From the Rabbi

During our most recent Shabbat morning Torah service, we had a little liturgical announcement: we declared the coming new month of Shvat.

It’s hard to identify a more universally relevant topic than the environment. Along with the weekly dedication of Shabbat we sing in our Kiddush honouring Creation, and the prominence of this theme in the prayerbook, the holiday of Tu B’Shvat brings an annual opportunity to celebrate what was wrought breshit – in the beginning. And where did the human story begin? In a garden.

The value of shmirat hateva (protecting nature) has deep roots in Jewish texts, and laws, as well as in contemporary liberal Jewish life. And it has profound implications not only for how we might practice our Judaism but for how we might live our lives with sustainability ledor vador – from generation to generation.

Consider the 15th of Shvat, the New Year of the trees as, among other things, an opportunity to (re)kindle and (re)integrate into your life a Jewish-ly motivated sense of obligation to the miracles of creation. Never heard of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life? Take a look at their website, coejl.org. Curious about what’s happening in the realm of global climate change activitism? Check out 350.org. Learn about multifaith responses at interfaithpowerandlight.org.

And come share in the fruits of those glorious creations at our Shabbat-Tu B’Shvat seder.