The high holidays keep marching on, and after a reflective and sustainable Rosh Hashanah (and Yom Kippur) comes a (hopefully green) Sukkot. The ecological greenhouse in Kibbutz Ein Shemer will be hosting their annual Green Sukkah Conference again (we wrote about it last year as well) with this year’s topic being “The Water Crisis as […]
With the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) coming up this week, many of us are reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the next. These resolutions may include ways to treat ourselves better, ways to be better to those around us, and ways to make a more positive impact on our surroundings. Making […]
A year ago, James wrote an article on Green Prophet about a unique organization known as the Sulha Peace Project and its role in reconciliation among peoples of different religious faiths and cultures, which is what the word sulha or reconciliation in Arabic is supposed to be about. The Sulha Peace Project was founded in […]
The Jewish National Fund says it is proud to sponsor the Habonim Dror North America (HDNA) Green Israel Program. The program brings together the values of Judaism, Zionism and social justice through a Zionist-based, environmentally friendly gardening project at HDNA’s seven summer camps located in California, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Toronto, and Vancouver. Its goal is to […]
The links between religion and environmental concern/activism are no news to Green Prophet. We’ve covered them in our Eco Rabbi series, discussion of the environment and the Qu’ran, and in stories about multi-faith perspectives on the environment. But it was news to discover an Eco-Activist Beit Midrash (EABM) in Jerusalem’s Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, which, in […]
Just six months ago, JGooders.com was started as way to build a global, accessible, vibrant, and transparent central Jewish and Israeli arena that would connect needs and generosity; social initiators and social enablers, and allow everyone to Do Good. [from JGooders.com] JGooders is off to a fast start, as hundreds of Non Profit Organizations have […]
Coming to Israel for the first time is now becoming more environmentally friendly. Not only does Taglit-Birthright still offer a free 10-day trip for Jewish 18 to 26 year olds, but now each trip incorporates at least one environmental awareness aspect, and some newer tracks are even environmentally centered. Taglit Birthright Israel first started in […]
Every month, observant Jewish women in Israel and around the world immerse in a ritual bath known as a mikveh. Some men do it too before the Sabbath and holidays. Now a unique project in Jerusalem intends to recycle water from the mikveh showers that people take before immersing in the pool of living water.
With only one week left until Shavuot (this vegetarian’s favorite holiday since she can eat everything on the table), many of us may be preparing in different ways. Some of us may be considering making homemade ricotta cheese and baking organic whole wheat bread (in which case, please check out Hamutal’s easy to follow recipes), […]
(Modern-day Israelites “glean” at a Tel Aviv market to help feed African refugees in Israel.) Chapter 25 of the biblical Book of Leviticus relates how God instructed the Children of Israel on how to make of most out of the land when growing crops, and how to care for livestock, and for servants who worked […]
Just a few hours after Jews of all stripes gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem to celebrate “Birkat haChama” – the blessing of the sun – Aria Penkava slid a tray of kosher-for-Passover cookies into a solar oven to slow-cook using focused heat energy from the sun. “The sunrise was glorious this morning,” said […]
Eco-Jews are busy now celebrating Passover, while Christians in the Holy Land and the world over ready themselves for Easter. Iranians, we learn had their own celebrations this time of the year, coinciding with the vernal equinox on March 21. Iran’s political makeup and leadership may not be making many friends these days, but one […]
With Passover coming up so soon many of us are preparing in a variety of ways, whether it be purging our homes of every last remaining bread crumb or learning how to make that special family haroset recipe. But when the cleaning is done, the seder dinner is eaten, and the afikoman is found – […]
Because one cannot own any leavened bread over Passover, for the month before Passover, religious Jews comb through their house for any remnants of leavened bread, which is a good opportunity for regular spring cleaning. I think it's a good chance to think about reducing, reusing and recycling...
Just once in 28 years. That’s how often religious Jews bless the sun. While observant Jews bless their food before they eat it, bless first fruits of the season, trees, and guard the cycles of the moon “religiously” to mark their holidays, the Blessing of the Sun occurs only once every 28 years. The event […]