Tag: Institutions

Outdoor High Holiday Services with Ma’yan Tikvah

    Outdoor High Holiday Services with Ma’yan Tikvah – A Wellspring of Hope   Rosh HaShanah Day 1, Thursday, September 25, 9:30 AM, Cedar Hill Camp 265 Beaver Street, Waltham, (accessible by MBTA bus) Click here to carpool to this service.   Rosh HaShanah Potluck Dinner and Shmita Seder, Thursday, September 25, 6:30 PM, Location TBD, in Wayland   Rosh HaShanah Day 2, Friday, September 26, 10 AM, Greenways Conservation Area, 60 Green Way, Wayland   Kol Nidre Service, Friday, October 3, 6:45 PM, Church of the Holy Spirit, 169 Rice Road, Wayland Click here to carpool to this service.   Yom Kippur Morning, Saturday, October 4, 9:30 AM, Cedar Hill Camp, 265 Beaver Street, Waltham, (accessible by MBTA bus) Click here to carpool to this service.   Neilah Service and Break-fast, Saturday, October 4, 6:30 PM, Church of the Holy Spirit, 169 Rice Road, Wayland; Break-fast will be at a nearby private home   Ma'yan Tikvah celebrates the High Holidays in the woods with morning services on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur as well as Kol Nidre services on Erev Yom Kippur. The services are led by Rabbi Katy Allen and are a combination of traditional and nontraditional; they are informal and participatory for those who wish to add their voices. Morning services are held outside, or if the weather requires it, under an outdoor pavilion. There is time to sing, to appreciate the natural world around us, to meditate and pray, to read and discuss the Torah portion, to hear the sound of the Sofar on Rosh HaShanah, and to remember our loved ones during Yizkor on Yom Kippur. On the first day of Rosh HaShanah, our services are followed by a pot-luck lunch and then tashlich.   We will have a very different service on the second day of Rosh HaShanah - a hike interspersed with meditations, prayers, discussion, and the blowing of the shofar, and the day will include a picnic lunch - bring your own. We will through the fields and woods and end with a picnic near the Sudbury River.   Our Kol Nidre service is mostly indoors, but if weather permits we go outside for part of the service. We will also have a short Neilah service at the end of Yom Kippur followed by a pot-luck break-fast. All are welcome, including families with children. The sites for the first day of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are handicap accessible.   For more information or to register, go to www.mayantikvah.org and click on Shabbat, Holidays, and Classes, or call 508-358-5996 or email .

Cranberry Shabbat with Mayan Tikvah

Wachusett Reservoir Boylston

Cranberry Shabbat  Saturday, October 25,  Raindate, November 1 Wachusett Reservoir, Boylston Join us for our annual Cranberry Shabbat. We will intermix songs and prayers with wild cranberry picking, and share a picnic lunch at the end. Please bring something to share and your own drinks and utensils. (Warm soup sounds good for a picnic in October!) Also bring containers for the cranberries. Most of our pickings will be given to a homeless shelter for their Thanksgiving dinner. There may be muddy spots, so be prepared footwear-wise, and it could be windy and chilly along the water. Please RSVP to Ma'yan Tikvah for details.

Lights for Lima NYC Vigil on December 7, 2014

Our Shared Environment, The Conference, Proceedings of the First Israel, Palestinian International Conference on the Environmental Challenges Facing Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Dec. 11-13, 1994, by Robin Twite & Robin Menczel

CALL FOR STRONG ACTION BY WORLD GOVERNMENTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE VOICES OF FAITH CANDLELIGHT VIGIL  SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 at 4:00 PM UNION SQUARE Vigils will be taking place in Washington, London, Sydney, and around the world.Learn More. World leaders will be meeting in Lima, Peru, on December 1-12, for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP20/CMP10). They’ll be working to establish the fundamentals of a strong, global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – an agreement that we hope will then be finalized in Paris in 2015. These leaders need to know that we're holding their work in our thoughts, meditations and prayers. As they start their work, join us in a vigil calling for meaningful progress toward a world safe from climate change. Please send a representative to light a candle on behalf of your community or congregation. The candle is a symbol of hope that the negotiations in Lima will be carried out in a spirit of love, compassion, and caring.  To sign up to represent your faith community, please contact   Spread the word on facebook and announce this vigil in your newsletter and at your services. Vigil on December 7, 2014 at 4:00 pm in Union Square

FREE

From Uncertainty to Action: What You Can Do About Climate Change

Hebrew College 160 Herrick Road, Newton, MA, United States

The Jewish Climate Action Network (JCAN) is sponsoring its first conference, a time for community members from across New England concerned about climate change to come together. The conference will focus on a Jewish response to climate change, ideas for action, and how climate change is fundamentally a social justice issue. It will provide organized opportunities to connect with others interested in working together. Summery of the conference: Panel exploring what Judaism adds to our understanding and ability to respond to climate change Two rounds of workshops, each of which will provide concrete information about a specific way to respond to the threat of climate change and to connect with others Opportunity to speak with community organizations and businesses involved in environmental work Special workshop for teens and tweens Short wrap-up program highlighting what has been accomplished and providing a send off Facilitation of informal gatherings for dinner at nearby restaurants those who want to continue the conversations. A schedule and descriptions of workshops and bios of workshop leaders can be found at http://www.jewishclimate.org/may-2015-conference.html When: Sunday, May 17, 3-7 PM Where: Hebrew College, Herrick Road, Newton Registration: https://secure.hebrewcollege.edu/form/uncertainty-action-what-you-can-do-about-climate-change Cost: $18 donation (optional); students are free. Co-sponsors include: Hebrew College, Center for Global Judaism, Hazon, LimmudBoston, Shomrei Bereshit: Rabbis and Cantors for the Earth, and others.

$18

Moral March for Climate Justice

Lincoln Memorial Washington DC, United States

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.

Free

Light the Way: Support Pope Francis’ Call for Climate Action

Dag Hammarskjold Plaza 47th Street and First Avenue, New York, NY, United States

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 of the Sabbath, the Shmita Year, and the Yovel, for a world faced with climate change. Let’s make sure his message is heard!  On the evening of Thursday, September 24, the night before Pope Francis speaks at the UN, Jews will be joining with other people of faith to Light the Way at a multi-faith Festival of Prayer and Music, just a few blocks from the United Nations.  The program will continue into the evening with in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which will also be released on September 25.  Following the Festival, a vigil will be held at the Church of Our Saviour at 59 Park Avenue. As we celebrate this season of teshuvah, tefilah, and tzedakah  —  repentance, prayer, and justice – let’s put our words into action.  Meet us at Light the Way to offer prayers, meditations, and music, and to show the leaders meeting at the UN that we support a 100% renewable energy, zero poverty future. Light the Way Multi-faith Festival of Prayer and Music  Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 4:30 pm Dag Hammarskjold Plaza 47th Street and First Avenue Information about the Light the Way Festival of Prayer and Music is available at http://ourvoices.net/newyork-lightstheway .  For more on Pope Francis’ Encyclical, see What the Pope’s Climate Change Edict Means for the Jews and Three Gifts From Jewish Tradition.  Here is a climate-themed kavanah you can offer during your services.

Free

The Jewish Imperative of an Animal-Free Diet

Congregation Beth Sholom 354 Maitland Avenue, Teaneck, United States

Jeffrey Cohan, the Executive Director of Jewish Veg, is coming to Teaneck, NJ. He will be leading an hour-long, interactive presentation at Congregation Beth Sholom on the significance of Tza'ar Baalei Chayim (the Jewish mandate to prevent animal suffering) in our contemporary world. This event begins at 7 pm and is free and open to the public.

SACRED EARTH, SACRED TRUST

WORLDWIDE

A Day of Prayer & Action for People and Planet. Sunday, June 12 FAITHS RISING FOR PEOPLE & PLANET Sacred Earth, Sacred Trust is a worldwide, multi-faith day of prayer & action for the planet and a call for world leaders to commit to a 1.5 degree limit on global temperature rise. Six months after world leaders reached the Paris Agreement, communities around the world will come together in a day of beautiful commitment and blessing for the earth. 1°C OF WARMING MEANS EVERYTHING The adopted Paris Agreement is an incredible first step, but much of what we have achieved hangs in balance. The current commitments to reduce emissions condemn us to an extremely dangerous 2.7°C increase. But experts & activists are arguing for 1.5°C as a true upper limit. This seemingly small difference – 1.2°C - would prevent well over 100 million people from losing their homes due to droughts, floods, sea level rise and devastating storms. In the face of this sobering reality, we need to continue the push for 1.5°C to keep hope alive. For more information: http://www.sacredearth2016.org/index.html HOW TO JOIN IN Around the world communities will be joining in an incredible variety of ways. Our diversity is our strongest power. Here are just a couple of the ways communities are joining in: Say a prayer, make a blessing, sing a song or meditate - on your own, with your family or bring your community together. Stage a sit in meditation outside a place that's important locally - a new fracking site, your town hall, a coal mine, or a place that's at risk. Hold your service outdoors, to reconnect the community to nature. A march through your town, bring together people from your community and beyond around protecting our planet for the vulnerable.

People Climate’s Movement

Washington DC DC, United States

People's Climate March in DC on April 29 Aytzim supports the People’s Climate Movement this April 29th in Washington, D.C. (and across the country) to stand up for our communities and climate. The People's Climate Movement is organizing a country-wide arc of action, culminating on April 29th in Washington DC in a powerful mobilization to unite all of our movements. To change everything, we need everyone. On April 29th, we will march for our families. We will march for our air, our water, and our land. We will march for clean energy jobs and climate justice. We will march for our communities and the people we love.

The Youth Climate March (Saturday, July 21)

National Mall 120 Constitution Ave NE, Washington DC, DC, United States

  In Washington D.C., youth will march on the National Mall to advocate for their own rights to a safe and livable future. We will rally and highlight the voices and stories of youth on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Then, we will flood the streets as a demonstration of youth power and show how #ThisIsZeroHour to act on climate change. There will also be a Youth Climate Weekend with a Youth Climate Lobby Day on Thursday, July 19 and Art Builds and Community Building on Friday, July 20. To learn more and register for the events: http://thisiszerohour.org/the-march/  

Strike for the Climate, Albany NY: Friday Sept. 20th, 11 am – 2 pm

79 Sheridan Ave., Albany, NY 79 Sheridan Avenue, Albany, NY, United States

The People of Albany United for Safe Energy (PAUSE) are joining with the students from local high schools and colleges to hold a march and rally. Our specific purpose is to call upon Governor Cuomo to enact aggressive measures that can lead the nation and the world in lowering our greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to a safe level. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that we have until 2030 to lower GHG by 45% from the 2010 level. Every report the IPCC puts out is cautiously moderate and needs to be replaced by more dire predictions in their next report. Therefore, we probably have less than 10 years to claw back our climate to a safe level before it reaches the tipping point in which hundreds of millions die and humanity, itself, is at risk. In 2018 both the US and global GHG increased. The New York Times 12/5/18 headline reads “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accelerate Like a ‘Speeding Freight Train’” in 2018. PAUSE and other groups will request that Governor Cuomo declare New York in a state of climate emergency in which he promises to do the following: 1) Immediate ban on all new fossil fuel projects 2) Immediate halt to all subsidies for fossil fuels from NYS 3) Increase funding from $7-10 billion for renewable projects in the 2020-21 budget--40% of such funding will target disadvantaged communities. 4) Convert all public buildings and vehicles to zero Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2023 5) Amend building codes to require all new buildings be carbon emission free by 2023

New Year for Animals Zoom Discussion in Israel

You are cordially invited to attend a Zoom discussion of the historic, potentially transformative initiative to restore the ancient New Year for Animals and to transform it into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Jewish teachings about compassion to animals and how far current realities are from these teachings. It will also consider how animal-based diets and agriculture seriously violate basic Jewish teachings about preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace. The event will take place on August 20, Rosh Chodesh Elul, when the ancient holiday was observed, at 8 PM Israeli time. To join the meeting,  click on the ZOOM link at the bottom of this page. The scheduled speakers are: Miriam Maisel, MD, family practitioner, with emphasis on nutrition and lifestyle; Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development; Richard Schwartz, PhD, president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Judaism and Vegetarianism; Yael Shemesh, professor of bible at Bar Ilan University; Alon Tal, PhD, chairman of the Public Policy Department at Tel Aviv University and author of Pollution in the Promised Land; Isaac Thomas, director of Vegan Nation  

New Year for Animals Zoom Discussion in USA

You are cordially invited to attend a Zoom discussion of the historic, potentially transformative initiative to restore the ancient New Year for Animals and to transform it into a day devoted to increasing awareness of Jewish teachings about compassion to animals and how far current realities are from these teachings. It will also consider how animal-based diets and agriculture seriously violate basic Jewish teachings about preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace. The event will take place on August 20, Rosh Chodesh Elul, when the ancient holiday was observed, at 9 PM Eastern time, 6 PM Pacific time. To join the meeting click on ZOOM link at the bottom of this page. List of speakers: Dan Brook, professor of sociology at San Jose State University; author of  An Alef-Bet Kabalah  and Eating the Earth; maintainer of  The Vegetarian Mitzvah. Lewis Regenstein, author of Commandments of Compassion: Jewish Teachings on Protecting the Planet and Its Creatures, Replenish the Earth, and other writings on Judaism and animals; Richard Schwartz, PhD, president emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of Judaism and Vegetarianism; Jeffrey Tucker, director of Florida Earth Save Will Tuttle, Ph.D, visionary author of the international best-seller, The World Peace Diet; worldwide lecturer on veganism; recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and Empty Cages Prize. (He will discuss how non-Jews will react to efforts to restore and transform the holiday.) Aharon Varady, community planner & Jewish educator; founding director, The Open Siddur Project; a pioneer in efforts to restore and transform the ancient holiday. Jonathan Wolf, founder of Jewish Vegetarians of North America; co-founder of L’Olam: The Jewish Environmental Network; executive director of Yashar: The Institute for Jewish Activism.

Watch Richard Schwartz’s interview on how plant-based diets can help save our world…

Richard Schwartz will be interviewed on Monday, October 19 at 8:30 PM Israeli time, 1:30 PM US eastern time, by the Israeli organization "Root and Branch." He will be discussing his unprecedented, potentially transformative campaign, in conjunction with his recently published book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING the WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM, to promote veganism and to try to shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path...   The link to register is: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ld--trzkvE9U3pQB8jT8zFne3W7iQDSK8   Some of what will be discussed:   1. Animal-based diets and agriculture seriously violate fundamental Jewish teachings on preserving human health, treating animals with compassion, protecting the environment, conserving natural resources, helping hungry people, and pursuing peace. 2. There is no way a climate catastrophe can be prevented without a major shift toward plant-based diets. 3. Animal-based diets are contributing to an epidemic of diseases in the Jewish and other communities. 4. Shifts to plant-based diets are essential for reducing the potential for future pandemics,       

Alon Tal Zoom Event: Ukraine and the Environmental Impact of War

Join us on Sunday, July 24 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: "Ukraine and the Environmental Impact of War" Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)  

Alon Tal Zoom Event: New Year’s Resolutions for the Upcoming Knesset Year

Join us on Sunday, September 18 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel: "New Year's Resolutions for the Upcoming Israeli Knesset Year" Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)  

Alon Tal Zoom Event–One Year After Glasgow, Towards Sharm Al Sheikh: Environmental Report Card

Join us on Sunday, October 23 at 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT / 8 p.m. Israel-- "One Year After Glasgow, Towards Sharm Al Sheikh: Environmental Report Card” Get more information, additional meeting topics, schedules and RSVP here: https://aytzim.org/rsvp Please note: RSVPs accepted until two hours before the session start; links will be sent about an hour before the session start (please check your spam folders)