Below are a number of resources which you might find useful in teaching about Judaism and the environment.... Judaism and Ecology Hadassah and Shomrei Adamah 1993
This book explores the tension between the two Biblical injunctions to 'subdue' the Earth and to 'steward' it. The introduction maps out the basic themes of Jewish environmentalism: Bal Tashchit, Tsaar Baalei Chayim, a
God-centred universe, Sabbath and Jubilee plus Zionism. The body of the book consists of study units on topics such as The World in Disrepair, Creation, Covenant and Ecology, The Environment in Halakhah, Aggadah -
Telling Tales Together, The Jewish Tradition of Nature Poetry Useful both as an introduction to these themes and as a source of material for leading study sessions. The pedagogic approach is fairly traditional and would
need to be varied over a long haul. Publisher Hadassah and Shomrei Adamah ISBN 7/93:3000 12/93:1500 Approximate cost £10 Availability By ordering direct
from Hadassah, 50 W.58th St. NY NY 10019 USA Intended readership Leaders of adult education; leaders of teen educators; general interest readers. How to use it Each unit is self-contained: consists of 1) a short
introductory essay on a specific theme 2) original sources 3) Study Questions and a For Discussion question on the sources Answers supplied in companion answer book Could be used either for one-off study sessions or a
series. To Till and to Tend The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) 1995/6? Subtitled A Guide to Jewish Environmental Study and Action, a primer or briefing book for getting involved in
environmental issues. It consists of: Overview of environmental crisis and Jewish role in addressing it; Fact sheets on environmental issues e.g. energy, air pollution, water, population, species extinction; Four
articles on Jewish environmental teachings. (Very clear, sophisticated and useful for teaching or sermons.); 19 Environmental programmes and activities described step-by-step: for a range of ages / varied length; focus
varyingly on direct action, advocacy, education and consciousness raising, and ritual. Resources (organisations, books, videos). USA-focused
Judaism and Ecology Compilation. Ed. Aubrey Rose, 1992 Collection of articles including Jewish
teachings on ecology and the environment, animal welfare, Jewish festivals and blessings with environmental themes, ecology in Israel, practical action. One of the few books on this topic produced in Britain.
Listen To The Trees: Jews and the Earth, Molly Cone, 1995
A charming story book, interspersed with entertaining illustrations and cartoons, and thought-provoking quotations from Jewish sources. The source of
the stories is Midrash and Talmud. The book is structured around five key Jewish environmental teachings: 1. Care for the trees 2. Care for the birds, the beasts and the fish 3. Care for the earth 4. Do not destroy 5.
All living things are connected It concludes with a helpful glossary and a page of some of the blessings that exist for the natural world. A Teacher's Guide to Listen To The Trees: Jews and the Earth Gavriel Goldman, 1996 This is the teacher's guide to Listen To The Trees (above)
Let The Earth Teach You TorahDan Fink and Ellen Bernstein, 1993? The
main Jewish environmental curriculum currently on the market for secondary school age pupils and adults. A complete curriculum laid out clearly with photocopiable resource materials and worksheets. Chapters cover
Purpose and Place; The Human Place; Blessings and Praise; Web of Life; Bal Tashchit; Ecology, Judaism and Tikkun Olam; Design A Community; Time; Shabbat; A Rainforest Roleplay. Each activity within each chapter is
described step-by-step and approximate timings given A Garden of Choice Fruit Rabbi David E. Stein, 1991 Subtitled '200 Classic Jewish Quotes on Human Beings and the Environment'. Texts - in
gender-neutral translation - grouped by subject category and laid out to aid reading aloud. Each quote is individually numbered for subject cross-references and for index of sources. Where relevant, footnotes are
provided, and all quotes are referenced clearly and dated. Bal Tashchit: Do Not Destroy Agency for Jewish Education Part of AJE's Jewish Values Curriculum, specifically The World Around Us. Unit Three focuses on
Bal Tashchit and examines definitions, biblical sources, personal behaviour, Jewish ritual and celebration. It contains text study, stories, fill-in-the-gap worksheets, prayers and games. Unfortunately, in our opinion,
the workbooks and activities encourage excessive photocopying and hence wastage of paper, and many activities are somewhat superficial, focusing more on Hebrew-English translation than on deeper consideration of issues
Ecology and Faith: Judaism Nahum Rakover, 1995
This 20 page booklet is one of a series produced by ARC on nine religions attitude to the environment, following its first international conference in
Japan, 1995. It briefly and clearly sets out some of the key sources of Jewish environmental ethics, then goes on to apply some of these to current environmental problems. It incorporates some strategies being
undertaken in Israel. Selection of content is somewhat bitty and random, and solutions proposed are superficial, but this is a useful introductory overview to the topic. Religion and Nature: WWF Interfaith Ceremony Compilation, 1986 A collection of prayers and readings on the environment (creation and nature, repentance, celebration, continuing the work) from Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Collated for the 25th anniversary celebration of WWF in Assisi, September 1986. Where we stand on... Animal Welfare Where we
stand on... The Environment Rabbinic Conference of Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues (ULPS), 1990 Part of a collection of A5 pamphlets (each covers the equivalent of two sides of A4) outlining the Liberal Jewish position on a variety of specific issues (not only
environmental). Succinct and useful Towards an Alternative Kashrut: A Jewish Ethical Diet for Our Age Rabbi Michael Feinberg, 1989
A short essay on an ethical view of Kashrut (see elsewhere review of
Arthur Waskow, Down to Earth Judaism). A Complete Program for Building Jewish Identity Let's Explore Being Jewish Gavriel Goldman,
1996 Teacher's guide by one of the USA's leading Jewish environmental
educators to a set of booklets that look at different aspects of Jewish life, including Environment. All are illustrated in colour and contain information and questions to think about. The guide covers each page in the
books, suggesting what to talk about a hands-on activity, using the illustration and a Hebrew bulletin board. There are also suggestions for family education projects and activities that can be done at home.
Mitzvot: Let's Explore Being Jewish Sarah Feldman, 1996
One of a set of booklets that look at different aspects of Jewish life, including Environment. All are illustrated in colour and contain information and
questions to think about. This booklet deals with Mitzvot, dealing, amongst others, with protecting the environment.
Let's Explore Trees Susan Blackford, 1975 The text has been printed
in two colours - black for information, red for questions to which the reader has to find the answers or the things which s/he can do or make. Throughout the book children are encouraged to observe, look up library
books, write poetry or prose, make up music, create objects with art and craft materials, use mathematics in their findings and make up their own scrapbooks on the subject. Ecology in the Bible Noga Hareuveni, Helen Frenkley, 1988 A book full of coloured photographs highlighting passages from the Bible that concern
ecology. A Prayer for the Earth - The Story of Naamah, Noah's Wife Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, 1996 A beautifully illustrated storybook. Noah's wife Naamah is called upon by God to gather the seeds
of every type of plant on earth and bring them safely into the ark before the great flood.
Turning Green: Our responsibility to Planet Earth Jewish Continuity, 1996 A3 leaflet (four sides of A4) outlining current environmental problems, linking 'greenness' to Judaism, and offering a range of activities, short stories and topics for
discussion. Number 1:4 in Jewish Continuity's series The Jampacked Bible.
Down-to-Earth Judaism: Food, Money, Sex, and the Rest of Life Arthur Waskow, 1995 The fullest exposition of Waskow's model of eco-kashrut which has received increasing levels of acceptance across the denominations in the US and amongst secular Jews.
Eco-kashrut extends the concept of traditional kashrut by taking into consideration other Jewish teachings such as Bal Tashchit (Do not destroy) and Tsa'ar Ba'alei Chayim (Concern for the suffering of animals). It also
defines consumption in a framework larger than that of food, to include, for example, energy and money.
The Green Shalom Guide Naomi Friedman and De Fischler Herman (Ed.) 1995 Subtitled 'A how-to manual for greening local Jewish synagogues, schools and offices' this is a very useful handbook of articles covering both textual sources and
environmental aspects of institutions that can be improved (the kitchen, water, energy, waste, gardens, money). Good for both educating congregations in order to stimulate action, and guiding that action. Some material
is specifically US-centred, but most of it is usable or transferable.
To Everything There is a Time and a Season: JNF On Campus Program Guide 1996 The material in this file binder is divided into seasons of the year. Within each are chapters
dealing with either the festivals of that season or environmental themes (e.g. Bal Tashchit, Eco-Shabbat, Tzaar Baalei Chaim, Eco Kashrut). The chapters contain source material on that topic and programming ideas, plus
titles of further resources. Together: A Child-Parent Kit Issue 6: Trees Tu Bi-Shevat Vicky Kelman, 1984 Ideas for working with younger children on Tu Bi-Shevat, including stories, activities and a seder. Activities are
good for parents and children to do together and separately. Lots of black and white photographs and drawings.
Tu Bishvat Wolf Gafni, 1997
A densely packed booklet on the festival of Tu Bishvat covering · laws and customs (including an unusual section on customs in communities around the world) · studies for the festival (Torah, Prophets, Hagiographa, Aggada etc.) · the kabbalistic perspective Provides extended material on Tu Bishvat not normally covered in publications on this festival.
Seder Tu Bishvat: The Festival of Trees Adam Fisher, 1989
The text of two seder services: Seder I for adults or teenagers, Seder II for younger children. The latter is written so that 9 year olds upwards can read it. Each can be simplified or expanded. Optional additional material is included with the core text and indicated by typography. Many songs included, with scoring. Sedarim with an environmental focus (as opposed, say, to Zionist or mystical ones).
***************************************************************************** Articles and pamphlets available from RSGB Social Action (Nominal charge) Ten Ecommandments
Environmental Themes in Judaism Overview of Quotes from Jewish Sources Save our Planet (Rabbi Hillel Avidan) Judaism and the Environment (Rev. Jonathan Gorsky)
Our Duty to Preserve Nature (Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, from Jewish Chronicle) Environmental Issue of Sh'ma Magazine, February 1993 Jewish Environment Pack, published by Shomrei Adamah
Ecology in Jewish Law and Theology - chapter vi of Faith and Doubt (Norman Lamm) The Bible and Ecology: Some Areas for Exploration (Rabbi Jonathan Magonet) Sermons on Environmental Themes available from RSGB
Social Action Sonja Lyndon 1989 Rabbi Colin Eimer 1989 Rabbi Fred Morgan 1990 Contacts for book purchasing
UK The Noah Project P.O.Box 1828 London W10 5RT 020 8994 5988 info@noahproject.org.uk Manor House Books The Sternberg Centre 80 East End Road London N3 2SY 020 8349 9484
Jewish Resource Centre Centre for Religious Education and Development Digby Stuart College Roehampton Lane London SW15 5PH 020 8392 3349 JIA Balfour House 741 High Road London N12 0BQ 020 8446 1477 central@jia.org
JNF 58-70 Edgware Way Edgware Middx. HA8 8GQ 020 8421 7600 jnf@ort.org |
