FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2007

NEW YORK, NY— The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), a body of nearly 1000 Orthodox rabbis that serves as the rabbinic authority of the Orthodox Union, passed a resolution urging Partnership with Canfei Nesharim and a wide range of measures to protect and foster Torah knowledge about the environment from a Torah perspective at its recent annual convention.

Canfei Nesharim (“the Wings of Eagles”), an organization dedicated to educating the Orthodox Jewish community about protecting the environment from the perspective of Torah and Jewish law, is delighted at the prospect of collaboration with the Rabbinical Council of America.

“We are proud to see the support from the Rabbinical Council of America for Canfei Nesharim’s effort to educate our community about this critical global issue,” said Evonne Marzouk, executive director of Canfei Nesharim. “We look forward to continuing efforts with the RCA and other major Orthodox organizations.”

The resolution supports the Torah-based environmental movement and encourages Orthodox rabbis to partner with Canfei Nesharim in organizing programs for their congregations, to take personal and communal action within synagogues, schools, and homes to protect the environment; to educate themselves and their congregants both scientifically and halakhically about the environmental challenges we face; and to consider the implications of the modern environmental crisis for Jewish law. The resolution also calls upon schools to develop curricula on Torah and the environment and to organize activities on our Torah responsibility to protect the environment.

The resolution recognizes the call of the Midrash, “Pay attention not to ruin and destroy My world, for if you do, there won’t be anyone to fix it after you” (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28); and expressed the RCA’s commitment to preserving the precious resources granted by Hashem for our children and future generations. The existence of Canfei Nesharim, an organization addressing environmental issues from a traditional Jewish perspective, is facilitating environmental action in this community, which has previously hesitated to engage with the broader environmental movement.

“By now there should be no question that we live in an increasingly fragile and vulnerable environment,” said Rabbi Basil Herring, Executive Vice-President of the Rabbinical Council of America.  “As Jews we have a particular responsibility preserve and protect God’s creation – with care, concern, and sensitivity – for ourselves, our society, our children and all future generations. The RCA commends Canfei Nesharim in its holy mission, and urges every Jew to join its cause.”

Canfei Nesharim has holiday materials available for synagogues and schools for the Jewish holidays of Tu b’Shevat and Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret. The organization is creating a collection of Jewish teachings on the environment, based on the weekly Torah cycle, to be shared by email beginning this fall.

The full text of the RCA resolution can be found at Rabbinical Council of America.