Temple puts on its 'GreenFaith'

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
As the senior rabbi of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange, Dan Cohen can cite passages of Torah and Talmud about being good stewards of the environment.

Those teachings will be put into practice in a big way, with the synagogue hoping to lead by example.
Sharey Tefilo-Israel is one of eight Reform synagogues in New Jersey and four churches nationally participating in a two-year certification program through GreenFaith, a New Brunswick-based interfaith organization concerned about the environment.

Among the requirements, the synagogue must have three worship services that have an environmental theme, take steps to make their buildings “green” and get involved in environmental advocacy and justice.
There is also a strong education component. Cohen said a main goal is to influence the roughly 900 to 1,000 households which make up his congregation to put into practice environmentally friendly steps.
“Part of our responsibility is to be in balance with the world, and we’ve thrown off that balance,” he said from his office with a window view of Scotland Road.

Phil and Sue Hoch, two members of Sharey-Tefilo Israel, went to Cohen about participating in the GreenFaith project.

Cohen said there is a strong emphasis within Reform Judaism about social responsibility, of getting involved in larger social issues. He pointed to the involvement of Reform rabbis in the civil rights movement.

The environment, he said, is “probably one of the most important challenges facing us today.”
He looks with concern at the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and says now is the time for a national energy policy that takes the country off its reliance on oil.

The synagogue, home to a volunteer “Green Team,” already sees itself as environmentally friendly. It plans to change over its light fixtures to higher energy-efficient models. Recycling bins will also go into the classrooms of its preschool and Hebrew school. “We want our kids to see us model it,” he said.

The Union for Reform Judaism, the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism and Greenfaith jointly announced what has been billed the “Greening Reform Judaism Pilot Program.”

During a conference call June 3, Rabbi Jordan Millstein of Temple Sinai of Bergen County said the Torah speaks of tilling and tending to the earth.

He said the Torah teaches people to respect God’s world and be the good stewards “we were meant to be.”

The Rev. Fletcher Harper, director of GreenFaith, said interest about the environment is running high in the “faith community” and that houses of worship have a role to play.

Philip Sean Curran can be reached at 908-686-7700, ext. 116, or at newsrecord@thelocalsource.com.

TSTI In The News...

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By Rachel Meisel
6/14/2010

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental organization, has partnered with the Reform Jewish Movement in creating the Greening Reform Judaism Pilot Program. Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange is one of eight temples in New Jersey to be selected for the rigorous two-year GreenFaith Certification Program set to begin this month.

In order to become certified as GreenFaith Sanctuaries the synagogues will spend the next two years creating and implementing an action plan to reduce their carbon footprint by conserving energy and other resources within their facilities, providing environmentally-themed education and worship and environmental justice programming and advocacy. Each temple’s committee will consist of their clergy and congregants. The goal is to teach and engage their congregants on sustainability as well as the community at large.

Rev. Fletcher Harper, the Director of GreenFaith, said these temples were selected out of the close to 50 reform temples that applied because they demonstrated a high degree of willingness and were ready to commit the time.

Originally known as Partners for Environmental Quality, GreenFaith was founded in 1992 by Jewish and Christian leaders whose mission was to connect diverse religious traditions with the environment. It changed its name to GreenFaith in the early 2000s when its efforts included energy conservation and the use of renewable energy in religious institutions. Since its inception, they have been responsible for greening houses of worship throughout New Jersey.

In a phone interview, Rabbi Daniel Cohen of Sharey Tefilo-Israel told The Alternative Press the environment is not an academic issue. He believes it is a spiritual one. To him religion is how you interact with people and the world. He pointed out that tradition says one cannot pray in a synagogue without windows. Rabbi Cohen interprets that as a reminder that prayers come to life when we can see and be aware of the world.

He recounted the old Jewish story of an elderly man in ancient Israel planting a fig tree. A Roman general passing by says to the man, "Don’t you realize it will take twenty years before that tree will grow enough to produce fruit, and you will be long dead by then?" The old man responded, "When I was a small child, I could eat fruit because those who came before me had planted trees. Am I not obliged to do the same for the next generation?"

Rabbi Cohen summarized, "We have to think outside ourselves and how the environment affects us. We have to think how it will affect other generations."

The seven other congregations participating in the Pilot Program are Temple Shalom in Aberdeen, Temple Emanu-El in Edison, Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes, Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan, Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick, Temple Shalom in Succasunna, and Temple Sinai in Tenafly.

Photo above: Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wantage, NJ where GreenFaith was instrumental in installing a solar array. Photo courtesy of GreenFaith.

Entrance sign to Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel, South Orange, one of eight temples to be selected for the GreenFaith Certification Program.