptors that are believed to be partially responsible for the decrease in the age of onset of puberty in children around the world.[26]

Children are exposed to pesticides in a range of ways, including by ingesting food and touching areas at home or school sprayed with pesticides.[27] Children face more significant exposure risks from pesticides than adults, because they behave and play differently than adults. For example, children play closer to the ground, and may be exposed to pesticides in dust and soil due to normal “hand-to-mouth” activity in small children. In addition, because children have different metabolisms than adults, their bodies have different capacities for breaking down or metabolizing, excreting, activating or deactivating pesticides. These processes change dramatically throughout a child’s journey to adulthood. As a result, pesticides may have more toxic effects in children, or lead to different symptoms from pesticide effects.[28]

Protecting Ourselves and Our Children

Pesticides play an important role in our ability to manage disease vectors and grow food. However, they also present real risks to our health. Given Jewish tradition’s emphasis on “guarding our health very well,” how can we protect ourselves and our families from pesticides?[29]

One thing we can do is reduce sources of pesticide exposures to our children (in food, water, dust, and soil and in the home and the work environment). For example, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) provides a Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce which can help you identify healthy food for your family.[30]^,[31]

If you are considering supporting a local farm, for example, through Community Supported Agriculture, choose a farm that uses Organic or Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods to reduce pesticide use. IPM practices utilize a range of pest management strategies, including alternatives like natural predators and parasites, and selective use of pesticides when necessary.

If you use pesticides in your home, keep them out of children’s reach and store them in containers that do not resemble those used for food or drinks, and ensure they are properly labeled with childproof lids. Do not store any highly toxic pesticides in your home. When you use pesticides (for example to control pests in your own home), strictly follow the instructions.

Children spend a significant amount of their time in school. We can create a safe learning environment by encouraging school administrators to adopt better pest management policies in schools, to reduce children's exposure to pesticides as well as eliminate pests. The Environmental Protection Agency encourages school officials to adopt IPM practices and provides a step-by-step guide for doing so.[32]

In a recent landmark ruling, Israel's Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar wrote about the health-related concern from pesticides, stating that eating "bug-free" leafy vegetables poses a health risk due to their increased use. The halachic (Jewish legal) ruling was issued following lab tests conducted on such crops, and recommends that the public purchase regular leafy vegetables and clean them "in the old-fashioned way."[33] This ruling casts a new light on the mitzvah to protect our health.

Examining pesticides and their effects through the lens of the commandment to “guard yourself and your soul” is just one example of how Jewish teachings can apply to health. By becoming more conscious of our Jewish obligation to protect our health, we can also learn to live in a way that protects the land and sustains our resources for the long term. Let us become more healthy in body and soul, and in so doing, create a healthier world.

Evonne Marzouk is the founder and executive director of Canfei Nesharim: Sustainable Living Inspired by Torah. She is also the leader of the Jewcology project.

Rabbi Yonatan Neril founded and directs Jewish Eco Seminars, which engages and educates the Jewish community with Jewish environmental wisdom. Since 2006, he has worked with Canfei Nesharim in developing educational resources relating to Judaism and the environment.

This material was produced as part of the Jewcology project. Jewcology.comis a new web portal for the global Jewish environmental community. Thanks to the ROI communityfor their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

[1]Brief sections of this article are taken with permission for “The Torah of Organics” by Rabbi Akiva Gersh, online at www.canfeinesharim.org. Some footnotes are taken with permission from an expansive article by Rabbi Zecharya Goldman on Jewish legal perspectives on conventional (non-organic) produce entitled "Is one obligated by Halakha to eat organic food?" The article is available from the author in the e-book "Judaism and the New Age: Halakhic Perspectives." Rabbi Goldman is the founder and CEO of EarthKosher, a kosher certifying agency.

[2]Deuteronomy30:19

[3]Deuteronomy4:9.

[4]Ibid. 4:15.

[5]Maimonides, Mishna Torah, Hilchot Deot 4:1

[6]Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzva 546, of putting a fence on one's roof

[7]Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Yosef Caro, Israel, 1488-1575, Choshen Mishpat 427, 8-10.

[8]Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, 427: 8-10

[9]“Judaism,” Op. cit. 3.

[10]Genesis, 3:17

[11]In nature, of course, there are no pests. Human beings consider certain plants or animals that endanger our food supply, health, comfort, or aesthetic sense as pests, and to manage these pests we have created “pesticides.” This excellent point is made by Keith S. Delaplane, Assistant Professor of Entomology, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia in

“Pesticide Usage in the United States: History, Benefits, Risks, and Trends” printed March 1996, available online at http://ipm.ncsu.edu/safety/factsheets/pestuse.pdf.

[12]Childhood Pesticide Poisoning. Published in May 2004 by the Chemicals Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP Chemicals) with the assistance of UNEP’s Information Unit for Conventions. Available online at http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Portals/9/Pesticides/pestpoisoning.pdf.

[13]Ibid.

[14]“Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage:2006 and 2007 Market Estimates “ A.Grube et al, Biological and Economic Analysis Division,Office of Pesticide Programs, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

February 2011, online at http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/pestsales/07pestsales/market_estimates2007.pdf

[15]Ibid.

[16]“Benefits of Pesticide Use,” Environmental Protection Agency, available at http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/pestbenefits.html.

[17]“The Use of DDT in malaria vector control,” WHO position statement, World Health Organization, 2011.Available online at http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/69945/1/WHO_HTM_GMP_2011_eng.pdf

[18]“Risks of Pesticide Use,” Environmental Protection Agency, available at http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/pestrisk.html.

[19]U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water. “FACTIODS: Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics for 2009,” The publication notes that “Seventy-eight percent of public water systems in the United States use ground water as their primary source, supplying drinking water to 30% of community water system users, or almost 90 million Americans.”

[20]U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Drinking Water from Household Wells;” 2002

[21]Toccalino, P.L., Norman, J.E., and Hitt, K.J., 2010, “Quality of source water from public-supply wells in the United States, 1993–2007”: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5024, p. 209, online at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/public_wells/.

[22]Hiroyuki Kojima, Shinji Takeuchi and Tadanori Nagai; “Endocrine-disrupting Potential of Pesticides via Nuclear Receptors and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor”, J. Health Sci., Vol. 56, pp.374-386 (2010).

[23]Educational and Informational Strategies for Reducing Pesticide Risks, 1994 Interim Meeting of the American Medical Association, Reports of the Council on Scientific Affairs, p. 7, available online at http://www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/csaph/csai-94.pdf

[24]"Pesticides may increase risk of ADHD in children," AmedNews, posted May 31, 2010, available online athttp://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/05/31/prsb0531.htm

[25]“Pesticides and Their Impact on Children: Key Facts and Talking Points,” US EPA publication, online at http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/Publications/pest-impact-hsstaff.pdf

[26]“Effects of Environmental Endocrine Disruptors on Pubertal Development,” Samim Özen, J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol. 2011 March; 3(1): 1–6. Published online 2011 February 23. doi: 10.4274/jcrpe.v3i1.01
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3065309/

[27]Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children, the United States National Research Council, 1993, as cited in the EPA Publication “Protecting Children’s Health: The National Pesticide Program.” The National Research Council publication cited the following reasons for why children are different than adults in regards to pesticide exposure: 1) Children’s metabolic rates are more rapid 2) Children process toxicants differently 3) Children pass through critical developmental stages 4) Children consume more food in proportion to body size (as well as different types of food) 5) Children’s exposure patterns differ from adults’

[28]Childhood Pesticide Poisoning. Published in May 2004 by the Chemicals Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP Chemicals) with the assistance of UNEP’s Information Unit for Conventions. Available online at http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Portals/9/Pesticides/pestpoisoning.pdf, p. 12.

[29]Many of the suggestions below are drawn from Childhood Pesticide Poisoning, p. 18-19.

[30]The website is available at http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/.

[31]Please see the following Note from Canfei Nesharim’s Science and Technology Advisory Board for more context when thinking about preventing chemical and pesticide exposure to your children, http://www.canfeinesharim.org/tubshevat/note-from-board/.

[32]This guide, along with many other helpful resources, is available at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm/brochure/.

[33]“Rabbi Amar: 'Bug-free' vegetables dangerous”, Ynet News, published 11/6/12. Article online at http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4300824,00.html

Click here to listen to Jewcology's podcast on Protecting Our Health.

These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

See all Core Teaching #17: Guard Yourselves Very Well materials!

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!

Enjoy this Hebrew/English source sheet and study guide on the topic of being a good neighbor. Discussion questions provided!

These materials are posted as part of Jewcology’s Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment, in partnership with Canfei Nesharim. Jewcology thanks the Shedlin Outreach Foundation and the ROI community for their generous support, which made the Jewcology project possible.

See all Core Teaching #17: Guard Yourselves Very Well materials!

Learn more about the Year of Jewish Learning on the Environment!