Innovation and Sustainability: Renewing Buildings Instead of Disposing!
Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores how creativity, sustainability, and urban design can transform aging buildings into vibrant community spaces. In this video, he visits an industrial area in Jerusalem to highlight an inspiring example of ecological architecture: an old concrete building that was preserved, decorated with colorful artwork, and revitalized with rooftop and balcony gardens instead of being demolished.
Pharaoh and Fossil Fuels: Climate Discussion with Yonatan Neril
In this thought-provoking discussion, Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores the connection between the biblical story of Pharaoh, the Exodus, and today’s global climate crisis. Drawing parallels between Pharaoh’s dependence on an exploitative economic system and modern society’s reliance on fossil fuels, Rabbi Neril examines the challenges of letting go of systems that provide short-term benefits but create long-term harm.
What Does God Have To Do With Donuts?
How many doughnuts should we eat during Hanukkah? In this thought-provoking video, Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores the deeper meaning behind the Jewish tradition of eating fried foods during the festival of Hanukkah and examines the relationship between religious celebrations, consumer culture, and sustainability.
Natural Disasters, Sustainability, and Religion
Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores the growing danger of floods and the importance of reconnecting with the natural world. Reflecting on devastating flash floods near the Dead Sea, as well as extreme weather events around the globe, he discusses how modern society often views humanity as separate from or above nature — and why this mindset must change.
Composting and the Creator: The Sustainable Practice of Composting
Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores the environmental impact of food waste and explains how composting can help create a more sustainable future. Using an apple core as an example, he compares different waste management options — from landfills and waste-to-energy facilities to industrial composting and local composting — highlighting the benefits of returning organic matter back to the Earth.
Sustainability and Sprawl: Buildings Arise, Trees Demise
Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores the challenge of balancing urban development with the preservation of green spaces in rapidly growing cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Reflecting on the loss of parkland to new construction, he discusses the importance of protecting trees, parks, and natural areas for the health and well-being of communities.
High Speed Trains and Green Transportation in Israel
Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores how high-speed rail can help create a more sustainable transportation future by reducing travel time, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions. Highlighting the new high-speed railway connecting Jerusalem, Tel Aviv Airport, and Tel Aviv, he explains how public transportation solutions can provide an environmentally friendly alternative to private vehicles.
Water and Sustainability: Conservation, Innovation, and Israeli Policy
Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores the environmental challenges of desalination and the importance of reducing water consumption through sustainable solutions. Filmed near one of Israel’s major desalination plants, the video examines how producing freshwater from seawater often requires large amounts of energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions when powered by fossil fuels.
Recycled Water in Israel!
Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores how Israel has become a global leader in water recycling by transforming treated wastewater into a valuable resource for agriculture. Visiting a sewage treatment facility, he explains the journey of wastewater from homes to treatment plants, where it is cleaned and reused to irrigate farms and public green spaces instead of being discarded.