Please review some of our recent activities and accomplishments:

•    The Green Sanctuaries Program is working to improve the environmental profiles of religious institutions and their members.  For instance, institutions can increase their use of renewable energy to protect the environment and improve their bottom line. A reduction in energy use and costs of 25% at 2,000 religious institutions will save a total of $3,257,328 and reduce CO2 emissions by 32,573 tons, the equivalent of planting 9,121 acres of trees. Through the creation of Green Teams, we have helped our member organizations employ green practices in their respective institutions, homes, and businesses.

•    We are working toward implementation of our Green Bulk Purchasing Program to help our member institutions purchase environmentally friendly products and services at reduced cost.

•    Our success with our California/Israel Eco-Technology Program has secured over $3 billion in hard contracts and helped create hundreds of jobs in the Israeli Technology Sector and allowed us to open an office in Israel to support environmental technology companies as they do business in California, such as Solel Inc., one of the premier solar thermal companies in the world that has a contract with PG&E for 553 MW in California.       

•    With California Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield, we are sponsoring a California solar stimulus package. AB 1028 will suspend sales tax on solar energy sales in the state of California for one year after purchase. AB 1029 will suspend the manufacturing tax on solar energy. AB 1027 will allow for schools and other non-profit organizations to receive additional rebate monies to install solar installations on their facilities.

•    Last year, our work with the Los Angeles Business Council led to the development of green building codes and incentives for sustainable construction in the city of Los Angeles.

•    Furthermore, with Assemblymember Blumenfield, we are sponsoring a California Israel Environmental Technology Memorandum of Understanding Bill (AB 1032) that directs the state trade agency to adopt a MOU with the state of Israel that will support and expand the collaboration of environmental technology to the mutual benefit of both California and Israel.

•    We facilitate social action programs, such as Tu B’Shvat activities and major tree plantings in conjunction with organizations such as Northeast Trees. We are proud to lead hundreds in Havdalah Hikes, cleaning the beach with Heal the Bay, and removing poisonous, non-native plants with the Friends of Ballona Wetlands.

•    Along with Verdexchange, we hosted a one day conference on how our state can reduce global warming and dramatically expand the green and cleantech economies. Green power players from all over the nation gathered in Los Angeles to listen to and participate in expert panels, do business and share information.

•    With Assemblymember Lori Saldaña, we are sponsoring a “Leash Your Lid” bill (AB 925) that would require all single-use plastic beverage containers to have an affixed cap in order to prevent litter and increase recycling of bottle caps.


Now, more than ever, the definition of morality is vulnerable to misinterpretation and misuse. You can fulfill your moral and ethical obligation to environmental stewardship by supporting our efforts and participating in our actions to encourage the Jewish and Interfaith community to care for creation as commanded.