The United Synagogue

Environmental Initiative


"Look at My work, how beautiful and perfect is everything that I created. I created it for you. Be careful not to ruin and destroy My world. If you ruin it, there is nobody to restore it after you"

Ecclesiastes Rabba 7:28

This was told by God to Adam, having been placed in the Garden of Eden, and the message is equally relevant today. It is our responsibility to be careful not to destroy our world through our actions.

"If you need to besiege a city... you shall not destroy (lo tashchit) it's trees by swinging an axe against them..." (Deuteronomy 20:19)

The Torah prohibition is very specific - we must not destroy fruit bearing trees with an axe in war. In Rabbinic times, the prohibition was greatly expanded. Based on the phrase 'lo tashchit' (you shall not destroy), came the laws of 'bal tashchit', an entire category of destructive and wasteful actions which were prohibited by the sages.

Maimonides said "...Whoever cuts down a fruit-bearing tree in a destructive manner is accountable...The Torah forbade wilful destruction. This is the case not only with trees; whoever breaks utensils, tears clothes, demolishes a building, stops up a spring or wilfully destroys food violates the prohibition of 'you shall not destroy.'" (Rambam, Mishnah Torah, Hilchot Melachim 6:10)

At a time when environmental awareness and energy efficiency is high on the agenda for homes, businesses, schools and organisations across the UK, we feel it is vital that the United Synagogue considers its own impact on the environment and makes improvements where possible. We have begun to assess the impact that our buildings and operations have on the environment as part of our wider US Chesed environmental initiative.

The first step in lowering your carbon footprint is to recycle as much waste as possible, giving many environmental benefits. The United Synagogue Head Office has been recycling for nearly 4 years and carefully monitors the type and amount of materials being recycled. We are now helping our synagogues to set up their own recycling schemes, initially for office waste and waste from Kiddushim, and offer to match fund the synagogue's first year of recycling with our contractors.

We are committed to helping our synagogues manage their environmental impact through recycling and to help them communicate this to their communities. We have many synagogues quickly coming on board with the initiative. For more information about setting up a recycling scheme at your synagogue, please contact Candice on 020 8343 5688.

this week
shabbat times

Feb. 10th - 11th
18th Shevat
Begins: 16:51
Ends: 17:56
Sedra: Yitro

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