Get Out the Vote!
A Ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted.
Talmud, B'rachot 55a

In just two weeks, Americans will make a crucial decision about who will lead our country during the next four years. While the Presidential election looms largest on the national stage, there are also Congressional, state and local elections whose outcome will determine policy directions on many issues.

There is no more important task or greater responsibility than exercising your Constitutional right to vote. If you're not registered, please take the time to do so, and if you are registered, make sure that you get out and vote. For more information, see the Jewish Voter Guide prepared by the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. For more info, click here.

We're Looking for a Few Good Jewish Environmentalists
There are a few spots left for the Jewish Global Environmental Network's (JGEN) upcoming Environmental Leaders Seminar in Israel, November 14-21, 2004! This trip is open to Jewish environmental professionals who are interested in learning about and working with Israel's growing environmental movement. The trip will include a tour of the country and a study of critical issues such as energy, public health, smart growth, transportation and environmental education. For more information and an application, email Danielle Luttenberg or call (617) 487-4367. If you know of other Jewish environmental professionals who would be interested, please forward this email to them and/or email us their names and contact information. For a review of last year's trip, go to the JGEN website, or click here.

Noah Was a Righteous Man
Last week's Torah reading was the story of Noah and the Flood. One question that arises is why Noah was chosen to build the ark and survive the Flood. The Torah calls Noah a "righteous man; he was blameless in his generation" (Genesis 6:9). The Rabbis raised the question as to why it was necessary for the Torah to mention that he was righteous and blameless "in his generation." To read two interpretations, click here.

How easy it is to feel more virtuous than other people when we recycle, drive a hybrid car, buy organic food or live in an environmentally correct way. We can say to ourselves: I am doing my part and that is enough. We know the flood is coming and we try to build an ark of personal environmental virtue. But we know that if the environmental crisis continues, there will be in fact no ark for us, for our children and for many of the other species on earth. We must act as an example to energize others to rethink the way they live. We must not be complacent. We must work harder to save all of us. We should not let it be said that we were only righteous in our generation, but also that we raised our voices for everyone.

The Blessing of the Moon
The daily prayers, the Shabbat prayers, and the holiday prayers represent the daily, weekly, and yearly Creation cycles. Less well known, however, is the monthly Creation cycle, which is centered on the phases of the moon. This past Shabbat, we marked the beginning of Cheshvan. We marked the new moon by reciting Hallel and adding a special Torah reading (a Maftir) and a special reading from the Prophets (Haftarah). But there is also something else we can do to mark this Creation cycle: the blessing of the Moon (Birkat Ha-Levanah also known as Kiddush Levanah, Sanctification of the Moon). For the full Birkat Ha-Levanah and more moon units, click here.

Fall Food Festival
While the festival of Sukkot has passed, this harvest season reminds us of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness of Sinai and serves as a symbol for our vision of Eden, a world of plenty in which the bounty of the earth flourishes around us. This is an appropriate time for Jews to consider the consequences of what we eat and how we grow our food for our own health and the health of our planet. As we enjoy the fall harvest, let's do our best to support local farmers, purchase organic produce grown without pesticides, and practice the mitzvah of shmirat haguf (safeguard the body) by healthy eating and an awareness of the food we eat.

Sukkot and Ecology - Harvesting Food for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) search
The Eco Kosher Network

Boston Gives Thanks to the Source and We're All in the Same Boat in New York
On October 3, Greater Boston COEJL along with Temple Beth Zion of Brookline co-sponsored a discussion that focused on the connections between the Jewish celebration of Sukkot and contemporary ideas about sustainable agriculture. The evening began with songs inside the Sukkah led by Rabbi Ebn Leader, Co-Director of Bet Midrash at Hebrew College. Rabbi Leader discussed the textual connections between Judaism and agriculture which was followed by a lively discussion. Afterwards, Chris Yoder, an organic farmer from Dover, Massachusetts spoke about the workings of his organic farm.

Meanwhile, in New York, the Garrison Institute and Hudson Valley Sloop Clearwater hosted the first Hudson River Interfaith Sail for the Environment to introduce the formation of the Hudson Valley Interfaith Rivers Project and to learn how we can collectively provide holistic stewardship of the river. For more on the Boston celebration and the Clearwater sail, click here.