A Note from Rabbi Pearlman
Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) is one of Temple Shalom’s core values. For over two years nowng with ways to better care for our natural world. In our sacred texts, a story is told about Adam’s first encounter with God in the Garden of Eden. The Holy One showed Adam all of the glorious foliage and admonished him: “See my works, how lovely they are, how fine they are. All I have created, I created for you. Take care not to care and destroy my world, for if you ruin it, there is no one to come after you to put it right" (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7). As a congregation, we understand that we are but stewards on this earth. The planet is ours to care for, and we should not do harm.
As we celebrate our own lifecycle events, our seasons of joy and
change, we should also keep in mind that our
celebrations have an
impact on our environment. The Environmental Action Group decided to create this guide
in order to
provide resources for congregants and community members
and to encourage people to ‘green’ their lifecycle events and countless others have brought this guide to print. In Jewish life, we know that the glow
from simchas (joyous celebrations) such as
baby namings, Bar
and
Bat Mitzvah celebrations, and weddings always outlasts the day of the celebration itself.
With this Green Simcha
Guide, we hope that the environmental
impact of our events will be equally positive.
We hope you will enjoy the resources contained
in this booklet and the companion website GreenSimchaGuide.org,
and
will use them to add meaning to your own celebrations. In addition, we are always looking for new ideas
and tips.
If you would like to share your own experience, please
contact us. We
hope you will use these resources and pass
them on to your
friends and family, for we all share the responsibility for the work
of repairing
our world.
Rabbi Michelle Pearlman
