ecoAmerica unveiled the 10 finalists for the sixth annual American Climate Leadership Awards (ACLA), the nation’s premier recognition program honoring outstanding efforts to expand climate advocacy and action with $200,000 in awards. Chosen from a competitive pool of over 260 applicants by a distinguished panel of national judges, these organizations and individuals exemplify leadership in driving local, state, and national climate solutions. Together, they will share $155,000 in awards, celebrating their innovative approaches and commitment to a sustainable future.

“Our changing climate and shifting weather patterns are impacting communities across America right now. This isn’t someone else’s problem — we all have a role to play in reducing climate pollution and ensuring our homes and communities are resilient,” said ecoAmerica President Bob Perkowitz. “ Amid these challenges, individuals and organizations are stepping up and making a real difference. The 2025 American Climate Leadership Awards celebrates their leadership and innovation, sharing their successes to inspire and empower us all to take action for a sustainable future.”

The American Climate Leadership Awards honor schools, health organizations, faith institutions, everyday individuals, youth, and many others with outstanding performance across the following criteria:

1. Measurable impact and a track record of success
2. Replicability
3. How the initiative is broadening participation in climate action by engaging new audiences not typically involved in the climate movement
4. Innovation, including new, novel, or uniquely effective tactics 
5. Effective storytelling, including demonstrating the success of how your program built public support and/or political will to slow and/or stop climate change or prepare or build resilience to it

Register here for the April 16 American Climate Leadership Awards broadcast, to celebrate all finalists and hear the announcement of the winner, runner-up, and youth winner, who will receive $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 in total awards respectively.

The finalists in the youth category, each receiving at least $5,000 for work up to the state level:

• Alexia Leclercq
• Bay Area Youth Climate Summit
• Carolyn He – Project Green Schools
• Golda Och Academy (GOA) Chapter of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM)
• Pencil 2 Planet
• Prairie Restoration Crew – St. Mark’s School of Texas
• Siddhan Shah – Quest Science Center
• SEI Climate Corps
• Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action

Read more about the selection process HERE.

ecoAmerica is a nonprofit organization that moves society toward climate solutions by engaging and supporting trusted national institutions to inspire and empower their millions of members in local communities across America to visibly act and advocate for ambitious, just, climate mitigation, resilience, and restoration.

The post ecoAmerica Announces Finalists for the 2025 American Climate Leadership Awards appeared first on Adamah.

In recent years, Tu B’Shvat has become a way to note the natural connections between trees and agriculture and the environmental movement.

It’s still cold and wintry in Detroit, but Israel is marking the end of the rainy season and the start of spring with the festival of Tu b’Shvat — the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat.

Joining to celebrate with a festive meal — the Tu B’Shvat seder — about 60 people from the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue (IADS), Adamah Detroit, Repair the World Detroit, The Well and Congregation T’chiyah gathered at the Samantha Woll Center for Jewish Detroit (home of IADS) in Downtown Detroit.

Tu B’Shvat started as a date for marking the tax status of trees and became known as the New Year of Trees, a minor festival. It gained significance in the 1500s during the Kabbalist period of Jewish mysticism with the development of the Tu B’Shvat seder. Early Zionists adopted the seder to celebrate Jews’ connection to their ancestral homeland by enjoying the wine and produce of Israel.

In recent years, Tu B’Shvat has become a way to note the natural connections between trees and agriculture and the environmental movement, with an emphasis on conservation. The Detroit Tu B’Shvat seder organizers noted that it takes seven or eight mature trees to produce enough oxygen for one person for one year.

Celebrants enjoyed four cups of wine (or grape juice), starting with all white, representing winter. The second cup was half white and half red, the third cup one-quarter white and three-quarters red, and the final cup all red with just a drop of white. Corresponding fruits are those with shells and peels (in this case, nuts), those with inedible pits and seeds (oranges and dates), entirely edible fruits (blueberries), and those that offer spiritual sustenance with a pleasant smell (rosemary).

Leaders included Rabbi Arianna Silverman, Jaime Bean and Jeremy Soper from IADS, Rabbi Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh from The Well, Julie Rosenbaum from Adamah Detroit, Rebecca Steinman-DeGroot from Repair the World Detroit and Carly Sugar from Congregation T’chiyah.

Guest speakers Naim Edwards and Stathis Pauls from the Michigan State University Extension discussed their project, the Detroit Partnership for Food Learning and Innovation in northwest Detroit. The 3.5-acre site, on Lamphere Street near McNichols and Grand River, which combines plantings and innovative conservation methods, is open to the public.

Photos by Jamie Feldman

The post Detroit Celebrates Tu B’Shvat with a Festive Seder and Environmental Focus appeared first on Adamah.

On Tu B’Shvat 5785, Adamah announced a three-year, $3 million dollar investment in Adamah’s climate work from the newly launched Jewish Climate Trust (JCT), a new think-and-do tank co-chaired by Stephen Bronfman and Michael Sonnenfeldt. At the helm as CEO is Nigel Savage, founder of Hazon.

This is far and away the largest grant that has ever been given to fund climate work within the Jewish community. Working together, Adamah and JCT hope to leverage this moment to unlock unprecedented philanthropic support and communal engagement in Jewish climate action moving forward.

Jewish Climate Trust’s mission is to catalyze Jewish climate action in Israel and the Diaspora, at pace and at scale.

Learn more here about how JCT plans to mobilize wealth, wisdom, and networks to effect change.

Join their mailing list.

This visionary investment will grow Adamah’s impact in several key areas:

We will build upon the data we have gathered from Adamah’s Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition (now over 400 members!) in order to create a Roadmap to Decarbonize Jewish Life, laying out a bold 10+ year plan to decarbonize Jewish institutions and households across North America.

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To implement the Roadmap, we will catalyze dramatic growth in our Adamah Climate Action Fund to accelerate the pace of change by funding institutional greening projects nationwide.

We will also invest in Multifaith Partnerships, mobilizing the Adamah network in key coalition-building initiatives with allied faith communities, locally and nationally.

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We will launch the Jewish Green Business Network, connecting Jewish green business leaders worldwide, supporting students and young professionals, and accelerating our collective impact both within the Jewish world and beyond.

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“All my life I’ve been involved in the Jewish community; involved in the environment; and involved in philanthropy. Michael and Nigel and I, and our other stakeholders, believe that now is a time that we all need to raise our game on climate. So I’m proud to be launching Jewish Climate Trust; proud of this grant to Adamah; and excited to see this work grow in impact in the coming months and years.”
– Stephen Bronfman

Read more about JCT’s launch in the news:

By Judah Ari Gross

Stephen Bronfman, Michael Sonnenfeldt launch new Jewish Climate Trust with major philanthropic backers

By Sue Surkes

Budding climate fund seeks to guide Jewish response to era’s greatest threat

By Asaf Elia-Shalev

Jewish philanthropists launch climate initiative with $18M for advocacy in US and Israel

The post Tu B’Shvat 5785 & the Jewish Climate Trust appeared first on Adamah.

by Sam Sobel

February 12, 2025 

Hello, reader! In case you missed the previous Baltimore Environmental Sustainability Network blogs, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sam Sobel, and I’m the Baltimore climate action coordinator for Adamah.

The BESN is a collection of Jewish organizations and individuals working to promote a more sustainable Jewish Baltimore. This network is a partnership between The Associated and Adamah, initiated by Mark Smolarz and guided by the leadership of Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin.

While the BESN focuses on community collaboration, I also work with local Jewish organizations on their own climate efforts through Adamah’s national Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition. Open to any Jewish nonprofit at no cost, the Coalition is made up of community organizations that recognize the existential threat and moral urgency of climate change.

There is only one requirement for Coalition members — to submit a Climate Action Plan once a year in time for Tu B’Shvat, the Jewish new year of trees that starts this year at sundown on Wednesday, Feb. 12

An organization’s CAP details actions taken over the past year while setting goals for the coming year. More than 400 organizations internationally — primarily based in the United States and Canada — have joined the Coalition since its inception in September of 2022. Last Tu B’Shevat, there were eight Coalition members in Baltimore. By Tu B’Shevat this year, Baltimore can proudly claim 21 Coalition members.

The Coalition Climate Action Plan is broken down into a variety of categories focused on expanding impact and the path toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. While members are asked to share their progress in all categories, organizations often excel in one category more than the others. These strengths are apparent in our own community and are worthy of being spotlighted.

Energy Efficiency

The energy efficiency section of the CAP asks, “What steps have you taken and/or are you going to take to reduce energy use at your facilities?”

To begin to answer this question, an energy audit is often a useful first step. Several Coalition members in our community have gone through this process in the past year, including Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. The audit assessed the age and condition of all mechanical and other systems, and provided a list of energy conservation measure recommendations, which BHC plans to prioritize for implementation.

Having all-electric efficient equipment is a cornerstone for becoming a net-zero emissions building, a fact reflected in the opportunities of Adamah’s Climate Action Fund. One of these opportunities is the North American Climate Grant Fund, which has provided matching grants for projects that involve sourcing clean electricity, going electric and energy efficiency.

The Edward A. Myerberg Center in Northwest Baltimore was recognized for its climate goals with a grant award to replace its nearly four-decade-old refrigerator with a new and efficient model. When hearing about the Myerberg Center receiving this grant, one community member was inspired to donate a new freezer to complete the efficient set.

The Myerberg Center kitchen is far from complete however, as they plan to replace their ice machine and gas oven as well with efficient electric models, and share their experiences and the climate impact of their actions.

Fuel Switching to Electric Appliances

The goal of all-electric efficient appliances often requires switching over from fossil fuel-powered appliances to electric powered appliances. The Associated is engaging with this process by conducting a comprehensive inventory of fossil fuel-dependent equipment and infrastructure across their 19 buildings.

By carefully mapping out the natural replacement cycles of appliances, equipment, and vehicles, The Associated is creating a strategic roadmap for transitioning to electric alternatives. This methodical approach ensures both environmental and financial sustainability, setting an example for how organizations can make systematic progress toward climate goals.

Food We Serve

There are many intentional food choices that can be made to reflect a more sustainable way of eating. For Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Pikesville, a new grant from the Center for Jewish Food Ethics will allow them to model sustainable food choices for their community.

The synagogue and school will move toward more plant-based foods, starting with school lunches. To start, each Friday the meal is plant-based, with no meat or dairy. A caring committee of teachers, parents and synagogue members is brainstorming ways to help bring more plant-based options to other parts of programming, whether it’s the kiddush after services, meals and treats for the faculty and Shabbat/community dinners.

Food We Waste

As highlighted in a previous Jmore blog, food donation is a meaningful method of limiting food waste while also benefiting the community. When possible, the Towson University Hillel works with “The Hub,” the campus food resource organization. Through this partnership, Towson University Hillel aims to ensure that students in need have access to their food surplus, whether or not they are a part of the Hillel community.

Nature-Based Solutions

Nature-based solutions encompass climate action in natural spaces, such as lawns, forests, waterways and more. With 180 acres of land at the Pearlstone campus in Reisterstown, nature-based solutions are a priority.

This past year alone, 70 very rare Giant River Canen Arundinaria Gigantea — which used to be a major part of Maryland’s ecosystems but now are entirely gone — were planted onsite. Fourteen were also donated to other nurseries in the community to restore the species’ presence in the state.

But an organization doesn’t need to have a sprawling campus to make a difference with nature-based solutions. At Pikesville’s Beth Tfiloh Congregation, a stream restoration project in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency began in 2019.

The restoration of the Moores Branch runoff adjacent to Beth Tfiloh’s property has focused largely on future resiliency, installing components to protect from future erosion. In addition, a new footpath through the area was built so that anyone using the path as a shortcut for services would be gently steered onto a trail rather than disturbing the natural vegetation.

Education & Nature Connection

A central focus for many organizations is engaging communities through programming, celebrations and learning moments connecting people to the Earth, educating them about climate change and inspiring collective action

The Owings Mills Jewish Community Center exemplifies this approach with its pending grant proposal to create an educational nature trail featuring artwork highlighting native species. The project has actively sought community input throughout its development.

While this initiative represents a permanent installation, impactful environmental education can also occur through special events. One example is Chevrei Tzedek Synagogue’s upcoming “Green Mitzvathon” at The Myerberg Center (3101 Fallstaff Road).

This weekend-long event on May 2-4 will explore the Jewish principle of Earth stewardship (shmirat ha-adamah) while offering practical guidance for environmental action. Activities will include nature walks, services, plant-based meals and an environmental fair featuring educational demonstrations and eco-friendly vendors.

The 21 current Coalition members in Baltimore are deeply connected to our community, and the impact of their actions resonates far and wide. This is work to be proud of, and it’s only just beginning. Let us keep this important work up, growing and learning in our community climate solutions.

May we have peace on a healthy Earth. And go Orioles!

Feel free to reach out to Sam Sobel and the BESN at besn@associated.org. For questions about the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, reach out to Sam at sam.sobel@adamah.org

The next BESN event, which will be open to all, will be on food waste prevention. Learn how to help the climate, your budget and the goal of greater sustainability at our food waste prevention gathering on Tuesday, Mar. 25 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Myerberg Center, 3101 Fallstaff Road. Register here.

The post JMORE – Tu B’Shvat Climate Action appeared first on Adamah.

Forced to close for six weeks due to Hurricane Helene, Congregation Beth HaTephila (CBHT) in Asheville, North Carolina chooses to prioritize climate resilience planning.

As members of Adamah’s Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition (Coalition) – a network of Jewish organizations committed to taking climate action – CBHT has emerged as a leader in religious institutional sustainability, implementing comprehensive environmental initiatives to serve their 1,200-member community. Facing real-world challenges has led their Sustainability Committee to discuss preparing for future climate-related disruptions, focusing on the role of communal support from other North Carolina Jewish organizations, which proved crucial during their recovery. 

In a major step towards clean energy adoption, CBHT completed the installation of a significant 73-kilowatt solar array. Additionally, the synagogue has made impressive strides in energy efficiency with a full conversion to LED lighting, installation of motion detectors, and implementation of a white roof to reduce cooling costs. Their 32,402-square-foot facility continues to evolve with sustainability in mind, as they research updating their HVAC system to remove gas components as part of their broader electrification goals. 

A standout feature of CBHT’s environmental strategy is their innovative approach to green infrastructure. During a temple expansion project, they implemented sophisticated water management solutions, including a bioretention area in the parking lot with specially mixed soils that clean runoff. The congregation also installed grass swales and strategically placed downspouts to direct water flow into planted areas, demonstrating their commitment to sustainable landscaping practices. 

In order to reduce food-related emissions the congregation provides vegetarian and vegan options at events in addition to implementing robust food waste reduction practices, such as composting and food upcycling programs. During their congregational retreats, all communal meals are required to be vegetarian. These efforts will be turned into official food-policy for the entire synagogue.

CBHT is a leader in community education and advocacy, as featured in this piece in the local paper, having recently hosted a notable event featuring climate scientist Zeke Hausfather and local climate experts. They presented their environmental accomplishments at the Creation Care Alliance Symposium and they partner with organizations like GreenWorks for litter cleanup initiatives as well as regular community service. 

Their success with solar implementation and support from Adamah’s Coalition has had a ripple effect within the organization. As they noted in their climate action plan:

“Being part of the Coalition was instrumental in convincing our board to go forward with our solar project.”

CBHT’s climate initiatives are creating lasting institutional change. 

Looking ahead, CBHT continues to explore new sustainability opportunities, including potential expansion of their environmental, social and governance, commonly known as “ESG” investments and further development of their climate justice practices. As they plan for their transition away from fossil fuels, they are also actively seeking funding sources for HVAC conversion grants – like the Adamah Climate Action Fund – with guidance from Adamah’s Coalition.

Congregation Beth HaTephila demonstrates how religious institutions can effectively integrate environmental stewardship into their operations while maintaining their mission and values.

The post Congregation Beth HaTephila appeared first on Adamah.

Temple Emanu-El is a leading example of environmental stewardship in Adamah’s newest community impact hub: Atlanta, Georgia.

Since 2018, Temple Emanu-El has led projects to reduce energy consumption, minimize waste, and build a more sustainable future. Partnering with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), the synagogue conducted an energy audit to identify ways to shrink its carbon footprint. This led to meaningful projects, including replacing 672 fluorescent light fixtures (2,220 tubes) with energy-efficient LEDs, greatly reducing energy use while improving lighting.

After joining Adamah’s Jewish Leadership Climate Coalition (Coalition) in September 2023, they’ve been able to do even more! Further improvements included installing 28 programmable thermostats for better HVAC efficiency. The synagogue also upgraded insulation in key areas. The sanctuary’s insulation doubled from R-10 to R-20, while the religious school’s roof improved from R-17.4 to R-25.6. These upgrades help regulate indoor temperatures, reducing energy demand for heating and cooling. All of this was made possible with support from matching grant funds from GIPL and Adamah’s Climate Action Fund.

Beyond energy efficiency, Temple Emanu-El has reduced waste by eliminating disposable dinnerware. The synagogue invested in 200 sets of reusable plates, flatware, and glassware, along with 60 unbreakable wheat straw plates and cups for children’s events. A new industrial dishwasher enabled this transition, effectively eliminating single-use plastics from synagogue events.

Education and engagement are also central to Temple Emanu-El’s sustainability efforts. The synagogue invited a climate scientist from The Weather Channel to speak with the congregation about the impacts of climate change. Committed to sustainability, the clergy actively participates in environmental efforts, including dedicating at least one annual sermon to climate action. The assistant rabbi, an active member of the synagogue’s Green Team and local Adamah advisory board, shows the clergy’s strong commitment to sustainability.

The Green Team’s efforts extend beyond the building into community initiatives like Garden Isaiah, which transforms unused land into a thriving garden. Producing an average of 1,380 pounds of fresh vegetables annually for a local food bank, the garden strengthens the synagogue’s community ties while promoting sustainable food practices.

Additional sustainability measures include installing six Level II electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and evaluating solar energy proposals. While the building’s rooflines and topology made solar installation unfeasible, Temple Emanu-El remains committed to exploring alternative renewable energy options. The synagogue has also developed a food waste policy, integrated sustainability into its B’nai Mitzvah handbook, and updated event rental policies to encourage reusable dinnerware.

Through these comprehensive efforts, Temple Emanu-El continues to lead by example, keeping sustainability at the heart of the community for years to come.

The post Temple Emanu-El appeared first on Adamah.

As Jewish organizations across the country navigate growing antisemitism on college campuses, UCLA Hillel has had to endure more: the LA wildfires. Through this emergency situation, UCLA Hillel’s commitment to sustainability never wavered.  

“I am looking forward to new climate initiatives at UCLA Hillel! Perhaps we will commit to a zero emissions policy, then take action to implement it by installing solar panels and switching to electric appliances.” – Aviram Bhalla-Levine, PhD student at UCLA

UCLA Hillel is one of 400+ members of Adamah’s Jewish Leadership Climate Coalition (Coalition). This Coalition provides financial, logistical, and communal support to a network of Jewish community organizations who recognize the urgency of climate change and commit to take action. Adamah’s Coalition helps organizations implement their organizational Climate Action Plans as well as provides Adamah staff liaisons to lead the climate action work.

Thanks to an Adamah Climate Action Fund zero-interest loan, UCLA Hillel will be installing a photovoltaic solar array, drastically reducing their carbon footprint.  With limited green space, they have found creative ways to encourage sustainable transportation, offering students bike storage inside the building and utilizing nearby EV charging stations. These small adaptations show how even urban organizations can make a positive environmental impact within their constraints.

“I feel really excited to be here at UCLA’s Hillel while we have this opportunity to invest in climate action – it’s a great chance to get more involved and have more of an impact on this community.” – Bella Goldwasser, undergraduate student at UCLA

UCLA Hillel’s commitment to the environment goes beyond just infrastructure. They are considering the creation of a Green Committee within its Board of Directors.  They have made food sustainability a key priority. All meals at Hillel feature vegetarian and vegan options, while efforts to reduce food waste are continuously refined.

On February 10, 2025, Adamah on Campus hosted a “Cookies & Climate” event at UCLA Hillel, celebrating Tu B’Shvat and the intersection of Judaism and environmentalism. Students decorated cookies while engaging in discussions about the climate crisis and Jewish environmental texts. They highlighted the words of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who said that “earth, humans, and rain” are equally important for the survival of the world. Rabbi Levi ben Hiyyata’s teaching—that without the earth, there is no rain, and without rain, the earth cannot endure—resonated deeply with students. This event, along with others like it, demonstrates how Adamah on Campus is encouraging students to explore how their Jewish values intersect with climate action.

As Samm Levy, a student at UCLA Hillel, shared, “As someone whose primary interests are environmentalism, conservation, and the energy transition, I was so excited to find an opportunity to intersect my passion for the environment and my Jewish identity.”

“I look forward to Hillel at UCLA’s transition to more sustainable practices that protect our planet and hope this encourages others to do the same.” – Brandon Damavandi, undergraduate student at UCLA

Through these initiatives and the support from Adamah, UCLA Hillel has shown that Jewish organizations can play a vital role in addressing climate change exemplifying the Jewish value of tikkun olam (repairing the world).

The post UCLA Hillel appeared first on Adamah.

Adamah Chief Executive Officer, Jakir Manela, joins Adam Teitelbaum in discussing Parshat Beshalach in this podcast.

The post For everything there is a season appeared first on Adamah.

Combining the beauty of Jewish tradition with a modern message, the Atlanta community Tu B’Shvat Seder, co-sponsored by the Jewish environmental group Adamah Atlanta and The Temple’s Rothschild Social Justice Institute, will take place at The Temple at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12.

It will be the first in-person, community-wide Tu B’Shvat Seder since 2020, which also was celebrated at The Temple, with over 60 participants, just weeks before the COVID pandemic shutdown. The event continued virtually in the following years, but organizers are excited once again to be able to plan an in-person experiential program that celebrates the Jewish birthday of the trees, which in turn presents the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about today’s environmental concerns.

Participants at the last in-person community Tu B’Shvat Seder enjoy the program.

Combining the beauty of Jewish tradition with a modern message, the Atlanta community Tu B’Shvat Seder, co-sponsored by the Jewish environmental group Adamah Atlanta and The Temple’s Rothschild Social Justice Institute, will take place at The Temple at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12.

It will be the first in-person, community-wide Tu B’Shvat Seder since 2020, which also was celebrated at The Temple, with over 60 participants, just weeks before the COVID pandemic shutdown. The event continued virtually in the following years, but organizers are excited once again to be able to plan an in-person experiential program that celebrates the Jewish birthday of the trees, which in turn presents the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about today’s environmental concerns.

Rabbi Lydia Medwin (standing) leading the 2020 community Tu B’Shvat Seder.

Said Adamah ATL Director Joanna Kobylivker, “It’s also not a coincidence we’re doing it at [The Temple’s] Rothschild Social Justice institute. When we think about social justice, the climate is a huge driver of environmental justice. We are going to learn how extreme weather events do impact vulnerable populations first and worst. The Temple is so committed to social justice causes, trying to be problem solvers and providing resources, so it’s a very natural alignment. [We’ll explore] what can we do around environmental injustice here in Atlanta?”

Seder participants will enjoy a vegetarian meal and an interactive experience that includes the many Tu B’Shvat seder rituals. For example, like a Passover Seder, there are four cups of wine, but in a Tu B’Shvat Seder, the cups begin with white wine denoting winter’s potential for growth, with successive cups progressively mixing with red wine, until the last cup is all red wine symbolizing summer’s full growth. The Seder plate for this holiday features the seven species of Israel: dates, olives, wheat, pomegranate, barley, figs, and grapes.

According to Ruth Menter, who heads up The Temple’s sustainability committee, the festivities will include a mix of music featuring Congregation Bet Haverim Music Director Rebekkah Goldsmith, The Temple Singers, and others. The Seder will also provide opportunities for the sharing of blessings, table discussions, and words of inspiration from Rabbi Lydia Medwin, associate rabbi at The Temple. In addition, Jewish climate scientist Mark Papier will speak about the science of climate and weather, explaining why that is significant and why we are seeing extreme weather events.

“We want people to learn, experience, and have a good time,” said Menter.
Offering a summary of the origins of the holiday, Rabbi Medwin explained that in ancient times Tu B’Shvat (the 15th of the Jewish month Shvat) was the date when, the third year after planting a tree, you would tax it at this time “by giving a portion to the ancient Temple and to the poor as a first fruits offering, an offering of gratitude.”

Later, the Mystics, who believed that everything holds a little spark of the Divine, and food, when eaten, releases that Divine spark, evolved a kind of Seder around the different fruits that come from the Holy Land. In more modern times, she continued, with the environmental movement and climate awareness, Tu B’Shvat provides Jews a reminder of our connection to nature.

Myrtle Lewin, Ruth Menter, Joanna Kobylivker, Janna Diamond, and Amy Price at a 2024 Tu B’Shvat Seder at Adamah ATL Director Joanna Kobylivker’s home.

“What an amazing thing we have, this tradition of Tu B’Shvat, that connects us to trees specifically. There is a lot to be said about trees in our culture as a source of wisdom. Judaism compares tree to humans in lots of ways. And so Tu B’Shvat becomes an opportunity to speak about the trees, their impact on us, and our own impact on the planet. What is our job, from a religious perspective, in terms of caring for the earth and celebrating its bounty?” She added, “We need this earth to provide us with everything to survive, so we’re allowed to till it, but also have to tend it, as we see commanded in the book of Genesis. Finding the balance between tending and tilling is part of what Tu B’Shvat helps us to remember.”

In addition to treating people to a nourishing meal, music and a seder experience, Kobylivker says another goal is to leave people with something more tangible. “We want people to feel inspired to connect to their Jewish roots and values of caring for trees and the natural world,” she said. “We also want to equip people with actions that we can actually do to honor [our natural world] on the other 364 days that aren’t officially celebrating trees.”

According to Kobylivker, Adamah, which has recently marked its first year in Atlanta, is also leading other Tu B’Shvat events, including a community tree planting on Sunday, Feb. 9, with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., to help grow the city’s urban forest. The organization is also available to lead groups in customized holiday-related activities such as guided nature walks or children’s parties. Contact joanna.kobylivker@adamah.org for more information.
Registration for the community Tu B’Shvat Seder can be found at: https://adamah.org/event/adamah-atl-tubshvat-seder/.

Recommended cost is $36 per person. The Seder is presented in partnership with: Adamah, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, Congregation Bet Haverim, and the Rothschild Social Justice Institute (The Temple).

By Fran M. Putney

The post Tu B’Shvat Seder to Feature Social Justice Themes appeared first on Adamah.

Ein ye’ush ba’olam klal. There is no despair in the world.

– Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav

Friends,

Can you feel this edge in time we are living through? I sure do, like we’re crossing a threshold in human, ecological, and Jewish history. Friends tell me astrologists have strong feelings these days too.

We are overwhelmed this week by the destruction of the LA fires, hard to comprehend. Just ask Roz Larsen, member of the JYCM Leadership Board, in Santa Monica. Not long ago, we shared testimony from the catastrophic flooding in North Carolina. And in the past 18 months New Yorkers have experienced unprecedented flooding, wildfire-smoke orange skies, and dangerous air quality for weeks. 

Have we entered a new phase of planetary feedback? Natural cycles and rhythms are changing before our very eyes, imposing dramatic harm and danger for societies and cultures everywhere.

This week we also bid farewell to the presidential administration that prioritized and achieved the largest investment in climate action ever. And this week we anticipate the imminent arrival, just a few days from now, of a very different governing coalition with other priorities.

And this week we watch, pray, and hope to soon give thanks for a ceasefire and return, at long last, of our hostages. After so much devastation, loss, and suffering—please G!d can this turn towards something different? Please G!d can there now be time and space to breathe, to grieve, to heal, to build bridges, to invest in peacebuilding…maybe even to hope for something better?

All things in life come to an end: people and plants and animals, relationships and communities, jobs and presidencies and governments and empires and civilizations. Rocks and mountains and streams. Even the sun has a shelf life. Nothing lasts forever. 

Trust the Grief. Grieve for our planet, for our people, for all the hostages not returning home, for all the families under threat of mass deportation, for all suffering and pain. We are strong enough to face the truth of this time and wise enough to learn from it, to change our behavior, to grow through crisis. 

Pray. For rain in Southern California. For all the hostages to be returned safely to their families, and for Israelis and Palestinians to begin recovery and healing. For hearts and minds to change.

Have Faith. Give Thanks. The outpouring of love, support, and mutual care in LA has been beautiful. And we learn from nature, from G!d’s Creation, that death and loss are inextricably interwoven with rebirth. Always there will be rebirth, always something new will come. That’s what Chanukah showed us a few weeks ago: kindling lights in the darkest darkness. And that’s what Tu B’Shvat is about too, coming soon: the nascent spring, first blossoms, sap rising amidst the dark and cold. Like the precious return of loved ones to their families. Like the end of war and the prayer for peace.

Come Together. Host a Tu B’Shvat Seder or find an Adamah Tu B’Shvat gathering near you amidst this historic moment. Gather your loved ones to share, support, and learn from one another. Find meaning together as you grieve, give thanks, sing, and tell stories. Laugh, love, and celebrate the gift of life through the New Year of the Trees! Our goal this year is to activate over 100 seders impacting over 1,000 participants. Click here to download our Tu B’Shvat Haggadah.

Life moves inevitably forward. We have no choice, we are swept up into the flow, onward into something new, together.

We get to decide how we show up in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. We will not be victims of forces larger than ourselves; we will be warriors of the spirit, digging in for community and belonging, for joy, hope, and love. 

May G!d bless our path ahead. And may we help each other through.

Shabbat Shalom,

Jakir Manela
Chief Executive Officer

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The kabbalistic Tu B’Shvat Seder is such a special Jewish ritual, a mid-winter invitation to slow down, to cultivate mindfulness and connection. Together we open four doorways into four worlds, we meditatively drink wine and eat tree fruits as we journey through these worlds of action, emotion, mind, and spirit.  We do all this to bring ourselves into resonance and connection with trees—and not just the earthly trees, but the greater tree, the Tree of Life—Etz Chayim. 

And never have we needed this spiritual technology more than now, as we face such an overwhelming climate crisis on every level—physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. 

But of course, maybe the metaphor is a problem.  Maybe we get carried away with the symbolism and forget about the first principles of Tu B’Shvat, the pshat of it all.  Because, brace yourselves: Tu B’Shvat did not originate as the Jewish day of eco-mystical environmentalist climate action.  What?!  I know I know.  So let’s start from the beginning. 

There’s an argument in the Talmud Yerushalmi, where one opinion says that by the fifteenth of Shevat most of the rains have already fallen, so that fruits begin to emerge. Another opinion says that while all the fruits that grew until this day are mainly a product of the rains from the previous year, the fruits produced from this day onward are essentially a product of the rains of the new year.  So this date determines in which year we count the tree harvest, which then impacts our tithes of terumah and maaser, the first fruit offerings of bikkurim, our restraint in orlah for the first three years of the tree’s life, and yes, it also impacts the mother of all Jewish agricultural traditions: shmita, the sabbatical year.  Surely you didn’t think a Hazon CEO could speak on Shabbat and not mention shmita, did you? 

So while the Tu B’Shvat seder offers us a beautiful spiritual paradigm, let’s remember the day’s foundation is about accountability, it’s about parnasa and gashmius, and really, it’s about food justice.   

Tzedek.  Justice.  Food Justice is a broadly used term these days.  And so is Climate Justice.  Justice is the precursor, the prerequisite, the dawn of Redemption—and these concepts come alive in this week’s parsha, Beshalach, and the moment of Shirat Hayam, the song of the sea—the centerpiece of this parsha and arguably the oldest poetic cornerstone of the whole Exodus narrative.  What happened there in that moment, when our people were truly free?  I imagine a sense of shock mixed with jubilation and redemption, a sense that anything is possible.  A miracle.  I bet lots of people in this room could tell stories of miracles in our own lives.   

I remember my father telling me as a very young child—maybe 5 years old—that almost all of his parents’ families—our ancestors—were murdered in the Shoah in Poland.  My legal name is Jeremy K Manela, but my Hebrew name is Jakir, named after my great-grandfather, Jakir Kompel.  That Jakir died in the gas chambers at Birkenau.  My grandparents, Saul and Lonia, somehow survived, and found each other in a Displaced Persons camp after the war. With support from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, they came to America, arriving first here at Ellis Island and then were welcomed into the Pittsburgh Jewish community where they began a new life. I think about what they went through, how far they came, what they did for my dad, what he and my mom did for me, and the blessings I can now pass on to our four boys growing up amidst the rolling hills and farmland surrounding Pearlstone, immersed in joyous Shabbat and holiday celebrations…and it all feels pretty miraculous.  I draw strength, hope, and faith from that ancestry.   

But I never realized how relevant that would be to this work, until about a decade ago, when I invited a good friend of mine, Seth Shames, to speak at an event aimed at empowering Jewish community members to lead sustainability initiatives at synagogues, JCCs, and elsewhere across the Jewish world.  Seth and I are fellow Teva and Adamah alumni; we became close during our days together on the holy ground of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center—and then he went on to become a global leader in agroecology, working for an international NGO called EcoAgriculture Partners, focused on sustainable development—which gave him the opportunity to attend many UN climate and biodiversity conferences over the years.  Seth said something that day which shook me to my core, and which I have remembered ever since.  Someone asked him, what can the Jews uniquely contribute to the fight against climate change?  So I’m thinking—great question, tell them about shmita!  Or Tu B’Shvat, or Shilooach Haken, or any number of other things.  And Seth says:

“Well, you know, Jewish history taught us what it means to live through trauma, to be resilient, to find joy and hope and meaning even in the darkest hours.  And the world really needs that capacity, now, and for decades to come.” 

Dead silence filled the room.  But he’s right. 

That resilience goes all the way back to our years of slavery in Egypt, which somehow we survived, and then one day found ourselves freed, on the shores of the Red Sea.  Sometimes it feels to me—and I can tell you from my work with teenagers and college students and young adults, it definitely feels this way to many, many young Jews across the country—it feels like we are holding up an impossible burden, a hopeless effort against an inevitable climate collapse, fighting against several hundred years of exponential environmental destruction catalyzed since the industrial revolution, and at least a hundred years ahead of us before any potential light at the end of the tunnel.   

And yet.  And yet the Israelites called out, and their voices were heard.  And one day they found themselves freed, on the shores of the Red Sea.  So to read parshat Beshalach through our lens, to try on the emotional exuberance, freedom, and redemption of Shirat Hayam, is actually profoundly deep medicine for today’s younger generations who are so profoundly impacted by Climate Change Anxiety & Grief these days.  It’s an image of the impossible, the miraculous, the hope it almost hurts to feel—that someday humanity will be free of this nightmare.  Someday, please G!d, there will come a time, if we help make it so, when our descendants will be able to shout and dance and sing with gratitude, not because we’ve brought moshiach, but because we have finally found our way free from the all-encompassing climate crisis that weighs so heavy on us today.   

We know great progress is possible: cities have cleaned up their polluted rivers, countries have changed collaboratively to heal the ozone, we’ve been able to reduce smog, invent new clean energy sources, we’ve even rewilded natural spaces all over the world.  American Bald Eagles, once endangered, are now increasingly common.  All of these challenges and solutions pale in comparison to what we now face, but as we’ll read in the book of Esther next month, Mordechai says to her, “who knows, perhaps you were chosen for just such a time as this?”  And as Chaim Weitzman, the first President of Israel, said:

“Miracles sometimes occur, but one has to work terribly hard for them.”  

When the Israelites come out of the Red Sea, and the Egyptians drown, they knew there was no going back.  And that’s true for us as well—as my friend and teacher, Jim Farley of the Leichtag Foundation taught me, we must see ourselves as if we are like the Israelites in this parsha, but not in the sense of redemption.  Rather, we must accept that we have many years and decades of wandering ahead of us, journeying through the unknown, uncertain wilderness of climate upheaval as this century unfolds.  

So will that journey in the years ahead be an experience of Exile, or Redemption? My Rabbi and teacher, and Hazon’s new Director of Jewish Learning, Rabbi Petahya Lichtenstein, taught me that Exile, Galut, is also (גולה) Gola, which is just one alef short of Geula (גאולה), Redemption.  So what’s the difference there?  How do we transform an experience of abandonment and hopelessness, to a redeemed experience of shleimut-wholeness and justice.  It’s the aleph, the unity, the spirit, the One.  Redemption may be the opposite of exile, but those opposites make up the rhythm of life, the oneness imminent in the interconnectedness of ecology, the dynamism that makes life worth living.  

So it is fully within our power to navigate the years ahead—albeit through a period of great climate crisis and tumult—as an era headed towards redemption rather than exile.  And to do that we must summon the full capacity of the Jewish people.  Our brilliance and creativity, our iconoclasm and rebelliousness, our power and strategic influence, our wealth, our might, our heart and soul, our love, our Torah, our resilience. We need all of it, and we need all of us.  Jewish Peoplehood & Planethood.  K’ish echad b’lev echad, like one person with one heart. 

But that doesn’t mean we’re all going to take the same path to get there.  The midrash teaches us that the Israelites passed through the splitting of the sea, not in one highway but in 12 distinct paths—one for each tribe.  And not all on equal paths, but in concentric semi circles- meaning that some traveled a shorter and more direct route, while others took a lot longer to get there.  Yeah—that sounds pretty right on for where we’re at.  People have very different approaches to this moment.  So we need a big tent to invite everyone into the journey so that we can move forward together. 

That’s why we’ve launched the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, mobilizing Jewish organizations everywhere to craft their own Climate Action Plans and release them to the public—and of course, implement them as well!  That’s how we have the largest and most influential organizations in Jewish life already signed on and working with us to mobilize their massive networks to engage so far almost 170 organizations in this work, well on our way to our goal of 500 or even 1000 organizations over the course of this shmita cycle, representing unprecedented environmental mobilization across the Jewish world. 

That’s why the Jewish Youth Climate Movement is growing in leaps and bounds, now with over 50 chapters nationwide engaging teens in Jewish environmental education, community building, and climate action—and that’s why those self-empowered teens are now creating our new network of college campus initiatives nationwide, in deep partnership with Hillel.  That’s why we took 10 of those campus leaders to Israel to meet their peer climate activists there, and then back to Egypt (a few years after Shirat Hayam) for COP27, the United Nations Climate Conference.  And that’s why we’re going to bring another group to COP28 this year in the United Arab Emirates. 

When I was in Egypt in November for COP27, I traveled to Mount Sinai with Nigel and several other amazing Jewish environmental leaders. We awoke at 1:30am and spent the night hiking up the mountain, arriving at the summit just before dawn, where we met religious pilgrims from all over the world–America, Israel, Cameroon, Philippines, Korea, and beyond. Many were there for COP27, seeking spiritual sustenance amidst the unending work of the fight against climate change.   

I will never forget Flora Vano, who I met on our walk down the mountain.  She is a community leader, social worker, and COP27 delegate from Vanuatu–a small Pacific Island nation existentially threatened by rising sea levels and climate disasters. Flora and her community are living through climate trauma every day, every week, every month, every year.  We filmed her recording a climate testimony for us to share with our constituents nationwide, and then after she had poured her heart out, this woman from across the world, who I had just met, she just leaned into me and wept into my arms. And of course, I wept into her arms too. And then we each took a deep breath, and began walking down the mountain together, talking about our kids, our communities, our ancestral traumas and our current traumas, our hopes for the future, and how we might work together to get there someday. I wondered that day about what it might look like for Jewish communities to step into partnership with Pacific Island nations like Vanuatu, to support them as they navigate the existential threat of Climate Exile, to witness them, to see them, to offer our love and support, come what may.  I haven’t proposed this to any community yet, but on this Shabbat I wonder if Darchei Noam might be the Nachshon here, to mobilize Jewish community and the Jewish spirit to be of service at this crossroads in history.   

Because this is about moving forward together.  This is about Redemption.  For people and planet, adam and adamah.  And that’s why we’re changing our name, to be announced in just a few weeks, that we’ll no longer be called Hazon.  We’ll now be…Adamah, cultivating vibrant Jewish life in deep connection with the earth. 

This Tu B’Shvat, our staff and volunteers and teens and campus leaders are activating dozens of Tu B’Shvat seders and events all across the country, last night we lead a seder at Harvard Hillel as well.  Wherever you are tomorrow night, may we pray together for this Tu B’Shvat to be a time of healing, of coming together, of humility, and of redemption: that we should not simply see ourselves as “Masters” or “Stewards” of Creation, but that we see ourselves as the youngest sibling of all the rocks, plants, and animals—so that we look up to and learn from trees not as our tools, but as our elders.   

And in that spirit, may we find the path to redemption. 

Tu B’Shvat Sameach.  Happy New Year. 

Jakir Manela
Chief Executive Officer

This dvar torah was originally written and delivered on February 4, 2023 in honor of Tu B’Shvat at Congregation Darchei Noam in New York City.

The post An Era for Redemption appeared first on Adamah.

Sunday, February 5 | 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Calling all New York area teens! Join us for a Climate Justice Seder, full of climate teachings, Jewish connections, and plenty of fruit.
Location: Central Synagogue, 652 Lexington Ave. New York, NY 10022, USA

register here

Hazon Detroit Tu BiShvat Seder: Tending to the Land, Friendship, and Jewish Tree-dition

Sunday, February 5 | 5:00pm

Join Hazon Detroit, The Well, Repair the World: Detroit, and Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue to honor Tu BiShvat, the Jewish New Year of the trees! Root yourself in Jewish tradition as you nosh and sip your way through the newly updated 2023 Tu BiShvat Haggadah focused on climate, stewardship, and community connection. Community leaders and a special guest from The Greening of Detroit will lead us through the seder while adding wisdom from their respective organizations.
Location: Platform 18, 116 E 7th St. Royal Oak, MI 48067

register here

B’nai Israel The Downtown Synagogue of Baltimore,  Tu BiShvat Seder

Sunday, February 5 | 6:30pm – 9:00pm

Join B’nai Israel/Jewish Museum of Maryland Campus for a Climate Justice Tu BiShvat seder! Partnering with BAYIT, Jewish Youth Climate Movement, Jews United for Justice, Hazon, and Moishe Pod Federal Hill.
Location: 27 Loyd St., Baltimore, MD 21202

register here

Colorado Jewish Climate Summit: Action, Justice, Community

Sunday, February 5 | 10:00am – 3:15pm

Join participants from across Colorado for a day of study, inspiration, and community building. All teens programming during the Climate Summit is being organized by the Jewish Youth Climate Movement.
Location: Hebrew Educational Alliance, 3600 S Ivanhoe St. Denver, CO 80237

register here

Brown – RISD Hillel Tu BiShvat Seder

Tuesday, February 7 | 8:30pm

Celebrate the “New Year of the Trees” with food, drink, and environmental advocacy!
Location: 80 Brown St. Providence, RI 02906

The post Celebrate Tu BiShvat with us! One night only events popping up in a town near you. appeared first on Adamah.