Father Alexei Smith, Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Father Alexei Smith opens the Los Angeles Faith & Ecology Network meeting in February with a prayer, setting a reflective and contemplative tone for the gathering. The meeting brings together faith leaders and community members to engage with issues at the intersection of spirituality and ecology, fostering dialogue on environmental responsibility and care for creation.
Jacob and Eco Bible
This Torah teaching explores the story of Jacob returning across the Jabbok stream to retrieve a few small vessels, a moment the rabbis interpret as deeply connected to spiritual purpose and stewardship. Drawing on Jewish commentary and Hasidic teachings, the speaker reflects on why seemingly ordinary material possessions can carry profound spiritual significance. The discussion examines themes of bal tashchit (“do not destroy”), humility, and humanity’s responsibility toward the physical world. Rather than viewing creation as something to dominate or waste, the teaching presents caring for material things as part of living a conscious and righteous life in service of God. Jacob’s struggle with the angel is reimagined as a symbol of spiritual alignment, where his commitment to honoring creation gives him the strength to overcome fear and conflict. The talk ultimately frames Jacob as an “eco-warrior,” demonstrating how faith, responsibility, and ecological consciousness are deeply interconnected in Jewish thought.
An Inside Look at the Dairy Industry
Rabbi Yonatan Neril takes his family to go look at a Dairy Farm. He discusses what they witnessed and learned during their time, going specifically into the industrial production of milk. Rabbi Neril shares observations from a visit to an industrial dairy farm, raising ethical and spiritual questions about modern milk production, animal welfare, and humanity’s relationship with creation. The discussion highlights the conditions in which cows are kept, the scale of industrial farming, and the separation of calves from their mothers shortly after birth. Drawing on biblical teachings and Jewish ethical perspectives, the Rabbi Neril explores the idea that “kosher” means more than ritual fitness—it also relates to compassion, appropriateness, and humane treatment. Referencing contemporary rabbinic opinions, the video questions whether certain forms of industrial dairy production align with spiritual values and respect for living creatures. The reflection calls for greater spiritual awareness in how people consume animal products…
Creation Care 2: Living in Balance with Nature
Creation Care is a weekly interfaith ecology discussion. These discussions are designed for people of diverse faith backgrounds to learn together about ecology and religion. Creation Care happens every Wednesday at 7-7:30 PM in Israel 12-12:30 PM EST 9-9:30 AM PST Sign up to add your voice to the next discussion here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1TmNwrrAnzL1jpkRH9oQwcksGLa_9USKxjXBtgq7nIIs/ Creation Care is a project of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD). The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) reveals the connection between religion and ecology and mobilizes faith communities to act. ICSD works on a global basis, with current engagement in Africa, the Middle East, North America, and Europe. Questions? Email Aryeh@interfaithsustain.com
Creation Care 4: God is in the Details
War. Climate Change. Species loss. The problems can be overwhelming, but today we’ll be discussing how we nevertheless can and must make a difference. Creation Care #4: God is in the Details: What We Can Do to Make a Difference.
Creation Care 5: Sacrifice and Sustainability
Sacrifice and Sustainability: Animals, Trees and the Climate. Our discussion is based on pages 26-33 in Eco Bible Volume 2. Sign up here to join our next discussion: https://forms.gle/pmUG2EimfPo36adQA
Creation Care 6: Protecting our Holy Air
Our discussion is based on the essay “Holy Air Quality” in Eco Bible Volume 2 on page 35. Sign up here to join the discussion next week: https://forms.gle/pmUG2EimfPo36adQA
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa Speaking at Interfaith Gathering for Peace in Ukraine
His Beatitude Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa is speaking at the Interfaith Gathering for Peace in Ukraine on March 21st 2022. This event was co-organized by The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and the Elijah Interfaith Institute. In this address, religious leaders gather to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine amid the suffering caused by war. Emphasizing peace, prayer, and human connection, the speakers call for unity and compassion rather than division and conflict. The message highlights the role of religious communities in building relationships instead of destroying them and urges faith leaders—especially in Jerusalem, Ukraine, and Russia—to work toward peaceful solutions and reconciliation. Framed as a call for moral responsibility and interfaith solidarity, the discussion stresses the importance of dialogue and prayer in response to violence and injustice.
Unleashing the power of religion for ecological change
Rabbi Yonatan Neril shares about religion and ecology at a side event of the UN Stockholm +50 Sustainable Development Conference in June 2022. This side event was co-organized by: Swedish Pentecostal International Relief and Development Agency, LM International, SMC-faith in Development, Faith for Earth Initiative within UNEP. This talk explores the idea that the ecological crisis is fundamentally a spiritual crisis, not only an environmental one. The speaker argues that issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and plastic pollution are symptoms of deeper human problems including greed, apathy, arrogance, and short-term thinking. The discussion emphasizes the unique role faith communities can play in reframing humanity’s relationship with the Earth. Beyond technological solutions like renewable energy and electric vehicles, the speaker calls for a transformation in human values toward humility, compassion, long-term responsibility, and care for both people and other living beings. The video also examines the challenges…