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Tikkun Olam Begins at Home: Promoting Environmental Stewardship through Our Building 

05/18/2021 08:09:21 PM

May18

by Marta Karlov, Environment and Climate Change Action Team chair

There are many Jewish teachings that remind us to be good stewards of our planet. Of these, the most well-known is perhaps tikkun olam: the perfection/repair of the world is in our hands. But the Torah also prohibits wasteful consumption, the extinction of species, and causing undue pain to nonhuman creatures. And it includes numerous laws which tell us that environmental justice is a Jewish value. 

At TBE, we are restarting our efforts to engage the congregation in following our Torah teachings related to the environment. We recently formed the Environment and Climate Change Action Team. Our mission is focused both internally and externally:

To fulfill the Jewish imperative to tikkun olam by encouraging environmental stewardship within the congregation and to inspire, educate, and mobilize our congregation to protect our planet from the negative impacts of climate change and to practice environmental consciousness. 

For this story I would like to highlight accomplishments within the congregation in the past 10 years. I spoke with Dan Esser, member of the House Committee since 1999, and recent recipient of a TBE lifetime achievement award for volunteering. Dan was recruited to the committee after building our sukkah with the Men’s Club, and never left. He currently serves on eight committees—four building-related and four leadership-related, including the Executive Committee and the Making the Building Safer task force. When I remarked that he contributes so much to the congregation, he said, “I get way more than I put in.”

Dan shared some of the efforts that have contributed to making our building more efficient while optimizing limited funds:

  • In 2014-15 we did a significant remodel to the front of our building. We added the outdoor terrace and converted the curved wall to new energy-efficient doors (three sets). We replaced the six front doors with fiberglass insulated units and added significant number of plantings, which included an irrigation system. 
  • For the last three or four years, we have been converting our lights as they age out to LED products and getting energy rebates. We determined that since the bulk of our building is only used 10 hours per week, it was not practical to do preemptive replacements. However, we did convert all the hall lights that have to remain on 24/7 for safety purposes. 
  • In 2018-19, we did an architect-let capital needs assessment of our building, which outlined expenses for the next 15-20 years and highlighted ways to reduce energy costs. 
  • Our biggest investment was in 2020 HVAC replacement project, which included 9 new rooftop units, each the size of a small car. Our biggest unit is called a weather expert and we received a $1,000 rebate from Focus on Energy. We added for CO2 sensors to precisely monitor the number of people in our most populous spaces. This also qualified for an energy rebate. 

I asked Dan for suggestions for members of the congregation who want to support implementing the recommendations of the capital needs assessment, such as adding solar panels to the roof. He replied that there are plans to start a capital campaign soon and encouraged us to give generously. This investment will pay off in reducing our carbon footprint and our energy bills, both highly effective ways to fulfill our Jewish imperative of tikkun olam.

We welcome all who want to join us in supporting ongoing efforts and finding new ways to engage our community to repair the world. Our vision is to achieve greater sensitivity to the earth among members, empower all to act locally and think globally, and to impact individuals, TBE, and the communities where we live. Contact Marta Karlov at mokarlov2@gmail.com or Aleeza Hoffert at engage@tbemadison.org for more information.

April 26, 2024 18 Nisan 5784