Community News, Ideas, & Comments
Sustainability · 16th August 2010
Lisa Arkin
“See to it that you do not spoil or destroy the world – for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.”
Jewish Biblical Saying
The members of synagogue Temple Beth Israel (TBI) are taking sustainability to heart, to soul, and to policy-making.
The synagogue’s Board of Trustees approved a policy of environmental stewardship that will guide day-to-day events and holiday celebrations. The new policy is based on environmental ethics and is called ethical kashrut in the Hebrew language. The practice is derived from both traditional and contemporary Jewish principles of sacredness dealing with ethics, environmental stewardship and justice. It reflects the call to all people of Jewish faith to do to one’s part to repair and help sustain the world.
The Eugene congregation has positioned itself to be a national leader in Jewish environmental ethics.
The policy changes were suggested by Temple Beth Israel’s committee called “Honoring Nature.” The committee of twelve has been working on increasing the congregation’s commitments to being better earth stewards for over six years. Their efforts began with simple education projects and have progressed to state-of-the-art green building materials and energy saving practices.
Environmental ethics are reflected in all of the ways the new building gets used. For example, members are using real dishes instead of paper supplies in our kitchen and have set up recycling and composting systems.
The gift shop emphasizes environmentally friendly and fair-trade products. We use only non-toxic or low-chemical cleaning products and compact fluorescent bulbs. The 2008 building is designed with green building principles that include energy efficient construction, passive solar lighting, and native and low-water landscaping.
The congregation’s sustainability policy addresses six core principles of environmental sustainability including: creation stewardship, environmental justice, prevention of harm, protecting the common good, moral leadership and responsibility to future generations.
TBI’s Honoring Nature Committee hopes to share what they’ve learned and be a resource for other faith communities and neighborhoods who wish to practice sustainability.
For example, the synagogue partnered with the Amazon Neighborhood Association, Lane County Hazardous Waste Department, Next Step Recycling, Bring and St. Vincent de Paul to put on an all-day recycling and hazardous waste collection event on June 14, 2009.
Jewish Biblical Saying
The members of synagogue Temple Beth Israel (TBI) are taking sustainability to heart, to soul, and to policy-making.
The synagogue’s Board of Trustees approved a policy of environmental stewardship that will guide day-to-day events and holiday celebrations. The new policy is based on environmental ethics and is called ethical kashrut in the Hebrew language. The practice is derived from both traditional and contemporary Jewish principles of sacredness dealing with ethics, environmental stewardship and justice. It reflects the call to all people of Jewish faith to do to one’s part to repair and help sustain the world.
The Eugene congregation has positioned itself to be a national leader in Jewish environmental ethics.
The policy changes were suggested by Temple Beth Israel’s committee called “Honoring Nature.” The committee of twelve has been working on increasing the congregation’s commitments to being better earth stewards for over six years. Their efforts began with simple education projects and have progressed to state-of-the-art green building materials and energy saving practices.
Environmental ethics are reflected in all of the ways the new building gets used. For example, members are using real dishes instead of paper supplies in our kitchen and have set up recycling and composting systems.
The gift shop emphasizes environmentally friendly and fair-trade products. We use only non-toxic or low-chemical cleaning products and compact fluorescent bulbs. The 2008 building is designed with green building principles that include energy efficient construction, passive solar lighting, and native and low-water landscaping.
The congregation’s sustainability policy addresses six core principles of environmental sustainability including: creation stewardship, environmental justice, prevention of harm, protecting the common good, moral leadership and responsibility to future generations.
TBI’s Honoring Nature Committee hopes to share what they’ve learned and be a resource for other faith communities and neighborhoods who wish to practice sustainability.
For example, the synagogue partnered with the Amazon Neighborhood Association, Lane County Hazardous Waste Department, Next Step Recycling, Bring and St. Vincent de Paul to put on an all-day recycling and hazardous waste collection event on June 14, 2009.