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| We work to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community, and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. |
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June 2014 | Sivan 5774
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Members are proud of Kane Street Synagogue's commitment to observe the mitzvah of bal tashchit (avoiding waste and needless destruction.) A beautiful new recycling center in the social hall conveys a powerful message and makes it easy to participate. |
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From the JGF Director
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One Garden, Many Harvests
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Mirele B. Goldsmith, JGF Director
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Seniors at the Boro Park Y just harvested their third crop of lettuce in the lobby! Everyone who comes into the Y is intrigued and excited by the new hydroponic garden. And the garden is growing more than produce – it is growing questions. “We had to ask a rabbi what blessing to say over it, because the lettuce is grown in water, not in the earth,” reports Ellie Kastel, Director of the Y. “Now we teach the children to say the blessing of she’ha’kol.” Ellie continues,“ The lights and the greenery have made the lobby a nicer environment. Teachers are bringing their classes to the Y to see the garden. Visitors are asking if they can do this at home. It is hard to convey the incredible impact this is having at the Y.”
At the Sephardic Community Center, the Inter-generational Garden is growing relationships. This garden is planted in containers on the JCC’s patio and roof. Linda Eber, Greening Fellow, describes how children and seniors participate together. “One day a senior who does not speak English, and rarely interacts with others, came to the garden. We were able to match the senior with children who speak Arabic and French, and the group happily completed a scavenger hunt. In addition to the senior garden club, family programs, and activities for preschoolers, 350 children experience the garden under the direction of a garden educator during the day camp season.
Several years ago, students at the Jewish Theological Seminary planted a garden in plastic kiddie pools filled with soil. Now the garden will enrich Jewish learning and social justice efforts. JTS has received a $9,800 grant from the Gendler Grapevine Project to build a permanent garden and an “Eco-Sanctuary” with benches, tables, and bird feeders. Aliyah Vinikoor, Greening Fellow, says, “This summer we are planting vegetables that will ripen in time for Sukkot because our Sukkah will be built next to the garden. As a teaching garden, we will focus on plantings that enable students to explore the agricultural roots of the Jewish holidays. And Union Theological Seminary’s Edible Churchyard is right across the street. We are excited about opportunities to partner with gardeners of other faiths on food justice projects in Morningside Heights.”
Curiosity, friendships, hands-on learning, and donors. Wherever it is located – in the lobby, on the roof, or in the ground – a garden yields many bountiful harvests.
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Bukharian Teen ACTION Goes Green |
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Zhanna Beyl, Director, Bukharian Teen Lounge, Jewish Child Care Association
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The youth at JCCA's Bukharian Teen Lounge have not heard much about Greening before this year. In the Bukharian Jewish community, environmentalism is not yet the hot item on the agenda as there are many other challenges to overcome for this new immigrant group. Thanks to the Jewish Greening Fellowship, we were able to offer our teens a Teen ACTION Goes Green program that introduced environmental issues into our service-learning initiative. Meeting on Sundays at the Lounge, the teens learned about food ethics, waste management, ethical consumption, recycling, planting and beautifying while exploring powerful connections to Jewish teachings and participating in hands-on service activities. Naomi Krikhely, a social work intern from NYU was the enthusiastic facilitator who engaged the teens. An alumna of the Lounge herself, Naomi is a committed Jew and a passionate social worker. She was completely new to dealing with environmental issues. Naomi educated herself and inspired others to be mindful consumers and strong guardians of their community.
Now that the teens at JCCA’s Bukharian Teen Lounge have begun their journey on the road to a healthier community, the adults ought to follow the example set by the youth. To help the staff take on environmental commitments in the spirit of the Jewish value of tikkun olam or repairing the world that JCCA enthusiastically champions, the Services in the Jewish Community Department of JCCA leads the way. At a recent all staff meeting, the Director of Bukharian Youth Services, who is the current Greening Fellow, made a presentation introducing her coworkers to the basic concepts of sustainability and invited the staff to reflect on the personal and work-related practices that use resources efficiently and promote a healthier environment. We at JCCA are very grateful for this chance to learn and grow through the Jewish Greening Fellowship.
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Calendar
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To RSVP for these events, contact mirele.goldsmith@hazon.org
Wednesday, July 9
6:00 pm
Westchester Summer Gathering at the Science Barge, Yonkers
Tour the Science Barge to learn about hands-on environmental education, followed by a picnic. All welcome.
Tuesday, July 15
Shmita (Sabbatical) Year JGF Alumni Grant Proposals Due
Grants are available to JGF Network organizations.
Thursday, July 17
9:00 am
Green Team Tour to Staten Island
Tour the Fresh Kills Park (on the former landfill) and the Staten Island Ferry Green Roof Farm. Learn how to inspire participation in reducing waste and in green roofs, gardens, and farming. All welcome.
Wednesday, August 6
5:30 pm
LI Summer Gathering at Camp Jacobson, Old Westbury
Tour the camp’s garden and get ideas for gardening education and for programs to teach about Shmita (the Sabbatical Year) in your garden. Picnic on the grounds. All welcome.
Sunday, August 24 – Tuesday, August 26
JGF Retreat at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Please note that Final Reports for organizations in the 2013-2014
Cohort are due on August 8, 2014.
Monday, September 15
5:00 – 7:00 pm
JGF Graduation at UJA-Federation of NY
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ReSources You Can ReUse!
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On September 20 or 21 hundreds of thousands of citizens will participate in the People’s Climate March in New York City. The Jewish Climate Change Campaign is working to mobilize the Jewish community. Sign on now as a “participating organization” and publicize the March. Contact mirele.goldsmith@hazon.org for more information.
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We work to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community,
and a healthier and more sustainable world for all. |
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| NEW YORK Makom Hadash, 125 Maiden Lane, Suite 8B, New York, NY 10038 |
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| SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA 121 Steuart Street., Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94105 |
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| COLORADO Boulder, CO • 303.88.5865 • Denver, CO |
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| PHILADELPHIA 5020 Cedar Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143 |
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| ISABELLA FREEDMAN JEWISH RETREAT CENTER 116 Johnson Road, Falls Village, CT 06031 |
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