Greening CSAIR

What’s Greenfaith Been Up To?

CSAIR’s Greenfaith Team is on the move! In keeping with our green mission statement (below), we have worked hard over the last year to bring programs and facility changes to our community. Here are just a few of our accomplishments:

Planted several new trees around the synagogue as part of the million trees project
Switched our synagogue’s electricity supplier to clean green electricity (water, solar and wind)!
Completed a NYSERDA energy audit that provides information about facility upgrades that will save energy and money
Changed many of the synagogue's light bulbs to CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs)- have you noticed how much brighter the lobby and hallway upstairs are?
Currently working with Con Ed’s “Direct Install Program” to further upgrade the synagogue’s lighting. This special Con Ed program pays for 70% of the materials and labor – so that this lighting upgrade will pay for itself in 4 months!

We have hosted many exciting programs as well including:

Scholar in residence Jeremy Benstein from the Heschel Center in Israel
Sermons on global climate change and the spiritual value of time spent outdoors
Outdoor Kabbalat Shabbat services during the summer
Panel discussion on “Living a Greener Life: Choices, Opportunities and Challenges in Your Home, in Our Shul and in Our Community.”

We have a lot of exciting opportunities ahead! Please contact Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield if you would like to be involved: racheljr@yahoo.com

The Eternal took the human being and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. Genesis 2:15

Consistent with the principles of Judaism and our obligations as citizens of the Earth, the members of the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale are committed to organizational and individual learning and action to promote stewardship of the environment in our synagogue, our homes, our communities, and our world.

Greening CSAIR As part of CSAIR’s ongoing commitment to tikkun olam, fixing the world, we have applied and been accepted to participate in Greenfaith’s Certification Program for houses of worship (www.greenfaith.org.) We are the first Conservative synagogue to be part of this program. Drawing on 15 years of experience, Greenfaith is an organization that provides support and resources to achieve real environmental results through a range of meaningful projects. The certification program is designed to help houses of worship from diverse traditions become environmental leaders in their local communities. Our hope is that over the next two years we will carry out a range of initiatives to integrate environmental themes into our services, informal and formal education programs, facility maintenance and social outreach.

The CSAIR Board has enthusiastically approved our participation in this program and a CSAIR Green team chaired by Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield is working on a comprehensive program that will touch on and enhance many aspects of shul life and will present many opportunities to get involved. Perhaps you’ve dreamed of an organic garden at CSAIR or a community compost bin? Or perhaps you would like to help plan a tefillah (prayer) walk through a local park for families or to make our kiddushim more sustainable? Or perhaps you have special skills in architecture or engineering and want to help with an energy assessment of our facility? Maybe this idea just appeals to you in general and you want to be involved in some way? Help determine how our shul will take ideas like these (or others!) and make them a reality here in Riverdale. You can get involved in a short-term project or on an on-going basis. Please contact CSAIR’s Green Team at greencsair@gmail.com.

Rabbi Barry Dov Katz

As we kick off our CSAIR Greenfaith Inititiatve, join your fellow congregants in pledging "Humanwatt Hours" (Hwh), an endlessly renewable resource, to greening our synagogue and doing our part to address global climate change. Email the Greenfaith Team at greencsair@gmail.com and share your name, contact information, how many hours you'd like to pledge over the next year (any number from 1-100 works!), and if you have any particular area of interest or expertise. We'll be sure to be in touch and to let you know how you can help!