Social Action - Green Council
The Green Council is very pleased that we have the endorsement of the congregation’s Board of Trustees to place us in the vanguard of synagogues
in South Jersey that are pledged to make their congregations focused on becoming greener in our houses of worship and our homes.
The following resolution
was passed unanimously by the Board of Trustees of Congregation M'kor Shalom on Wednesday, November 14.
On April 5, 2008, I attended, as Chair of the Green Council, the Sustainable Cherry Hill initial leadership meeting. Also in
attendance from Congregation M'kor Shalom were Beth Glenn, Josh Reisman and Township Administrator Maris Kukainis, along with
approximately 20 other Cherry Hill residents and representatives of Cherry Hill-based commercial and religious institutions.
One of the many objectives of the fledgling group is to develop a strategic plan to set attainable goals for a greener Cherry
Hill during the next five years. (This fits nicely with the Green Covenant approved by our synagogue's Board of Trustees.)
Ralph Copelman, Executive Director of Sustainable Lawrence Township, New Jersey, spoke about the success of his group and
provided guidance on how to empower and educate individuals, companies and government agencies about the many cost-effective
ways to positively affect the environment.
In the future, I will update the congregation on how to participate in this community-wide grass roots effort.
Anne Simonoff
FAQ's:
WHAT IS THE GREEN COUNCIL DOING THESE DAYS?
Our campaign, "How Many Jews Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb,"
is in full swing. Many M’kor Shalom members have made the switch over to using CFL bulbs around
their homes. Many still have questions, however.
Click here for answers to some commonly asked
questions, courtesy of the
nonprofit group, Environmental Defense.
THAT SOUNDS GREAT, BUT WHAT ELSE WILL THE GREEN COUNCIL BE DOING?
We have completed the building energy audit for the synagogue, focused on water and energy efficiency. And we have posted
signs throughout the new education wing, highlighting its many green features. See also our Help-Save-the-Planet practical
tip sheet on additional ways we can all reduce our use of natural resources.
Click here to download.
Second, we want to make it easy for YOU to express your opinions about the environment. We
will keep you up to date on the latest pending legislation, on the state and federal levels,
and will guide you in writing advocacy letters to government officials. Here are some
legislative concerns we are following:
http://www.capwiz.com/rac/issues/alert/?alertid=9332001
Click here for some sample letters you can send to your representatives.
Third, we are planning to have a speaker come to M'kor Shalom to discuss Jewish ecology.
Stay tuned for the date later this year.
Our "Green Congregant" of the month is Rob Spivack. He decided to change over his
PSE&G contract to support clean, renewable sources of energy in New Jersey. This did not
change anything about the equipment in his home. It didn't even require a service call. He
just contacted the New Jersey CleanPower Choice Program: