On December 2nd, fires raged across Israel’s Carmel mountain region. Already called the worst fire in the history of the State by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At this time, at least 41 lives have been lost; tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes, and upwards of 10,000 acres of land destroyed with over 4 million burned trees. The fire has not yet been contained.

The WZO family sends its thoughts and prayers to all the citizens of Israel, and our deepest condolences to those who have lost love ones during this terrible tragedy.

The international community has mobilized to send equipment and rescue teams to help Israel fight this disaster of unprecedented proportions. Now is the time for us – lovers of Israel – to stand together as one and show our strong support to our brothers and sisters and to the land that we love so much – Eretz Yisrael.

You can act now in two ways to make a difference:

1. Visit us on Facebook and express your solidarity with the people of Israel and those impacted by the Carmel Fire. Send your personal message of support to be viewed by the people of Israel.

2. Please help by donating now. All funds collected will be disbursed directly to the families impacted by the fire.

My donation to Carmel Fire Relief:

Keynoting the event will be Naomi Tsur, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem. Naomi heads the city’s environment, urban-planning and historic-conservation committees.  This is only her second year in office, but Naomi already has made significant contributions to Jerusalem’s environment by developing a circuit of city bike paths, limiting private-car use in the Old City and initiating a dialogue with Palestinians about how best to handle waste.

Celebrate Shabbat Noach with stories, lectures and discussions in a welcoming, pluralistic setting. Explore the Jewish back-to-the-land movement and what Zionism means today. Learn about energy conservation, population growth, suburban sprawl, Negev preservation, and environmentalism during a time of war. Meet other young Jewish environmentalists from across North America.

The Green Israel Summit is a program of the Green Zionist Alliance. It is co-sponsored by the American Zionist Movement  COEJL and Hazon.

Register today!



The Green Dream: Herzl, Zionism and Israel’s Environment

Dr. Alon Tal, a leading Israeli environmentalist, gave a provocative and, at times, disturbing presentation before the American Zionist Movement on June 28^th.

Dr. Tal focused on a few of the many critical challenges facing Israel and her environment.  Stark facts indicate multiple errors made in the past, which led Israel to the position she is in now.  These errors include the decision by early Zionists to drain the Hula, the failure to sufficiently protect Israel’s rivers and streams from pollutants, and the first plan following the War of Independence which led to a horizontal approach to Israel’s urban and rural development.  Presented in their historical context, it is clear that, though some of these decisions were appropriate for Israel’s early years and political needs, there is a demand for significant change in light of population growth, climate change and other current environmental trends.

The lecture was fact-filled and engrossing. For those who missed Dr. Tal in person, you can view selected elements of his presentation below and on AZM’s YouTube channel.  See  photos from the event by viewing the picture gallery below.

The program was sponsored by the American Zionist Movement and the Green Zionist Alliance, with the co-sponsorship of COEJL and the Jewish National Fund.

To see more of Alon’s presentation before AZM please visit the AZM YouTube Channel.  Subjects addressed by Alon include water, land use and open spaces, and demography.

Funding for the event was provided in part by the Dorothy and Harold Greenwald Foundation.

From a small state of farmers and nation builders to becoming a leader in technology and innovation, the State of Israel has gone through much transition in just six decades.  However, this growth and success has come at a cost to the land, the water and the health of the People of Israel.
The Green Zionist Alliance, in partnership with MERCAZ USA, the Zionist arm of the American Conservative Movement, asks you to add a little about the State of Israel’s environment to your Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations.  The resources noted below will help you teach about our relationship to the State of Israel’s environment today and connect congregants of all ages — through role-playing, simulations and debates — to organizations and models working to help protect Israel’s environmental future.

The Green Zionist Alliance and MERCAZ USA gratefully acknowledge the work of MERCAZ Olami, the international Zionist organization of the Conservative/Masorti Movement, and Masorti Olami – World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues for their assistance gathering materials and resources on environmental conservation and activism from a Jewish perspective. The entire CD entitled “Judaism and the Environment” can be accessed at http://more.masortiworld.org/environment/welcome.html.

Excerpt from www.greenzionism.org