Is climate activism a Jewish issue?
How to handle climate activism and religiosity.
I am a climate activist trying to galvanise support for sustainable living from the Orthodox Jewish community. Are there any issues I should avoid when approaching religious Jews on this topic?
The Torah observant community should be your easiest customers. Our tradition is clear about the responsibility we have to care for our world.
Every child attending a religious Jewish school knows that the Torah forbids us to waste any useful resources.
The kabbalists taught that every leaf on every tree has a soul, and must be treated with respect.
And our sages record God’s words to the first man, Adam: “Look at the beautiful world I have created. I have created it all for you. Take care not to corrupt and spoil My world.”
Nevertheless, some overzealous climate activists do hold positions that clash with Jewish values. If you espouse these extreme positions, you have little chance of success.
Here are some examples:
“The end of the world is near.” Jews are not big fans of apocalyptic prophecies and doomsday predictions. Other religious groups may be getting ready for Armageddon, but we have always believed in a happy, bright and peaceful future. We can still be inspired to live responsibly without being scared into thinking that the world is about to end.
“This is THE issue of our time.” The Torah does not allow us the luxury of being single-issue activists. Caring for our world includes not only preserving the physical environment, but it also includes tending to the spiritual, emotional and moral environment around us. While we all have our passions and topics of particular interest, we cannot focus on material survival and ignore other threats to humanity. We have to be holistic in our activism.
“Overpopulation is a ticking time bomb.” People may cause problems. But people also find solutions. Those climate activists who portray humans as the enemy, lose the support of we who believe that every person is an irreplaceable gift. Every soul that is born is precious. An ideology that wishes to limit human reproduction is anathema to everything Jewish. We can’t save the world for our children by not having them.
So if you want Torah-observant Jews to be on side, you need to present a non-alarmist, balanced and pro-human platform for sustainable living. And one more thing. Don’t push the vegan thing. You will get a very parev response!
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