Mission highlighted Israel’s achievements in fighting climate change.

I was invited by the National Adamah group to join their staff and 30 other climate activist lay leaders from around the country, England and Canada, to learn more about our joint Israeli-Diaspora mission to help fight climate change. 

I am deeply grateful to Adamah for the opportunity to experience Israel in a way unlike any of my previous visits. This was not a sightseeing tour; it was about peoplehood, planethood and problem-solving — focusing on one of the greatest challenges of our time: climate change.

My fellow travelers on this journey were leaders in their Jewish communities, working to bring this crucial work to others, regardless of religious, cultural, political or national differences. Their dedication should be recognized and celebrated.

Upon landing in Israel, I immediately felt as though I were entering a house of shivah. From Ben Gurion Airport to the streets, roundabouts, stores, restaurants, Tel Aviv boardwalk and train/bus stations, reminders of the country’s ongoing trauma were everywhere. Yellow ribbons and the faces of the dead and hostages lined the streets, making it impossible to forget the pain that lingers. This feeling was crystalized by a visit to Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where I spoke with kibbutz survivors and Nova Festival attendees who shared their harrowing experiences.

This trauma brought me back to my first trip to Israel as a 17-year-old in the summer of 1974, just eight months after the Yom Kippur War. At that time, Israel was still reeling from the trauma of war, struggling with the weight of heavy losses. Ceasefire agreements with Egypt and Syria had been signed only a month before my arrival with Camp Ramah Canada for an eight-week journey across the country. It is deeply saddening that throughout my entire life, this land has known so much war, hostility and trauma.

A Start-Up Nation Amidst Growth and Innovation

Despite its challenges, Israel remains a “start-up nation” — a beacon of resilience and innovation. 

People often forget that, with all its advancements in technology, agriculture, mass transit and booming construction, Israel is still a young nation — just 77 years old, nearly four times younger than the U.S.

The post Reflections on the Adamah Leadership Mission to Israel appeared first on Adamah.

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.

Carly Silverman, Adamah Detroit’s community engagement manager, says the cohort is for anyone who creates educational experiences or works within the community, including educators in day schools and camps and rabbis and directors of community engagement at other institutions.

Last year, Adamah Detroit offered one full day of training. This year, its cohort model will provide a yearlong learning experience and deepen the impact for the participants.

Major program highlights include four quarterly in-person training and professional development sessions modeling experiential instruction rooted in Jewish environmental values.

The cohort launches Sunday, Aug. 18, with a flagship event — a full-day training held at the Stage Nature Center in Troy. The day will be filled with immersive learning experiences and interactive workshops, culminating in a deep dive into the connections between Judaism and the natural world.

Participants will leave with inspiration and confidence to integrate Jewish and environmental content into their programs, a better understanding of the intersection of Judaism and ecology, and a feeling of connection to other educators with similar values. A kosher lunch will be provided.

For educators who participated in last year’s full-day training, there will be an afternoon-only option with distinctive breakout sessions crafted to enhance immersion in various facets of Jewish environmental learning.

Three additional in-person sessions will take place on the afternoons of Sunday, Nov. 17; Sunday, March 30, 2025; and Sunday, May 18, 2025. These sessions will explore key themes and provide opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Article by Danny Schwartz.

The post Adamah Detroit Launches New Cohort, Expands Environmental Education Offerings appeared first on Adamah.

Since the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition’s launch, 12 Michigan-based institutions have signed the founding statement.

In September 2022, Jewish environmental organization Adamah launched the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition — a network of Jewish community organizations who recognize the existential threat and moral urgency of climate change and commit to take action.

Adamah has facilitated the coalition for 18 months now and, since its founding, over 300 institutions across North America have signed the coalition founding statement and pledged to take climate action.

It’s an initiative launched by Adamah, but also in partnership with 22 founding initiative partners, including  Jewish umbrella organizations such as the JCC Association of North America, Jewish Agency for Israel, Jewish Federations of North America and more.

Those partners signed the initial founding statement essentially saying the climate crisis is real, it’s here, it’s affecting us currently and, as Jews, we have a moral obligation to respond to it and we’re going to do so.

Among the 300+ institutions that have signed the founding statement are 12 Michigan-based institutions, including Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue (Detroit), Adat Shalom Synagogue (Farmington Hills), The Well (West Bloomfield), Temple Beth Emeth (Ann Arbor), NCJW MI (Southfield), Beth Israel Congregation (Ann Arbor), Jewish Ferndale (Ferndale), Temple Kol Ami (West Bloomfield), Michigan Hillel (Ann Arbor) The J (West Bloomfield), and Congregation of Moses and Temple B’nai Israel (Kalamazoo).

These institutions are acting as environmental leaders in the local Jewish community through an array of environmental education and climate actions.

The Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition seeks to decarbonize North American Jewish institutions. The goal is to get 1,500 Jewish organizations to net zero emissions by 2040.  

Plans in the Works

This past Tu b’Shevat saw coalition institutions release their first round of individualized climate action plans. Around 200 climate action plans from across North America were submitted. The plans laid out thousands of climate action goals for Jewish institutions in the year ahead.

These climate action plans are designed to look back at what work has been done to date, take stock of opportunities and then lay out that path moving forward.

As far as specific commitments to action in these institutions’ plans, Ari Cohen, program coordinator for Adamah Detroit, says some actions they’ve seen pledged include everything from nature-based Hebrew school curriculum to environmental advocacy initiatives relating to certain pieces of legislation.

“We’ve also seen solar installations, a lot of composting and recycling actions, and energy-efficiency work,” Cohen added, “things like switching out incandescent for LED light bulbs, looking at different pieces of technology that are emerging, and just finding that low-hanging fruit so we can come in and really make energy savings, which will also mean monetary savings for these institutions.”

A benefit for local institutions joining the coalition is they’re able to tap into Adamah’s larger network of resources, events and programming, as well get more one-on-one consulting that goes into putting some of these projects together from ideation through implementation.

Only 18 months in and so soon after the first round of climate action plans, the institutions are currently in the implementation phase.

“We’ve heard back from a lot of coalition members here in the Detroit region who have seen great benefit from this as a space where folks can come together and talk about these issues to alleviate climate anxiety,” Cohen said.

One coalition member from Congregation Beth Israel stated the congregation’s climate action activities have helped its members explore the Jewish tradition of protecting the earth.

“Our accomplishments include a synagogue-wide energy audit, a whole-system design for energy-efficient electrification of our HVAC and kitchen equipment, motivating our teens to write a ‘Psalm for the Earth,’ 100% compostable weekly Kiddush and a community garden,” they said.

“Adamah has provided critical insight and direction, start-up funds and access to other like-minded organizations. We wholeheartedly encourage other congregations to join us in our work to save the planet for future generations.” 

For institutions wanting to join the coalition, Cohen says it’s quite simple. It’s a free program to join and three main things are required: sign the initial founding statement, attend a virtual welcome orientation session and, lastly, publish their annual climate action plan on the first Tu b’Shevat after joining.

Cohen says the climate conversation being started at each of these respective institutions is incredibly impactful, and he’s happy to see them charting the path forward for what they want to see in terms of the environmental sustainability of their institution.

“As a young Jewish professional, it is really inspiring and uplifting to see that there are a collection of Jewish individuals, organizations and institutions who have stated that the environment is a priority to them, and they are putting the action behind those words,” Cohen said.

Nationally and in Detroit, the coalition is looking to grow its numbers. For local institutions interested in learning more and possibly joining, reach out to Cohen at ari.cohen@adamah.org or Detroit@adamah.org.

The post Over 300 Jewish Institutions Unite to Fight Climate Change Including 12 in Michigan appeared first on Adamah.

“We know that climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time, and it demands bold and innovative solutions. This year’s grant recipients represent some of the brightest minds from across the country, and they demonstrate what it means to couple the power of environmental education with a commitment to creating a future with clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet for all.”

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan

“Climate impacts are affecting our daily lives like never before, yet research shows that a minority—just over 1 in 3—of us is talking about climate, even occasionally,” said Adamah Detroit Director Amit Weitzer. “Together as partners engaging diverse communities of faith, Adamah Detroit and Michigan Interfaith Power & Light are excited to use Climate Conversations as a tool to help congregations move through barriers, like feelings of powerlessness and doom, and put their collective love for Earth and their neighbors into action”.

Adamah Detroit and its partner, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, will conduct an educational series that includes 20 climate workshops. More than 240 people will participate, with members drawn from synagogues, churches and other religious groups. This educational series will discuss the realities of climate change and its disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities as well as provide a framework for individual and collective actions.

The post EPA Awards Over $80,000 to Adamah Detroit for Climate Education Program appeared first on Adamah.

It was a whirlwind 48 hours when professionals from our local Jewish service agencies touched down in Baltimore on a trip dubbed the “Executive Expedition.”

The goal of the trip was for agency professionals to visit a city that offered different programming to their Jewish community. Baltimore was chosen because it is a similar in size to Metro Detroit with unique offerings the professionals were eager to learn more about, said Ashley Schnaar, from the Planning & Agency Relations department at Federation, who adds that the trip was possible thanks to the Gerson Innovation Fund.

The Gerson Innovation Fund was started by the William Davidson Foundation to honor Dorothy and Byron Gerson. Dorothy was William Davidson’s sister, and they were very close, according to her son Ralph Gerson. “Both my parents and the the Davidson Foundation are particularly interested in innovation,” Gerson said. “Bill was entrepreneurial and innovative and likes to see people encouraged to think in a creative way. We thought that it would make some sense to help the Federation try and do some innovative things with the Jewish agencies. So, we put together a fund for innovation to sponsor projects that the staff would bring to a committee,” he added.

The idea for agency professionals to visit another city was creative, Gerson said. “First, to see if we could learn some new approaches we could take back to Detroit, but also for the agency leaders to spend time together talking about their goals.”

Schnaar said Federation’s Planning & Agency Relations team had been looking for a travel opportunity for agency professionals and at the same time was working on a plan to support older adults in the Detroit Jewish community. “Thanks to the Gerson Innovation Fund, we were able to combine those goals with the Executive Expedition,” she said.

On the Ground in Baltimore

Trip participants included Perry Ohren of Jewish Family Service, Paul Blatt of Gesher Human Services, Shaindle Braunstein of JARC, Bassie Shemtov of Friendship Circle, Rabbi Joseph Krakoff of the Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network; Nancy Heinrich of Jewish Senior Life, Daniella Mechnikov of Yad Ezra and Tzadok Eliyahu of Detroit Chesed. Brian Rothenberg, CEO Steven Ingber and Schnaar represented Federation.

While in Baltimore, the professionals visited the Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore; CHAI: Comprehensive Housing Assistance; the Weinberg Foundation; Adamah’s Pearlstone Retreat Center; Na’aleh: The Hub for Leadership Learning; Macks Center for Jewish Connections; Jewish Educational Services; Ahavas Yisrael Charity Fund; CHANA Baltimore; and Jewish Community Services.

Daniella Mechnikov of Yad Ezra said she enjoyed visiting the Baltimore organizations that deal with food insecurity and urban gardening, and she enjoyed getting to know the other agency professionals from Detroit.

“We all talked about what we do and started to talk about collaborative ideas,” said Mechnikov, who came home from the trip with new ideas for Yad Ezra’s Giving Gardens and ideas to better serve senior citizens working with Jewish Senior Life.

“The trip also gave me a better perspective on how our organization can relate better with Federation, and I think it did that for everybody,” she said.

Paul Blatt from Gesher Human Services said he came away with ideas to continue building on its relationship with Jewish Senior Life and new ways to work with Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy. “There were many good conversations we had as a result of this trip,” he said. “I also came back knowing Detroit has a strong Jewish community. We have great collaboration. We have strong relationships with our Federation. That doesn’t always happen in other cities.”

Perry Ohren of JFS said the primary win of the trip for him was to be able to spend time with his colleagues from other agencies and Federation “so that we can lean into making our community’s human service infrastructure even better than it already is.”

He added that it was great to see how another community tackled its challenges.

“It was great to see how another community’s makes its special sauce. I think that we brought back many ingredients to improve our special sauce because Baltimore is also an exemplary community. We started off as an exemplary community and learning more from others in Baltimore was just eye-opening.”

Perry Ohren, Jewish Family Service of Detroit

Shaindle Braunstein of JARC came away with a new volunteer opportunity. “There was a program we saw that provided technology classes for older adults,” she said.

Nancy said she would love to do something like it at Jewish Senior Life. “I’ve spent a lot of time in technology and computer training and that actually speaks to my strengths. I told her I would love to do some volunteering,” she said.

Braunstein added that she also recognized that the Detroit Jewish community is second-to-none in taking care of our frail, older adult populations. “We’re really here for the vulnerable.”

According to Schnaar, the professionals who went on the trip are planning subsequent meetings to get together and strategize and there have been talks about doing site visits to one another’s agencies.

“Detroit has such a strong Jewish communal infrastructure already,” Schnaar said. “I think the biggest takeaway we came home with is our agencies need to know what each is offering so they can better collaborate and help community members connect to those services.”

The post Detroit Jewish Service Agencies Explore Innovation and Collaboration in Baltimore appeared first on Adamah.

 As we write, Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM) teen leaders are joining leaders from around the world gathering now in Egypt at COP27, the UN conference on climate change. Read about Detroit native Naomi Parr and the delegation in the Jewish News! Our tradition teaches “You are not required to finish your work, yet neither are you permitted to desist from it” (Pirkei Avot). While we cannot complete the task alone, Hazon is at the forefront of a national effort to inspire and motivate the Jewish community on climate. 

It was powerful to gather the Metro Detroit Seal of Sustainability community at the Fall Gathering! At our gathering, dedicated members of each organization had the opportunity to schmooze over a delicious spread from Soul Cafe, connect about our sustainability challenges and successes, learn about the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, and discuss how to integrate sustainability initiatives and programs into our diverse Jewish community.

We’re grateful for your partnership, and are inspired, energized and eager to build together in the year to come. 

Get Involved!

Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM) Michigan Teen Day of Climate Education and Action 

Sunday, December 4, 12:30-4pm at Adat Shalom Synagogue

Hazon Detroit, in partnership with Hazon’s JYCM, is thrilled to be planning the first ever JYCM Michigan Teen Day of Climate Education and Action on December 4th, 2022.

This will be an immersive afternoon experience for Jewish high/middle schoolers in Michigan who are eager to come together in community to get involved with climate justice through a Jewish lens. Participants will have an action-filled and spiritually uplifting afternoon, with opportunities to connect with nature and each other, while learning about issues of climate justice and how to take action in their communities. Please join us for an afternoon of climate education, community building, and collective action.

• Who: Open to all Jewish teens in Michigan, 7th-12th grade
• When: Sunday, December 4th, 12:30-4:00 pm
• Where: Adat Shalom Synagogue (29901 Middlebelt Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334)
• Why: To give Michigan Jewish teens the opportunity to connect and have fun, learn about climate action, and take action to engage the community! Part of JYCM’s big goals and theory of change.
• Register here!

Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition (JCLC) Information Session

November 14 @ 2pm ET

Register here.

Learn about Hazon’s newly launched network of 125+ Jewish organizations around the country who are stepping up on climate. 

On Sept 15, Hazon launched the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition, a More than 125 synagogues, JCC’s, federations, Hillels, summer camps and other Jewish organizations have signed up so far. Learn how your organization can benefit from the resources – including funding – that Hazon has to offer. 

Advocacy + Partners Corner

Protect Air from Leaking Methane: Take Action with the Jewish Earth Alliance

As the year begins, we read the story of creation with its message about our responsibility to till and tend Earth. Click here to contact President Biden to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to publish strong rules to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

Take a Look Back

Earth Day at the J: Bus, Books & Beats!

Hazon partnered with JFamily for their environmentally-themed family event at the JCC, working together to cultivate the next generation of Jewish environmental leaders.

We enjoyed giving tours of the Topsy Turvy Bus, showcasing its unique design and energy sources. We set up a composting station with hands-on activities such as a waste sorting station, and getting up close and personal with worms in our compost bin. We also set up the bike blender for everyone to pedal out and sample human-powered smoothies! 

Tree Planting with The Greening of Detroit

Hazon joined The Greening of Detroit and other volunteers for a morning of tree planting at Kemney Recreation Center in Detroit.

We learned about tree equity, proper planting techniques, and the critical benefits of trees and public parks in mitigating the impacts of climate destabilization. We had a great time meeting other folks in the Detroit community while getting our hands dirty! Interested in organizing a tree planting for your community? Email ari.cohen@hazon.org to coordinate a partnership planting. 

Reverse Tashlich with Tikkun HaYam and Plastic Oceans

We had a beautiful and impactful Reverse Tashlich event at Palmer Park in Detroit, in partnership with Tikkun HaYam and Plastic Oceans.

We started our afternoon walking the beautiful nature trails while picking up trash. We took time to create some Andy Goldsworthy inspired art projects using leaves from the forest floor. The group found a nice spot to practice the art of forest bathing, where we used our senses to connect with the earth and enjoy a nice meditative moment. We ended the afternoon by picking up trash in the park around Lake Frances and culminating the day with cider and donuts.

Shomrei Adamah-Guardians of the Earth

Facing the Climate Crisis through Dialogue and Action Together

This past month, we connected with Temple Kol Ami teens and also learned about TKA’s Green Team’s environmental stewardship work.

We are continuing to share our Shomrei Adamah programming with different congregations across the metro Detroit area. This dynamic conversation can be a meaningful way for teens to connect with their Jewish identity. It fosters a space in which individuals can tap into connectedness and values that can sustain them in this work, while recognizing some psychological barriers to climate action​.​ 

Shomrei Adamah was created in partnership with Michigan Interfaith Power and Light. If you are interested in bringing this program to your congregation please email julia.cunnien@hazon.org for more information. 

Seal of Sustainability Spotlight: Dor Hadash

Dor Hadash, in partnership with Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, hosted a Sukkot celebration at Eden Gardens on the Eastside of Detroit. folks used several species of foraged native plants to make their own “local Lulavim and Etrogim.”

Chava Knox, who maintains the garden, explained that Eden Gardens also serves as a community space in the neighborhood. Just as the sukkah is a temporary dwelling where people gather, Eden Gardens is a welcoming space for many individuals who gather throughout the year to plant, harvest, and share food, play on the playground, and come together for celebrations. 

Attendees learned about several species of local plants and their significance in the ecosystem. Then folks used several species of foraged native plants to make their own “local Lulavim and Etrogim.” This included local willow, cattail, goldenrod, sumac, milkweed, crab apples, and pine cones. The Sukkah was decorated with local produce including apples, rainbow corn, pumpkins, and gourds, as well as paper crafts. Everyone shook their unique lulav and etrog in the Sukkah while saying the b’rachot, and enjoyed a story and some yummy treats, fulfilling several of the Sukkot mitzvot! 

Limmud Michigan Recap

Hazon Detroit led a discussion using themes from our Shomrei Adamah (Guardians of the Earth) program, connecting our Jewish identity and wisdom to how we care for our Earth.

The Hazon Detroit team was delighted to facilitate a session this year at the Limmud Michigan Conference. Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition. We so enjoyed being in community with our many partners and the opportunity to learn from our friends and partners in various sessions throughout the afternoon. 

The post Hazon Detroit: November 2022 appeared first on Adamah.

This year, we’re building on the impactful foundation of our longstanding Hazon Seal of Sustainability program, and working with over 50 Jewish organizational partners to provide enriching Jewish Earth-based experiences and environmental education, stewardship, and action in 5783. In the weeks and months to come, we hope you’ll join us – as individuals and organizational partners – in showing up for one another and the Earth by participating in an upcoming event (see below).

Start the New Year off with opportunities to connect with community and steward our earth:

Tree Planting with The Greening of Detroit

One approach we’re taking to offset some of the environmental impact of our recent Food Festival, is partnering with The Greening of Detroit to plant trees! We hope you can join us. This is a great opportunity to connect with our new Hazon Detroit team and contribute to increased tree equity in our region. 

Save the Date: October 20th at 9am – 12pm, Click here to add to your calendar

Sign Up Here

Reverse Tashlich with Tikkun HaYam

Hazon Detroit is partnering with Tikkun HaYam (Repair the Sea) and Detroit Seal of Sustainability sites to host Reverse Tashlich: Guided Nature Walk + Park Stewardship in Detroit’s Palmer Park.

During the days of awe is a time to do Tashlich, casting away our “sins” from the past year by throwing a rock or breadcrumbs into a moving body of water. 

To start this year with connection and care for each other and the earth, join us for tasty fall treats (cider and doughnuts), a family-friendly guided nature walk, and a spirited park clean up! 

Please wear clothing that will be comfortable in the variable fall weather. 

If your congregation or organization would like to partner and bring a cohort to this event, please email ari.cohen@hazon.org.

Save the Date: October 23rd, 2-4:00pm, Click here to add to your calendar

Location: Palmer Park (1121 Merrill Plaisance St. Detroit, MI, 48203)

Michigan Climate Education and Action Retreat

Hazon Detroit, in partnership with Hazon’s Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM), is thrilled to be planning the first ever Michigan JYCM Climate Education and Action Shabbaton from November 11-13, 2022. This will be an immersive weekend experience for Jewish high schoolers in Michigan who are eager to come together in community to get involved with climate justice through a Jewish lens. Participants will have a song-filled and spiritually uplifting Shabbat, with opportunities to connect with nature and each other, while learning about issues of climate justice and how to take action in their communities. Please join us for a weekend of climate activism, community building, and collective action.

Who: This event is open to all Jewish teens in Michigan, 9th-12th grade

When: Friday, November 11th to Sunday, November 13th 

Where: Butzel Retreat Center (3599 Perryville Road, Ortonville, MI, USA)

Why: To give Michigan Jewish teens the opportunity to connect and have fun, learn about climate action, and take action to engage the community! Part of JYCM’s big goals and theory of change.

Click here to register

Local Lulavim at Tamarack Fall Fest

We joined Tamarack Camps for their annual Fall Fest celebration on October 2nd. We helped attendees make their own local lulavim at the festival. In preparation for creating our local lulavim, our team chose four species that grow right here in Michigan and were harvested in the Metro-Detroit area. We cut sumac branches on Telegraph Road next to the Jewish Federation building, honeysuckle on Belle Isle Park, willow branches from a friend’s backyard in Detroit, and purchased apples from Franklin Cider Mill. Participants from Fall Fest were able to bundle their own lulavim using locally sourced plants in the Sukkah and save them for their own Sukkot celebrations. Traditional lulavim are shipped from the Middle East to the US each Sukkot, creating approximately 160 metric tons of carbon pollution. Shaking local lulavim is just one example of what it might look like to reimagine a Judaism that is responsive to the natural world around us, and that is responsible to the global environment that we all share!

Teen Edition ~ Shomrei Adamah-Guardians of the Earth:

Facing the Climate Crisis through Dialogue and Action Together

We are so excited to have rolled out the second installment of our new “Shomrei Adamah” Program with Beth Ahm last week for their teen group! This dynamic conversation can be a meaningful way for teens to connect with their Jewish identity. This program encourages folks to start practicing talking about the climate crisis in a different way and invites them to talk about it with others​. It fosters a space in which individuals can tap into connectedness and values that can sustain them in this work, while recognizing some psychological barriers to climate action​.​ This program was created in partnership with Michigan Interfaith Power and Light. If you are interested in bringing this program to your congregation please email julia.cunnien@hazon.org for more information. 

Seal of Sustainability Spotlight: Farber Farm at Tamarack Camps

The Farber Farm of Tamarack Camps was grateful and excited to develop a raspberry patch this past year! The Seal of Sustainability enabled them to purchase all materials for the patch including rootstock, trellis supplies, and compost. The rootstock arrived in late spring, a drip irrigation system was put in place and they were planted. They have done extraordinarily well this past season. The farm staff now have an additional opportunity to learn about small fruit management and campers are able to pick fresh, ripe fruits all summer long.

Join us at Limmud Michigan!

Hazon Detroit will be leading a session at Limmud Michigan on October 30th. The session will focus on how to face the climate crisis as a Jewish community by mobilizing Jewish institutions to take action. Register for the conference here! 

Limmud is looking for volunteers to support the event. Please indicate your interest by visiting: https://limmudmichigan.org/volunteer/ or sending a brief note to volunteers@limmudmichigan.org

Advocacy + Partners Corner

Get Out the Vote (GOTV):

JYCM is co-hosting phone banks this fall, as a part of Dayenu’s Chutzpah 2022 campaign to contact Jewish climate-concerned voters and encourage them to vote in the upcoming November midterm elections. The next one is Tuesday November 1st from 6:30 to 8:30pm ET, click here to register (open to all ages).

The post Hazon Detroit: October 2022 Newsletter appeared first on Adamah.

Hazon Detroit’s Food Rescue and Redistribution work continues to be a major focus for us, as we try to help reduce the amount of food insecurity in our neighborhoods and provide the most basic kind of sustainability – sustenance – to those hit hardest by the Coronavirus. One year into the pandemic, with the help of countless incredible partners, we have rescued and redistributed over 250 tons – 500,000 pounds – of food! But numbers tell only a sliver of the story, because this work is truly about the individuals and families that benefit from the food we rescue. Read the message below from one frontline volunteer about the impact that this food has for those who receive it:

Dear all,

I want to share some news, observations, and thanks to each of you! I am the one who greets our friends and generally has a brief (and sometimes long) chat with the vast majority of them! We help over 300 families each month and now average nearly 75-80 each week! We have lost a few because life did get better and are now providing enough food for the family is not such a stressor! There have been some  who have new jobs or are called back to the one they were laid off from. We see babies, young children, elderly people, caregivers, neighbors, friends, and dogs!  We continuously hear thank you’s, “God Bless all of you,” “I don’t know what I would do without you,” “I love you,” and”Good Shabbos,” from so many! I love that some tell me or show me photos of what they have made from what you pack or give to us! The turkeys alone made more dishes than one could ever imagine, including “Turkey Blintzes” and the “Best Smoothies” from the frozen blueberries, barbecued chicken from the efforts of Wren packing a bag of sauce to give with the chicken breasts! The first shift works especially hard to unpack, distribute, take the bags to the curbside, break the boxes down for recycling and as well as Hazon who works furiously to make sure we have enough food for our friends! 

One of the best things, of late, is that for the past few weeks I have asked every person who appears to be in that 65+ range if they have had the vaccine or are at least are signed up! I have given some the information on where to sign up! This past week nearly all of them have had at least one vaccine! (I, personally, have helped a handful of friends and family members who are computer illiterate including transportation and borrowing my wheelchair!)  

We started with baby steps in July and now we remain part of the most gratifying thing I, personally, have ever done in my life! I know you each feel the same way! We even have a student joining us as a project for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. 

Shabbat Shalom and enjoy the sunshine!

-An Inspired Volunteer

The post Hazon Detroit: Food Rescue Update appeared first on Adamah.

With each passing day, and each new scientific report, it is becoming increasingly clear that the climate crisis is and will continue to be the most pressing moral issue of our time. I know you, like me, feel a keen sense of obligation and responsibility to care for and protect the natural world and to ensure the safety and survival of those who are most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. As rabbis, we have the ability to speak up and speak out on this issue. As Jews, we have a tradition that demands this of us and inspires us to care for all of God’s creation. And as humans, we have a vested interest in doing this work speedily, for ourselves, for future generations, and for the more than human world.

That is why I am writing to you today, to introduce you to a new project of Hazon, called the Brit Hazon. This initiative aims at inspiring thousands of Jews from all across the country and world to commit to small and achievable environmental actions in their own lives. Participants can choose one of six paths of sustainable change, and will be supported by Hazon over a six-week period to realize critical and affirming results. As part of this framework, participants will also be encouraged to donate their time and/or money to, and lift their voices for, environmental causes. The Brit Hazon will be a central focus of Hazon Detroit’s over the next year and beyond, and we hope you will join us.

Our first main ask of you is that you teach and/or preach on the climate and introduce your communities to the Brit Hazon over the next two weeks. As you know, the next two Shabbaton – Yitro and Mishpatim – contain the paramount brit/covenantal moment of the Jewish people as they stand at Sinai and accept the Torah. For this reason, and with our communities just coming off of Tu B’Shvat, we thought this would be the perfect time to launch this project locally.

To help you participate, we have put together some resources for you! Below, you will find additional framing and information about “the Brit,” as well as Jewish sources and materials on the project, its connection to covenant, and its connection to these two parshiyot. We hope you find these sources useful that when you preach/teach on the subject, you encourage your communities to join the Brit!

They say that we all stood at Sinai and received God’s Torah, including future generations. We hope that you all will participate in the Brit in this way, for ourselves and future generations. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

-R’ Nate DeGroot, Hazon Detroit Associate Director, Spiritual & Program Director

Brit

The idea of “brit,” or “covenant,” is central to Jewish history, thought, and theology. To many, the presence of a covenantal relationship between the Jewish God and the characters of the Torah was a revolutionary idea for its time, and remains one today. As opposed to any other kind of relationship with God that we might have had – one of strict hierarchy, total authority, or unthinking faith – our God demands that we be in relationship, or partnership. In the words of Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks, “A brit is made when free agents, respecting one another’s freedom, bind themselves by a mutual promise to work together, to be loyal to one another, and to achieve together what neither can achieve alone.” Still, by today’s standards, this level of dependence, or hevrutah, is a bold and daring concept.

Examples in the Torah

Throughout our Torah, there are four key moments when God enters into a covenant.

Noah and The Flood
The first time is following the story of Noah and flood, when God declares, “I now establish My covenant with you and your offspring to come, and with every living thing that is with you—birds, cattle, and every wild beast as well—all that have come out of the ark, every living thing on earth. I will maintain My covenant with you: never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

As we know, God displays a rainbow in the sky after declaring these words, and that image becomes the symbol of God’s original covenant.

Q: In the context of environmental sustainability, we must consider how our actions may or may not uphold God’s covenant. God promises not to destroy humanity and the natural world, but are we able and willing to commit to that, as well?

Abraham and Sarah
The second Divine covenant involves our original patriarch and matriarch – Abraham and Sarah. In one place (Gen 15:18-21), our ancestors are promised a particular swath of land to be passed down to their descendants as part of God’s covenant. In another (Gen 17:1-14), God promises to make their descendants numerous (2, 4, 6) filled with many nations (4, 6) and kings (6). God promises that the covenant will be for all time (7) and that it will result in land holding for future generations (8). In return, Abraham, Sarah, and their descendants must “walk in God’s ways” (1) and circumcise all male babies (10-13).

Q: What might it mean to “walk in God’s ways,” when it comes to climate and sustainability? What is the significance of land being promised to us as part of the Divine covenant, recognizing that elsewhere (Gen 2:15), we’re told we must protect and serve the sanctity of land?

Sinai
The third covenant of the Torah is made in the wilderness at Sinai, when the “mixed multitude” of escapees from Egypt receive God’s Torah and become the Jewish people. The text says: “Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine. (Ex 19:5). After hearing all that God is demanding of the people – the Ten Commandments, and more – the people reply, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do and understand” (24:7). At that point, “Moses took the blood [of the offerings] and dashed it on the people and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD now makes with you concerning all these commands’” (24:8).

Q: Why do you think God tells the people that “all the earth is [God’s]”? If we take this idea seriously, how does that inform a contemporary environmental ethic?

Priestly
The final covenant of the Torah happens in the book of Numbers, and it involves the Priests. In this covenant, God promises, “All the sacred gifts that the Israelites set aside for the LORD I give to you, to your sons, and to the daughters that are with you, as a due for all time. It shall be an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for you and for your offspring as well” (Numbers 18.19).

Q: What is the significance of this covenant focusing on agricultural products/livestock (sacred gifts), and natural resources (salt)?

Parashat Yitro

Bite Sized Pieces

Before Yitro intervened, Moshe sat from morning until night hearing and adjudicating cases. He had little time to do anything else, and the effect, Yitro saw, would ultimately damage both Moshe and the people: “You will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” Instead, Yitro recommended a decentralized system wherein numerous community or local judges would rule on smaller issues, with judges overseeing communities of decreasingly large sizes.

Reflection: The climate crisis is huge and overwhelming. It is not upon us to complete the task, or to do everything at once. The Brit Hazon supports individuals in picking one thing to focus on for six weeks. Like the system of Moses and the judges, by each of us doing our part, together, our collective impact will be great and we won’t burn out.

Act!

At the beginning of this week’s Torah reading (Shemot 18:1), we’re told “וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ, Then Yitro heard.” This seems like pretty passive language, like Yitro picked up the morning paper and happened to see a headline about the Israelites leaving Egypt. Rashi, however, completely changes the focus of Yitro’s character here. Quoting the Talmud (Zevahim 116a), he asks, “What is it that he heard that prompted him to come?” In Rashi’s reframing, the focus shifts from Yitro passively hearing to Yitro choosing to act on what he heard.
Reflection: We have heard the scientists tell us, that in order to avert the very worst of climate catastrophe, we must act now and we must act boldly for the climate. Still, it can be difficult to actually do anything about it! The Brit Hazon is set up to help us take that first or next step – and to support us along the way – as we act on behalf of nature, climate, and future generations.

Don’t Approach the Mountain

And you shall set bounds for the people around you, saying: ‘Take care of yourselves, so that you go not up on the mountain, or even touch the border of it, for anyone who touches the mountain is liable to be put to death. (Exodus 19:12)

The warning is clear, at least to me: If we are not ready, nor willing, to take responsibility for the great planet on which we are blessed to live, then we are also not ready to partake of it. Put simply, if we don’t accept our responsibility for this planet and its vast beauty and resources, we don’t deserve them. Casual observation suggests that this is the case.

Reflection: As humans, we have had such an outsized and unprecedented impact on the earth in such a remarkably short amount of time, that according to many scientists, a new geological epoch called the “anthropocene” – the first new epoch since the last glacial period ended 10,000 years ago – has had to be created in order to adequately describe and put into perspective the destructive influence us humans have had on the natural world in just a couple hundred years. The Brit Hazon helps us consider our relationship to nature and supports us in engaging with the natural world responsibly, respectfully, and by honoring its boundaries and needs.

Visioning the Future

In Parshat Yitro, the Israelites reach the foot of Mount Sinai, and God instructs Moses to tell the people, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians; and I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me” (Exodus 19:4). Again, the usual way of understanding this is that “to Me” meant to “God’s mountain,” i.e. Mount Sinai. But an ancient Aramaic version of the Torah (Targum Yerushalmi) reads it differently, saying that on the night of the Exodus:

“I carried you from Pelusium (i.e. Goshen) on clouds, as if they were eagles’ wings, to the place of the Temple, where you offered the Paschal sacrifice; and that night, I brought you back to Egypt and from there brought you to this place (Sinai) to receive My teaching.”

It seems to me that this ancient “tale within a tale” holds within it a deep insight into how worthy national goals are to be achieved. A people cannot simply do nation-building from scratch. It must first have a vivid vision — one might well call it an experience — of its moral and political goals.

Reflection: “Brit” means “covenant” and “Hazon” means “vision.” This amazing translation of the pivotal moment at Sinai reminds us of the importance of constructing a vision of an ideal future, in which to orient our covenant and commitment. So often we feel we must act more sustainably, or do climate justice work, to avert the worst of what might come. This teaching inspires us to orient towards a positive future. What’s the Promised Land that we want to live in? What does it look like, feel like, taste like, or smell like to live in a sustainable future. As we embark on the Brit Hazon, let’s center the positive vision of the world as it can be!

Tur HaAroch on Shemot 19.8

ויענו כל העם יחדו, “All the people answered simultaneously, etc.
Moses had called all the leaders, the judges, the law enforcers, etc., in the presence of all the people and had submitted to them all that G’d had told him, and had offered them the choice whether to accept all these commandments. Seeing the commandments concerned the entire nation, acceptance was also required by the entire nation. The people did not even wait until Moses had posed the question to them if they were willing to accept all this, but the Torah testifies that they interrupted Moses to indicate their ready acceptance

Reflection: The work for climate sustainability is, by definition, collective. It will require all of us to pitch in and do our part. And since the urgency is great, it will also require that we all jump in right away! Before the question is even done being posed to us, let’s accept the challenge and begin the Brit Hazon!

Parashat Mishpatim

Intuitive Knowledge

The ultimate moment of glory for the Jewish people — their greatest hour — occurred as God revealed His Torah at Mount Sinai. The Israelites remarkably pledged, Na’aseh v’nishma — “We will do and we will listen to all that God has declared” (Exodus 24:7).

They made two promises: to do, and to listen. The order is crucial. They promised to keep the Torah, even before knowing why. The Midrash (Shabbat 88a) related that, in merit of this pledge of loyalty, the angels rewarded each Jew with two crowns. And a Heavenly Voice explained, “Who revealed to My children this secret used by the angels?”

What was so special about this vow, “We will do and we will listen”? On the contrary, would not fulfilling mitzvot with understanding and enlightenment be a superior level of Torah observance? And why does the Midrash refer to this form of unquestioning allegiance as a “secret used by the angels”?

While wisdom is usually acquired through study and contemplation, there exists in nature an intuitive knowledge that requires no formal education. The bee for example, naturally knows the optimal geometric shape for building honeycomb cells. No bee has ever needed to register for engineering courses at MIT.

Intuitive knowledge also exists in the spiritual realm. Angels are sublime spiritual entities who do not require extensive Torah study in order to know how to serve God. Their holiness is ingrained in their very nature. It is only human beings, prone to being confused by pseudo-scientific indoctrination, who need to struggle in order to return to their pristine spiritual selves.

For the Jews who stood at Mount Sinai, it was not only Torah and mitzvot that were revealed. They also discovered their own true, inner essence. They attained a sublime level of natural purity, and intuitively proclaimed, “We will do.” We will follow our natural essence, unhindered by any spurious, artificial conventions.

Reflection: Most of us aren’t climate scientists. Most of us can’t easily explain or even understand the obscure specifics of climate science. However, that must not prohibit us from taking action. Like the Jewish people, it is imperative that we do – “na’aseh” – just as we try to better understand – “v’nishmah.” If we wait until we have all the data, or until all the models have been run, it will be too late. We know enough, and we trust that the experts know enough, that it is beyond time to act. Of course, both aspects are vital, and both aspects are lifted up in the Brit Hazon. But what’s most critical right now, is that we act.

The Collective

While only Moses ascends to Mount Sinai, the collective Jewish people accepted the Torah. According to midrash, not a single member of the community missed the revelation for reasons of ritual impurity, and not a single person was blind, deaf, or otherwise unable to experience the totality of the revelation.
Reflection: Climate change impacts every single human being alive today. No matter where you are, who are you, or how you spend your time, we share this earth together. Alongside our more than human friends, the climate crisis will upend our ways of life and cause immense challenge to our habits. We share this earth together, and so we must also share the solutions to ensuring a habitable planet. This truth is revealed to all of us, and requires all of us to act. The Brit Hazon is one way to help you begin that process and do your part as part of the collective solution.

The Future

Furthermore, according to some commentators, the words na’aseh v’nishma indicate an acceptance not only of the immediate laws of the Torah, but also of all of the laws to come. According to Abraham Ibn Ezra, “na’aseh [indicates] all of the laws given until this point [and] nishma [indicates] the laws to come in the future” (short commentary, comment to Exodus 24:7).

Though only one generation of Jews actually stood at Sinai, this group comprised the ancestors of all future members of the Jewish community., They accepted the Torah not only for themselves, but also for all generations to come. Each year at Shavuot, when Jews recreate the experience of the revelation, each generation has a new opportunity to declare on its own behalf, “na’aseh v’nishma.”

Reflection: We’re told that the revelation at Mt. Sinai continues to happen in the present, and that not only were we all there, but that all Jews who will ever live were also there. Our tradition has a strong theme of “l’dor v’dor” – from generation to generation. So how can we continue down a path of status quo, when the science is clear that inaction on our part will mean an uninhabitable planet for future generations? It is our responsibility to ensure that, just like we inherited a planet where God’s beauty and diversity was revealed to us, our descendants also get to experience the prolific beauty of Divine nature. Taking part in the Brit Hazon allows us to know that we are taking steps to do just that.

Love Your Neighbor

Parashat Mishpatim contains perhaps the most well-known articulation of this charge: “You shall not oppress a stranger (ger), for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.” By ger, the Torah means one who is an alien in the place where he lives—that is, one who is not a member of the ruling tribe or family, who is not a citizen, and who is therefore vulnerable to social and economic exploitation. The Torah appeals to our memory to intensify our ethical obligations: having tasted the suffering and degradation to which vulnerability can lead, we are bidden not to oppress the stranger. The Torah’s call is not based on a rational argument, but on an urgent demand for empathy: since you know what it feels like to be a stranger, you must never abuse or mistreat the stranger…

Where Exodus commands us not to oppress the stranger and ties that obligation to the ways memory can be harnessed to yield empathy, Leviticus goes further, moving from a negative commandment (lo ta’aseh) to a positive one (aseh): “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I the Lord am your God.” With these startling words, we have traveled a long distance; we are mandated to actively love the stranger. A lot can be (and has been) said about what the commandment to love the neighbor does and doesn’t mean in Leviticus, but one thing is clear: the love we owe to our neighbor we also owe to the stranger who resides among us…The Torah forcefully makes clear that the poor and downtrodden, the vulnerable and oppressed, the exposed and powerless are all our neighbors. We are called to love even those who are not our kin, even those who do not share our socio-economic status, because, after all, we remember only too well what vulnerability feels like.

Deuteronomy subtly introduces still another dimension to our obligation to love the stranger. Along the way, it offers a remarkably moving lesson in theology: For the Lord your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. You too must love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

…Here, loving the stranger is a form of “walking in God’s ways,” or what philosophers call imitatio dei (the imitation of God). Just as God “loves the stranger,” so also must we. The Torah here presents a radical challenge and obligation: If you want to love God, love those whom God loves. Love the fatherless, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. In other words, Deuteronomy gives us two distinct but intertwined reasons for what lies at the heart of Jewish ethics: we must love the stranger both because of who God is and because of what we ourselves have been through.

Exodus teaches us the baseline requirement: not to oppress the stranger. Leviticus magnifies the demand: not only must we not oppress the stranger, we must actively love her. And Deuteronomy raises the stakes even higher: loving the stranger is a crucial form of “walking in God’s ways.”
Literature scholar Elaine Scarry hauntingly asserts that “the human capacity to injure other people is very great precisely because our capacity to imagine other people is very small.” By reminding us again and again of our vulnerability in Egypt, the Torah works to help us learn to imagine others more so that we allow ourselves to hurt them less.

The obligation to love and care for the stranger and the dispossessed is a basic covenantal requirement incumbent upon us as Jews. We surely have moral obligations which are incumbent upon us because of the simple fact that we are human beings. In its recurrent appeals to memory, the Torah seeks to amplify and intensify those obligations, to remind us, even when it is difficult to hear, that the fate of the stranger is our responsibility. This mandate may seem overwhelming at times, and its concrete implications may sometimes be difficult to discern. But loving the stranger is fundamental and lies at the heart of Torah. If we wish to take the obligation to serve God seriously, and to be worthy heirs of the Jewish tradition, we have no choice but to wrestle with these words, and to seek to grow in empathy and compassion.

Reflection: We know – now perhaps more than ever – just how interconnected we all are. When a virus can spread from one end of the world to the other in just a few days, there is no debating that even those who are thousands of miles away are still, in a real sense, our neighbors, and that our actions impact all corners of this world. The same is true when discussing climate. For the toxins we dump end up in the drinking water of those far beyond our sight. The pollution we put in the air ends up harming those on other continents. And the plastic waste that we discard will be here for those that come in 500 years. These actions harms humans and the more than human world in devastating ways. Thankfully, the Brit Hazon gives us a chance to “imagine other people” and put into practice this core Jewish value of not only not harming the stranger, but actively taking steps that embody our love of our neighbor, regardless of species or location on this planet. In this sense, participating in the Brit Hazon is an earnest attempt to “walk in God’s ways.”

Unintended Consequences

In this week’s Torah portion, we read the following verse: “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that the sheaves or the standing corn or the field are consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.” (Ex. 22:5). In other words, winds have sent a spark to your neighbor’s property; through no fault of your own, a fire has started next door. Yet you are liable for the damages…

The Rabbis in the Talmud (B. Bava Kama 60a-b) explain that the detailed list in our verse—“thorns, sheaves, and standing corn,” is meant to cover all possibilities: we are responsible for any and all damage we cause. But Rabbi Judah extends the liability farther: if a person sets a fire, that person is answerable also for unseen damage. Our responsibility covers a wide spectrum of unintended consequences.
The French Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas notes how fire works. Once it is set: “The wind adds its whims and violences to it. And yet, responsibility is not diminished.” Thinking beyond immediate results is particularly important in our culture marked by quick fixes and instant gratification. Even when it is impossible to predict the impact of our actions, once blowback occurs, we must take the opportunity to examine our part.

But Levinas goes farther. The Talmud tells us that the fire in our verse catches because of the thorns—and thorns, for our sages, represent the wicked. But, they note that the first to be consumed by fire is the stack of corn, which represents the righteous. Why do the righteous perish first? For Levinas, it is because they are held accountable for evil. “They are responsible because they have not been righteous enough.” According to Levinas, being a good person means nothing in isolation.³ He likens tolerating social injustice and exploitation to “murder.” Levinas widens our circle of responsibility to include not only our actions and their long-term effects, but also those of our fellow human beings.

For Levinas, this is at the very heart of what it means to be human: Fulfilling our radical responsibility toward the Other. At a time when the selfie represents so much of who we are as a society, isn’t it time to turn our cameras around and focus on the cries of our fellow humans from whose misery we may have benefited?

Reflection: If the carbon emissions from the car that we drive in Michigan contributes to the forest fire that burns in California, or Australia, are we responsible? According to this text, the answer seems to be an emphatic “yes!” Although the most severe impacts of climate change have not yet reached Michigan, our tradition holds us as liable for the damage that we cause to others. We might not see the damage, we might not be impacted by it – yet – but still, we are responsible. Unfortunately, we also know that the worst effects of climate change are being felt by those least responsible for it. Those who emit the least amount of carbon dioxide are feeling the most severe impacts of the crisis. Reading the Talmudic midrash differently, we understand the haunting reality that the fire catches because of the thorn – those of us in the developed world, who are responsible for the most amount of carbon emissions – but consumes the corn – those who are in the developing world and are responsible for the least amount of carbon emissions – first. By signing up for the Brit Hazon, we are taking responsibility for our actions, committing to reduce our footprint so the unintended impact on those we don’t even know will be less.

Rabbi Nate DeGroot is the Hazon Detroit Associate Director and Spiritual & Program Director. In this role, he is helping the Detroit Metro Jewish community to reconnect with their own inherited earth-based Jewish spirituality and reinvest in their historic relationship with the Detroit community around its transformative environmental justice work. He was ordained at Hebrew College in Boston, where he also received a Masters in Jewish Education. He most recently served as the inaugural Jewish Emergent Network Rabbinic Fellow at IKAR in Los Angeles, and before that founded a grassroots cooperative Jewish community in Portland, Oregon. He is a lover of the wild and is excited to bring his passion for all things sacred to his work at Hazon. Learn more about the work of Hazon Detroit here.

The post A Call to Action for Rabbis and Spiritual Leaders From Hazon’s Detroit Rabbi, Nate DeGroot appeared first on Adamah.

The post Food Rescue Hero: Darraugh Collins appeared first on Adamah.