April 26, 2022
Did you miss last Friday’s Climate Action Shabbat? Or watch from home? It was a wonderful service with stirring music, original on-screen graphics, a beautiful meditation by Rabbi Memis-Foler, and a truly empowering and inspirational talk by Senator Laura Fine on the intersection of mental health and climate change.
Rabbi Memis-Foler and State Senator Laura Fine
If you missed the Eco Fair, check out the links to the climate and environmental organizations that participated: Beth Emet’s Dayenu Circle; Citizens’ Greener Evanston; Environmental Justice Evanston; Go Green Wilmette; and Citizen’s Climate Lobby.
Beth Emet’s Dayenu Circle, chaired by Sharon Smaller, hosted the Eco Fair. Dayenu is a movement of American and Canadian Jews created to confront the climate crisis through advocacy and action. Beth Emet’s Dayenu Circle, with Eli Coustan’s help also provided a list of environmental resources. Read more about Dayenu and contact Sharon to get involved.
Eli Coustan and Sharon Smaller
Citizens’ Greener Evanston, is a volunteer-led organization devoted to educating the public about how climate change is impacting our community. In 2018, in collaboration with City of Evanston staff, CGE developed and Evanston Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP). The plan calls on the City of Evanston to achieve carbon neutrality in government services by 2035 and community carbon neutrality by 2050. CARP gives detailed plans for both mitigating climate change and adapting to it. Check out the ways you can take immediate action in your own life and in the community.
Jean Saunders
Environmental Justice Evanston is a subcommittee of CGE. The term environmental justice refers to equal access to environmental assets such as parks, trees, and lakefront; and equal protection from environmental hazards such as air, water and soil pollution. Beth Emet member Hang Neurberger sits on the EJE committee. EJE is currently preparing a resolution to go to the City Council that declares Evanston to be in a climate emergency. If adopted, Evanston will join hundreds of other cities in countries all over the world that have passed similar resolutions. Michelle Oxman gathered signatures on Friday night to add to the names presented at the upcoming Council meeting.
Michelle Oxman
Beth Emet member Chris Wynn represented Go Green Wilmette an organization devoted to raising environmental awareness and inspiring citizens to take action to live more sustainably. The Go Green Wilmette table offered many suggestions for people to take simple steps to live more ecologically.
Chris Wynn
Beit Sefer students Cameron and Ryan Levine participated and specifically focused on microplastics and their negative impact on the environment. Cameron and Ryan were inspired to act after viewing “Microplastics Madness” at last year’s Earth Day programming!
Cameron and Ryan Levine
The local branch of Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) is chaired by Beth Emet member Erik Doeff. CCL is an advocacy organization that trains and supports volunteers to build relationships with elected representatives to influence climate policy. Congregants were able to email President Biden and their members of Congress to not only “Get loud for clean energy,” but also to stand with Ukraine.
Erik Doeff
