Psalm 24 begins with the famous phrase, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and all that dwells within.” Like other parts of the Tanach (Bible) this psalm reminds us of the Jewish conception that we are but temporary dwellers on a planet that is part of a system of holiness. It is our privilege to enjoy the blessings of the earth, but also our responsibility to care for it, preserving its beauty. Ultimately the earth belongs not to us, but to God.

I thought of that psalm in January, as Rabbi Beth and I stood in our garage, accompanied by, of all people, Senator Patty Murray, plumbers and insulation installers, members of Sustainable Works so ably led by TBA member Steve Gelb, and leaders of Sound Alliance. Of course, we are not accustomed to entertaining the Senior Senator from our state, but she was there to inaugurate a new program which our synagogue has supported through its involvement in Sound Alliance, and our own “Green Team.” This innovative program is Sustainable Works. It uses a portion of the federal stimulus dollars to encourage neighborhoods to make their houses energy efficient by insulating walls, improving heating systems, and weather sealing, with the help of a professional team of energy consultants and green certified craftsmen. Sustainable Works organizes neighborhoods with the help of volunteer team captains (like me) who live on the block, to participate in an energy audit. They then recommend changes in the house, oversee work, harness the savings of bulk purchasing, and even provide low interest loans to be paid back with the anticipated monthly energy savings. Such action results in well paying “green” jobs for American workers, saves homeowners money by making houses energy efficient, and most importantly lessens global warming by significantly decreasing energy use. It is also a means of “paying it forward” because as homeowners repay loans, they renew the capital to be used to help other homeowners.

I am grateful to Senator Murray for her support of the program and most proud of our congregants who got involved through the social action opportunities at Beth Am. Our engagement with Sound Alliance and the creation of the Green Team at Beth Am caused many members of our synagogue to commit themselves to this project and become part of Sound Alliance’s voluntary and professional leadership. The program has also increased our involvement in the larger community and our partnership with neighboring churches and social justice organizations.

Rabbi Beth and I are happy to report that our home is both more energy efficient and more comfortable. Our home was chosen as a test house for the project, which began in Wedgwood. Now nearly 200 homes in the neighborhood are participating and the program is set to expand to Federal Way. The energy consultants found that our house had almost no insulation, an extremely inefficient water heater, and furnace. The changes they have made will limit the use of precious resources in our home. Those savings will hopefully be multiplied a thousand fold, making a real impact on our efforts to stop global warming and help return this planet and our lives to a sustainable, truly green and holy path. The earth is the Lord’s, may we be good caretakers of this amazing planet.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Jonathan Singer