Each week Orthodox Jews read one segment of the Five Books of Moses so that they can complete the entire Five Books within the course of a year. In last week’s Eco-Rabbi post we discussed Moses’ fight for his people’s freedom. This week continues with discussing the power of symbols. Moses finally persuaded Pharaoh to […]
The Christmas season in Europe is often silly season for the world’s media outlets, when they outdo each other to find the strangest, weirdest and oddball news story to give people an extra sparkle to their celebrations. Strange shaped vegetables, or bagels that bleed are the sort of stories that crop up. Despite the crisis […]
Traveling through the mountains of Judea I am always struck by the stark contrast between the mountainous areas where there are villages and where there are not. The differences can be as sharp as night and day. There are even places where people are living but the land seems barren and there are other places […]
Living green is about not being wasteful. If you save up a little bit at a time it adds up! David Bach in “The Automatic Millionaire” calls this the “latte factor.” In a nutshell, if you drink a latte every day it can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars over forty years. But […]
In this week’s segment Jacob leaves his parent’s home. Jacob just out-maneuvered Esau, his brother, for the birthright and now Esau wants revenge. Jacob hopes to stay with family in Haran. On his way there Jacob sets up camp in a special “place.” Sources explain that that place is holy and is either the Temple […]
“Look at My work, how beautiful and perfect is everything that I created. I created it for you. Be careful not to ruin and destroy My world. If you ruin it, there is nobody to restore it after you.” (Ecclesiastes Rabba 7:28) What is an eco-rabbi? It’s a person who brings the Jewish faith message […]
Guest reviewer Jeremy Zauder relishes two views of ethical development in a special double review this week: part of our ongoing Green Prophet ‘Eco-Reads’ green book summer festival: ‘Spiritual Compass’ and ‘Free To Be Human’: Reading these two fine books in succession, I found that they could be companion texts: though different in style and […]
Sulha, meaning reconciliation in Arabic, is an annual grassroots event held in Israel, bringing people from all religions, faiths and none, to be together for 3 days, in an atmosphere of respect and mutual understanding. Started by Gabriel Meyer and Elias Jabbour 8 years ago, the site of the annual Sulha gathering has changed over […]
In a special guest post, Steve Chase, the founder & director of the Environmental Advocacy & Organising course from Antioch University in New England, shares with Green Prophet his reflections from a University-wide event held this past february in the US that examined climate activism from both Jewish & Christian perspectives. “This week, Antioch University […]
Spring is here at last which also means the festival of Passover (or Pessach in Hebrew) is soon upon us. Many Jewish festivals represent an opportunity to reflect on our ecological and ethical footprints and this is especially true on Pessach when our thoughts fall on the issues of our food, freedom and those who […]
We’ve seen how environmentalism can be applied to studies of literature, but what about Torah learning? While our Eco-Rabbi is one example that it’s possible to view Torah from an environmental perspective, there are other paths to environmental Torah learning blossoming all around us.
With the holiday of Purim drawing near it’s a great opportunity to rethink bad holiday habits. Here’s a few things to mull over: Think reusable with the Mishloach Manot. Baskets look nice, but they usually go straight to the garbage. Save those bottles, some places even give you money for them… (usually supermarkets) Do you […]
Better known as the centre for three world religions, Jerusalem is increasingly becoming the focus for environmental activities and innovation. The start of 2008 will see the city hosting the launch of the Forum on Judaism and the Environment, a new initiative to bring together professionals, organisations and activists working in the field of Jewish […]
Ever try hugging a cactus? That’s why treehugger types are having a harder time in the Middle East. It’s a bit sad that environmental awareness in the Middle East is years behind that of Europe and the US. But then again, have you ever tried hugging an olive tree or cactus? Although it may be […]