CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION, BUILDING MATERIALS

So we should build a just synagogue – but how? In this section, you’ll find numerous suggestions and ideas for how to design, specify materials for, and build your new (or expanded, or retrofitted) shul.

Know the resources which are available, and aim high. Consider pursuing LEED (Leadership Excellence in Environmental Design) certification, and learn cutting-edge environmental approaches and analyses at the U.S. Green Building Council website.

No matter how “green” you intend your synagogue to become, the first agenda item is always to convince key stakeholders and decision-makers that justice and sustainability must be central in your synagogue’s building efforts. Gather talking points, strategies, texts and values here.

Early in the process? Browse some very useful secular green architecture resources, and see numerous ways that your synagogue can incorporate affordable, sustainable cutting-edge approaches and technologies.

Learn about synagogues that have built comparatively green structures, and see which elements of their designs your shul might emulate – or surpass! A few examples come from Bethesda MD (including ‘lessons learned’), and Evanston IL .

Choosing materials is a key step in the design process, one you can influence even once the contractor has begun ordering them. Most every building uses a lot of wood; make sure that as much of it is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as possible. And every building has a floor! Do all that you can to avoid PVC or vinyl; explore alternatives here, along with Jewish educational materials explaining why this matters, and a flyer for a remarkable movie that makes a great educational tool in synagogues (and elsewhere).

The kitchen – an ever-popular room in the synagogue, (for obvious reasons!), is also an important place for possible energy savings.

And no choice made during the design process has as much impact on the building’s future energy usage – and bills – as the HVAC (heat-vent-air-conditioning) system. The one possible exception to that rule is when you can site the synagogue building in such a way as to take advantage of what is called "passive solar energy."

Finally, if you’re just looking for a simple list of ideas and resources to present to your building committee or board, we’ve got that too.

Good luck building a just synagogue! And again, please let COEJL know about commitments you make, and milestones you reach.