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The New Activists

GREEN from page 7

Combining Efforts

Members of Jewish Federation's
environmentally based Teva
urged to join SEMCOEJL.

SHELL' LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer

ocally, this summer brought the dissolution of
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit-sponsored environmental group Teva. The
action allows members to incorporate into the
Southeast Michigan Coalition on the Environment
and Jewish Life, whose acronym is SEMCOEJL.
Alaine Waldshan, staff person at the
Federation's Community Outreach and
Education Department, says the three-year-old
Teva was duplicating the services of SEMCOEJL
at a much-less-concentrated level.
Teva held three or four events yearly, including a
Tu b'Shevat seder, environmentally based lectures,
an Eco-Shabbat dinner and outdoor park cleanup.
A year ago, Teva joined with the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit in environmental
advocacy, and with the Fresh Air Society in West
Bloomfield for nature and camping programs.
After meetings with representatives of SEM-
COEJL, Teva and the JCCouncil, Waldshan
said, "We jointly decided to dissolve Federation's
Teva. We are confident that SEMCOEJL will
provide quality Jewish environmental program-
ming for the community," and on a more regular
basis, and larger scale, than did Teva.
Last week, letters were mailed to the approxi-
mately 100 past participants of Teva program-
ming, encouraging them to become involved in
SEMCOEJL. Included were brochures about the
group and the phone number and e-mail address
of SEMCOEJL co-founder Catherine Greener.
Federation staff is considering partnering in
future programming, specifically for the annual
Tu b'Shevat seder.
Rabbi Marla Feldman, assistant director of the
JCCouncil, said Council had been forming an
environmental taskforce when Teva discussed dis-
banding. JCCouncil staff decided to help support
SEMCOEJL, becoming a co-sponsor, along with
Congregation Shir Tikvah, Temple Israel, Temple
Beth Emeth and the Reconstructionist Chavurah
in Ann Arbor. Other sponsors are sought.
The JCCouncil's involvement includes acting
as the advocacy arm of SEMCOEJL, as well as
providing administrative support. With a grant
from the national COEJL office in New York, a
part-time staff person is being sought for the
local chapter. Office space and materials will be
donated within the JCCouncil office.
Rabbi Feldman finds the participation of Jews in
environmental activities an action that "resonates in
the congregational walls, with religious overtones."
She said, "There is clearly a religious mandate to
care for the environment." ❑

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into the fold of Christian environmentalism. When
sion of the environment is another reason he fa
the grants ran out, the Jewish world didn't step in
ed Endangered Spirit. The 2 1/2-year-old Chic
to adopt COEJL's agenda.
based adventure travel and teaching organizatio
So members began raising their own money, tap-
for people interested in wilderness touring. It
ping many of their Jewish friends, and COEJL
respects Jewish dietary laws and Shabbat.
became a national organization. It sponsors annual
"This is the kind of stuff that helped me mak
leadership training and advocating in Washington
sense of my Jewish identity," said Katler. "I want
for cars that burn less fuel per mile and the preser-
help others in exploring what Jewishness meant
vation of public lands. The budget for COEJL this
them, and exploring it outside of traditional sett
year is $400,000; next year, thanks to a grant from
The company offers trips to places like Cost
a non-Jewish foundation to staff its affiliate offices,
Rica, Colorado and Arizona for ages 16 to 80.
the available cash will be $650,000.
Katler, a former marketing director, said many
"Both Judaism and ecology teach us that every-
the travelers are repeat customers; most are not
thing is connected, everything is one," said Mark
observant like him.
X. Jacobs, COEJL's 31-year-old executive director.
Endangered Spirit also runs outdoor educati
Like Greener, he is affiliated with a synagogue but
programs at day and Hebrew schools that exam
uninterested in the politics and social world of
Jewish environmental ethics. For example, sever
Jewish federations.
mitzvot (God's commandments) directly addres
He explained that the stewardship of the environ-
Jewish responsibility toward nature, such as a p
ment is a basic tenet of the Torah, and that COEJL
bition against cutting down fruit-bearing trees
differs from non-sectarian environmental
ing wartime.
organizations because, well, it's Jewish.
"The thinki
"We learn from our tradition that we
was that peopl
are tenants in God's world, that we
who were obse
have a religious obligation to choose
vans needed
life," Jacobs said. "The Torah is full of
opportunity to
instruction on how we are to treat the
this stuff, beca
world around us." COEJL is Jewish, he
they weren't ab
said, "because we are a bunch of Jews
do it on a tradi
who want to advocate for changes in
tional trip. But
policy in our nation. We want to do it
people were als
as Jews as a reflection of our beliefs,
looking for so
rather than through secular organiza-
thing Jewish a
tions."
cool," Katler s
Jacobs' passion for environmental
One of the s
activism came about in Israel, during
ers was Lisa
his freshman year in college. It was the
Berman of
rabbis in the yeshivot who sparked his
Brookline, Mas
interest, but they did so inadvertently.
who went to
"I began to see in Jewish tradition
Sedona, Ariz., it
A tree planting event sponsored by COEJL.
responses to environmental questions
December with
and social-justice questions, even
Endangered Spi
though the people I was learning from
She said there a i
were completely unaware that Torah addressed
other kosher, Shabbat-observant travel clubs, but
these issues," he said.
their trips were too fancy and expensive.
In 1993, Jacobs attended the Council of Jewish
Berman, 31, had become acquainted with the
Federations' General Assembly in Montreal. He
Orthodox community in Boston through Aish
heard about COEJL through adherents, including
HaTorah, the Orthodox educational and outreacl
the late astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan and Dr. Ismar
organization. With Endangered Spirit, she hoped
Schorsch, chancellor of the Jewish Theological
see what eco-Judaism was about and how Shabba
Seminary in New York. Jacobs joined the COEJL
might be celebrated differently.
office a year later and hasn't left.
While not ready to fully observe Shabbat or keep
While Jacobs belongs to a Conservative syna-
kosher home, Berman said her trip experience was
gogue and certainly runs in Jewish circles, he says
"beautiful and natural. We went on a hike on Shabb
he's never been drawn to the federation world.
and spoke about God and nature. You felt more tha'
"I'm moved by issues, not by fundraising," he
you were in it rather than going through the motio
said. "And I'm moved by spiritual life and commu-
Berman is well acquainted with the communal
nity around Jewish observance, rather than Jewish
Jewish world. She attends events of the Combine
social gatherings."
Jewish Philanthropies, Boston's federation. But th
don't move her.
"CJP events are strictly social and I don't get
Traveling Toward Torah
much out of those," she said.
Concurring with Jacobs, Chicagoan Aaron Katler,
29, calls the latter a "meat market" approach to
Official Blessing
meeting other Jews with similar interests, and says
he has very little to do with that world.
At 56, Sharon Bloome is a generation older — an
Katler's abiding interest in the religious dimen-
sees no conflict between her deep involvement in

