Ellen Bernstein is the founder of the first Jewish organization dedicated to ecological issues, Shomreh Adamah, Keepers of the Earth. As someone who was repelled by and rebelled from the typical suburban synagogue experience of the 50's and who has been an avid environmentalist, Ms. Bernstein understands the need to search for, find and articulate the Jewish language of ecology for modern Jewish communities. She has done that well with this collection of readings from different authors.

She divides her book into three sections: sacred place, sacred time and sacred community. Within each section she moves from theological or text-based essays to more personal reflections and applications. Thus there's a balance between theory and practice. There are also some very lovely pieces.

The first section, entitled “Sacred Place,” deals with issue of land beginning with the biblical view. Neal Joseph Loevingers tries to correct what he sees as the unfair, biased tendency to blame Genesis as the cause of our polluted world. Bradley Shavit Artson shows the role that Eretz Israel, the land of Israel, has played as being the particular holy land, while also pointing out how all land is holy. Ellen Bernstein's personal essay on “How Wilderness Forms a Jew” is not meant metaphorically, she says, but as an experience that “promises two of lifes' primary lessons: we find out who we are and where we belong, and we learn to live in community with other people.” (p.56) Everett Gendler's article entitled “A Sentient Universe” is very exciting in light of new science but also in the light of the ancient Jewish texts such as the psalms. Perhaps my favorite reading in the whole book, the one that made me laugh, cry and Xerox it for friends, was a story by Robert Sand entitled “New York is a Girl.” Who knew that nature could be discovered by a five year old on the streets of Jersey City at 6 am in the freezing rain with a grouchy grandpa?!

The second section, entitled “Sacred Time”, shows the connections between the natural world and the Jewish view and calendar. Lawrence Troster writes about the two most important Jewish prayers, the Sh'ma and the Amidah in context of ecological concerns. A number of writers address how Shabbat, the Sabbath, is a necessary, built in “land of the soul.” And a number of the readings remind us that it is not Hannukkah that is a major holiday in the Jewish calendar but that the agricultural ones such as Sukkot and Tu'B'sh'vat offer the greater connection to our roots.

The last section, “Sacred Community,” deals with sustainability issues between the individual and the larger community. Lawrence Troster asks what do the texts say about using the land ethically for everyone. How does halachah, Jewish laws and precedents, help us to figure out environmental issues, poses Barry Freundel. Phillip Bently examines business concerns and the environment. I was also pleased to see an article by Marc Swetlitz describing the ideas of Abraham Joshua Heschel, “one of the most important Jewish thinkers and more eloquent writers of the 20th century.” (p. 244)

Ecology and the Jewish Spirit is written from inside Judaism by rabbis and environmentalists, mostly from the Reconstructionist, Reform, and Conservative movements. This gives it both its strength and weakness. It means that the authors “speak” to the audience - albeit a specific Jewish audience --in a language and manner that they can understand. But it also means that someone from “outside” the tradition might not always understand the references. For example, terms such as kosher or Zionism or Mishna are not explained because it's assumed the reader knows the reference. That is an easily remedied problem, which actually might lead to interesting discussions in a classroom. What does seem to be missing, which is a shame, is the voice of the Orthodox movement. I don't know if this is because they're not interested or they weren't included.

This collection has a lot of good material that high school students would enjoy and comprehend. It could be used in part or in whole for a course on ecology, biblical studies, world religions, or on Judaism. Some of the readings would be excellent for a literature and the land course. I also hope its being used in Hebrew schools or Jewish Day schools.

review ©2004 by Jane S. Rechtman and RSiSS
The Masters School

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