Winter 2023/24 Newsletter

3CLJC ECO JUDAISM AWARD
It is almost a year since a small group of us, Stuart and Seth and myself began to explore how 3CLJC could become an Eco-synagogue (or now, an Eco-Judaism community) and whether this might become a reality. I’m sure we still have a long way to go, in many ways, but we have reached the first hurdle in achieving our Bronze Award, which we received in July this year. This means that we are definitely on the path to being an environmentally aware Jewish community and beginning to support initiatives which can match those other Eco-Judaism communities have taken.
The Eco-Judaism movement is a cross-denominational Jewish network, whose members come from different branches and styles of Judaism, but all of whom are committed to looking at how, as Jews, we can help to protect our environment, and in doing so, how we can support our Jewish heritage and tradition. This is something that Jewish communities as a whole should be proud of, and it feels important that 3CLJC are making our own contribution, with our own range of activities and practices.
We now have a new team, consisting of Joel and Isaac, Baron and myself (and we would be happy to have another young person join us if someone is keen to do this).
The next step in order for us to gain a Silver Award is to gain a better idea of how many in the community are actively doing things in their everyday lives to live more sustainably – whether this is in reducing car use, changing diet to eat more vegetarian/vegan foods, using eco-friendly cleaning products, or reducing energy use in your home. The recent garden survey which some of you completed, was a start to this process. As well as this, we need to maintain our commitment as a community to initiatives we have started, such as encouraging cheder children to get involved in eco-projects in nature, encouraging clothes swaps, such as at our forthcoming Mitzvah Day or exploring low-impact housing at our planned Eco-Shabbat on 2nd December.
If you would like to be more involved in what we are doing, contact Joel.
Julian