Blog Archives

For more from Borchard, please see his commentary from the Religious Education in the Era of Climate Change Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiglgsAcc-4 Dr. Michael Borchard, Resident Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Israel Office, opens the Faith and Ecology Conference in Jerusalem. He suggests that environmental change requires total commitment and links the teaching of ‘one who saves one life, saves the world’ to the environment.

For more Jewish leaders speaking on environmental stewardship, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhSu9il1kmo Rabbi Michael Melchior, who also acted as moderator of the panel session, said that Jerusalem is a holy city and that it is supposed to be and can be a gate to heaven. Rabbi Melchior explained that we are currently in the Sabbatical year, highlighting how the world belongs to God and we are only temporary residents. Rabbi Melchior also shared some of his experience from an interfaith conference at Windsor Castle and how that conference and this conference in Jerusalem all have the feeling of togetherness, with environmental concern uniting all faiths.

For more on Christian ecology, please see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LKxA87s1Ak. Fr Biju shared the words of Pope John Paul II, that people who believe in a creator God need to understand commitment to creation. Pope John Paul II also highlighted that the environment poses a point for interfaith dialogue, a key aspect to this conference. Fr Biju hoped that we can move theory into practical action and ended with a prayer.

For more from Bishop Shomali, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M_kTu27Qko Bishop Shomali begins by highlighting many of the concerns and issues of the environment in Jerusalem and other part of Israel and Gaza. Bishop Shomali suggests that these issues mean that we need to work together as people of faith but also need to work with politicians. After this Bishop Shomali shared biblical teachings of creation and human stewardship.

On Thursday, December 19th, the ICSD brought together women from across the Holy Land for a seminar on faith, environment, and activism. For more on women’s eco gatherings, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLJno-xqK38&t=6s Over the course of seven hours, over thirty women took a deep look at their identities and respectfully explored those of their fellow sisters. They raised the challenging questions regarding faith’s role in environmental stewardship, women’s role in society and ecology, and the most impactful ways to elevate our influence in all of these sectors. Check out our website : https://www.interfaithsustain.com

Reverend Angela Zimmann from the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem at the ICSD’s women’s seminar “Between Faith and Ecology”. For more from Zimmann, please see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jneVZoPwj-4&t=1s Check out our website : https://www.interfaithsustain.com

Rana Khalef, principal of the Afack School for the Learning Disabled, talks about how an ecologically friendly way of living starts at home and who you can immediately influence at the ICSD’s women’s seminar, “Between Faith and Ecology.” For more from the seminar, see Naomi Tsur’s commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmiTBD0rWOM Check out our website : https://www.interfaithsustain.com

Rabbi Naamah Kelman, Dean of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, discusses how Shabbat traditions relate to the environment at the ICSD’s women’s seminar “Between Faith and Ecology.” For more from Kelman, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOpYEaydX0I&t=114s Check out our website : https://www.interfaithsustain.com