Support Strong Air Quality Regulations
The glory of creation is found in the air we breathe. The majesty of our nation is in our great parks and many natural wonders. Sadly, man-made pollution is eroding the quality of our air and the beauty of our parks. Our faith as Jews and our pride as Americans call us to speak out on this issue and make our voices heard.

Decades ago, you could see more than 100 miles in the Great Smoky Mountains. Now visitors to the Smokies - America's most popular national park - can see only 25 miles on average and even less during the summer months. Pollution from coal-fired power plants and other smokestacks creates a sooty, gray haze that obscures these natural vistas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting public comments on new air pollution and haze guidelines until Tuesday, July 6. Please let the Bush Administration know that you support strong air quality regulations that will restore nature's beauty in our national parks. You can send comments by mail or email to:

Air Docket, EPA
Mail Code 6102-T
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Attention: Docket ID No: OAR-2002-0076

E-mail: nrt4@epa.gov and mention Docket ID NO: OAR-2002-0076

Lessons of Summer
Summer has arrived and we are now in the season of the sun. Other ancient peoples approached the sun, like much of nature, with awe and fear. Judaism's early insight was to reserve that awe and fear (yirah) for God alone, maker of Heaven and Earth, who shaped light on day one and the sun on day four (Genesis:1). We now know enough to still be amazed by and afraid of the sun, without worshipping it. Ninety-three million miles away, its constant light coming into our thin atmosphere is all that keeps our planet from being a frigid Mars or a burning Venus. Photosynthesis roots all life on earth, a miracle deserving daily contemplation. Yet too long in the sun can cause sunburn, sunstroke, even skin cancer. Sun streaming through a too-thin ozone layer, depleted by CFCs, worsens the problem. Global warming occurs when the sun's energy is trapped by human-generated carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Psalm 19 says that, "God placed in the Heavens a tent for the sun (shemesh) who is like a newlywed coming forth from the chamber; like a champion eager to run the course. With a rising place at one end of heaven and a circuit that reaches the other, nothing escapes its heat." This summer lets give the sun - along with the rest of creation - the awe and the concern that it deserves.

Shabbat Under the Stars
Just past the summer solstice, those of us living in the northern hemisphere are now enjoying the longest days of the year. Our experience of Shabbat is different than at other times. We can take advantage of long days and warm nights by heading out to a favorite natural spot for Kabbalat (greeting of) Shabbat and Shabbat dinner, perhaps to camp out for the full 24+ hours. We can also enjoy Havdallah - our most multi-sensory ritual - beneath the stars, using spices and candle-making that we find and prepare ourselves. Enjoy the weekly anniversary of creation outdoors, in creation! Shabbat shalom and happy summer!

New Rabbinic Fellow
Later this week, COEJL's 2003-04 Rabbinic Fellow, Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, will complete his one-year term. His contributions to the Jewish environmental movement are invaluable! Fred has compiled a wealth of resources on greening synagogues, written articles on the environmental themes within Judaism, and spoken to many congregations, rabbis, and community leaders, reaching 2,500 people across the country. Fred will return to lead Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, MD and continue to serve on the COEJL Board of Trustees.

On July 1, COEJL will welcome another long-time board member, Rabbi Lawrence Troster, to the staff as our 2004-05 Rabbinic Fellow. Most recently, Larry was the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel of Northern Valley in Bergenfield, NJ. Larry will lead a project to deepen and integrate Jewish environmental scholarship. He will compile works from academics and scholars that present a moral and religious perspective on today's urgent environmental issues and engage the American Jewish community in addressing these challenges. Larry will also be working with Deborah Shapiro, COEJL's director of outreach, on our Greening Synagogues Initiative.

Hazon's 4th Jewish Environmental Bike Ride
Ride Away! Hazon's 4th annual New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride will take place Labor Day weekend, September 3-6, 2004. First, a Shabbat retreat will be held in the beautiful Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Connecticut. Then, bike riders will travel from Falls Village to White Plains, choosing a 65 or 100-mile route. On Labor Day, there will be a 35-mile ride from White Plains to Manhattan. COEJL thanks Hazon for making our organization one of the beneficiaries of funds raised from the ride.

This Ride offers an opportunity to:

• raise environmental awareness in the Jewish community
• raise money for programs of Jewish environmental education and advocacy here and in Israel
• add the Jewish community's voice to calls for greater environmental stewardship
• get in shape
• join a great cycling Jewish community
• make a difference - and to have an amazing time while doing so

People who meet the Hazon riders, hear them speak or attend the final celebration will also spread the word about Judaism and the environment to their families, friends and home communities. To register for the ride or to learn more about Hazon, go to www.hazon.org.