GREENING SYNAGOGUES RESOURCES

2. SYNAGOGUE GROUNDS

“When you come into the land, plant all manner of trees…” -- Leviticus 19:23

“The Holy Blessed One said to the people of Israel: ‘Even though you will find the land bountiful, do not decide to sit and not sow. Rather, be very diligent in planting. Just as you found planting done by others when you arrived, so, too, you are to plant for future generations.’” -- Midrash Tanchuma, Kedoshim 8

Most of the land that synagogues and other Jewish communities hold in trust, besides a few dense urban areas where buildings fill entire plots, is not built upon – but our synagogue grounds are walked upon, paved and driven over, played on, planted, and admired, reviled, or ignored. Are we being good stewards of this gift of good land?

The choices that synagogues make about landscaping carry many serious implications:

Budgetary: native plantings need less water, maintenance, and artificial treatments to thrive, and are better for the local environment. Creative use of topography, building site, drainage, etc. can save on water bills, and potentially displace other expenditures on retention ponds, re-grading, basement repairs, and more.

Health: the fewer chemicals are put on the grounds – pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, and the like – the more comfortable we can be about letting our children play there.

Environmental: as more and more of our metropolitan areas get made over in people’s image, we can use synagogue grounds to create pockets of native habitat for the grasses and trees, flowers and ferns, birds and butterflies which once were all over our area.

Educational: mini-gardens are great places to teach about the Jewish agricultural laws and traditions, which are at the core of our tradition; they can also showcase biblical species, or be used for season- and holiday-specific planting projects. Composting can be an object lesson in the life cycle. And choices made by synagogues are always educational, since they model what members can do in their homes, offices, schools, and lives.

Aesthetic: “Wild” landscaping, with just a bit of creative human intervention, can be breathtakingly beautiful! We need sacrifice nothing to be good stewards of the land.

Native Plants: Make sure your landscaping plan takes into account what naturally grows best in your region – and what’s most needed. While you’re at it, turn your synagogue grounds into a real refuge using the resources of the National Wildlife Foundation via the COEJL Program Bank– where your synagogue grounds can even get accredited as a sustainable backyard habitat!

Parking Lot, and Parking Alternatives: Many synagogues cover more land with asphalt for driveways and parking, than with the building itself. Learn strategies for minimizing the environmental impact of your parking lot – along with ideas for carpooling, ridesharing, and other alternatives to driving to shul in the first place (not to mention good old walking!).

Composting: The cycles of life and death, decay and rebirth, are nowhere clearer than in a compost heap. Prevent hundreds of pounds of yard waste, trimmings, and food leftovers from wasting away in a landfill; instead, turn that into the richest, sweetest, healthiest soil you can imagine. It’s much easier than you think; kids will really get into it; and if you’re ambitious, members can “contribute” to the heap as well!

Mishnah Gardens: Since so much of our tradition is agricultural, and the entire first of six orders of the Mishnah is called Z’ra’im (Seeds), use a chunk of your land to practice sustainable agriculture! Feed yourselves, and those in need, while learning learning hands-on about vital aspects of our tradition. While you’re at it, check out some exciting new initiatives in Jewish sustainable agriculture, like the Adamah program at Connecticut’s Isabella Freedman Retreat Center, or Farmer D’s Atlanta-based Gan Chaim project.

Lawn Equipment: Few things pollute as much as a typical lawnmower, weed-whacker, or other gas-powered lawn implement. The short answer is to avoid two-stroke motors or any other small gas engine, and to use electric or rechargeable equipment wherever possible. Find out more here.