Dear Hazon Seal sites,
This month of Elul, as you reflect back, wrestle with personal and communal accounting, and contemplate the future, Hazon is here to support your personal and communal goals for environmental teshuva.
What is teshuva? What is environmental teshuva??
All good questions. Read about it here. And don’t miss Nigel’s message at this important time of the year, and at this critical moment in human existence.
There’s so much coming up, multiple opportunities to bring your home, your immediate circles, and your communities closer and more connected. We invite you to walk more gently on this earth with respect and appreciation for its fragile balance – and to inspire others to follow you. So ask yourself, and your neighbor:
How will your community make 5780 the year of environmental teshuva?
Here are some suggestions, and stay tuned for more to come this month.
Best wishes and Shabbat Shalom,
Merav
P.S. Please remember to log into the Hazon Seal Portal at seal.hazon.org to explore resources, make sure you are on top of the program deadlines, and find all program related information. For any questions email us seal@hazon.org.
September 20: Global Climate March
L’dor va’dor: Generation to Generation Protecting Creation
Young people around the world have been striking for climate action every Friday for the past year. On Friday, September 20, while the UN General Assembly meets in New York City, adults will join the youth strikers in the Global Climate Strike to create a roaring upswell of public support for ambitious climate solutions.
Find a strike event near you
Check out these resources to get your Jewish community involved (including a blurb for your synagogue newsletter! Use this great poster and email Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman to customize the poster for your community!
You can also support the multi-faith voice by signing this statement of people of faith.
IN NYC:
- September 20th Climate Strike in NYC will include a Jewish pre-rally gathering at the Manhattan JCC from 9:30 to 11am, assembly at Foley Square starting around 12pm, a march to Battery Park starting around 1pm, and a rally at Battery Park from 2:30 to 5pm. If you can’t skip work perhaps plan to leave work early and join the rally at Battery Park in the late afternoon. RSVP to attend and get location updates!
- September 21st: Community Wide Musical Havdalah for Planet Earth (NYC). The day after the Global Climate Strike, come together in community with people dedicated to the earth and climate change for havdalah, song, and a selichot-infused night of dedication and connection.
Chazak V’ematz! Be strong and of good courage!
Use this flyer by the Jewish Earth Alliance to advertise in your community:
September 20-29 is Climate Week
Check climateweeknyc.org for all the excellent opportunities to learn and engage with the topic in NYC!
Your Hands-On Climate Advocacy Opportunity
Jewish Earth Alliance is raising a moral voice on climate change to the US Congress. JEA makes it easy for us to have our voices heard by our representatives. JEA will send you just one Advocacy Alert per month. It will be short, clear and complete. Your job is to pass this alert on to others in your community and then collect their personal letters. Even better is to meet together to write your letters. Then you send your letters to JEA and local volunteers in DC will hand-deliver these letters to your elected representatives.
There is still time to collect letters which will be personally delivered to Congress! Letters can be accepted no later than September 9. Check out our last webinar on Climate Advocacy here!
What to do?
The 100% Clean Energy Economy bill should be introduced the week after Labor Day. This means we will be delivering our letters on this topic at just the right time to let our Members of Congress know that this must be a top priority. Read this Action Alert for info and guidance on writing your letter (all other Action Alerts/Sample Letters are available on line). Thank you for your activism!
This High Holiday Season Choose to Invest in “Higher Welfare” Animal Products
Consumers have the opportunity to support farmers at the forefront of upholding higher standards of animal welfare and environmental protection in production. This meat is priced higher than what you would normally find in your grocery store. This reason for the increase is based on what environmentalists call “the externalities”: the cost of preventing all the harm that is associated with factory farming, such as animal suffering and air, water, and soil pollution. These externalities are completely unaccounted for in the widespread corporate-industrial model of factory farming. Purchasing these industrial products perpetuates a cruel and environmentally harmful system. “Higher welfare” meat comes from animals that live longer lives because they are not bred to grow unnaturally fast. This costs more for farmers and consumers, but it is better for the animals, the planet, and people’s health, not to mention makes a delicious product you can truly enjoy and celebrate.
Yes, it costs more.
So eat less, but eat better and in alignment with your values.
To help our Hazon Seal sites explore such superior kosher meat products, enjoy the discounts below from our friends at Grow and Behold and Kol Foods. Both companies also work with organizations to match their needs with product availability in ways that are most cost effective for the organization.
Grow & Behold: Use the code GBSeal for 10% off your first order. Pleasecontact them at info@growandbehold.com for more information on wholesale pricing for events or regular meals at your institution.- Kol Foods: Use the code HazonSealSite for 10% off yourfirst order. Contact them for wholesale rates.
Up to $1,000 to Support your Ethical Eating!
We still have a couple of spots open! Learn about and apply for our Ethical Eating Mini Grant*, so that we can help your institution serve food that aligns with your values for environmental protection and humane treatment of animals. This matching grant of up to $1,000 can help make your tables rich in plant based foods and/or humbly celebrate better, healthier animal products produced with careful consideration to animal welfare.
*This offer is open to communities and organizations participating in the Hazon Seal program (a.k.a. Hazon Seal Sites), excluding those in Detroit, Chicago, and Colorado, which are supported by local grants.
September 19th: We are the Weather Book Launch!
Jonathan Safran Foer’s We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast will be released—how timely—right before Rosh Hashana. Keep your eyes peeled for this super-important publication! Hazon’s discussion guide for Jewish communities to accompany this book will be available later in September.
You can pre-order the book online now, or get it from your local bookseller after the release date. I’m reading my pre-publication copy right now and can’t wait to share my thoughts with you when I’m done.
If you’re interested in hosting a book group or other program related to We Are the Weather, or anything at the intersection of Judaism, food, and climate, contact Becky O’Brien, Hazon’s Director of Food & Climate, becky@hazon.org.
Interesting Articles and News
How Carbon Farming Can Help Stop Climate Change in Its Tracks
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