Praying for the Entire World, Not Just Humans
While on a recent trip to Jerusalem, Swami Avdheshanand Giri and Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati were interviewed by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Founder and Director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. They shared ideas and Hindu wisdom about Sustainability. Swami Avdheshanand Giri, an enlightened Acharya and master of Vedanta, aims at making a spiritually awakened human being. Swamiji is the head of millions of saints. More than a hundred thousand of saints have been initiated by the Acharya. Swamiji has attracted a large number of intellectuals, teachers and social workers and has motivated them to work for the promotion of human rights, moral values, social harmony and social discipline. Over the last 19 years Swamiji has dedicated himself to the pursuit and sharing of the vast bounty of Vedanta. His take on spirituality is put across simply and clearly. His wisdom is beyond the texts and his one goal is to…
Following Gandi’s Path Towards Sustainability
While on a recent trip to Jerusalem, Swami i Avdheshanand Giri and Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati were interviewed by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Founder and Director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. They shared ideas and Hindu wisdom about Sustainability. Swami Avdheshanand Giri, an enlightened Acharya and master of Vedanta, aims at making a spiritually awakened human being. Swamiji is the head of millions of saints. More than a hundred thousand of saints have been initiated by the Acharya. Swamiji has attracted a large number of intellectuals, teachers and social workers and has motivated them to work for the promotion of human rights, moral values, social harmony and social discipline. Over the last 19 years Swamiji has dedicated himself to the pursuit and sharing of the vast bounty of Vedanta. His take on spirituality is put across simply and clearly. His wisdom is beyond the texts and his one goal is…
The Root Causes of Climate Change
During a recent trip to Jerusalem, in an interview with Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Swami i Avdheshanand Giri and Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati share their beliefs about the root causes of climate change. For more on climate change, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFYf4pwj0JU&t=18s
Rosh Hashana, Shofar and Sustainability ראש השנה, שופר ,וקיימות
שיעור על יהדות וקיימות שבועית בנחלאות. שיעור ה’: ראש השנה, שופר ,וקיימות. עם הרב יונתן נריל. יום רביעי, 28 בספטמבר.
Jewish Blessing of the Sun, Solar Energy and the Rebbe
Long before solar energy became a mainstream climate solution, one prominent Jewish leader was already calling for its adoption. In this talk, Rabbi Yonatan Neril explores the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who stressed the obligation to shift toward solar energy in the United States due to the detrimental environmental effects caused by gas and oil dependency. Drawing on the Jewish tradition of the Blessing of the Sun — a rare ritual performed once every 28 years — Rabbi Neril connects this ancient practice to a strikingly modern environmental message, highlighting the Rebbe’s insight that “the real gift of God is the possibility to harness solar energy.” This reflection reframes renewable energy not as a purely technological or political issue, but as a spiritual imperative rooted in Jewish teaching, demonstrating how religious tradition can anticipate and reinforce contemporary environmental solutions. This talk adds a compelling historical and theological dimension to…
The Importance of Faith-based Action: Faith, Paris Climate Accords, and Sustainability
For more on transnational agreements and faith, please see this video from UN COP22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kWmUylFCb0&t=27s Why did the Copenhagen Climate Conference fail to deliver meaningful results, and what can faith-based action offer that international diplomacy alone could not? In this talk, David Miron Wapner, board chair of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, examines Copenhagen’s shortcomings through a distinctive lens — framing the conference’s failure not merely as a political or diplomatic breakdown, but as a symptom of a deeper crisis of human detachment from nature. Wapner argues that closing this gap requires more than policy agreements; it demands a renewed spiritual connection to the natural world, one that faith communities are uniquely positioned to cultivate. He points to programs like Green Pilgrimage Jerusalem and the broader work of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development as evidence of the motivation, will, and determination needed to shift the status quo through…
The Jerusalem Eco Fair: Model for Interfaith Sustainability Work
What does interfaith sustainability look like when it moves beyond dialogue and into lived community experience? The Jerusalem Eco Fair, held at the First Station in Jerusalem, offers a compelling answer. This piece explores how the fair brings together people of different faiths and religions to build a new, sustainable community within the fabric of an already diverse city — demonstrating that environmental cooperation can transcend religious and cultural differences. Attendees experience sustainability firsthand through hands-on gardening workshops, organic food tasting, ecological product-making, live music, and panel discussions, creating an immersive environment where sustainable living becomes tangible rather than theoretical. The Jerusalem Eco Fair serves as a practical model for interfaith environmental collaboration, reminding participants of the collective impact possible when communities set aside their differences and unite around shared environmental values. This event highlights how grassroots, community-level engagement can complement broader interfaith sustainability initiatives.
The Titanic vs Noah’s Ark: We Are All on the Same Boat
Much like the passengers aboard the Titanic, humankind today faces a shared, urgent challenge — yet for the most part, that challenge continues to go ignored. This piece draws a pointed parallel between the Titanic’s fate and humanity’s current relationship with the climate crisis, examining two distinct forms of denial that keep us on a collision course. Some remain unwilling to accept that we face a crisis at all, dismissing warning signs much as those aboard the Titanic dismissed early signals of danger. Others acknowledge the problem intellectually but lack the motivation or resolve to actually change course, mirroring a kind of passive resignation in the face of looming disaster. This reflection uses the contrast between the Titanic’s tragic outcome and the foresight of Noah’s Ark to underscore a central message: real change begins with honest acknowledgment. We are, ultimately, all on the same boat — bound together by a…
Paul Beckwith on the Realities of Climate Change at the UNFCCC
For more on climate change, please see “The Root Causes of Climate Change” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKZ-V98PF-w Are we dangerously underestimating how quickly the climate could change? At the UNFCCC conference in Paris in December 2015, Paul Beckwith addresses this urgent concern, arguing that most people — including many policymakers — are significantly underestimating the likelihood of abrupt, non-linear shifts in the global climate system. He focuses particular attention on the Arctic region, where rapid changes are already underway and could trigger cascading effects that outpace current climate models and projections. Beckwith’s remarks challenge the assumption that climate change will unfold gradually and predictably, warning instead that sudden, dramatic shifts are a real and underappreciated risk. Delivered at one of the most significant international climate gatherings in recent history, his talk adds a sobering, science-based perspective on the urgency of the crisis. Viewers interested in exploring the underlying drivers of climate change can…