Green Reconstruction of a Reconstructionist Synagogue

Jewish Reconstructionist Community, Evanston, IL

CONGRATULATIONS TO JRC for receiving LEED Platinum Certification in October 2008 – giving them the status of the greenest synagogue on the planet!
[Compiled from Rabbi Brant Rosen’s Blog]

Rabbi Rosen: “Our decision to achieve a gold or platinum LEED rating required careful consideration of sustainable strategies and a comprehensive, holistic approach to the building design. The design of our synagogue included sustainable components such as reclaimed, recycled and rapidly renewable materials, wood from certified sustainable forests, and strategies such as light harvesting and water conservation. Our building maximizes the latest in technological and design advances to minimize the use of depletable resources, maximizes natural light and air, and reduces energy consumption by a careful system of insulation, heat reflection, and digitally controlled zones for heating and cooling.”

Sydney (JRC congregant)– “I had thought that we had sacrificed beauty for efficiency and environmental sustainability–a sacrifice I’d willingly make. Now I think that maybe I was wrong. I think I can see the beauty in our new building… I think I’m finally beginning to love it.” (Comment echoed by other congregants.)

The Jewish Reconstructionist Community (JRC), Evanston, IL (a suburb of Chicago) committed themselves to the long-held Jewish beliefs of environmental stewardship when it came time to reconstruct their old building into a new one.  To begin, the new synagogue was built on the same site of their old building, avoiding breaking ground on virgin soil.  When construction began October 2006, the community held services and other community activities at a temporary location until the construction was completed in February 2008.  According to Rabbi Brant Rosen, their goal was to “create the first certified ‘Green Synagogue’ in the world” at the LEED* Gold Level, if not the highest Platinum Level, as determined by the US Green Building Council.  The architectural firm who helped make this dream possible was Ross, Barney, and Jankowsky.

(*LEED certification is granted based on six major levels: sustainability, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process.)

JRC moved into temporary headquarters the summer of 2006, while the old synagogue was demolished in September.  Despite the fact that the old synagogue had become too small, worn out, and non-functional to the congregation’s needs, it had still been their spiritual home for over twenty years.  Watching the demolition and seeing the old structure torn apart proved traumatic for some congregants as this place of many sacred events and memories was destroyed.  Relief was found once all the debris had been removed, and a clean slate appeared, providing for a groundbreaking ceremony at the end of the demolition process.

The concrete from the former synagogue’s front steps and façade was ground up on site and recycled into the new foundation.  Rabbi Roden remarked, “If any JRC members ever feel homesick for the old building, I’ll just remind them that they‘re still standing on it…”

The plans called for a three-story building, which they found could not be supported solely on the soft, sandy soil of the site.  Therefore 18 cement caissons, placed 55 feet into the earth were required to support the new structure.  The congregation’s president, Alan Saposnik suggested that the congregation create eighteen spiritual pillars of their community to reflect the physical pillars that supported their synagogue.  This idea resonated with Hebrew numerology, which calculates the number 18 as equaling “life”.

Rabbi Rosen brought this idea to the 4th and 7th grade religious school students.  After recounting the story of Rabbi Shimon the Righteous saying, “the world stands on three things: study, worship, and acts of lovingkindness”, Rabbi Rosen asked the students what they considered to be the eighteen pillars upon which their congregation community stands.  Together eighteen spiritual values were identified for the JRC community: God, Judaism, Joy, Prayer, Hope, Respect, Partnership, Song, Tikkun Olam, Community, Study, Freedom, Friendship, Spirit, Learning, Peace, Growth, and Love.  Each of these values was printed on a piece of paper and each paper placed separately within the concrete mixed for the individual pillars that became a permanent part of JRC’s support structure.  Even the construction crew and its supervisor joined the process by taking turns placing the papers into the cement mix.  One of the construction workers dubbed the steel and concrete set of stairs that led from the ground to third floor sanctuary as “the stairway to heaven”.