GREENING SYNAGOGUES RESOURCES

6. ADULT EDUCATION

“Lilmod u’l’lamed, to learn and to teach” – Ahavah Rabbah, Shacharit liturgy

Adult education – one of the most important aspects of any congregational program – is a vital place for synagogue-goers to engage with environmental matters. One approach is to simply offer a series (ala “Judaism and Ecology” or “Intro to Eco-Judaism”) of sessions on various environmental themes in Jewish texts and values -- for that, feel free to use or adapt the many shiurim / lessons that you can download here. Another approach would be to develop one theme well, such as “the Environment in Israel” or “nature in Jewish thought”; some of the examples of what other shuls have done, found below, may be helpful here.

While we encourage you to plan as many environmentally-themed adult education classes as you can, we also know the value in integrating ecological concerns into other topics. A class on Bible or Talmud can illustrate its points by elaborating on key environmental texts in our sacred literature (e.g. Leviticus 25, or Bava Kama 80a) – so even as participants come to learn classic texts, they also learn about the environment. A class on Israel can, and arguably should, dwell on the concept and reality of Eretz Yisrael, the land itself, and its challenges. A class on rituals around death and dying can use “returning to nature” and “simplicity” as leitmotifs. And so on…

In addition to the areas listed below, many other resources for adult education are scattered throughout the COEJL website; some are cross-listed here, but some are not. Think about how you can integrate visuals, snippets from radio interviews, texts, questions, exercises, and more into your lessons. And here, you should find plenty of starting-points:

Perhaps the best place to start is the COEJL Program Bank, which contains dozens of various programs geared toward adults, plus hundreds more geared toward children (which, though less relevant, might offer useful insights or gleanings).

Perhaps you will find models of synagogue environmental adult education programs helpful. Here are various approaches taken by synagogues doing eco-adult education – not all are easily replicable in every shul, but each may offer a useful template to consider. Among them is one movement’s draft attempt at combining study materials, texts, policies, and resources into one statement.

Finally, and perhaps most usefully, we offer here a series of Ready-To-Go Shiurim (Lessons/Classes), listed below – make the most out of them; make them your own; make them real in the life of your community. Zil ul’mad – go and learn, and go and teach!

TEXTS
Basic Sources and Values
Genesis 1
Genesis: Ecology, Gender, Theology
Bal Tashchit: Not Wasting as the ‘First and Most General Call of God’

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN JEWISH THOUGHT
Why Energy is a Jewish Issue
Judaism and Energy
Jewish Resources on Climate Change
Biodiversity in Jewish Thought
Wilderness in Jewish Thought
Property Rights and Public vs. Private in Seder Nezikin

Click here to see what adult education programs like that at your synagogue have already done, and to learn from their stories.