Eco-Chalutzim and Eco-Tourists by Noam Dolgin
Throughout
the ‘90s, among both Jews who made aliya (moved to Israel) and
those who remain in the Diaspora, many invested time and energy in projects
that help build peace and collaboration with Arab citizens and neighbors,
promote religious diversity, and support other social justice initiatives. Some
have turned to environmentalism as a means of protecting the people, land and
state of Israel.
Diaspora
Jews are connecting to Israel
through environmental concerns. Preserving the land of Israel
is becoming a sacred mission.
On
a “Tech and
Teva [nature]” trip to Israel (February 2008) with 34 Jewish educators
from Long Island, I had the opportunity to meet both olim (immigrants) and tourists,
and see how their dedication to Israel’s
environment has changed their
relationship to Israel
and themselves. Through the olim we met, leaders in Israel’s emerging environmental
scene, we encountered a new kind of chalutz (pioneer) – an educated, motivated and enthusiastic
immigrant ready to bring environmental responsibility to a country that
desperately needs it.
Olim Who Make a Difference
Many
of us are familiar with the works of notable environmental pioneers like Dr.
Alon Tal and Dr. Eilon Schwartz, who have been instrumental in establishing
some of the leading environmental organizations such as the Israel Union for
Environmental Defense, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and the Heschel Center, and have been involved with the Conservative
Jewish world through their positions as Mercaz and
Green Zionist Alliance representatives to the Keren Kayemet
(Jewish National Fund in Israel) Board.
Beyond these pioneers, new olim continue to move to Israel to work
on its environment. Here is the story of three emerging leaders and how their
organizations are making a difference:
Raised
in Seattle, Joshua Berman made aliya
with his wife Tali in 2003. They live in a moshav outside of Jerusalem.
Tali is
the founder of the Meir Autism
Treatment Center,
(www.meirautism.org) and Josh
helps run a number of e-commerce Web sites.
Josh has been volunteering his
time to bring the Good Energy Initiative (www.goodenergy.org.il)
to the American Jewish community and the world. The Good Energy Initiative is
an opportunity for individuals, synagogues and organizations to offset their
carbon footprint by supporting grassroots carbon
reduction initiatives in Israel. He believes there is a golden opportunity
for organizations and communities to not only “green” themselves by carbon
offsetting but also to support important environmental initiatives in Israel. Thanks
to Joshua's efforts, such activities
as conferences, bar mitzvahs and
day-to-day business operations are offset by purchasing solar water panels for
underprivileged Israelis, who could not otherwise replace their kerosene
heaters, or by distributing energy-efficient light bulbs to Israeli schools and
children.
Born
and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, Andrea Weil made aliya
in 2000 with a desire to help Israel
protect its marine environment. Noticing that very little in Israel was being researched or taught about
human impacts on the Mediterranean Sea,
Andreas approached a group of scientists from the marine research field and
together, in 2003, they founded EcoOcean (www.ecoocean.com).
EcoOcean´s main resource is the research vessel, the R/V
Mediterranean Explorer, used by marine researchers from universities throughout
the country. Additionally, EcoOcean operates a number
of educational programs intended for a wide range of ages, including the "Megalim" Center for Educational Activity at Michmoret, for the study of marine and environmental
sciences. Experts from EcoOcean visit elementary
schools and high schools across the country to lecture on marine ecology and
biology related issues.
Born
and raised in Atlanta,
Leiba Chaya David made aliya in 1996 with a deep
connection to the land,
eager to explore with a Tanach (Bible)
in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Like many of the early Zionist
naturalists, Leiba Chaya's connection
to the land is central to her
Jewish and Israeli identities. Working first as a guide for the Society for the
Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), she now works for SPNI in Jerusalem, coordinating
inner city campaigns, community initiatives and educational projects for both
secular and religious schools. Leiba
Chaya hopes to use her understanding of Jewish education to help coordinate
educational projects that will reach across the Atlantic and bridge American
Jewry to Jerusalem and Israel through the land and the
environment.
Eco-tourism
When
one thinks of the stereotypical Jewish Long Islander, one does not usually
think “environmentalist.” But take 34 Jewish educators to Israel, from 20 years
old to it’s-not-polite-to-ask, with a diverse array of backgrounds and you get
a group of passionate, caring people, looking at Israel with a lens to the
environment and coming up with amazing questions and good solutions. This is
what happened on the SAJES-sponsored visit to Israel that I accompanied in
February.
On
this 10-day tour, which crossed the entire country from the Kinneret
(Sea of Galilee) to Eilat, this group encountered activists, educators
and researchers, exploring their vision of Israel in the 21st
century.
One
of the most exciting elements was the sense of potential. Wherever we went we
saw projects just waiting to get off the ground. These projects ranged from
educational programs to exciting new technological research, community
campaigns and personal initiatives. Each faced its own set of challenges, some
financial, some social and some political, but each were waiting for the
support needed to let it blossom.
class=Section2>
Shellie
Dickstein, coordinator of educational
services at SAJES concluded, “There
is so much we can learn from Israelis to bring back to our community, and so
much we can bring to Israel.”
Now
that the trip is over, we move to what is always the hardest stage,
implementation, keeping the connections going between those we met in Israel and what we can do in our communities in America. But
this trip has sparked a new light for the educators, even those who had visited
Israel
before.
As one indicated in her evaluation: “This experience was very
special, my third time in Israel.
I was struck by the fact that the guest lecturers talked about the importance
of teaching the children. Educate the adults through the children. As teachers
we are going back with a new sense of mission, that we can make a change in the
world by teaching the children. The children are the future.”
It
is important to acknowledge linkages among ourselves as Jews in North America,
the people of Israel, the land of Israel and the global environment. Even
neutralizing our carbon footprint or otherwise reducing our environmental
impact in the US has an
influence on Israel’s
environment.
Perhaps
another participant said it best: “The trip made me more determined to take
care of the environment and to make Israel education more of a priority
for children.” Utilizing an environmental lens, we can revitalize Americans’
relationship to Israel
and to the environment.
