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Hazon recently awarded a mini grant to Beth Ami– Colorado Congregation for Humanistic Judaism after we completed a congregation food audit. Becky O’Brien, Hazon’s Director of Community Engagement in Boulder, met with me to discuss Beth Ami’s strengths and weaknesses. Our Jewish Cultural School was already composting and using local and organic products during our community lunches. Hazon’s mini grant will help us expand our efforts to include Shabbat onegs and our May retreat at YMCA of the Rockies.
Now that Sukkot is here, we are celebrating by creating a Colorado lulav and etrog. What three species are in our Colorado lulav? We will use tall grasses to resemble palm, our own Colorado willow trees, and Aspen branches to resemble myrtle. Our etrog will be Colorado apples and pears from the Western slope.
Our theme for Sukkot is peace with the earth – shalom adamah. Many of us are aware of our demand for natural gas. Many of us are also concerned that drilling is very close to schools and homes. We are asking the question, “Is fracking peace with the earth?” Frank Landis who has worked in the power industry since 1988 will be our speaker to answer this question.
Our sukkah is open to the greater community. Please join us this Sunday, October 7th 10:00am at our Jewish Cultural School and Adult Education home, Countryside Rec, 10470 Oak, Westminster. Countryside Rec is only a few miles away from Flatirons Crossing. For more information please email bethamicolorado@gmail.com.
I'm so sorry that I didn't see the email til now (3pm Sunday). Love your lulav and etrog idea. What did Frank Landis have to say? Will there be a summary available?
I work with a grassroots citizens group, What the Frack?! Arapahoe.
Beth Ami held a thought-provoking Sukkot celebration with a contemporary, local and sustainable message:
while we honor Jewish holidays of the past, we live in a different, certainly less pastoral, world today. We welcomed 4 contemporary Jewish environmentalists into our sukkah, in the form of students reading short
autobiographies. Frank helped the adult ed session understand the variety of energy sources available today, their pros and cons regarding extraction, sustainability and cost, and details behind the process known as fracking. I was impressed by his broad knowledge and have committed to learn more about this local issue.