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SPRING 1991 Products Voice of the Trees is the Newsletter of ShomreiAdamah /ill:l-m '1/:l'lt!l 1Keepers of the Earth • Church Road &Greenwood Avenue • Wyncote, PA 19095 • (215) 887-1988 Why was the first human being At the called Adam? Rabbi Yehuda says: Introduction By virtue of the Adamah (earth) from which Adam was taken. Homestead Midrash Hagadol B'reishit SHOMREI ADAMAH: technological achievement. Today, RENEWING ,JEWISH the greatest environmental ECOLOGICAL WISDOM challenge is to create a movement, Mission a way of life that touches the values of all humans, that is sustainable, The mission of Shomrei Adamah/ and that engages groups of Keepers of the Earth is to inspire diverse people. The have environmental awareness and religious traditions thousands of years experience Judy Dornstreich Interview practice among Jews by unlocking teaching values, organizing cultures, to environmental concerns. Shomrei the treasure of ancient Jewish April 7, 1991 and sustaining beliefs and peoples. Adamah integrates thought, Since 1979, Judy, her husband Mark ecological wisdom. Shomrei emotion, spirit and action in WhyaJewlah and their 4 children have been living Adamah serves its members: engaging people to become Environmental Organization? and working on a 20 acre organic rabbis, educators, students, environmental citizens. farm in Perkasie PA. Mark had been environmentalists, youth; seminaries Judaism embodies a 3000 year old • There is a need to offer vision and working as an anthropologist and and a network of affiliate groups environmental ethic and a viable provide a context to the work of Judy as a counselling psychologist across America with authentic practice of stewardsh!p. environmentalists. Shomrei Adamah when they realized that they would traditional sources, curricula, Unfortunately, that environmental strengthens and makes meaningful wisdom has laid dormant for several rather be farming. GR publications, speakers, a newsletter the work and commitment of Jewish and "green synagogue" suggestions. generations. Shomrei Adamah environmentalists. Greg: Has your practice of Judaism Why a Religious revives, invigorates, and extends the • The same societal forces that are changed over the years? Environmental Organization? Judaic system of ecological thought, responsible for destruction of ..Judy: I was raised in a Conservative At the heart of the environmental ethics, spirit and practice, and ecosystems also cause the shul. I went to Hebrew school from crisis is a crisis in values. As a involves the Jewish community in 'degeneration of human cultural when I was 8 years old until I was 12, culture·we have grown out of touch environrrlental affairs. systems. Shomrei Adamah but I didn't want a Bat Mitzvah, and with nature, and sacrificed the Why Sllomrel Adamah? revitalizes Judaism as it connects didn't have one. When I was a wonder and riches of the natural •There is a spiritual need for Jews to their Biblical imperative to teenager I was a member of the local world to material gain and Shomrei Adamah's unique approach guard the earth. United Synagogue Youth group. I'd go to synagogue for social activities. Religiously, though, it seemed hollow Shomrel Adamah and a bit Launches New pompous. It In the appeared that Newsletter everyone was Welcome to the first issue of rnb~il':)'p, just "going the newsletter of Shomrei Adamah! The Market through the membership of Shomrei Adamah motions". No real embodies a tremendous amount of More Than Everything • How much pollution is caused by the spiritual teaching Jewish, ecological and organizing You Ever Wanted to manufacturing and disposal processes? came through my wisdom. We hope this newsletter will In support of the use of early education. recycle that wisdom back among the Know About Styrofoam polystyrene: Greg: So, you were membership. We aim to inspire you with A number of congregations have • Since polystyrene can be crushed to looking for spiritual our feature articles, inform you about begun to implement Shornrei a smaller volume than paper, it poses teaching, and couldn't Shomrei Adamah activities, and Adamah's "green synagogue" less of a short-term problem in over­ get it there? energize you with suggestions for suggestions to stop using polystyrene filling our ~andfills. ..Judy: No, I definitely wasn't looking action. Each issue will carry an (known by its Dow Chemical trade • Nationally, there are a small handful for it. But I wasn't exposed to it either. interview with someone committed to name, "Styrofoam") products. Upon of "model" programs for one-time I had a strong Jewish identity in my becoming a Shomer or Shomeret bringing this suggestion to synagogue collection and reprocessing of used home. It just was not connected with Adamah, a "keeper of the earth". Let us Boards, many Shornrei Adamah Styrofoam into other products such as a spiritual kind of teaching. know if you have an interesting story. affiliates have met with unforeseen offic.e equipment, We have plans to add a young people's Greg: Was that enough to keep you battles with Board members. They furniture, hange~s and insert to the newsletter, and welcome actively connected to Judaism? · have requested supporting information video cassette tapes. your contributions to that section. about the use (or non-use) of (These programs are ..Judy: There was a long period of Many of you reading ·these words are polystyrene cups vs. disposable time when I really wasn't interested in being sponsored by ·not members of Shomrei Adamah, paper cups vs. reusable cups. What the plastics industry Judaism. I didn't go to synagogue or because this first issue has been mailed follows is the result of my research into have any practice. in response to to a wide audience. Future luuea, this complicated subject. GR attempts to What brought you back into Greg: however, will be mailed only to discourage plastics active contact with Judaism? The comparison between paper and current members of Sllomrel use.) Judy: At a certain point, I think when Adamah. So if you want to keep Styrofoam cups is complex, and there is disagreement over whether I was pregnant with my first child, I informed, fill out the membership And against paper: realized that I knew more about form on the back page, and send polystyrene is definitely worse than • The coating used Hinduism than Judaism. I was· more It In with this year's membership paper. In evaluating the environmental in disposable paper impact of each product we focusep on familiar with Sanskrit than Hebrew. I contribution! Shomrei Adamah exists cups renders them knew that I wanted my child to have a because of the generosity of our members. three areas of concern: non-recyclable. Jewish connection. We encourage you to reprint articles • Can it be recycled - • Paper production from this newsletter in your synagogue collected and re­ isn't a particularly Greg: How did you become familiar processed into the "clean" industry; with Sanskrit and Hinduism? or other community bulletin. We invite you to submit articles, essays, same type of most paper production releases ..Judy: At some point I started product (drinking dioxin, an extremely toxic chemical, practicing Hatha Yoga, poetry, artwork and suggestions to nlP~i1 ~. This newsletter is a medium cups into drinking into the environment. because I had for sharing ideas and insights; you are cups, etc)? • Recent studies indicate that though the source of those insights. With your • If it is not recycled, is paper, unlike polystyrene, will break contribution, we can keep this newsletter it biodegradable - will it break down down in landfills, the process takes lively! into environmentally safe components much longer than initially believed. when exposed to the elements? Please turn to page 6 @ ~INTED ON RECYCLED PAPER The results of our latest survey, from Henry and which was mailed out with our last Edith Everett. The Completion of Prl Elz ,...,1\oanalatlon ! fundraising letter. are in! The Everetts' contribution Miles Krassen, PhD,. has completed the translation of the membership ofShomrei Adamah is a matching grant. Pri Etz Hadar(Fruit of the -Goodly Tree), the 16th century made four clear choices in response We welcome your Kabbalistic text for Tu ~'Sh'vat(Jewish New Year of the to the ques!ion "What tasks should contributions to this Trees) which is the basis of the Tu B'Sh 'vat seder. Shomrei Adamah focus on?" effort- you can Couched in a system of obscure, multi-layered symbols, • Judaism and Ecology manual for give to this project this text embodies a Kabbalistic perspective on the Congregations and double your relationship between humans and nature. Though not • Curriculum Development money! accessible to the general reader, this translation will be • Rabbinic Institute on Judaism and BOOK OUTLINE an important resource for serious Judaic scholarship, and we hope that its Ecology • Jewish Perspectives on Nature insights will inspire other, more accessible works. Shomrei Adamah is • Newsletter throughout history. proud to have commissioned this important project, and we congratulate We are taking your suggestions to • Psalms/Poetry/Art-Nature in the Jewish Miles on its completion! He is now seeking an academic publisher, and heart, ·and have made these four Tradnion we hope to have it available by Tu B'Sh'vat 1992. projects the focus of our activities for • Ecology and Global Environmental Issues the next Mo years here at the office. • "Green• Programs for synagogues Thanks to everyone who took time to • Action Ideas/Incentives/What You Can Do fill out and return the SIJrvey. Your • The New York Bioregion and What You input is critical in defining the CanDo direction of Shomrei Adamah. If you've been thinking for years (or even days) about one of these areas, now is the time to really explore, research and exercise your creativity by writing a piece for this book! Sho,.,.l Adamah Outreach Shomrei Adamah's Outreach· Curriculum ProJect Program is composed of many Shomrei Adamah has just completed different components: a year long pilot p.rogram of our new • Newsletter high school curriculum.
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