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Hackensack Riverkeeper Helps Out On Mitzvah Day

Partners with UJA Federation volunteers to rid Staib Park of invasive plant species

For the second year in a row, Hackensack Riverkeeper took part in the annual Mitzvah Day sponsored by the United
Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation of Northern New Jersey. Mitzvah is a Hebrew word that means "blessing" or "good
work" and a Mitzvah Day is a time for Jews and others to spend time in the service of others and in service to our
world. Last year's Hackensack Riverkeeper Mitzvah Day project took place at the Mehrhof Pond Nature Trail in Little
Ferry. Over fifty volunteers helped reopen the Trail which had gotten seriously overgrown.

The focus of this year's volunteer effort on November 5 was Staib Park in Hackensack and our recently-completed
streambank restoration project along Coles Brook. Our thirty volunteers, ranging from kindergarteners to senior
citizens came from as far away as Wayne, NJ and Chestnut Ridge, NY and as close as Tenafly and River Edge. After
a quick orientation and getting everyone set with the proper tools, we spent three hours removing trash and pulling
Mugwort from the along the banks of the brook.

To most people, most plants seem harmless enough but alien species like Porcelain Berry and Japanese knotweed and
hyper-adaptable natives like Mugwort have the tendency to overgrow an area and crowd out other plant species.
When that happens, diversity is lost and the local environment suffers. Back in 2001, Hackensack Riverkeeper
recognized that problem and applied for a 319(h) grant from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
to fund a project that would deal with that problem as well as the contaminated runoff that was flowing off of the
parking lots and playing fields into the brook with every rain.

The 319(h) program provides federal dollars to the states in order to pay for projects designed to minimize or mitigate
nonpoint-source pollution originating on public property like city parks. The designation refers to the section of the
Clean Water Act (Section 319(h)) that deals with such pollution.

Under a restoration plan we developed in partnership with TRC Omni Environmental, pavement was removed,
vegetated swales were constructed to hold stormwater and a host of native plant species were reintroduced to the
banks along Coles Brook. The north side of the park now looks much different than it did before we got to work and
today the park is a place where nature and recreation coexist better than ever before. Earlier this year, the project was
declared complete by the DEP. While the job is done, stewardship remains a priority.

We continue to monitor the progress of the native plants, conduct cleanups at the park and with the help of good folks
like our Mitzvah Day Volunteers, we'll be sure to keep the recovery of Coles Brook on track.

Staib Park is located at the north end of Hackensack, at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Coles Avenue. We
hope you will visit and see all that's been accomplished.

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Sustainable Synagogue Initiative 2010

http://jrf.org/Sustainable_Synagogue_Resources

Jewish Global Warming Initiative

http://jrf.org/Jewish-Climate-Change-Initiative

St. Johns Riverkeeper To Address Temple Annual Spaghetti Dinner

St. Johns Riverkeeper Neil Armingeon will be the featured guest speaker at Temple Beth Shalom Men’s Club Annual
Spaghetti Dinner, Sunday, May 17th, 5 p.m. at the Palm Coast Synagogue, 40 Wellington Drive, off Pine Lakes
Parkway. Armingeon and Riverkeeper are the full-time advocates and “watchdogs” for the St. John River watershed
and the public to whom it belongs. The role of the Riverkeeper organization has become central in the “water wars”
that are expanding following a permit issued to Seminole County to withdraw water from the St. Johns for irrigation
use. This decision impacts many different areas, but especially the residents of the regions surrounding the St. John,
including Flagler County.

Neil Armingeon previously served as the Environmental Director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation in New
Orleans. For over 10 years, he galvanized diverse coalitions of citizens in support of a clean, sustainable Lake
Pontchartrain Watershed and developed and directed grass-roots campaigns that integrated science, advocacy, and
public policy. Prior to his work with the Foundation, Neil was Project Director for the North Carolina Coastal
Federation, one of the state's largest environmental groups, where he directed advocacy and hands-on regulatory
education programs. Neil has a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina State University and a master's
degree in Environmental Management from Duke University. He has become a major advocate for the protection of
the integrity and the beauty of the St. Johns River.

The group St. Johns Riverkeeper is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves as a full-time advocate and
"watchdog" for the St. Johns River, its watershed, and the public to whom it belongs.Riverkeeper works to improve
water quality in the St. Johns River and its tributaries, to protect critical habitat in the St. Johns River watershed, to
provide meaningful public access to our waterways, and to educate our members and the public about the River and
the issues that impact its health.Riverkeeper is a membership-based organization. Riverkeeper does not receive any
government funding but must rely on the generous support of businesses and concerned citizens that recognize the
value and importance of the St. Johns River and our work to protect it.

The Temple Beth Shalom Men’s Club Spaghetti dinner, Sunday, May 17th at 5 p.m. is open to the public; tickets
must be purchased in advance through the synagogue office or at the door.

Mitzvah Day Re-Opens Nature Trails At Mehrhof Pond

“Mitzvah” is a Hebrew word that means “blessing” or “good deed” and a Mitzvah Day is when Jews and others join
together in the service of community. On November 20, 2005, 50 dedicated volunteers answered the call from the
United Jewish Appeal Federation of Northern New Jersey and Hackensack Riverkeeper to help re-open the Mehrhof
Pond Nature Trail in Little Ferry. Over the past several years, the trail had become increasingly overgrown and was
impassable in some places. The trail is one of Hackensack Riverkeeper’s favorite Eco-Walk venues and was, in fact,
the place where the program began in 1999.

The trail and the 110 acres it winds through are owned by the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA) and its
wastewater treatment facility. Open water, wetlands, dry meadows and lowland forest are the habitats that now exist
at the site, the former location of the region’s largest brickworks. Those habitats occupy the western area of the
BCUA property with the facility occupying the eastern section and the riverfront. The area also marks the spot where
our watershed’s uplands end and the marshes of the New Jersey Meadowlands begin.

Mitzvah day tasks involved pruning branches, raking trails, clearing reeds from observation sites and cutting back
thick stands of blackberry brambles and thistles that had made walking the trail a sometimes painful undertaking.
Volunteers also cleaned out and re-hung the Wood duck nest boxes that were installed this past spring. Both boxes
showed evidence of having been visited by ducks, but no actual nests were found. One particularly enterprising group
of volunteers even tried - without chainsaws - to remove a tree that had fallen across the Trail.
 “There was just one place where we couldn’t break through,” said Ivan Salinas, a member of Temple Beth Israel, a
Reconstructionist congregation in Maywood. “The Ailanthus trees at the southern end of the Trail were just too thick
to deal with without saws or other cutting tools.”

In the spring, Hackensack Riverkeeper will ask BCUA to use their small Bobcat bulldozer to re-open that section.
Once that’s done, the nature trail will be completely passable once again.

According to the Mitzvah Day organizers, more than 1,300 people in the area took part in various activities that
included visiting the elderly, collecting donations for hurricane victims and painting community centers as well as our
work in Little Ferry.

Fair features earth-friendly options

Emanu-El in Edison sponsors workshops on ‘green’ measures

Congregants from Temple Emanu-El and others learned that incorporating environmentally friendly policies into their
religious and personal lives is easier than many people might think.

They gathered on Nov. 16 at the Edison synagogue for “It’s Easy To Be Green.” The day-long program’s diverse
offerings ranged from a vegan cooking demonstration to a discussion on the ethical and practical benefits of organic
farming versus factory farming.

The program was cosponsored by the New Brunswick-based Greenfaith, a statewide coalition of religious groups
concerned about environmental protection and preservation.

“We really wanted to help our temple, communities, and schools go green,” said Sandy Wilson, the congregation’s
social action chair. “We’ve been trying our best to get the temple green. We got rid of all our Styrofoam cups and
began concentrating on our recycling, and it just mushroomed from there.”

The program also featured vendors displaying eco-friendly toys and shopping bags, while representatives of
environmental groups dispensed information at tables.

“I think this is very important for all of us,” said Liz Cohen, social action cochair of the New Jersey West Hudson
Valley Council of the Union for Reform Judaism, who sent out word of the program to all congregations in the
region. “These things being discussed are tied in to the economic and deepening healthcare crisis. These issues really
go to the core of what the Reform movement stands for.”

Stacey Kennealy, director of sustainability for Greenfaith, surveyed workshop participants on their use of resources,
including hot water, meat, and fossil fuels.

Much to the surprise — and horror — of those in the room, Kennealy said that “it would take an average of five
planets to sustain the world if everyone lived like you.”

Americans’ outsized environmental footprint, she said, is the result of gas-guzzling vehicles, wasted electricity, non-
biodegradable packaging, and cleaning products that are unfriendly to the Earth.

Houses of worship, Kennealy said, can do their part by installing timers to control lights and their heating and air
conditioning systems. Coffee and other beverages can be served not in Styrofoam or plastic cups, but in “real” cups
that can be washed and reused.
According to Kennealy, Greenfaith entered into a bulk purchasing agreement with Rutgers University that allows
houses of worship and parochial schools to purchase green cleaners, fuel, furniture, and other items below market
price.

One such institution that has taken advantage of the agreement is the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and
Union in West Orange, which now saves several thousand dollars annually on copy paper through the program.

Amy Goldsmith, executive director of the New Jersey Environmental Federation and Clean Water Fund, explained to
the gathering how common household items can be substituted for more expensive and environmentally unfriendly
cleaning products.

M.C. Blue, the robot mascot of the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, delighted the children in attendance as
he made his way around the room explaining the county’s recycling program.

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (JRF) and Greenfaith Partner for Sustainable Reconstructionist
Communities

GreenFaith and the JRF through the Department of Congregational Services and Tikkun Olam are pleased to
announce a three-year partnership to promote a deepening of JRF’s existing environmental initiatives. GreenFaith is a
leading national interfaith environmental coalition whose mission is to help diverse religious communities become
environmental leaders. GreenFaith is a leading interfaith environmental coalition whose mission is to educate, equip
and empower diverse religious communities for environmental leadership. Founded in 1992, GreenFaith offers a
range of programs that help faith-based groups nationwide put their beliefs into action for the earth. The Jewish
Reconstructionist Federation has had a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and the role of the
Jewish people in building sustainable communities (http://jrf.org/Sustainable_Synagogue_Resources).

Through the partnership, GreenFaith is offering the following opportunities:

* Three 50% tuition scholarships/year to the GreenFaith Fellowship Program for Reconstructionist leaders.

The GreenFaith Fellowship Program is the only comprehensive interfaith environmental education and training
program in North America, with a network of over 70 Fellows nationwide. Over 18 months, Fellows attend three
retreats, write their own eco-theological statement, carry out a leadership project, and much more.

The GreenFaith Fellowship Program is the first comprehensive education and training program in the US to prepare
lay and ordained leaders from diverse religious traditions for religiously based environmental leadership. Through this
program, GreenFaith offers religious leaders a unique opportunity for educational, spiritual and vocational growth and
skill development in religious environmentalism. Using insights gained by successful religious leadership
development programs, the program educates leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop and implement plans to
address environmental issues in their vocational settings.

To register for a free webinar to learn more about the Fellowship Program on Monday, Dec. 6, 8:00 – 9:00 pm EST,
contact Rabbi Lawrence Troster at rabbiltroster@greenfaith.org.

* Four 50% tuition scholarships/year to the GreenFaith Certification Program for Reconstructionist congregations.

The GreenFaith Certification Program is the only interfaith environmental certification program designed specifically
for houses of worship. Through a 2-year process, participating congregations undertake a range of environmental
initiatives to become a GreenFaith Sanctuary.
The GreenFaith Certification Program is the nation’s first interfaith environmental certification program designed
specifically for houses of worship. The program helps synagogues, churches, mosques and temples become strong
environmental leaders by carrying out numerous environmental leadership activities over a two year period.

GreenFaith
http://www.greenfaith.org

JRF's Sustainable Synagogue Initiative 2010

Sustainable WorldIn 1990 JRF passed a movement-wide resolution (see attachments below) on the
environment and congregational life. Since 2006 we offered conference calls and resources on Sustainable
Synagogues and Living a Jewish Life Rooted in Ecological Values.

Read the notes from the 2007 call.

With the enthusiasm around JRF's Omer Learning Initiative, (2010 Omer Sustainability call- http://jrf.org/node/2556)
as well as the solid response of JRF congregations in the Climate Change and Blessing the Sun (Solar Energy)
Initiatives, JRF continues to deepen our work with member communities, other religious movements and partner
organizations (JCPA, COEJL) in the area of sustainability.

Our hope is to motivate and educate our congregations in sustainable practices, with the goal of reaching 100 percent
participation in the years ahead. See a list of the 15 Communities and Individuals honored at the JRF 2008
Convention as part of our Sustainable Synagogue Intiative.

See information about the Jewish Climate Change Initiative and Shabbat Noach, JRF's participation in the
International Climate Change Initiative.

Topics covered by guest teachers on our Sustainabile Synagogue calls included: Julie Dorfman, Rabbi Yitz Husbands
Hankin, Hazzan Eric Schulmiller and Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb included: Greening Synagogue practices,
everyday sustainability across the synagogue system, eco-kashrut and greening synagogue practices.

A second call on Sustainability and Jewish life was held on Wed. March 5, 2008 as part of JRF's PEARL leadership
learning initiative. You can view the 30 page information packet prepared for that call and the audio of the call as
well.TO VIEW AND LISTEN CLICK HERE

Read Brant Rosen's Yom Kippur devar Torah that inspired the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston to
reach for the highest level of sustainability in their capital campaign. You will also find documents from JRC about
their Green policies, educational material and promotional flyer for environmental awareness attached below.

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb created a text study on climate change that incorporates elements of musar with other
diverse material from our tradition.

Also see the JTA's February 2008 coverage of JRC's receiving the first Platinum LEEDS ratingfor a synagogue in the
United States.
2008- 2009 NEW RESOURCES JUST ADDED!

For an equally inspiring High Holy Day sermon see Rabbi Sheryl Lewart's talk on living an environmentally
sustainable life and Kehillat Israel's Five Mitzvot for Sustainable Living.

Also available is a wonderful meditation on environmental consciousness tied to the seven days of creation by Peter
Goldberg of Shir Hadash, Milwaukee, WI, and inspiring materials from Dor Hadash, PA and Darchei Noam, Toronto,
Canada and JRC, Evanston, IL (both moved into their new environmentally upgraded buildings in 2008).

For an example of a creative way of community organizing and educating about sustainability simultaneously see
Philadelphia's Playback for Change at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ut6eLHEyF8

Environmental resources in Israel

Arava Institute & Kibbutz Ketura

Nurit, new eco-friendly town in Israel being built on the Gilboa

Green Zionist Alliance

The Heschel Centre for Envrionmental Learning and Leadership

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo Eco Activist Beit Midrash

The Ecological Greenhouse Ein-Shemer

---------------------------------------------------------

APRIL 8, 2009- 5769 BIRKHAT HACHAMA (BLESSING OF THE SUN)

SOLAR AND RENEWABLE ENERGY CAMPAIGN IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

2008-9 (5769) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkhat Hachamah” the “blessing of the sun”. JRF is part of a
national coalition (BlesstheSun.org) that will use this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship.

a href="http://www.ritualwell.org/holidays/sitefolder.2008-09-16.5411107743/
">Ritualwell.org- managed through Kolot: The Center for Gender Studies at RRC and in coordination with JRF has
also uploaded resources for Birkhat Hachamah at
Additional Resources on Judaism and the sustainability are available at:

http://jrf.org/omer2008-enviro

http://jrf.org/node/1264#enviro

http://jrf.org/omer/2007

COEJL Greening Synagogue Guide by R. Fred Dobb

The Shalom Center's Green Menorah Covenant

Synagogue Council of Massachussetts- Green Initiative

Boston COEJL Synagogue Green Guide

Education material from CAJE

URJ (Reform)

Synagogue Architecture
Green buildings

USCJ/RA (Conservative):

Also see: http://www.fjmc.org/ShomreiHaaretz.html

OU (Orthodox)

Also see: http://ouradio.org/images/uploads/events/Repairing_The_Future.pdf

Ethical Kashrut

How does your community's practices align with the JRF resolution and the actions and commitments of other
JRF communities? To add your resources to this initiative please e-mail SZevit@jrf.org

Attachment Size
JRF Sustainable Synagogue Conference Call Notes.doc 71 KB
Rabbi Sheryl Lewart - Living a Responsible Life.doc 104 KB
KI Five Mitzvot for Sustainable Living.doc 38.5 KB
Days of Creation Meditations.doc 56 KB
Rabbi Josh Lesser RH D'var 5758.doc 50 KB
Dor Hadash Green Synagogue Hannukah Initiative.doc 54 KB
RESOLUTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT.doc 30 KB
Darchei Noam's New Green Home.pdf 527.96 KB
Jewish community energy letter (2).pdf 17.33 KB
JRC Splashing to Sinai Eco-Omer Ed Project 2007.pdf 160.25 KB
JRF Sustainable Synagogue Guidelines and Practices 2008.doc 69.5 KB
Jewish vbdm, Sustainability_scenario.doc 39.5 KB
JRC Board Approved Green Policy jan08.DOC 143 KB
JRC Lets Go Green Flyer.doc 25 KB
Greening Synagogues- World Jewish Digest May 2008.doc 81 KB
Omer Source Text Study Packet.doc 55.5 KB
Jewish Community Policy Priorities for Responding to Global Climate Change - final.pdf 58.03 KB
CAJE Eco-Judaism Resources.pdf 569.65 KB
Jewish Environmental Organizations.pdf 12.98 KB
Natural Step Framework Principles.doc 63 KB
RSNS Green Initiatives.doc 28 KB
Temple_Beth_Or_Garden_Miami_2010.doc 202 KB

Wave Energy from the Ocean or Great Lakes

The idea of producing electricity from ocean currents and waves has been talked about for several years (see our story
on Leviathan and India and a $50 million wave energy deal in the works then). But now, the idea is becoming more
serious as countries are joining forces to harness the great energy potential that is being produced continuously by the
world’s seas and oceans.

Two countries getting serious about these kinds of projects are Israel and India. Israel’s SDE Energy and India’s Om
Se Mantra Powergen made an agreement with the government of the Indian state of Gujarat to build a 5 megawatt
electric power plant that will be powered exclusively by the power of ocean waves.

Wave energy projects by SDE Energy, headed by Shmuel Ovadia, have been featured on Green Prophet before,
including an article in which a project to construct a 100 megawatt power plant in an “undisclosed African country“.

This new project, in which a large country such as India will be involved in, holds a lot of promise since India is
bordered on three sides by the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The new project, in which a 5 megawatt power pilot
plant will be followed by a much larger 100 megawatt one, will be financed by a state budget of $700 million USD.
The smaller plant, budgeted for a cost of $5 million, is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2010, and will be
followed by the larger one, all being well.

SDE has already built 8 model plants, which have been financed by the Israeli government. The technology involved
in harnessing and producing electricity from a 1 mw ocean waves power plant ($650,000 USD) is said by the
company to be very efficient, environmentally clean, and relatively low in cost as compared to a similar sized solar
energy plant ($3,000,000) or a wind energy plant using wind turbines ($1.5 million).

In addition, the SDE wave energy plant, in which only 10% of the equipment is actually in the water, is said to be
more weather-proof than other types of power plants, including those fueled by coal and natural gas.

The SDE African project, signed a year ago will involve a 25 year commitment and will cost more than $100 million
USD. It is estimated that once this project is completed, revenues from generated electricity could be in excess of $1
billion. After all, wave energy is estimated to have at least 4 times more power generation capacity than wind.

India’s billion plus population is hungry for energy – both industrial and for private consumption. And with so much
shoreline available for the construction of such power plants, the future for such projects as this one looks excellent.

Israel’s SDE Energy

http://www.sde.co.il