Jewish Environmental Initiative, a committee of the JCRC of Saint Louis
To educate the Saint Louis Jewish community about the connection between Judaism and the environment and to help Green the Jewish community in terms of its practices. We also collaborate with other environmental organizations on projects,initiatives and advocacy.
We run a monthly environmental blog, Planet JewishWe hold an event annually called “Project Noah: A week for the environment” in which we send resources to all area Jewish organizations urging them to incorporate the environment into their sermons or activities or ed programs the week that Parsha Noah is read–AND we hold a community event that week as well. We have an active teen group that does presentations and runs a native plant sale/rain barrel raffle every year.
This blog is written by guest blogger Leah Schuckit, JCRC Fall 2016 Social Justice Intern.
As a young Jewish kid, Hanukkah was my favorite time of the year. I can still remember being in grade school and impatiently waiting for my Hebrew School lessons to turn to the Maccabees and the Temple menorah’s miracle. I remember the way ...
If you are someone who cares about protecting the environment, you may find yourself frustrated at times because you are not doing as much as you could to change your lifestyle. While caring for God’s creation and reducing waste (baal tashchit) are important principles in Judaism, you don’t have to do it all to make a difference. Here ...
Sukkot, the harvest holiday that takes place on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei, marks the end of the agricultural year. Jews give thanks for the bounty of the Earth. We commemorate the holiday by decorating our sukkah with fruits, vegetables and harvest items. We shake the lulov and the etrog to connect ourselves to the Earth as ...
~ Although late summer or early fall may seem like an odd time to begin a garden, it is a great time to plan the garden and get plants and flowers into the ground before cold weather hits. If you are thinking about planting a garden, consider creating a native garden as the best way to restore native ecosystems and be kind to the environment. What ...
With many area schools beginning their fall semester between mid-August and early September, many students and their parents will be heading to the stores for back-to-school supplies. Your back-to-school purchases make a huge difference. Here's why:
14 billion pencils are produced every year, many made with wood from ancient forests. ...
The weather may be hot and humid, but summer is still a good time to be mindful of the importance of protecting God’s creation, the Earth, by reducing energy waste in your home. Below are a few simple suggestions to get you started. These tips will both help reduce waste and reduce costs.
Green Lighting Tips:
Do not place lamps near a ...
Summer is here and what better way to honor the environment and the Jewish principle of baal tashchit (do not waste) than by planning your summer travels to be as eco-friendly as possible. Here are a few tips to help as you plan your summer getaway:
Use eco-friendly transportation as much as possible: Some options include doing a biking ...
Statistics show that in the U.S. alone 60 million metric tons of food is wasted each year, of which about 40 million metric tons of it end up in municipal landfills. This represents between 30 to 40 percent of the overall food supply and the single largest component in landfills. It is an important value in Judaism that we not waste ...