JEI Planting Trees as a Religious Act

Members of the Jewish Environmental Initiative, the COEJL Chapter in St. Louis, are getting ready for their two fall tree-planting events. On October 26, volunteers will be planting trees in a small park in the St. Louis suburb of University City, the home base of the area’s Orthodox Jewish community. Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform congregations, as well students from Washington University’s Hillel Center, will be participating.

On November 2, JEI will be planting trees in a state park on the outskirts of the metro area. This tree-planting is cosponsored by the Interfaith Partnership, an alliance of 24 religious bodies and denominations. The event will start with a brief interfaith program, featuring readings from the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Bahai, Buddhist, and Native American traditions.

These two programs will put the total number of trees planted through JEI at over 6,000. JEI usually sponsors four tree-plantings a year, which have become highlights of the year for Jewish environmentalists. People of all ages have fun as hundreds of trees are planted at each event. The tree-plantings not only help improve area parks but also emphasize that planting is a mitzvah for Jews, who are commanded to be stewards of God’s creation—the Earth—and tend to God’s garden. The events are also great for community relations, since many of them are co-sponsored with non-Jewish organizations. Several have taken place in inner city parks. The plantings are made possible through the donation of trees by Forest ReLeaf of Missouri and the cooperation of area parks departments.

JEI is a committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis.