FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2006
NEW YORK, NY—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, has engaged more than 30 families and communities in 11 states (and one Canadian province) in a new program to appreciate water and the connections between Torah, nature, and our responsibility to protect the environment.
“We are thrilled to launch our first program for individual synagogues to teach their own communities about this important Jewish issue,” said Evonne Marzouk, executive director of the organization. “This program will spur action at the local level in Orthodox communities across the world.”
On Sukkos, Jews celebrate water through the Simchas Beis Hashoeva (Celebration of the Water Drawing Ceremony). It is said that anyone who has not participated in this celebration has not known true joy. (Sukka 51a) On Shemini Atzeres, the theme of the value of water continues through tefilat geshem, the beginning of Jewish prayers for rain. The liturgy compares ancestors and teachers with water, and requests rain in their merit, “for plenty and not for curse, for life and not for death, for plenty and not for scarcity.”
Canfei Nesharim has created materials to help families and congregations explore the value and appreciation of water, and human dependence on divine blessing through natural resources. The materials include holiday decorations, sermon materials, environmental action reminder stickers and “water wheels,” activity suggestions for children and adults, and Seventh Generation© recycled paper plates and napkins.
“Seventh Generation donated the products to help us show Orthodox Jews that protecting the environment can be as simple as changing your plates,” said Marzouk, noting that Orthodox Jews often use significant quantities of plastic and styrofoam paper goods. The program was also supported financially by Seventh Generation and Targum Shlishi, a Florida-based foundation.
The organization has posted resources for families and synagogues on their website for download. Additional decorations, stickers, and water wheels are available for order on the website as well. Celebration of the Sukkos holiday begins October 6.
Canfei Nesharim is currently designing a new web-based resource library with articles, actions, products, and speakers. A new book of environmental sermons for rabbis and community leaders, organized by weekly Torah reading, is due out next year.