CLIMATE JUSTICE INITIATIVE

Starting at the end of 2022, we began to dive deeply into one of the most pressing issues of the day, climate change. This summer, we were reminded of the change happening to our climate and the environmental impacts for all of us, especially the most vulnerable in our community. Many of us have been impacted by the heat, increasing utility costs and insurance premiums, rising sea levels, burning of forests, and the death of sea life.

We are working with Adamah and the Jewish Climate Leadership Initiative, a network of Jewish community organizations that recognize the existential threat and moral urgency of climate change and commit to action. Temple Beth Sholom has committed to making and implementing a climate action plan for our campus where we will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, intending to become “carbon neutral” in the next few years. Our Sustainability Taskforce, led by Steven Chaneles, Nancy Salzverg, and Doris Galindo intends to evaluate the campus and draft our climate action plan.

Our school continues actively engaging the students in learning about climate change, our community’s impact, and solutions they can implement. Our teens will engage with the Jewish Youth Climate Change Movement through Adamah. We have started a composting program in our school through Compost for Life to reduce waste and are looking to bring composting to most of the campus. Compost for Life also offers at-home composting at a discount for all Temple Beth Sholom members.

Members can go to the Compost For Life Website and use the promo code “BETHSHOLOMFRIENDS” for a 15% discount.

In addition to working with our TBS community, we will focus on climate change work in South Florida. We will partner with the Surfrider Foundation, Miami Waterkeepers, and others. Climate change is an issue that affects all of us, and we are at a critical tipping point. We welcome participation by all in our TBS community.