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8 days, 8 actions
| | 8 simple actions to help conserve energy, slow global climate change, and save you money!
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?Adopting? Parks, Streams, Roadsides
| | To work with synagogue members at enhancing the beauty and environmental quality of a local natural area.
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A Congregational Approach to Greening the Holidays
| | Utilize the Jewish tradition's rich teachings to cultivate a cleaner, healthier, and more inspiring environment.
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A Discussion on Interdependence and Diversity
| | This activity encourages participants to pay more attention to the diverse components of their world and how these interact with one another.
Any of these sections can be done as a separate exercise.
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A Jewish View on the Pesticide Problem
| | Pestices are, by definition, substances that can kill. Jewish tradition has a lot to say both about agriculture and about what should happen when something done for a good reasons ends up hurting someone else.
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A Nature Treasure Hunt
| | Help people take a closer look at some of the parts of nature around them by searching for specific parts of nature discussed in the Bible and other traditional Jewish texts.
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A Yom Kippur pledge to the earth
| | A Yom Kippur sermon centering on habitat and an important lesson about the power of truth and activism. Also includes discussion questions.
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Adopt a Species or a Habitat
| | Ways you can help protect species, or preserve natural habitats.
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Adopt A Tree
| | The more you know about a tree, the more you can help it!
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Advocating for Environmental Legislation
| | To empower congregants to write letters to their elected officials concerning environmental legislation and to connect them with the Jewish community?s advocacy efforts.
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Animal Sounds Game
| | Developing a sense of the diversity within the animal kingdom and identifying with Adam's role in naming the animals.
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Baal Tashchit: How Much Do We Waste?
| | To help families examine and reduce the amount of waste they produce.
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Bark Boats
| | A very simple little boat with a leaf sail--the kind our grandfathers may have sailed down streams years ago.
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Be A Tree-tective
| | How to Spot Common Tree Troubles and How to Help!
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Branching Out
| | A terrific selection of hands-on knowledge making activities!
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Build a Tree
| | Players act out the various parts of a tree: the taproot, lateral roots, heartwood, sapwood, phloem/cambium, and bark. In large groups, more than one player can take each role.
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Can Succot Bring You Closer to the Environment?
| | An article about Succot and the environment from the author's perspective.
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Conducting an Institutional Environmental Audit
| | To help make the ?institutional lifestyle? of your synagogue more environmentally responsible and to use the synagogue as a role model to encourage congregants to make their own lifestyles more environmentally responsible.
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Counselor's Guide to Jewish Environmental Practices at Cam
| | A guide that forms the basis of an environmental teachings at a summer camp.
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Create a Rainstick
| | Great for a rainy day or any day!
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Creating a Habitat-Defending Endangered Species and Habita
| | There are many ways that your synagogue, school, JCC and or Hillel can help defend and protect endangered species and habitat.
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Detoxify Your Home - Create Your Own Cleaning Products
| | Create your own cleaning products. Subsitute non-toxic cleaners and pesticides in your home. This sounds like a hard thing to do but in fact is somewhat simple. Just takes a little education and effort.
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Discover Spring
| | A nature walk to learn all aspects of spring including early wildflowers, foliage, increased bird activity and emerging insects.
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Earth Day Passport Project Idea
| | Create an environmental passport for your Eco-Fair.
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Earth Midrash
| | Use this text-based program to stimulate intellectual growth
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Eco-Spiritual Thoughts on Sukkot
| | Some thoughts about why it's important to celebrate Sukkot
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En-"dangered" Beings - Lesson One - Active Ecosystem
| | A group activity, involving movement and games, ending ina question/discussion follow-up.
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En-"dangered" Beings - Lesson Two - Midrashic Text
| | The program involves Midrashic text on Noah
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En-"dangered" Beings - Objectives, Introduction & Warm Ups
| | This is an outline of objectives along with an introduction and warm up for two programs on Endangered beings. The Warm-up games can be used for other programs to get a group moving.
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Endangered Species Are God's Creatures.
| | This is a speech or sermon on the topic of Endangered Species. Surrounding the themes or notions that: Endangered species are God's creatures. Millions of species are in danger of becoming extinct in the next half a century. Noah was a righteous person in his generation. Shouldn't we be in ours?
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Enviro-Sukkoth Program: Part 1 of 5 - Introduction
| | This program combines traditional teachings about the holiday (including rituals) with contemporary environmental/agricultural themes (such as organic food and genetically-modified organisms).
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Enviro-Sukkoth Program: Part 2 of 5 - Main Script
| | The script for the activities mentioned in Enviro_Sukkoth: Part 1
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Enviro-Sukkoth Program: Part 3 of 5 - Children's Module
| | This is the children's module for Enviro-Sukkoth. The goal is to provide the children with an entertaining experience that teaches about Sukkot and contemporary agricultural theme.
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Enviro-Sukkoth Program: Part 4 of 5 - Discussion Papers
| | This includes the discussion papers for the Organics discussion and for Genetically Engineered Food discussions
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Enviro-Sukkoth Program: Part 5 of 5 - Recipe and Resources
| | The misc resources includes the bibliography for all 5 parts and a Sukkoth cake recipe.
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Environmental Beit Din
| | A large group re-enactment of a town hall meeting based on an environmental question.
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Environmental Law Discussion Papaer
| | A case study and discussion on an environmental law case.
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Environmental Mishloach Manot
| | A group can raise money to put together environmentally friendly mischloach manot for Purim.
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Environmental Service
| | The following is the service that we performed with Native Americans at Haskell Indian Nations University, in honor of the neighboring wetlands that was threatened by development.
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Explore Your Habitat -- Field Trips
| | The best way to learn about your local native habitat is to go and explore it. How to do this, while making this exploration a Jewish Experience.
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Garden Project
| | "Grow! Grow!" say the angels to each blade of grass. Experience nature by being directly involved in the process of growing things. Tips for growing herbs, flowers, and fruits.
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Genesis Creation Story Skits
| | To explore the concept of God as the Creator of the world, and to develop a sense of the cumulative nature of creation as expressed in the Biblical story.
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Getting Involved
| | Transforming our society into an environmentally sustainable one is a decades-long project which requires multiple simultaneous strategies. Here are a number of propositions & suggestions about Jewish environmental organizations.
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Global Climate Change and Hard-Boiled Eggs
| | A hands-on activity to teach young chldren (Kindergarten-4th grade) about the concept of Global Climate Change
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Go on a Paper Hunt!
| | Find out how much paper you use in your home and how you can reduce, reuse, and recycle more paper!
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God's "Creations": Discussing our Relationship with Nature
| | To begin a discussion of people's relationship with Nature and God's "Creation."
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Government, the Common Good, and the Environment
| | A general exploration of themes of community and responsibility in Jewish texts and an example of how to develop these themes in sermons.
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Green Gifts
| | Help cut down on waste and try some of these environmentally friendly gift ideas this Hanukkah.
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Green Tsuvah
| | Green Tsuvah is a survey designed to allow you to take a look at how you are living on Earth. The survey will allow you to examine your lifestyle and offer ideas on how to make change, tsuvah.
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Greening Sukkot? - Get Real!
| | One environmental aspect of the holiday that could receive more attention is the source of decorations for our personal or communal Sukkah.
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Guide to Using COEJL's Tu B'Shvat Poster
| | The following overview of themes and programmatic suggestions, in conjunction with the Tu B'Shvat poster, provides educators of children and adults with the basic tools necessary for a program on Judaism and ecology.
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Habitat - Introduction, Objectives and Warm Up
| | This is just an outline of objectives and an introduction to three programs on "Habitat," and a 15 minute warm up game.
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Habitat - Lesson One - Oh Bear !!
| | Active game -- concluding with a discussion.
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Habitat - Lesson Three - Web of Life
| | The object here is to demonstrate the importance of every member of an ecosystem and community. This is an active game - ending in a facilitated group discussion.
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Habitat - Lesson Two - Becoming a Being
| | A movement exercise. Gives the group a chance to be creative while learning about endangered species and habitats. Ends in a facilitated group discussion.
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Hanukkah Energy Scavenger Hunt
| | For grades 5-8, learn and play about conserving energy!
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Hanukkah Sing-A-Long
| | Celebrate Hanukkah in harmony with these traditional and new songs.
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Help the F.B.I.
| | The F.B.I. (fungus, bacteria, and invertebrates) need your help in this outdoors exploration of decomposition and the nutrient cycle.
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Hoshanah Rabbah Celebration
| | A ceremony for the healing the creeks and oceans.
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Hosting an Environmental Fair
| | To bring a variety of environmental activities and information to a large number of people at the same time.
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How much water does my family use?
| | Use this chart to find out exactly how much water you are using! The chart also tracks how much money is being spent on water.
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Hug a Tree
| | Objectives:
1)To develop tactile senses
2)To introduce the symbol of the tree as a Jewish metaphor
3)To begin to help campers "look" closely at the uniqueness of trees
4)To foster the development of a personal relationship with a tree
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I.D. a Tree
| | Want to know more about a tree? Here are some I.D. starters
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Identity - Mask Making.
| | Mask making and decorating. Objectives: To encourage each student to identify more deeply with their species.
To expolore the power and magic of mask making.
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Jewish Earth Day
| | Embracing Tu b'Shevat as a Jewish Earth Day, linking traditional Jewish understandings with concerns for the global ecological crisis.
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Jewish Environmental Sermonic Material: Part One
| | This material is intended to offer sermon suggestions for Rabbis, but can be used for others. A list of 12 suggested sermonic approaches to Jewish environmental themes.
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Jewish Environmental Sermonic Material: Part Two
| | A detailed look and explanation of the themes for each of the days of the "First Week" and how these themes can be presented in an environmental sermon.
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Jewish Quotes Discussion
| | To consider in depth ancient Jewish teachings on Tsaar Baalei Chayim. To enable children to respond within an authentically Jewish formula by creating their own 'talmudic' commentaries.
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L'Or v'Or, L'Dor v'Dor
| | Have an intergenerational discussion about issues of the environment and energy
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L'ovdah u'L'Shomra - "To Work and Protect" - Part Three
| | Survival A program discussing the three physical things that every living organism needs to stay alive. Asking questions along the lines of - Are animals' and humans' needs for survival similar, etc.?
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L'ovdah u'L'Shomra - "To Work and Protect" - Part Two
| | "The Big Talk" To explore the various interpretations and uses of the word shomer. To begin dialogue about survival; our basic needs for survival in the world. Concepts surrounding Creation One Vs. Creation Two
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L'ovdah u'L'Shomra - "To Work and Protect" - Part One
| | Ball Toss Objective - To introduce and develop a personal connection to the ideas of protection (personal, communal, parental, environmental) and care (emotion & physical) of both oneself and the greater community.
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Living the Low-Impact Way -- In the home
| | The way we live our lives has an impact on the world around us. The following are some recommendations for living in a healthy and low-impact way.
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Make Your Own Recycled Paper
| | It's easier than you think!
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Measure A Tree
| | How can you measure the height of a 40 foot tree? It's easy with this activity.
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Oh Deer!
| | All life needs the components of food, shelter, water and space to survive in a habitat.
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Omer for the Earth
| | An exercise to realign our thinking a little: an environmentalist's guide to counting the Omer - an Omer for the Earth.
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Omer for the Earth Day: A Family Programme
| | This program was created to remind us of our reliance on and responsibility to our natural environment. This program is written for families but can also be adapted for classrooms.
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Organic Shloach Minot
| | Group can organize organic shaloch manot baskets.
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Overview of Jewish Texts on Biodiversity & Responsibility
| | Quotes, statistics, and questions to study Biodiversity and Human Responsibility
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Place and Purpose for Everything in Creation
| | To look more closely at things in nature that we may take for granted, and to appreciate that each and every part of Creation has its special place and purpose.
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Plant a Tree of Life
| | Plant a tree, care for trees or sponsor planting of trees
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Preparing for Passover: Readings for the Seder Table
| | Suggestions for reflecting on the role of consuption of material goods in our lives in preparation for Passover and some readings for the seder table to supplement portions of the Haggadah.
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Recycling and Waste Reduction Program
| | To involve the synagogue in recycling, either through joining with an established program or through its own efforts, and to use the synagogue as a ?role model? to encourage congregants to recycle at home.
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Remembering Creation
| | Examining Rosh Hashanah with an eye towards saving the environnment.
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Return to Eden: Lawn and Garden Care- The Low-Impact Way
| | You can eliminate the se of fertilizers, weed killers, and pesticides and still have healthy and attractive lawns and gardens.
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Roots and Branches: A Jewish Study and Ecoteam Workbook
| | An introduction to the 6 part series. What can we do, as Jews, to protect the environment? How does our Jewish faith affect our relationship with the natural world?
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Roots and Branches: Section 1 - Dumping on Garbage
| | One of Judaism?s strongest environmental mitzvot is a prohibition against waste. The mitzvah is called Bal tashchit, which means ?Do not destroy.?
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Roots and Branches: Section 2 - Wasting Water
| | Water has played an extremely important role in the development of Judaism and Jewish ethics.
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Roots and Branches: Section 3 - Saving Energy
| | Judaism began long before anyone worried about global warming or dependence on foreign energy supplies. But even then, energy for cooking and light was valued and Judaism instructed our ancestors to use it properly.
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Roots and Branches: Section 4 - Ticket to Ride
| | Cutting down on your driving is a mitzvah in more ways than one.
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Roots and Branches: Section 5: Good Buys are Forever
| | Unnecessary consumption is essentially waste, and we have seen that Judaism prohibits waste. In this chapter we are focusing on the ?reduce? part of ?reduce, reuse, recycle.?
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Roots and Branches: Section 6: You make the difference
| | The activities in this section concentrate on comunity-building and empowerment. Judaism is inherently a religion of community.
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Seeds in Our Hands: A Tu b'Shevat Seder
| | Poems and explanations to be used for a Tu b'Shevat Seder
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Seeing the Forest for the City
| | A classroom based program to broaden the students' awareness of the natural components that exist in a city
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Seeing the Special in the ?Ordinary?
| | To enhance appreciation of the majesty of the everyday and to acquaint people with traditional blessings connected with nature.
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Sh'ma - Becoming an 'Observing' Jew
| | To learn the important of paying close attention to the world around us through new insights into the "sh'ma" prayer.
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Shavuot: Festival of Wheat Harvest
| | Celebrate the agricultural elements of Shavuot by learning the steps of a wheat harvest through a cooperative relay race.
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Simulation Game: Working for Environmental Justice
| | To help people begin to understand some of the disparities in environmental conditions in different communities and to encourage them to consider undertaking advocacy on environmental justice issues.
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Small Steps Toward Environmental Tikkun For Home & Synagog
| | Some simple environmental acts that you can do at home and the synagogue.
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Some Eco-Spiritual Thoughts on Sukkot
| | Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz's musings on the ecological message of Sukkot.
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Sponsoring a Household Hazards Pickup Day
| | To eliminate the inappropriate disposal of household hazards by sponsoring their safe pickup and by encouraging the use of less toxic alternatives.
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Spring into Passover
| | Ideas to take the lessons of liberation beyond just slavery, but to the earth's liberation.
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Starting a Hug Tevah in Your Community
| | A Hug Tevah (literally Nature Circle) is a group of individuals interested in promoting environmental study, spirituality and action in a Jewish Community.
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Starting an Urban Garden: Peah Gardens/Corner Plots
| | To create a synagogue garden and to advocate for urban gardening in your area.
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Starting Up A Jewish Community Garden
| | The community garden is a physical space dedicated to the growth of food for the body, vegetables and fruit, and food for the soul.
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Suggested Tu B'Shevat Events Inspired by Traditional Sources
| | 4 Activites for Tu B'Shevat inspired by the Bible
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Sukkot & The Environment: Texts for Study
| | Texts for study and discussion.
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Sukkot: Vayikra 22:23 - 23:24
| | A look at Animal sustainability through a Dvar from Vayikra 22:23
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Sunrise Service
| | This program uses the regular morning service as a means of helping people to be conscious of the miracle of each day.
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Ta'aseh Lecha Teva- Build Yourself an Ark -Lesson Two
| | Creating Sacred Space - Objective: To develop personal interpretations of the meaning and symbol of the Ark. To begin to understand what protection can mean in different contexts.
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Ta'aseh Levch Teva- Build Yourself an Ark - Lesson One
| | Objective: To develop personal interpretations fo the meaning and symbol of the Ark. To begin to understand what protection can mean in different contexts.
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Take an Energy Survey of the Campus
| | Campus energy-efficiency programs and advanced technology programs have become models for institutional efficiency and have cut millions from utility bills.
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Ten Modern Plagues
| | A short list of today's environmental concerns reads like an enumeration of ten modern plagues.
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The Dance of the Red Oak
| | Lead a dance activity based on the life cycle of a tree.
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The Food Chain Game
| | Participants learn how pesticides enter food chains.
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The greening of Pesach
| | Suggested activities to 'green' Pesach
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The Jewish Calendar and the Rhythms of Nature
| | Through studying the Jewish calendar, participants will learn how Jewish holidays are tied to the changing seasons and agricultural cycles of the Land of Israel.
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The Jewish View of Ecology
| | The link between religion and ecology has ever been present in the writings of Jewish thinkers, and plays a most important role in Jewish theology as well.
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The Lorax - by Dr. Seuss
| | It is never too early and never too late to learn about ecology. The book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is a great tool to use for all age groups.
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The Neighborhood Champion Tree Contest
| | A "champion tree" is the biggest of its kind. Get all of your neighborhood involved to find your own Champion Tree!
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The Revenge of the Oak Trees: A Non-Fiction Story
| | A non-fiction, early reader story.
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The Tree Play
| | An interactive activity for children to demonstrate the benefits of trees to humans and other animals.
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This Place is for the Birds
| | Create your own Birdfeeders!!!
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To There it Returns: Compost
| | To help children learn about recycling and what does and does not decompose, and to encourage the synagogue to consider doing its own composting. Using the passage from Ecclesiastes as a point of departure, this program can also open into a larger discussion about how nature can replenish itself through a life cycle of birth-death-rebirth.
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Tree Bark Jewish Art
| | Make any moment outdoors into a hands-on Jewish activity
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Tree Bookmarks
| | A Tu B'shevat program to create Tree Bookmarks
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Tree Buddies
| | Students engage a number of senses to build a personal relationship with a tree and understand its role in the cycles.
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Tree History
| | Make connections between the social and natural world by conducting an interview about trees. Use that information to create a mishpaha atz, a family tree!
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Tree Imagery
| | Tree Imagery is a guided visualization that takes the participants through the yearly cycle of a tree. It works well when combined with activities like Hug a Tree, or when there is a strong bond between the participants and leader. It requires an out of the way location and a group that is in a relaxed state.
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Tree Planting Ceremony
| | A ceremony to perform when planting trees.
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Tree Poetry or
| | This program helps children see a tree from different perspectives and record its image in a poem.
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Tree Trivia or Tree-via
| | Here are some great facts for trivia games or to supplement any tree related activity.
*Reminder that this program was entered in 2002. Some facts may have changed*
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Tu B'Shevat Biblical Treasure Hunt
| | Goal - To have students take a closer look at their natural surroundings by using items from the Torah and other traditional Jewish texts.
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Tu b'Shevat: A New Seder for a New Year
| | A brief look at Tu b'Shevat and why we have a seder on this special holiday.
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Tu B'Shevat: A Study of Judaism & the Environment
| | A text study, discussion, and seder designed to look at how Tu B'Shevat connects Judaism with the Environment
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Tu B'Shuvat: Study in Jewish Tradition
| | An educational primer to help teach Tu B'Shavat. Includes quotes and questions to ask in your classroom.
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Tu B'shvat: A Time to Celebrate Trees
| | A resource for why we celebrate Tu B'Shvat, and what we can do to celebrate this holiday.
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Turn Out Those Lights
| | For the cost of four t-shirts, jackets or hats, your school could save as much as $1000 a month in energy costs.
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Twig Investigation
| | The winter twigs of each kind of tree are unique, but some of the features common to all show evidence of seasons past, and promise for the coming spring. These activities helps kids identify the unique aspects of each twig.
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Vegetarianism: Essential for Jewish Renewel?
| | A look at why vegetarianism is essential for Jewish renewal.
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Water Destination Relay
| | Down came the rain and washed the spider out... then what happened to the water? Using facts, visualization, and a relay race students learn where our water comes from and where it goes in our city environment
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What the Synagogue and Sisterhood Can Do
| | Easy and everyday activites that can Green up the Synagogue and Sisterhood
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Winter Twigs
| | Brighten up the dark season with these fun activities that include enough scientific information to teach any age level.
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Wisdom of the Forest
| | Get every student out of their seat with this interactive classroom program to teach the Jewish perspective that the forest is a perfect model of nature in balance
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Write your own prayer of Thanksgiving
| | Use the inspiration of Hanukkah to write your own prayer.
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