2ND DEC 2023 ECO-SHABBAT Round Up [from 22nd January Newsletter]

Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community were privileged to join forces with the Springhill Cohousing Community in Stroud, to celebrate Eco-Shabbat, 2023. The Cohousing Community is an amazing development of houses and apartments that forms its own little neighbourhood, with car-free streets and lanes, green spaces and playgrounds, and a central building that includes a communal kitchen and dining hall, and a big communal lounge. It was in this room that members of 3CLJC gathered with current and former residents of the Cohousing community, seated on cushions, big squishy sofas and an assortment of chairs. Rabbi Anna led us through the Eco-Shabbat service, leavening the usual order with some eco-appropriate readings and prayers.
When it came to the Parashat, with its oddly esoteric account of Jacob's wrestling match with a mysterious stranger, and subsequent renaming as 'Israel', Rabbi Anna did her best to tease out the connection to themes of the Eco-Shabbat. She drew a parallel between the interpretation of Israel as 'struggle', and each person's struggle to find relevance and motivation in their individual eco-friendly actions, in the face of such an overwhelming, global phenomenon.
After this we were treated to a Tikkun Olam presentation by upcoming Barmitzvah boy Isaac, who gave a relaxed and engaging talk about his adventures in accessible Eco-activism. Amusing photographs illustrated his performance of ten simple steps to live more sustainably, ranging from litter picking to wild foraging, which he related to core Jewish values of caring for the environment with short readings from inspirational Jewish texts.
After the service we all retired to the community hall for kiddush and a delicious vegan/vegetarian lunch. The founder of the Cohousing community, David, was generous with his time and knowledge, giving us a quick introduction to the background and history of the project, and answering a barrage of questions, ranging from finance to resolution of disputes about communal cooking. David explained that the nature of such communities means that they are inherently more sustainable, not just because of their non-car ethos and high standards of insulation, but simply by virtue of the communal mode of living. Although Springhill was not explicitly designed to be an eco-friendly development, for future communities that are designed with eco-credentials in mind, its model is likely to be one to emulate.
After the meal, we all joined forces to help clean up, and Springhill resident Jeremy gave a tour of the development to interested parties. All in all, it was a fascinating and convivial Eco-Shabbat, and we were enormously grateful for the generosity and warmth of the welcome we received from the Springhill community.