GREENING SYNAGOGUES RESOURCES

Holidays

The holiday cycle presents a nearly infinite number of entry-points for Jewish environmental programming. In most synagogues, it is precisely the communal celebration of holidays where most ecologically-oriented programs find their hook. Among the most popular are taking up themes of sustainable (local, organic) agriculture at Sukkot; energy conservation at Hanukkah; general environmental concerns and awareness at Tu B’Shvat; and consumption issues (as well as hazardous materials, as a sort of eco-hametz) at Pesach. But in fact, all the Jewish holidays -- and the Jewish calendar itself -- have strong environmental connections, and could be the springboard for all kinds of eco-programs.

Resources abound; references to specific holidays are found throughout the COEJL website, often in the Celebrate section, and far beyond. The COEJL Program Bank, contains a huge number of holiday-specific programs, ready-to-go; under “Category Search,” the very first option is to choose a holiday, and you’re one click away from a bevy of useful ideas and resources. Another good overall place to start is with the “how-to” manual provided by one of the earliest local Jewish-environmental organizations, Hug Tevah of northern New Jersey.