630 results for browsing: Unknown

Grief, Hope, Action: Tisha B’Av for the Earth

Grief, Hope, Action: Tisha B'Av for the Earth By Rabbi Arthur Waskow | 6/9/2010 Climate policy Festivals, Life-cycle, & Climate crisis Tisha B'Av Click here to see a listing of all recent blog posts "It's an infusion of oil and gas unlike anything else that has ever been seen anywhere, certainly in human history," said Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia, the expedition leader. [NY Times June 9, 2010.] For two brief video teachings that move from lamentation to hope -- how to connect the ancient wisdom of Judaism to active ...

Tu b’Shevat in Hebrew

אתר טבע עברי מציע לכם שפע של פעילויות, דפי לימוד ומערכי שיעור לכבוד ט"ו בשבט

Jewish & Secular Sources on Responsibility

Materials developed by Noam Dolgin and the Teva Learning Center All content is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. (Ie. Tell other where you got it from and don't sell it)

Creating Change: Making Our Voices Heard – Advocacy Activity

Objective: To practice political and personal expression; To support campaigns that will help mitigate climate change. Duration: 30 minutes Materials: Used cardboard, Posterboard, Paper, Pens, Markers, Computers, if available Background: This is a program to help students implement a comprehensive greening strategy in your synagogue. It should not be completed until after students have learned about climate change and chosen a greening project to implement. Procedure 1. Divide the students into four advocacy groups, with at least one student from each previous workgroup in each new advocacy group. 2. Assign each ...

Creating Communal Change, Greening our Synagogue

Goal: To empower students to chose one project that they can take on as a class to be part of the “green synagogue” initiative Duration: 15 - 40 minutes Materials: Flip Chart, Dry Erase Board, Markers In advance of this project, consult with the synagogue greening committee and find a project or selection of projects for theses students. Projects should be synagogue specific. Good easily achievable projects include: Changing all light bulbs to low energy compact fluorescent Arranging a carpool board or list serve for the school Researching recycled paper distributors for the synagogue ...

Birchot Hashachar – Waking the Body, Mind & Spirit

Goals: To explore the meaning and history of the bitchot haschar (blessing of the dawn) To wake up our body, mind and spirit. Audience: All ages Duration: 5 - 15 minutes Materials: Suddurim (prayer books) - Birchot hashachar can be found in every siddur (Artscroll p19, Sim Shalom p10) Background: These Blessing were once said at home immediately upon arising (see Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Prayer), but were integrated into the regular morning prayer service out of concern that they were not being said at home. The blessings move through the natural process of waking up, opening your eyes, standing up, getting ...

Parsha Vayeilech: A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

By Dr. Akiva Wolff View a Printable Version | View a Source Sheet One of the best-recognized descriptions of the land of Israel is “a land flowing with milk and honey."[1] This description immediately conjures up a picture of a rich, fertile and desirable ...

Parshat Re’eh: Blessing and Curse

By Dr. Akiva Wolff View a Printable Version | View a Source Sheet Our Torah portion begins with the following words: Behold I set before you today a blessing and a curse; a blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your G-d, which I command you this day, and a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your G-d, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ...

Breath & The Web of Life – Activity

Goals: To teach the students about the interconnectedness and interdependency of all nature including humans To explore breath and the oxygen cycle as a basis for this interconnectedness To explore the breath of life as expressed in Jewish prayer Duration: 25 minutes Materials: String or Yarn; Index cards or construction paper; Markers or colored pencils Background: The Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide exchange made by plants and animals is just one of many interactions that tie all creation together. In this activity, we will explore how parts of our ecosystem interact. Please draw special attention to relationships that ...

Butterfly Meadow

This resource's content is attached.

Brit Mayim – Working to protect and restore our water.

Use this worksheet to discuss how each of us can work to protect water in our regions and globally. Procedure: 1. Distribute one worksheet to each participant. 2. Read the opening paragraphs aloud. Allow students to discuss or ask questions of each paragraph if appropriate. 3. Explain the concept of Brit, covenant or contract, like Abraham made with God. 4. Read the Brit aloud (if time permits) 5. Direct students to choose one item from each list and to commit to these actions for at least the next month. Materials developed by Noam Dolgin All content is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom...

Water In Jewish Thought, Ritual & Prayer

Attached is a series of source sheets on water and rain in Jewish thought, ritual and prayer. The topic has been divided into 3 main themes: 1. Water in torah and prayer 2. Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and water libations 3. Jewish values of pollution prevention Materials developed by Noam Dolgin, www.noamdolgin.com. All content is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. (Ie. Tell other where you got it from and don't sell it)

Jewish Sources and Discussion Related to the Genetic Engineering of Foods

Attached is an extensive source and discussion sheet for the question of whether jewish values support or oppose the genetic engineering of foods. The topic has been divided into 6 Jewish themes, in my view each theme seems to give it's own opinion on how Judiasm views this topic, and the overall picture is complicated. But that is how it is with good Jewish debate. Themes for Discussion: 1. Whose world is it? Do we have the right to manipulate Creation? 2. Importance of individual species in Jewish texts / Halacha (Laws) of Kilayim 3. Halacha (Laws) of Shatnez – the prohibition against mixing wool and linen 4. ...

A Visual Haggadah for Tu Bishvat

A Flowchart Haggadah Here's a special way to celebrate Tu Bishvat. Use this beautiful Tu Bishvat Haggadah--only one page long--to guide a seder that you create! Bring stories, poems, songs, and teachings to fill the seder from your own experiences. Use the flowchart Tu Bishvat Haggadah from neohasid.org to structure your seder, from beginning to end, by following the order from the Kabbalah of what fruits to eat and what wine to drink. Or take teachings from any Haggadah, or from neohasid.org, and then arrange them using the flowchart. Or use the flowchart haggadah as a guide alongside any other Tu Bishvat haggadah. The goal of the ...

Genesis, Sinai, and the Land Ethic

Why do we have a covenant? What is the ultimate purpose of the Torah's covenant? Download the four-page study guide on Eden, the flood, and the Shmitah cycle here. You'll find original translations from Torah combined with commentary to help you discover connections between the tragic history of humanity before Abraham found in Genesis, and the Torah's ultimate plan to rectify that tragedy. These passages from Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus help answer the question of why we have a covenant--perhaps the most important answer one could give for our time, when life as we know it may be threatened by global climate disruption. The fundamental ...

Tu b’Shevat- our root’s – learning page in Hebrew

שורשים – דורשים קהילה עינט קרמר רציונאל: אחד ממאפייני התרבות הגלובלית בה אנו חיים היום הינו ה"ניתוק" מן השורשים – הפיסיים והרוחניים כאחד, והתרכזות בטוב וביפה ב"הווה". שיעור זה יעסוק בנושא השורשים והשורשיות מבחינות שונות. במליאה: המנחה מקריא את "עץ הזית 2002" ומפתח דיון סביב השיר (איזה משפט הכי "תפס אתכם"? למה? למה לדעתכם ...

Saving the World With Bath Tissue

If every household in the United States replaced just one pack of bath tissue made from virgin fiber with tissue made from recycled fiber (4 rolls per pack and an average of 430 sheets per pack) the savings on emissions of CO2, (the key gas responsible for creating global warming) would equal the following: not burning 22,747,359 gallons of gas in the average car (4) planting 9,098,943 trees (5) the energy saved by installing 1,516,490 low flow shower heads. (3) the energy saved by 909,894families doing their laundry, twice a week for a year in warm or cold water rather than hot water (3) caulking & ...

5 Actions You Can Take in 15 Minutes To Protect Forests

1. Send a virtual postcard to the US Forest Service at http://www.ourforests.org/ to support an effective policy to protect our national forests. 2. Reduce junk mail. Send a letter to the Direct Marketing Association, Mail Preference Service, POB 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008 asking to remove your name from mailing lists. 3. Buy one forest-friendly alternative to an everyday product. Some suggestions: avoid paper cups by investing in a reusable travel mug, buy stationary from tree-free paper or recycled paper with at least 50% post-consumer waste, share a newspaper or magazine subscription with a friend. 4. Make a commitment to ...

Top Ten Ways to Address Global Warming

You can help slow global warming--and save money over the long term--by reducing your household use of energy. Here are some ideas: Walk, bike, take the bus, ride the train. When purchasing your next vehicle, select the most fuel-efficient model possible. Click here for a listing of automobile fuel efficiency by model. Look for the "Energy-Star" label on appliances, indicating certification as a highly energy efficient product. Energy Star, a U.S. EPA program, certifies all major appliances, furnaces, boilers, computers and monitors, and even entire new homes. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs, which use much less ...

Environmentally Caring Practices for the Home

Environmentally Caring Practices for the Home The way we live our lives has an impact on the world around us. Our health, and the health of wildlife and the environment are affected by the chemicals we use in our home. Pesticides used in farming, gardening, and in the home can pollute the land, water and air. Many household chemicals used for cleaning contain phosphates, chlorine and other chemicals which harm humans and wildlife. The following are some recommendations for living in a healthy and low-impact way: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE - at home, office, and school. By using fewer natural resources, and creating less waste, we take up less ...