Home

Nature & the Environment

bulldog

Ethical Treatment of Animals

Beginning with the first chapters of the Torah, Judaism establishes a fundamental connection between human beings and animals. The rabbis later introduce the concept of tzaar baalei hayim, demanding that we take animal suffering seriously.

Read more

Practices and Traditions

The Sabbatical Year

The biblical shemitah represents an alternative to consumer society.

Bal Tashchit

The Torah prohibits wasteful destruction.

Stewardship of the Earth

As humans and Jews we have a responsibility to take care of the earth.

Guests in God's World

A talmudic metaphor with implications for global environmental sustainability.

Nature & the Environment 101

To whom does the earth really belong? For whose benefit does it exist?

Modern Insights

Eco-conscious Jewish Life

A Jewish spiritual approach.

Sustainability

What does it mean to eat in a Jewish way?

Taking Root in the Jewish CSA Movement

Kosher, local and yummy.

Biodiversity

Diminishing biodiversity diminishes God's glory.

Video: Going Green

A hilarious how-to with Todd & God.

Controversies

Genetic Engineering

We are partners in creation, but with limits.

What is our Responsibility to Other Creatures?

A Jewish perspective on animal suffering and conservation.

Green Jews

Jews need to put environmental issues higher on their agenda.

Composting

Turning and returning.

Creation Story

A complex relationship between human beings and the natural world.

Books

The Way into Judaism and the Environment

Edited by Jeremy Benstein

Ecology and the Jewish Spirit: Where Nature and the Sacred Meet

Edited by Ellen Bernstein

Torah of the Earth: Exploring 4,000 Years of Ecology

Edited by Arthur Waskow

Judaism and Ecology: Created World and Revealed World

Edited by Hava Tirosh-Samuelson

Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B'Shevat Anthology

Edited by Ari Elon et al.

Contents

free newsletters

[Privacy Policy]