Celebrating a green Hanukkah

From GreenLiving

November 28 marks the first day of Hanukkah 2013. This eight-day Jewish holiday celebrates the miracle of a small jar of oil that lasted for eight days while the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple of Jerusaleum.

Green Hanukkah Hanukkah customs include lighting the nine-branched candelabrum (one candle per evening and the ninth candle known as the shamash), spinning the dreidel, gift giving and eating special food like potato latkes. This year a number of Jewish communities are incorporating green into their Hanukkah celebrations with enviro-friendly products and using the lighting of the menorah as a reminder to conserve resources.

Changing the light In the U.S. a national climate change campaign, A Light Among the Nations (subtitled How Many Jews Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?) launched in 2006 by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) encourages each household to change one light bulb each night of Hanukkah, switching from regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs to energy-efficient, cost-effective compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.

Reflect on our resources Rabbis Arthur Waskow and Jeff Sultar of the Philadelphia-based Shalom Center have started also the Green Menorah campaign. "We invite people to light their menorah each evening and dedicate yourself to making the changes in your life that will allow our limited sources of energy to last for as long as they're needed, and with minimal impact on our climate," said Rabbi Waskow.

The green menorah Start off your Hanukkah celebrations with a enviro-friendly menorah made from recycled glass from Vertige, fashioned by the Quebec designer Jacques Rivard. Those with a predilection towards industrial art will enjoy the hand assembled 'Man-orah' created from left over steel pipe stock by designer Alyssa Zukas. The Femenorah version is adorned with genuine Swarovski crystals and is available at Not Schlock Big Cartel.

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Vegetarian Week Analysis: How Our Food Choices Can Help Avert a Climate Catastrophe

by Richard Schwartz for Jewcology

There is good news and bad news. Unfortunately, the bad news is extremely bad, perhaps the most inconvenient truth one can imagine: the world is rapidly heading toward a climate catastrophe. This is the view of science academies worldwide and of over 97% of climate scientists.

Global temperatures have been rising. The 12 warmest years since temperature records have been kept in 1880 have occurred since 1998. Every decade since the 1970s has been warmer than the previous decade. Glaciers and polar ice sheets are melting far faster than the projections of climate scientists. There has been a major recent increase in the number and severity of severe climate events, including heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods.

Many climate experts, including James Hansen, former director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Institute for Space Studies, believe that a safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 350 parts per million (ppm). Atmospheric CO2 recently reached 400 ppm and it has been growing by 2-3 ppm per year, making climate experts very concerned.

What has Hansen and other climate scientists especially worried is that climate change could soon reach a tipping point, unleashing a vicious cycle of rapid climate change leading to disastrous consequences -- melted sea caps, flooded cities, mass species extinctions and spreading deserts, among other events -- unless major changes in how humanity uses energy soon occur.

There is a very strong scientific consensus that climate change is happening, that it poses a major threat to humanity and that human activities are the primary cause, as indicated by many peer-reviewed articles in respected science journals and statements by science academies all over the world. These views were reinforced by a report released on September 27, 2013 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group composed of thousands of climate experts from many countries, that indicated, among other things that they were at least 95% certain that climate change is largely caused by human activities and that the oceans may rise by 3 feet by the end of this century. The conservative group ConservAmerica (www.ConservAmerica.org), formerly known as "Republicans for Environmental Protection," is working to reduce denial among conservatives.

The good news is that shifts toward vegan diets can make a major difference. It may seem naïve to argue that a mere change of diet could be a potent prescription for combating climate change, but the evidence is incontrovertible, and slowly the public is getting the message.

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Mysticism and Health Food

By Nachum Mohl

There is a current thought in the Health food literature that claims that drinking milk is not healthy, cows don't drink milk, why should man. There is also the claim that eating meat is not healthy, man was not born to be carnivorous. Since your magazine has a mystic corner, can you tell me what the mysticism says about this?

The question is interesting. To answer this question, you must understand the way and method in which the world was created. When the world was created it was created in four basic levels organic first, the earth and rocks. Then the next level, the inorganic, the trees, plants, etc. After that the third level was created, the animal, birds and fishes. Finally, the last level was created, man.

We can list them thusly:

 

If we ponder, which level is the strongest, which level has the most power, we would say that the first level, the level of the inorganic is certainly the strongest. Man has used the rock to build buildings used iron to build and strengthen his environment. It is the strongest.

The next strongest is the organic. Trees also give us protection from the cold and rain. Plants give us clothing and food. The next level,.the animal, can not shield man's environment, but also provides him with his bodily needs.

If we look a bit deeper, we must observe that the ground and rock has no need for the other three levels, it can exist alone. (Like the other planets or moon which is only rock)

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Jewish Groups Praise New EPA Rules

Washington, DC – The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) and the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) today applauded the Environmental Protection Agency’s release on Friday of a revised standard limiting carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants.

“Carbon dioxide emissions are the leading cause of climate change, which is one of the great moral challenges of our time. This proposal takes an important step towards addressing the effects that our electricity generation can have on the Earth and human health,” said JCPA President Rabbi Steve Gutow.

These effect have been shown to have a disproportionate impact on communities of color, youth, the elderly and those living in poverty.

COEJL and the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism collected hundreds of signatures from the Jewish community in favor of the original rule proposed last year. The new rule responds to concerns raised in public comments to the prior proposal by setting separate standards for emissions from coal plants and natural gas plants and providing flexibility for industry while achieving similar outcomes.

“We hope that these revised regulations will be made final after the comment period and implemented without delay,” said Gutow.

“These rules were released during the holiday of Sukkot,” said Sybil Sanchez, Director of COEJL. ”Ecclesiastes Rabbah (1:4) reminds us that ‘One generation goes, another comes, but the Earth remains the same forever.’ Eating and sleeping outdoors in our sukkot makes us appreciate some of the many gifts we receive from the Earth — clean, breathable air, and fertile land in a stable climate. But we are confronted by the fact that the Earth is changing before us, and these resources will not be here for future generations unless we act now. Adopting these rules is an important part of that action.”

The release of the proposed standards is a key point in the implementation of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, which he announced in June at a speech in Washington, DC attended by COEJL and JCPA.

“We look forward to the release of standards for existing power plants, as well,” said Sanchez.

More information can be found at www.coejl.org.

JCPA, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 14 national and 125 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations.

The Coalition on the Environment in Jewish Life (COEJL), an initiative of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), deepens and broadens the Jewish community’s commitment to stewardship and protection of the Earth through outreach, activism and Jewish learning.

Inside the Artist’s Studio: Creating a Beautiful New Home for the Torah

Video: Judaica designer Alexander Gruss on Simchat Torah, the legacy of the Holocaust, and the value of handmade objects

By Efraim A. Klein for Tablet Magazine

Alexander Gruss and his wife Lorelei have been designing and creating Judaica through Studio Gruss for a quarter century. Their work has evolved in that time from small, hand-crafted pieces like mezuzahs, etrog boxes, and Seder plates for Passover to larger projects, including entire sanctuaries in places as far away as Keter Torah Synagogue in Michigan. “The whole process of design is something I keep learning,” Alex explained. “I always said yes to things I never did before.”

In this video shot in their expansive home-studio in Brooklyn, Alex discusses his life moving from his native Argentina to Israel and later the United States; how he views the significance of his art in connection to the Holocaust; and the cultural shifts he’s witnessed in how Judaica is designed. He also explains the connection between his work building arks for Torahs and the holiday of Simchat Torah.

Sharing Eden, a handbook to sustainable living

 Jews, Christians and Muslims unite to protect the environment

Leading UK Jewish, Christian and Muslim environmentalists have come together to launch Sharing Eden – a unique handbook that uses the teachings of the Abrahamic faiths to encourage a greener lifestyle for all.

As the Dalai Lama emphasised in his recent prayer service at Westminster, religious people must “take responsibility for the environment.” With more than 45 million* self-identifying Jews, Christians and Muslims in the UK, driving more sustainable living in these communities, as well as further afield, could make a significant positive impact on our environment.

Editor Lindsay Swan explains: “Sharing Eden is a remarkable example of interfaith collaboration to reach a common goal – a more sustainable future for all. The authors’ aim, as well as to build bridges between often-differing faiths, is to throw a green light on age-old traditions and practices. They provide clear, easy-to-follow advice on how we can all do our share to protect the Earth, whether we have a faith or not.”

The introductory handbook combines beautiful and enlightening texts from each faith’s religious teachings and worship to address some of the most prominent environmental issues faced today, such as waste, climate change and biodiversity. Drawing from both scripture and personal experience, each author brings a contemporary focus to the eternal challenge of caring for the Earth. The authors also hope to encourage further collaborative efforts and stimulate public awareness and debate on the book’s topics.

The book is published jointly by The Conservation Foundation and Kube Publishing and is available to buy from KubePublishing.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Waterstones.com (RRP: £4.99). For further information, please visit www.sharingeden.org.

* Data from 2009-10 Citizenship Survey: Race, Religion and Equalities Topic Report www.communities.gov.uk

The Authors:

Natan Levy has been Rabbi of Shenley United Jewish Community for four years. He is the Environmental Liaison for the Chief Rabbi’s Office and the Rabbinical Expert for the London School of Jewish Studies’ Responsibility Unit. From 2005 to 2008 he served as the Jewish Campus Chaplain for the southwest of England. Born and educated in America, he is passionately concerned with issues of environmental justice and global morality.

Harfiyah Haleem is a trustee of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES). She is also the editor of a collection of essays on Islam and the Environment and co-editor of the Muslim Green Guide to Reducing Climate Change. She works with people of all ages, delivering talks and workshops on sustainability to schools and universities.

David Shreeve is the Director of The Conservation Foundation, which he co-founded in 1982, and the Environmental Adviser to the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. He has co-authored two Anglican books, “How many lightbulbs does it take to change a Christian?” and “Don’t stop at the lights.” He was awarded a Lambeth Degree in 2003 in recognition of his influence in helping the Church’s understanding of environmental issues.

How to Create a Recycled Sukkah

by Rabbi Leah Benamy, Kibbutz Lotan

We on Kibbutz Lotan have the great privilege of living and working full-time in a community where all of us are committed to a special way of life. One of our core values, as stated in our community’s vision statement, is living in a way that nurtures the Earth and our particular corner of it: “We strive to fulfill the biblical ideal ‘to till the earth and preserve it’, in our home, our region, the country and the world.  We are working to create ways to live in harmony with our desert environment.”

Two years ago Kibbutz Lotan’s school-age children entered a regional contest to create “The Most Recycled Sukkah”.  The kids had fun putting their imagination and creativity to work building our communal sukkah, and their parents took pride not only in their efforts, but also in the message we succeeded in getting across, i.e.
that not everything is junk after it fulfills its original purpose! Of course, it also meant a heightened sense of ownership of that year’s kibbutz sukkah for the kids, some of whom went on to encourage their families to build the same sort of sukkah at their houses. Since then, we adults have noticed that our children on Lotan have given greater attention to the second “R” of the trio ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’: When my daughter relabeled a second-grade binder “Third Grade”, rather than throwing it away and buying a new one, I knew she “got it”.

Here are photos of sukkot built by the children from the communities of Kibbutz Ketura and Kibbutz Grofit – and the First Prize Winner from Kibbutz Lotan!

Suggestions for creating your own “Recycled Sukkah”
Create “stars” to sparkle inside your sukkah.  Take all those old CD’s and DVD’s, paint the labeled side, and decorate the shiny side with colored paper cut into triangle “rays”. Hang from the roof.  String together chains of empty (and rinsed!) soda cans and bottles.  Cover toilet paper rolls and string them together, too.

Create a groovy beaded entrance with soda bottle tops.  Punch or drill two holes in the sides of plastic soda bottle tops. Insert a string and tie a knot for each cap. Create a dozen or more strings full of bottle tops and you have your beaded doorway.  Create an “I Spy” game for visitors.  Line the top border of your sukkah with plastic figures and other small odds and ends your children collect. Have your kids create a poster of their own “I Spy” challenge. All your guests will be occupied with a fun game between dinner courses!

Think creatively about materials for walls. Take a loo a the photo on the next page of large egg cartons tied together. What about breaking down the sides of
corrugated cardboard boxes? How about old sheets or towels destined for the rag pile? A challenge: Create mats by weaving together plastic bags from the
super market.

A resource for you, your Rabbi, Educational Director, Youth Group Leader,
and Committee Members, e.g. ARZA, WRJ/MRJ, Social Action, etc