The etrog is a stunning fruit. It's also known around the globe as citron ––but it's not to be confused with the French word "citron" which just means lemon. The etrog or citron is indeed a citrus fruit, so cousin to lemon and lime, but it's a world away from that tangyness and in its own class.
Fasting, while probably better for the environment, is unfortunately unsustainable for us humans. What other ways can you make your eating eco-friendly? Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is one of the holiest days of the year for Jews and is a time of reflection, atonement, fasting and prayer. It is a day when […]
Before you start building your sukkah, think about the materials and values that you want to use. Sukkot, the Jewish Festival of Booths, will begin next week and many Jews all over the world are starting to think about building their sukkah. While intended to imitate a natural makeshift shelter and honor certain forms of […]
What lesson would you like to share with the next generation? What does it take to create a better future for the human family and all life on this planet? These questions are at the heart of the Feather Project which seeks to bring together young and old people to create solutions for the problems […]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou61_Wtu5TY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube] These solar cookers are very inexpensive to make, and yet their impact on Darfur’s families is immeasurable Spreading compassion for all things and attending to the suffering of others is steeped in the Jewish tradition, in part as a result of deep scars left behind by the holocaust. Nor does this philosophy extend to […]
The Jewish holiday Tisha B’Av starts tonight. It gives one license to be sad over the state of the environment. We know that it’s not productive to dwell on environmental doom and gloom. Green Prophet readers are modern and hip people; we are environmentally responsible, but hey, not totally perfect. Every so often, we just […]
[youtube width=”560″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E43mUeMB_Go&feature=player_embedded[/youtube] The Bedouin village of Um Bateen, just outside Beersheba in southern Israel, has no paved roads – which makes it the perfect place for a new mountain bike club. Now the Bikes4All project sponsored by the Israel Cycling Federation and funded by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, has distributed free […]
In a world of synthetics and polyesters, fabric merchant Bilal Abu-Khalaf sells hand-woven silks, cotton and gold-threaded cloths from his Jerusalem shop. Some cloths can wait 45 years before being sold. In the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem’s famous Old City bazaar, shopkeepers are busy selling trinkets to tourists, synthetic t-shirts and plastic souvenirs made […]
Can Zionism claim Green credentials? The jury is still out on this one. On the one hand, Zionism was initially very much a “back to the land” movement, in the European Romantic tradition. Trees were being planted in Palestine as early as 1901, there was a strong emphasis on agriculture and “redemption of the land”, […]
The first time I entered into the mikveh, it felt as if my body was suspended in something extraordinary, primordial fluid, if you will. Every sense awoke. The water felt warm against my skin, like a comforting caress, and the gentle lapping sounds echoed against the walls and whooshed in my ears. Time became irrelevant […]
Celebrate an alternative and dance-themed Shavuot at Vertigo Dance Company’s Eco-Arts Village. [image via: avinatan] If you’re a vegetarian (or a vegawarian), Shavuot may be one of your favorite holidays. During Shavuot you traditionally eat dairy (and lots of it), so the main meal is a vegetarian. But if you’re lactose intolerant, that’s no fun […]
This light, creamy cheesecake fits into your green Shavuot, especially if you make it with organic cheese and eggs. It's also light on sugar.
Eco-Activist Beit Midrash offers an alternative (and ecological) alternative to the traditional yeshiva experience. [image via: shorashimroots] The Eco-Activist Beit Midrash (EABM) based in Jerusalem has been devoted to a Jewish approach to environmentalism for a long time. In their own words, they are trying to “bring Torah down to earth.” And now they are […]
Every Friday night religious Jews light candles for Shabbat, the Sabbath or Shabbos. Guest poster Debra A. Waldoks sends us this tip in “light” of Earth Day today. Jewish or not, consider the ramifications of earth-friendly candles. My husband called me out on it: He claims that I am “green” when it affects my personal […]
Getting outside is one way to “green” your Pesach. Pessach, or Passover in English, is an interesting paradox of both returning to a way of simple living as well as celebrating the holiday in a truly royal manner. Matza, one of the primary mitzvot of the holiday, is made of the most basic ingredients – […]