14 | OCTOBER 6 • 2022 

A 

new international ini-
tiative amongst Jewish 
community leaders is 
addressing climate change.
As the first-of-its-kind mobi-
lization, 20 major Jewish orga-
nizations have joined forces as 
the Jewish Climate Leadership 
Coalition, which will face the 
urgency of climate change head 
on.
Together, they’ve signed the 
Coalition Founding Statement, 
which publicly shares a joint 
consensus that climate action is 
necessary and that the Jewish 
community is responding.
Each organization is commit-
ted to taking action by develop-
ing and releasing climate action 
plans annually, detailing climate 
actions taken-to-date and set-
ting strategic goals for the com-
ing year.
One of the most pressing 
needs is reducing greenhouse 
gas emissions, which, as of 2020, 
are 50% higher than when the 
industrial revolution began.
Hazon, the leading Jewish 
environmental organization, is 
taking charge of the coalition.
Jewish partners that have 

joined will receive support 
through peer networks, one-on-
one consultation and be eligible 
for funding via interest-free 
loans and matching grants 
through Hazon’s new Jewish 
Climate Action Fund. 
“This new effort to drive 
down the Jewish community’s 
greenhouse gas emissions offers 
a valuable entry point for Jewish 
institutions to confront the cli-
mate crisis and orient their cul-
ture toward climate action,
” says 
CEO Rabbi Jennie 
Rosenn, founder of 
Dayenu, a strategic 
partner. Dayenu 
is a movement of 
American Jews 
who are confront-
ing the climate 
crisis.
 “
As we face the immediate 
reality of historic heatwaves, 
droughts, fires and floods, and 
look toward the opportunities 
that a thriving clean-energy 
economy can offer, every Jewish 
institution must take up the call 
to climate action.
”
 Coalition partners include 
Jewish Federations of 

North America, Birthright 
Israel, Moishe House, Hillel 
International and more. Yet 
while the scale of the effort 
spans the globe, it’s the impact 
on a local level that will perhaps 
be felt the most.
 “One of the things that we’re 
doing with these founding 
partners, or these umbrella 
organizations, is developing 

communities of practice that 
are going to meet quarterly,
” 
explains Hazon chief climate 
officer Risa Alyson 
Cooper. “They will 
be able to share 
best practices with 
one another, share 
resources and trou-
bleshoot challenges 
they’re facing.
”
Community 
efforts will include 
workshops, coach-
ing, education ini-
tiatives and driving 
general awareness 
for the ongoing 
climate crisis. 
“We feel really well-posi-
tioned to meet the moment and 
hit the ground running,
” says 
Amit Weitzer, director of Hazon 
Detroit.

OUR COMMUNITY

Climate Leadership 
Coalition

Rabbi 
Jennie 
Rosenn

Risa Alyson 
Cooper

Amit 
Weitzer

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

20 major Jewish organizations 
join new coalition addressing 
climate change.

The solar array at 
Pearlstone Retreat Center 
(Hazon-Pearlstone’s retreat 
center in Reiserstown, 
Maryland). Solar arrays 
are installed to take care 
of the energy needs of 
residential and commercial 
establishments on a large 
scale.

continued on page XX

