You may not recognize me from coming up to the Bimah. It's my first time. But you may recognize my name from the Green Corner of the Scroll. I'm the one who writes articles about Judaism and the environment, leads nature hikes during our summer retreats, and worries about protecting trees on our new building site during construction. As an urban forester by profession, when offered a D'var chinuch around Tu B'Shvat—how could I say no? Because after all—Tu B'Shvat, is the Jewish Arbor Day, and a good time to reflect on our environment.
For me, Tu B'Shvat was a Jewish environmentalist's no-brainer. But I began to think about other ways in which my work and my religion are connected. With Rabbi Fred's enthusiastic support and guidance, I began to read and explore more about our Jewish mandate to become Shomrai Adomah—guardians of the earth.
I am amazed that there are so many environmental mandates throughout traditional Jewish texts. I share just a few examples with you.
Our ancestors lived closer to the land and knew instinctively how to conserve their natural resources. Isn't it surprising that concepts like pollution, conservation, and zoning for public health weren't dreamed up by modern day scientists, or even the Sierra Club? To quote Rabbi Fred, "It's not Greenpeace, it's the Talmud".
So, we have historic precedent and commandments to live as earth's stewards. But what about the realities of our modern society? Technology may have made our lives easier, but it has also removed us from the land, its cycles and natural rhythms. Now we live in climate-controlled homes, move quickly through the land by auto or jet, and buy our food processed, fortified, and hermetically sealed. In the business world, we are affectionately called "consumers". If fact, we never check the Shomrai Adomah price index to see how the economy is doing, do we?
Well, it's hard to be shomrai adomah when faced with today's consumer choices. Most of us recycle, because over the last 20 years, communities have institutionalized a curb side pick-up to make it as easy as possible. But what about making other choices? I wanted to buy a real linoleum floor for my kitchen—the kind made from jute and other natural products that was common decades ago, instead of today's vinyl, made of petrochemicals. But because the markets haven't made it accessible or affordable, I found it impossible. When was the last time you tried to make an environmental choice and road blocks stood in your way? As Kermit the frog has said, "It's not easy being green."
The Talmud gave us the commandments, but I believe that in order to act on them individually and as a society, we need to reconnect to the land as our ancestors did. We need to find ways that are meaningful to us today, to inspire us to tear down those environmental road blocks. I offer one way to reconnect: through Jewish holidays and life cycle events. Most Jewish holidays are not only tied to historical events, they are tied to agriculture, a change of seasons, in short, to our environment; think of it—sukkot for the harvest, Tu B'Shvat for the beginning of tree's bloom, passover for spring and rebirth.
One of my most memorable Passover seders, was gathering the traditional foods, wine and haggadahs together, hiking with friends out to a beautiful regional park in the San Francisco Bay area, spreading a blanket and having our seder in full view of God's splendor. On the second cup of wine, a young man hiked by us lamenting that he had missed his family's seder. We handed him a cup of wine and invited him to join us. It gave new meaning to opening the door for Elijah. Imagine if we wove more environmental rituals into our holidays and life cycle events?
Of course, as Reconstructionist Jews, we do not believe in the concept of choseness. So it should not surprise you that we are not the only religion with a mandate from above to be environmentalists.
I attended a Joint Faith Meeting on the Environment last fall. Over 100 people, representing churches and synagogues all over the Washington area shared examples of their congregation's environmental commitment. There, I learned about organized efforts underway and publications like The Green Shalom Guide, by Washington DC's chapter of Shomrai Adomah., (by the way Rabbi Fred serves on their Steering Committee). The Guide is a "how-to" on bringing your synagogue up to environmental standards.
Here at Adat Shalom, we are just beginning to develop this collective environmental awareness, but we have planted some seeds"
These are just the seeds—just the beginning. Please join us in our overall effort to merge our Jewish and environmental concerns, as together, we build a sustainable future. Ellen Bernstein, Founder of Keepers of the Earth, sums it up best when she writes, "As we grow in love, understanding, spirit, and action, so we grow as Shomrai Adomah—guardians of the earth."