Inserting climate into the Jewish conversation

In 2009, Jonathan Sacks – the late chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth – urged the Jewish community to dedicate a Shabbat focused on environmental protection.

Today, the Jewish Climate Network (JCN) continues his legacy with Climate Shabbat, an annual initiative that aims to activate the Jewish community’s response to climate change.

“Shabbat is such a powerful Jewish ritual,” JCN’s programs manager Ash Densham told The Jewish Independent.

“The Shabbat dinner table is something that Jewish families gather around every single week of the year. We have 52 opportunities to come together each year, and we thought it was just a beautiful opportunity to put climate at the forefront of people's discussions.”

This year’s programming focuses on quality over quantity, with six panels and talks that address the multifaceted impacts of climate change hosted by Jewish organisations and shules.

In Melbourne, lawyer David Morris will discuss the intersection of law and environmental activism at Kehilat Nitzan; Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn AO will unpack the threat of climate change to Australia’s security at Caulfield Shule; and Young Jewish Professionals will host a panel of changemakers who are addressing climate action through sport, AI, entrepreneurship and recruitment.

In Sydney, Emanuel Synagogue's inner west Kol Nefesh service will be joined by climate organiser and strategist Daniel Sherrell to discuss the climate policies that will shape the next federal election; Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane will visit Central Synagogue to talk about her experience working on climate action from within the political sphere; and JCN’s Head of NSW Mitch Burnie will speak at The Great Synagogue about the intersection of Jewish communal advocacy and climate action.

JCN CEO Joel Lazar says bringing climate experts to spaces that are familiar to Jews is critical after October 7, as the Israel conflict has caused the community to increasingly feel unwelcome in mainstream environmental settings.

“Post October 7, there are lots of spaces that many Jews who care about this issue don’t feel comfortable in,” Lazar told The Jewish Independent.

“We see it as a really important and unique role for us to help create these safe spaces where our community can have access to the best climate experts in Australia, where we can feel like we’re with our people, and we can explore these issues openly and in a constructive environment.”

The paired-back offering differs from JCN’s inaugural Climate Shabbat last year, which saw over 1,400 community members take part in 19 events. However, the timing – Friday 15 to Sunday 17 November – is consistent, again aligning with the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, which is being held this year in Azerbaijan.

JCN is also encouraging community members to host their own climate-focused shabbat dinners throughout November, with the organisation developing resources to facilitate discussion around climate change, including conversation starters, action items and vegetarian recipes from Better Together Kitchen.

According to The Australia Institute’s annual Climate of the Nation report, over 70% of Australians are concerned about climate change and its impacts. While JCN has never surveyed the Jewish community, it works on the assumption that research done on the general Australian population resonates similarly.

Lazar wants Climate Shabbat to help Jews reflect on all the challenges facing their community and way of life – not just that resulting from the conflict in the Middle East – which carry as real and present of a threat, and equally bear a responsibility to act.

“Israel is in a climate hotspot, it stands to experience some of the worst havoc of climate, and our diaspora communities have a huge exposure to it as well. If there's extreme heat or bushfires or floods and we can't go to places to experience ritual, it threatens the fabric of Jewish life,” Lazar said.

“I've got this inherent faith that the Jewish people, our collective hive mind, have the tenacity, entrepreneurialism, resilience and creativity to find ways to solve big problems. We have a series of unique strengths which allow us to have an outsized positive influence on society, and climate is the perfect challenge for us to apply that skillset to.”

Densham agrees: “As a people around the world, we can have multiple concerns, and we can meet multiple challenges. We don't have to focus on one issue over another.

“My hope is that through Climate Shabbat and the work that JCN is doing is that the Jewish community realises that we can have a tremendous impact, and to hold that in their hearts and minds.”

Climate Shabbat runs from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 November 2024. Find out more and book tickets online.