Religion

USCJ Goes Green

Three Conversative Jewish bodies, in cooperation with interfaith environmental initiative GreenFaith, have announced a “Sustainable Synagogues Initiative.”  It is purported to be a comprehensive program for greening congregations, though little on the program is available online yet beyond the press release.  The three entitites are Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
There will be a 3 year congregation certification program offered in conjunciton with GreenFaith’s environmental education fellowship and a set of Webinars offered through Jewish National Fund. Resources will be offered on conservation, sustainable food, and advocacy.

The initiative will unfold over three years, beginning in December with the release of the first resource focusing on energy conservation and renewable energy. Two free resources will be issued each year to help congregations and households address environmental concerns. Materials will be provided to help congregations incorporate environmental practices into their daily functioning and educational curricula, as well as giving tips to individuals to use at home.

I have yet to compare this with the Reconstructionist movement’s Sustainable Synagogue program (RavBoaz- chime in?), but on the surface am impressed by the initiative, the range of leaders it draws on and the tachlis approach it takes to affecting chance in the shul.  
 

5 thoughts on “USCJ Goes Green

  1. 1/ I like your misspelling ‘Conversative’ instead of ‘Conservative’. Maybe that’s what the Conservatives should start calling themselves.
    2/ One difference between any Conservative initiative and Reconstructionist initiative is that the former may involve Israeli congregations and the Reconstructionist won’t. No Reconstructionist congregations in Israel (BDS? Knowledge of Hebrew? Too many young people in Israel?)

  2. Any project that legitimizes the JNF as an organization worth dealing with is not worth my time.
    JNF = anti-Bedouin racism, Ron Lauder, brown shirted hijacking of the green movement in Israel.

  3. @Boxthorn: you are so right. I should have avoided being cute and just said something like the racist hijacking of the Israeli environmental movement by right wing macharim who give two shits about the greens but a whole lot about kicking the Bedouin out of the 2% of the Negev they have left.

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