AUGUST 11 • 2022 | 31

W

hen psychiatrist 
Dorit Ben-Ami 
and her husband 
(also a physician) moved 
back to Southfield last year 
after a few years away, they 
bought solar panels with 
battery storage for their new 
home. 
 Their reasons for getting 
solar power had every-
thing to do with the health 
of the planet for humans 
and animals. She wanted 
to power their home with 
electrical energy produced 
by solar power, an essen-
tially non-polluting source. 
Electrical energy produced 
by burning coal or other 
fossil fuels pollutes the air 
and contributes to global 
warming. 
Ben-Ami explains that this 
environmental concern is a 
basic Jewish value: “We are 
given stewardship of the Earth.
” 

She finds proof in the 
Bible, which often asserts 
the connection between our 
moral behavior and what will 
happen to us environmen-
tally. “If we are not behaving 
in a moral way, the Earth 
will reject us.” Furthermore, 
“Noah was requested to 
bring into the ark not only 
animals that are edible, but 
all animals.” 
We, like Noah, have 
responsibility for the envi-
ronment. 
The potential to save 
money by lowering her bills 
from the electric company 
does not seem that great to 
Ben-Ami. The system has 
already reduced her elec-
tricity bill, but perhaps not 
enough to offset the initial 
cost. She says, “It was very 
expensive. I don’t think we’ll 
ever see the return on invest-
ment really.” 

But even so, going solar 
seems worth it to Ben-Ami. 
With battery storage, “we will 
have power for emergencies.” 
The power grid in 
Michigan is subject to sud-
den failures, often lasting 
several days. Homes with 
battery storage fed by a 
solar array can continue to 
provide electrical power for 
essential services even when 
the grid has failed. 

Beyond that, Ben-Ami val-
ues the way that solar power 
contributes to the health of 
the community. “Judaism is 
not just about the individu-
al,” she says, adding that the 
Torah teaches us “how best 
a person can live in a society 
and a community, not just 
how to make the most as 
individuals.”
 

OUR COMMUNITY

PHOTO CREDIT

Solar panels can be a good 
financial choice for the 
environmentally conscious.

Proof on the 
Roof!

continued on page 32

LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Reuven 
Gevaryahu

Coal-burning plants 
like the one in Monroe 
add to air pollution.

