Climate Change and Hanukah – A Connection?

hanukah menorah
The 8-day Jewish holiday of Hanukah starts tonight. Is there a connect with climate change?

This week marks the Jewish holiday of Hanukah – celebrated by widely in Israel by Jewish people. And the local Israeli Arabs enjoy it too, feasting on the jelly doughnuts that go along with the 8-day holiday.

“What does Hanukah have to do with global warming?”

Hanukah sends an environmental message: how could a one-day supply of oil last eight days and nights?

“It represents an early example of energy conservation with relevance to our current environmental challenges,” wrote Adam Stern from the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL). In the past he’s recommended that people switch over to CFLs this holiday season.

For some yummy recipes to go along with the miracle of Hanukkah, how about latke recipes of Rachel Barenblat, the wife of a World Changing writer. Rachel’s Asian latkes with soy dipping sauce sound tempting and definitely modern, we would probably choose a hot and crispy jelly doughnut (sufganiyot) over a latke any day. That’s if you’re a calorie counter.

image-baked-dougnuts

Or try baked sufganiyot for a healthier change.

Browsing through our archives, GreenProphet has not forsaken its Jewish readers. For a good green start this Hanukkah try:

1. Eco-Rabbi – Take the Hannukah Eco-Challenge
2. Read about the importance of spreading the Hannukah message.
3. A Jewish Heart for Africa Shines During Hannukah

Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloostermanhttp://www.greenprophet.com
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]

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