408 results for tag: Climate Change
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About Eden Village Camp: Eden Village Camp aims to be a living model of a thriving, sustainable Jewish community, grounded in social responsibility and inspired Jewish spiritual life. By bringing the wisdom of our tradition to the environmental, social, and personal issues important to today’s young people, we practice a Judaism that is substantive and relevant. Through our Jewish environmental and service-learning curricula, joyful Shabbat observance, pluralistic Jewish expression, and inspiring, diverse staff role models, we foster our campers’ positive Jewish identity and genuine commitment to tikkun olam (healing ...
Light the Way: Support Pope Francis’ Call for Climate Action
Pope Francis is speaking to world leaders at the UN on September 25 with a simple message for politicians: There is no more time for talk. Now is the time to act on climate change.
In his recent encyclical on climate change, Pope Francis wrote that “…faced as we are with global environmental deterioration. I wish to address every living person on this planet.” His impassioned message to humanity was drawn from Torah. He wrote that Genesis 2 teaches us that we are required to respect and protect the dignity of every human being. And Psalm 148 is a powerful lesson in the interconnection of all life. He wrote about the implicat...
Light the Way – Support Pope Francis’ Call for Climate Action on September 24
Pope Francis is speaking to world leaders at the UN on September 25 with a simple message for politicians: There is no more time for talk. Now is the time to act on climate change.
In his recent encyclical on climate change, Pope Francis wrote that “…faced as we are with global environmental deterioration. I wish to address every living person on this planet.” His impassioned message to humanity was drawn from Torah. He wrote that Genesis 2 teaches us that we are required to respect and protect the dignity of every human being. And Psalm 148 is a powerful lesson in the interconnection of all life. He wrote about the implications ...
Earth Etude for Elul 20 – Saluting all who stand tall in the face of “Climate and Carbon Pharoahs”:Rabbinical activist plans eco Yom Kippur services at Lincoln Memorial
By Susie Davidson
This article was first published in the August 27 issue of the Jewish Journal of the North Shore.
On June 18, Pope Francis released his long-awaited, climate-centered encyclical, “Laudato Sii,” which translates to “May the Creator Be Praised," and is taken from a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi acknowledging Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and all other elements of Creation.
To enthusiastic worldwide reception, the encyclical stated that humans were morally bound to protect the planet for future generations, and especially for the vulnerable among us.
But the next day, by one deciding vote, the Senate Appropriations ...
Earth Etude for Elul 17 – Taking Stock of the Future
by Rabbi Lawrence Troster
During the month of Elul it's traditional to do a heshbon ha-nefesh a spiritual accounting of what we did in the past year so that we can do teshuva or repentance for what we have done wrong or failed to achieve. Indeed, the first step of teshuva is the recognition of doing wrong. We then can move on to trying to fix that wrong and gain atonement.
One of the characteristics of the modern world is our ability to analyze possible future outcomes in a way that our ancestors could not. So we can take a future heshbon ha-nefesh if we want even given the inevitable uncertainty. In fact, we can help to shape much of ...
Rosh Hashanah Message: Shifting Our Imperiled Planet Onto a Sustainable Path
Rosh Hashanah commemorates God's creation of the world. The “Ten Days of Repentance” from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is a period to evaluate our deeds and to do teshuvah (repentance) for cases where we have missed the mark. Sukkot is a holiday in which we leave our fine houses and live in temporary shelters (sukkahs) to commemorate our ancestors journey in the wilderness. Hence, the upcoming weeks provide an excellent time to consider the state of the planet's environment and what we might do to make sure that the world is on a sustainable path.
When God created the world, He was able to say, "It is tov meod (very good)." (Genesis 1:31) ...
Earth Etude for Elul 15 – Elul, the Month for Climate Action
by David Krantz
Tekiah! In Elul, we hear the call for the quintessential sound of the shofar every morning. It’s meant as a daily wake-up call to action. Appropriately, the word Tekiah itself also means “disaster.” Day after day in Elul, the shofar shouts: “Disaster! Act now!”
Just as an alarm clock gives us notice that we have to get to work, the shofar reminds us that time marches onward and that our mistakes won’t correct themselves. We must actively engage with the world to repair it and our relationships with each other. The process of repentance and repair starts with recognition, and it’s time that we recognize that with ...
Earth Etude for Elul 14 – The Pool Is Closed
by Rabbi Natan Margalit, PhD
“The Pool is closed. Have a good night. God Bless America” the lifeguard announced as I climbed out of the public pool at 5:00 pm on an August evening. I was a bit taken aback by that “God bless America.” Well, of course. Yes, it's America, we’re in a public pool, why not? I hope God blesses America. We need to work for our own country, of course. Im ayn ani li, mi li – If I am not my own advocate, who will be for me? Said Hillel. But, it seemed to say more: God bless America –rah rah, go home team! Beat those enemies. Fear, pride, and narrow-mindedness seemed to lurk in the shadows of that ...
A Rosh Hashanah Message: Aplying Jewish Values to Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet
Rosh Hashanah reminds us of God’s creation of the world. The “Ten Days of Repentance” from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur is a period to evaluate our deeds and to do teshuvah (repentance) for cases where we have missed the mark. Sukkot, starting four days after Yom Kippur, is a holiday in which we leave our fine houses and live in temporary shelters (sukkahs) to commemorate our ancestors journey in the wilderness. So, that period provides an excellent time to consider the state of the planet’s environment and what we might do to help keep the world on a sustainable path.
When God created the world, He was able to say, “It is very good.” ...
Earth Etude for Elul 11 – The Freedom of Dance; the Prayer of Protest
by Maggid David Arfa
Shalom Shachna, the son of Holy Angel, the grandson of the Maggid of Mezeritch, learned to dance from the Shpoler Zeide. For the rest of his life he would share with all who would listen how the Shpoler Zeide was a master of dance and able to achieve Holy Unifications with each step of his foot. Adapted from Tales of the Hasidim by Martin Buber.
“For many of us the march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer….Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying.” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Sometimes, when I can no longer stand my careless abuse of the Earth, I know I have to ...
Rabbinical School of Hebrew College Issues Environmental Call To Action
“Even though we may understand the story of creation differently from our ancestors, like them we recognize the need to care for God’s holy works with care and diligence." Rabbi Arthur Green, Rector of the Rabbinical School at Hebrew College
Earth Etude for Elul 9 – Weeds and Debris
by Maxine Lyons I started to think about teshuvah and Rosh Hashana early this summer while cleaning out my flowerbeds of weeds and debris. I noticed the different roots in my garden - fibrous roots spread laterally underground and re-appear in other places, taproots that remain steadfast in one place and grow downward deep into the earth. I was musing about how some people are like taproots- making a bold, firm stance whereas others are like the plants with fibrous roots, appearing and reappearing, showing their influences by reaching out in a variety of places and spaces. Weeding is an ongoing effort especially those that proliferate in shaded areas ...
Earth Etude for Elul 2 – Elul: A Time to Start Shifting Our Imperiled Planet onto a Sustainable Path
by Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D
The Hebrew month of Elul has arrived. It is the traditional time for heightened introspection, a chance to consider teshuva, improvements in our lives, before the “Days of Awe,” the days of judgment, the “High Holidays” of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
The shofar is blown every morning (except on Shabbat) in synagogues during the month of Elul to awaken us from slumber, to remind us to consider where we are in our lives and to urge us to make positive changes.
How should we respond to Elul today? How should we respond when:
Science academies worldwide, 97% of climate scientists, and 99.9% of peer-re...
Deadly Heat Wave in Israel Should Be a Wake-Up Call To the Need For Dietary Changes To Help Avert a Climate Catastrophe
When I speak to people about climate change, often they say that perhaps it will be a problem for future generations, but not now. The recent very severe heat wave in Israel, with temperatures ranging from the mid 90s to well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in the deaths of a one-year old baby and an 18 year old soldier and in many other people fainting or suffering from dehydration, is an indication that the effects of climate change are already being felt. Other counties in the Middle East experienced even higher temperatures, which reached 122 degrees F in Iraq and 134 degrees F in Iran.
Of course the Middle East is not the only region ...
Relating Tisha B’Av to Current Environmental Threats
Tisha B'Av (the 9th day of the month of Av) reminds us that over 2,000 years ago Jews failed to heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah, with the result that the first Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, the first of many negative things that occurred on that day, including the destruction of the second Temple.
Today there are many “Jeremiahs” warning us that now it is not only a temple in Jerusalem, but the entire world, that is threatened by climate change and its effects, species extinction, soil erosion, destruction of tropical rain forests and other valuable habitats, and many other environmental problems. As long ago as 1992, over 1,700 ...
Moral March for Climate Justice
Join the Moral Action for Climate Justice At the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.
NEW DATE: Thursday 9/24/15 Washington, DC
Because this is the day we can make history.
On this day the Pope will be calling on Congress to take action to save our planet — and we will be right there to show him, Congress, and the rest of the world that we agree!
PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE CLOSE TO THE DATE FOR THE UPDATED TIMES.
Tisha B’Av in the Age of Climate Crisis: Interactive Discussion and Potluck Dinner
Tisha B'Av is a day of fasting and mourning in response to the destruction of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, and other tragedies, with a traditional reading of the Book of Eicha, or Lamentations. Rabbi Katy Allen, rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah and President of the Jewish Climate Action Network, will lead an experiential evening that will include going out outdoors to connect to the Earth. She will use selected passages Eicha and additional resources in juxtaposition with statements about climate change impact as the basis of our exploration of What Can Judaism Teach Us in the Age of Climate Crisis. Bring a short statement about climate change impact, a ...
Going Green when you Remodel Your Home
Many home remodeling efforts take place in the summer and fall. Before you begin a home remodeling project, consider ways you can remodel to make your home more “green.” This can include everything from using eco-friendly products to improving energy efficiency. Being eco-friendly when you upgrade your house is one way to honor the Jewish principle of baal tashchit (not wasting). In addition to being a good steward to the environment, homeowners who go green in their remodeling efforts will often see more green in their wallets. Even the smallest green changes can have a positive economic effect.
Here are a few tips to help you get ...
While Everyone Is Excited About This Progressive Green Pope, He’s About To Canonize The Catholic Genocidist Junipero Serra
When the highest Catholic spiritual leader promotes an historic Franciscan evangelist and colonist, it hits home for Jews too. Many of today’s Native Americans and Jews are in fact survivors of the same Catholic program.
Yay! The Pope wants to stop the destruction of the Earth. Awesome! He even referred to the Earth as “her!” Great!
Boo! The Pope intends to canonize Junipero Serra the friar who evangelized and colonized California. Native Americans across California, many who are practicing Catholics, are protesting the Pope’s plan but Catholic institutions have already been celebrating, such as Pontifical North American College and ...