Environmental sustainability has been a pillar of Congregation Beth Israel of Media’s mission since the early 2000s. It has since made consistent efforts to make a positive environmental impact.
The congregation’s website says that the focused sustainability efforts began in 2006, several years after they moved into their current building.
At the start, the synagogue formed a sustainability committee, held an adult education session and joined the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation’s Sustainable Synagogue Initiative in 2007.
“I think there’s always more things that we can do, but I feel like we’ve taken some really good steps in the area of greening. It’s something that I think people care about in the community, for sure,” said Rabbi Nathan Martin, Beth Israel’s senior rabbi.
The synagogue has also been a GreenFaith-certified congregation since 2014. GreenFaith is an interfaith initiative focused on “faith-rooted climate actions,” according to its website.
Martin said that the synagogue has made several improvements to its building over the years, including switching its oil-based heating to gas-based heating to improve heating and lighting efficiency.
He explained that those changes have allowed the organization to cut its use of fossil fuels in half, which he described as an exciting start.
The synagogue more recently installed solar panels in 2022, which has further reduced its reliance on fossil fuels.
“We dedicated our solar panels on Chanukah, not by accident, because we wanted, through that Chanukah time, to rededicate ourselves to our core values, and it’s also the holiday of light,” Martin said.
Martin said that the sustainability work is part of three major congregational values, which are creating a warm, nurturing community, engaging in lifelong learning and repairing the world.
He added that most of the funding for these green initiatives comes from the congregants donating for these causes, which he said shows a strong commitment from the people involved.
Martin said that the work they’ve done around sustainability is part of a larger commitment to social action at the synagogue.
“We also have lots of active volunteers who do food service and deal with food insecurity and tutoring, and sort of working on education issues with local communities. So that [sustainability] is not the only thing that drives us, but it is definitely another piece, and now people were really willing to put their money where their mouth was,” Martin said.
Martin added that they’ve been able to benefit from the incentives toward green energy provided by the federal government.
Jewish communities, he said, can integrate a connection and awareness around the relationship between the environment and Jewish tradition and holidays.
“I would hope that people might see us and help get inspired to do more on their own. But I don’t think we’re particularly special in any case,” Martin said.
Speaking to what the long-term sustainability efforts say about his congregation’s values, Martin said that it’s no accident that their members joined a Reconstructionist synagogue.
He said that synagogues in the movement largely share a set of values.
“The value of wanting to create a Judaism that is vibrant, that is welcoming to all, that allows us to continue to engage and learn, that celebrates a variety of Jewish life and culture. Also, I think what drives and motivates Jews and many of our members today is they want to be part of something bigger than ourselves,” Martin said.
Martin added that Beth Israel of Media is inspiring to him because of the way that the community comes together to take the lead on issues.
“We really rely on a whole country of volunteers to make things happen. And that’s something I think many of our people take pride in, that this is something that when you want to move something forward, it’s not just on the rabbi. It’s really a team effort and community[-based],” Martin said.
