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Articles by Yonatan Neril
Celebrate the Birthday of the World by committing to climate action
We celebrate Rosh Hashanah as the Birthday of the World, making it a powerful time for every one of us to commit to repairing and renewing our relationship with the Earth. Traditionally, the shofar is sounded every day during the month of Elul leading up to Rosh Hashanah to help us wake up and seriously consider what needs to be repaired.
The Environment
Are there any issues I should be careful to avoid when approaching religious Jews on the topic of sustainability? The commandment of Bal Tashchit—do not destroy or waste—has long been considered central to a Jewish environmental ethic. What is the basis for the commandment? Ecology is a highly practical branch of science: nothing could be more “down to earth” than preservation of the planet. Yet there is a facet of ecological awareness that is often overlooked: the spiritual dimension.
At COP28, spirituality and faith showed they could be a beacon of hope Original
By Rev Jerry Pillay, Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Kushwant Singh, Rt Rev Marc Andrus We may come from different traditions, yet what unites us is our shared gift of life on Earth, our only home which has been lent to us as guests, four religious leaders write. As the world grapples with scorching heatwaves, devastating wildfires and the unmistakable signs of an accelerating climate crisis, the urgency for transformative action has never been more apparent.
Message from the Titan: The Titanic Mindset Could Sink Humanity
Diving to explore the ruins of the historic, gigantic ocean liner the Titanic; the small, modern Titan submersible imploded under tremendous water pressure. Now the Titan, like the Titanic lies lifeless on the bottom of the sea. Ironically, “Titan” means “a person or thing of very great strength, intellect, or importance.” In Greek mythology, Titans were giants who ruled the Earth, until they were overthrown.
Message from the Titan: The Titanic Mindset Could Sink Humanity - Yonatan Neril
Diving to explore the ruins of the historic, gigantic ocean liner the Titanic; the small, modern Titan submersible imploded under tremendous water pressure. Now the Titan, like the Titanic lies lifeless on the bottom of the sea. Ironically, “Titan” means “a person or thing of very great strength, intellect, or importance.” In Greek mythology, Titans were giants who ruled the Earth, until they were overthrown.
To Tackle the Climate Crisis, Philanthropy Needs to Get Religion
Billions of philanthropic dollars have funneled into climate and environmental groups in recent years, helping these movements increase the scope of their work and more forcefully address the climate crisis. Recent reports, however, show that almost none of that funding has gone to a field that is fast becoming one of the world’s most important environmental stewards — religious organizations. This makes little sense.
Interfaith Action for Climate
In accordance with this belief, the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and Partners will be hosting a Sinai Climate Campaign, including a “Returning to Mount Sinai: Prophetic Call for Climate Justice” Between November 6th and 18th, 2022, the UN climate conference COP 27 will take place on the Sinai Peninsula, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Israel’s Pollution-free Yom Kippur Can Be A World Model
One day a year, the air pollution in the land of Israel drops dramatically. On most days, Israel suffers from 50 percent higher particulate air pollution than Western European countries. Beyond Jerusalem, a thick layer of smog often hangs over the coastal plain from Ashkelon to Netanya, blemishing the beauty of the land. In Israel, as in every country, many policies and practices need to be changed and developed to support sustainability in how we produce, use, and relate to energy.
Israel’s pollution-free Yom Kippur can be a world model
One day a year, the air pollution in the land of Israel drops dramatically. On most days, Israel suffers from 50 percent higher particulate air pollution than Western European countries. Beyond Jerusalem, a thick layer of smog often hangs over the coastal plain from Ashkelon to Netanya, blemishing the beauty of the land. In Israel, as in every country, many policies and practices need to be changed and developed to support sustainability in how we produce, use, and relate to energy.
Russian religious nationalism is fueling the Ukraine war
Apr 5, 2022, 7:05 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post.
Russia’s war in Ukraine reveals a crisis in religion
Mar 27, 2022, 5:28 AM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. Russia’s war in Ukraine has exposed the deep connection between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian political and military leadership.
Russia’s war and Ukraine’s nuclear reactors
Nuclear reactors. The Chernobyl Zone. Ammonia tanks. Missiles. These are some of the toxic ingredients in the escalating conflict that Russia is bringing to Ukraine. Russia is not just playing with fire. Its military is now shooting ballistic and cruise missiles in a country with nuclear reactors, pipelines of ammonia, and swaths of radioactive land. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is likely the first war in history where the theater of war is interspersed with nuclear reactors.
Jerusalem, Glasgow, and Climate Leadership
Nov 2, 2021, 9:15 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. While proudly watching my son run a 5K as part of the recent Jerusalem Marathon, I realized that the arc of human history is a marathon.
OPINION: It's time for all shuls to engage in an eco audit
World leaders will soon convene in Glasgow for the 26th UN climate conference, with the goal to rein in rising carbon emissions and chart a sustainable path for humanity. It is more urgent than ever because after each previous conference, greenhouse gas emissions rose rather than fell, and human consumption expanded rather than shrunk. Will this conference finally serve as a turning point for humanity?
Mobilizing Faith Communities on Climate Change
Oct 28, 2021, 8:14 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post.
Is this our last chance? Climate and the Jews
About the course A Jewish approach to COP26, the vital UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow this November. Sir David Attenborough has spoken out about this crisis. Experts agree that the world needs urgent climate action to limit carbon emissions and keep temperatures to below 1.5*C. Can COP26 chart a sustainable path for humanity?
Be Fruitful and Multiply and Fill the Earth: Until When?
Jan 25, 2021, 5:12 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post.
When we became the weather
I am fortunate to have survived several flash floods. I ran for my life up a hill in northern India when floodwaters swept through. I watched the village where I had just been getting washed away. And last year in New Jersey, I was on the main boulevard that suddenly became a river. While public and media attention on Israeli and U.S. elections has eclipsed climate reporting, many parts of Israel have flooded repeatedly this winter and last winter, killing over 20 people.
What Does God Have To Do With Solar Energy?
I pray in a synagogue in Jerusalem with solar panels on the roof. While people have prayed in buildings — and times in history — both light and dark, renewable energy can enable the flow of spiritual energy. Harnessing the sun’s light for energy today can advance our collective enlightenment. The sun’s rays are emissaries illuminating and supporting all life on the earth. Solar energy is the “polar” opposite of energy from fossil fuels.
Why I Like To Compost, and Why Noah Did Too
Jan 4, 2021, 6:05 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. I have to admit– I like to compost. I’ve been doing so since my mom taught me about it as a kid.
What Does God Have to do with Disposables?
A few months ago, I went swimming in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea on the coast of Israel. As I swam, I kept getting pieces of plastic in my hands and on my face. This was the first time in my life that I had seen so much plastic in the water. And little did I realize that I was swimming in a sea of microplastic.
The Vaccine and Fighting the Pandemic's Roots
Dec 23, 2020, 10:34 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. The new COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out offer us the promise of returning to normal, getting back to work and school and the lives we had before.
“God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts”
Dec 6, 2020, 2:23 AM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post.
Coronavirus, Megacities and the Bible
Apr 17, 2020, 2:19 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. The coronavirus thrives in megacities. The coronavirus has spread the most in megacities of 20 million people — Wuhan, New York City, and Tehran.
Coronavirus and What We Eat
Apr 1, 2020, 1:24 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. Is there something about the way humanity is living that is bringing this pandemic upon us?
Confronting coronavirus, curbing climate change
Featured Post How much can the world do when we take a threat seriously! If China and S. Korea can arrest the spread of COVID-19, curbing climate change is surely possible Mar 27, 2020, 3:37 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse.
Theologians Tackle Climate Change Crisis
BY Rabbi Yonatan Neril | Dec 11, 2019 | Analysis This Thanksgiving, a “bomb cyclone” menaced northern California. In the Los Angeles area, the Getty fire temporarily closed the American Jewish University (AJU) main Familian campus; the Easy fire burned just five miles from AJU’s Brandeis-Bardin campus. Amid these fires, evacuations and power blackouts, religious leaders met to encourage current and emerging clergy to address climate change from the pulpit.
Thou Shall Not Ignite Wildfires on Lag Baomer
May 27, 2019, 1:22 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. Bonfires become wildfires and scorch forests and towns.
Would Rabbi Shimon Light a Lag Baomer Bonfire?
May 22, 2019, 7:30 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post.
Exploring Space, Sustaining Earth
Apr 15, 2019, 7:01 PM Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. Please contact us in case of abuse. In case of abuse, Report this post. The Israeli space lander Beresheet crashed last week, dashing the $100 million hopes for a moon landing.
Go vegan, rabbis say - click here to see our latest campaign - Jewish Vegetarian Society
75 rabbis from across the religious spectrum have signed a landmark statement, calling on Jews to align sacred teachings with their eating habits, and go vegan. In the accompanying campaign video Rabbi David Rosen, former Chief Rabbi of Ireland hails ‘veganism as the new kashrut, kashrut for the 21st century.
Blessed rain washes away 6 days of dust
My 7-year old son said to me today, “When it rains, it makes the streets slippery and hard to walk.” I said to him, “But we need the rain in order to drink.” He replied, “But the water comes out of the faucet.” An added benefit to the much-needed rain that Israel received yesterday and today was in washing away the Beijing-level air pollution and dust that has plagued this land for the past week.
Can We Look a Chicken in the Eye?
As a child, I ate at New York delis, and enjoyed it. Like many people, I came to see a six-inch tall corn beef sandwich as the quintessential Jewish food. Eating that sandwich felt Jewish. Indeed, most Jews eat meat. Some eat copious amounts of it. Yet, while I continue to like the smell of meat on the grill or a pot of beef cholent, I have come to reconsider the meat on my fork, based on a gap that I sense between Jewish ethics and meat production.
When will Israel lead on climate change?
On Israel’s 69th birthday, many celebrate Israel’s successes in technology, agriculture, and economic growth. But when will Israel be a world leader for and shining exemplar for environmental sustainability, and in particular on climate change? On Friday, hundreds of people joined the People’s Climate March Israel in Tel Aviv. The height of the march was outside of US Embassy next to the Mediterranean.
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