Jewish environmental engagement is characterized by a consciousness of the universal human responsibility to care for Creation, on the one hand, and on the other, the distinctive ways that the Jewish people have embodied their sense of a special relationship to the Creator of heaven and earth. Central to that relationship is the divine gift of the Torah, and to the whole body of divine wisdom and law that has been handed down from generation to generation. Jews today have found a rich variety of ways to weave care and appreciation for Creation into the religious life of families and individuals, congregations and communities. Whether in worship, service projects, education programs, advocacy, or the design and operation of their facilities, they have found ways to bring to light the significance of traditional Jewish teachings, celebrations, and practices. 

In recent decades, Jewish rabbis and scholars have shown that traditional Jewish teachings about God, humanity, and nature contain much wisdom that can inform a spiritual and ethical response to present-day environmental concerns, particularly the principles of tzedakah (justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world). Serious and careful study of both Torah and the environmental situation has informed the statements issued by Jewish leaders and organizations and the work of Jewish scholars. In response, a variety of educational and worship resources and programs have been developed. 

Playing a key role in stimulating and supporting environmental work in the Jewish community is the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL). As part of its mission, COEJL deepens and broadens the Jewish community's commitment to stewardship and protection of the Earth through outreach, activism, and Jewish learning. Through a network of Jewish leaders, institutions, COEJL is mobilizing the Jewish community to conserve energy, increase sustainability, and advocate for policies that increase energy efficiency and security while building core Jewish environmental knowledge and serving as a Jewish voice in the broader interfaith community.

Camps, Retreat and Conference Centers, and Outdoor Programs

• Teva, a part of Hazon, has programs that combine ecology, Jewish environmental ethics, and environmental activism.
• Shalom Institute Camp and Conference Center, Malibu, California, with the Marla Bennett Israel Discovery Center and Garden, an interactive hands-on learning center that teaches about the history and ecology of Israel as well as organic gardening and farming and the relationship between Judaism and the environment.
• Jewish nature retreats include the Isabella Freedman Center, a part of Hazon, and the Pearlstone Center, a retreat and conference center in Maryland. 
• Torah Treks explores the connections between Jewish spirituality and the experience of wilderness through a variety of backcountry adventures such as hiking, camping, kayaking, and skiing.

Jewish Statements and Teachings

The Jewish community has issued various statements. For additional statements visit the COEJL website.

• The Founding Statement of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life 
• To the Jewish People, to all Communities of Spirit, and to the World: A Rabbinic Letter on the Climate Crisis
• Living in God’s World ​
• Jewish Teachings on Care for God's Creation
• Jewish Texts as Resources on Global Climate Change
• Union for Reform Judaism Resolution on Climate Change and Energy
• Jewish Values on Climate Change and Energy

Jewish Energy Guide: Taking Action

COEJL's Jewish Energy Guide presents a comprehensive Jewish approach to the challenges of energy security and climate change. The Guide offers a blueprint for the Jewish engagement on energy issues. For a copy of the Jewish Energy Guide, click here. For additional Jewish educational and worship resources click here.

Jewish Organizations Take the Lead

Numerous Jewish organizations have taken a strong lead in addressing environmental concerns.

• The Coalition for the Environment and Jewish Life is one of the leading Jewish organizations advocating for clean energy and stronger environmental policy. 
• Hazon (Hebrew for "vision") seeks to foster a vision of a renewed, inclusive, passionate, and creative Jewish community rooted in tradition and engaged with the world through outdoor and environmental education programs. Much of Hazon's work focuses on food justice; their library of resources related to the Jewish food movement can be found here.
• Jewcology collects resources and links activists together to build a multi-denominational, diverse coalition of Jewish environmentalists.
• Dayenu: A Jewish Call for Climate Action launched in 2020 and is mobilizing Jewish support for critical federal and state climate policies that create the structural change we need, including clean energy and transportation initiatives that cut emissions, create jobs, and prioritize vulnerable communities.