Highlights from the Mark and Sharon Bloome
2005 Jewish Environmental Leadership Institute
Washington, DC, February 27 - March 1, 2005

Thanks to Alan Fintz and John Diamond for their photos.
[Click on pictures for larger images]

We were thrilled with the wonderful turnout of participants and speakers at this year's COEJL Bloome Institute. We hope those of you who could not make it can get a feel for what happened, and those who were there with us can enjoy the pictures...

Sunday
Welcome!

	COEJL Chair Sharon Bloome introduced Rabbi Michael Feshbach of Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, Maryland, who opened the conference with a talk on the moral obligations on doing right by the planet.
Calling each of us, “retroactive meaning-makers,” he spoke of the importance of our activism in response to environmental devastation.
Participants in the conference included environmental policy professionals, rabbis, educators, and students from across North America. Almost half of this year’s participants were attending the Bloome Institute for the first time. Professor Hava Tirosh-Samuelson spoke on eco-feminism and Peter Preuss of the Environmental Protection Agency discussed environmental partnerships between the US and Israel. Other special guests included Larry Schweiger, CEO of National Wildlife Federation and League of Conservation Voters’ Deb Callahan.
The Teva Learning Center allowed creativity to reign as they taught participants how to make recycled journals and other Jewish environmental games.
In the afternoon, board members Sharon Bloome and Arden Shenker presented Congressman Henry Waxman with COEJL’s Steward of the Earth Award. That evening we heard an update on COEJL’s activities from Executive Director Adam Stern, and then were entertained by the comedy troupe, Capitol Steps.

Monday
A blizzard is coming!

Standing in the sukkah of Temple Emanuel as the snow fell thickly around us, COEJL Bloome Institute participants were treated to a show of nature that had not been scheduled.

This highlight of the three day conference was a visit to both Temple Emanuel and Adat Shalom, where we sang, learned about green building materials, lighting, energy and creating a “green culture.”

As we spoke with the rabbis and leaders from these congregations, we were inspired to think about ways to bring these ideas home to our communities.

When we returned to the hotel (earlier than usual, as the weather did finally catch up with us), we continued our workshops. Click here for Nati Passow's "A Jewish Foundation for Ecological Building"

Dinner concluded with a presentation on lobbying and a skit by some talented and creative participants. The evening film, Melting Planet, presented by filmmaker Judith Helfand, touched on the challenges of talking about global warming, and was followed by discussion late into the night.

Tuesday
Talking to our Representatives

Senators Hillary Clinton and Mitch McConnell addressed a breakfast program for COEJL, JCPA and Hillel, speaking about the current situation in Darfur and the Middle East.

Everyone then boarded buses to lobby with their local representation on Capitol Hill.

In the afternoon, Senator John McCain addressed the crowd and he applauded COEJL’s efforts in protecting the environment and getting the word out.

Our closing circle was led with a passionate address by Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism. Jeremy Manela led us in song as we reflected on the past three days and all that we’d learned, discussed and what we want to do next year...

Institute 2005 in the News: Washington Jewish Week: "To be young, Jewish and green COEJL gathering draws small, youthful crowd; D.C. area synagogues, rabbis in the spotlight" by Paula Amann