Green Tikkun at Beth El

Beth El reduces, reuses & recycles

• Making distinctions is an integral part of Judaism. We distinguish the sacred from the profane. We separate Shabbat from the work week, and dairy from meat. Therefore, separating the reusable from our waste stream is Jewish! It’s a mitzvah to not waste.
• Please put glass, cans, aluminum foil items, and plastics in comingled RECYCLING BINS.
• Put all types of paper and cardboard in PAPER BINS.
• Beth El discourages disposable water bottles. Please refill reusable containers or use a plain paper cup.

Did You Know?

• In order to support renewable energy, Beth El purchases Green-e® Energy-certified renewable energy credits to match 100% of its usage. This means that every time that someone turns on a light in the synagogue, Beth El financially supports a wind farm. We also subscribe to a local solar farm in Maryland.
• In 2016, Beth El was the first congregation to be certified a “green business” by Montgomery County.
• In 2021, Beth El was the first place of worship to be listed on the Maryland Green Registry.

Five ways you can “green” your home

1. Switch to renewable energy—wind, solar, or geothermal. Or sign up with a community solar project, such as through Arcadia using this link.
2. Compost your food waste, or consider a compost pickup service.
3. Bring your unwanted electronics for electronics recycling at Beth El on Mitzvah Day, held the last Sunday of each October.
4. Get a programmable thermostat. Change the current settings to at least 1 degree warmer in summer and 1 degree cooler in winter. Look into Pepco’s EnergyWise program here.

Past events hosted or co-hosted by Green Tikkun Committee

• Scholar-in-residence Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin spoke on “enoughness” in Judaism in 2009
• Speaker Alon Tal and students from The Arava Institute on environmental issues in Israel in 2009
• Scholar-in-residence Nigel Savage of Hazon spoke on eco-kashrut in 2011
• Speaker Keith Harrington of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) in 2011
• Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian directors of Eco-Peace (formerly Friends of the Earth Middle East) spoke about rehabilitating the Jordan River, and other cross-border environmental projects, in 2012 and 2013
• Speaker Devora Kimelman-Block of Kol Foods on raising the bar for kashrut and her sustainable, kosher meat business in 2014
• Movie screenings “Last Call at the Oasis” in 2012 and “Bag It!” in 2014
• Panel discussion on Rosh Chodesh and Managing the Cycle of Stuff in Our Lives in 2014
• Electronics recycling collection on Mitzvah Day, held each October since 2011
• Annual Back-to-Shul trash-free BBQ, held each fall since 2014