Listen to Derek read this article.

All trees speak with one another. All trees speak with other creatures. All trees were created for the delight of other creatures. (Genesis Rabbah 13:2)

Spring is a time of regeneration in nature and, for parts of the northern hemisphere, a time when familiar sounds return after a long absence: birds chirping, insects buzzing, trees speaking.  read more »

Trees speaking? I’m referring to the sound heard from the trees when the wind carries their message: the rustling of leaves. For me, this is the most soothing sound of the season. According to Genesis Rabbah 13:2, all trees speak with one another and with other creatures. If we take the time to stop and listen, what would those leaves have to say to us?

JRC Building Under Construction in Evanston, IL

God led Adam around the Garden of Eden and said, ‘Look at My works. See how beautiful they are, how excellent. See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world—for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.’ – Midrash, Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13  read more »

As a Reconstructionist Jew in 2007, I will admit that I don’t relate easily to the concept of a God that rewards and punishes—but I can embrace the idea of a creation ruled by a matrix of laws the fullness of which I can only begin to understand.

Rabbi Larry TrosterUniting Power of Environmentalism
by Rabbi Larry Troster

The Earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalms 24:1)  read more »

As a rabbi and theologian who has long been involved with religious environmentalism both in the Jewish environmental community and in the interfaith environmental community, I have met and spoken with people of all faiths, clergy and laity, scientists and scholars, who are deeply concerned about the growing environmental crisis. And so the question must be asked: Even as we live in a world where religious divisions often lead to conflict and violence, why is there this constructive and congenial dialogue between Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and other religions of all kinds on the environment?

Play the Video

Rabbi Shawn Zevit passionately promotes the idea of the importance of both Tikkun Hanefesh, healing of the soul, and Tikkun Olam, healing of the world. In this talk he launches the JRF's 2007 Omer study period. The theme is on environmental sustainability.

Rabbi Shai Gluskin was the filmaker.
Download the text of this talk.

Play the Video

Rabbi Shawn Zevit passionately promotes the idea of the importance of both Tikkun Hanefesh, healing of the soul, and Tikkun Olam, healing of the world. In this talk he launches the JRF's 2007 Omer study period. The theme is on environmental sustainability.

Rabbi Shai Gluskin was the filmaker.
Download the text of this talk.

JRF urges our member communities to help make Global Days for Darfur a huge success: April 23rd to 30th  read more »

The Sudanese government-sponsored genocide in Darfur has already claimed up to 400,000 lives, displaced 2.5 million people and left more than 3.5 million men, women and children struggling to survive amid violence and starvation. The global community must act!

Rabbi Play the video.

Shawn Zevit singing his song, "In the Valley." This song was written initially in 1991 but never recorded until now.

Videos and text handouts from the Jewish Funds for Justice K'hilot K'doshot community organizing gathering have been posted to the web. Enjoy!

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Beginning on the eve of the second day of Pesach, we are instructed by our tradition to count the days of the “Omer” until the fiftieth day, which is when the first wheat crop would be harvested.

That is also the Jewish holiday of Shavuot when, according to our tradition, the Jewish People received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. The counting of the Omer is a bridge between Pesach and Shavuot – between a moment of liberation and a moment of self-definition and direction at the beginning of our evolution as a religious civilization.  read more »

(L to R) Rabbis Shawn Zevit, Jonah Pesner, and Elliott TeppermanRabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam for JRF, Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Rabbi Elliot Tepperman, Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, myself and over 20 other leaders from 10 JRF congregations recently represented our movement in attending the second JFJ national conference on Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO) in Santa Clara, CA.  read more »

At the conference 30 people joined together for a Reconstructionist caucus to discuss next steps in bringing this powerful organizing and social justice approach to their congregational life.