Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Jewish Environmentalism

Concerns about climate change have brought awareness to religious teachings about protecting the environment. In St. Louis, local Jewish leaders are starting to educate Jews about their obligation to the environment. Next Generation Radio's Nathan Friend reports.

FAIRGROUND PARK IN NORTH SAINT LOUIS IS NOT A LUSH GREEN SPACE. IT'S A FLAT, OPEN AREA WITH JUST A FEW TREES DEFIANTLY DISPLAYING THEIR FALL COLORS. AT THE ENTRANCE, A SMALL PATCH OF YOUNG TREES BRACE THEMSELVES FOR THE WINTER. THEY WERE PLANTED A YEAR AGO BY LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS. THE PLANTING WAS ORGANIZED BY LEADERS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.

My name is Randy Fleisher, I'm a human being, I'm an earthling, I also am a rabbi, I'm the assistant rabbi?

FLEISHER SAYS JEWS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PRESERVE THE EARTH. THAT RESPONSIBILITY, HE SAYS COMES FROM JEWISH TEACHINGS AND TRADITIONS.

Here we are in this park and I look and I see three trees each of them really different from one another and I say mah rabu ma'asecha, creation truly is awesome and these are the kind of places that truly remind us of that.

THAT REMINDER, FOR RABBIS LIKE FLEISHER, HAPPENS DURING THE JEWISH MONTH OF CHESHVAN, WHEN ALL CONGREGATIONS ARE READING THE STORY OF NOAH AND THE FLOOD. THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY WAS AN INFLUENCE FOR PROJECT NOAH. RABBIS AROUND THE SAINT LOUIS AREA ARE ASKING THEIR CONGREGATIONS TO SEE THE LINK BETWEEN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH IN NOAH'S STORY, AND HOW POORLY PEOPLE TODAY ARE TREATING THE EARTH.

We need to protect and save all of the natural places that are being threatened not only through development but also because of all of the environmental crises that are reigning down upon you know all of our, not only our green lands but our cities as well.

TREE PLANTING IS JUST ONE PART OF PROJECT NOAH. FLEISHER AND OTHER RABBIS ARE ALSO LEADING THE DISCUSSION ON ENERGY CONSERVATION, RECYCLING, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.

AND THE CONVERSATIONS ARE NOT JUST LIMITED TO THE SYNAGOGUE.

ABOUT A DOZEN HIGH SCHOOLERS GATHER AT A COFFEE SHOP IN SUBURBAN ST. LOUIS. THEY'RE READING EXCERPTS FROM THE JEWISH HOLY BOOK, THE TORAH THAT CITE HUMANS' OBLIGATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT. RABBI ARI VERNON LEADS THE DISCUSSION.

(Vernon) Tell me how do you think this is connected to our environmental issues and our human relationship with the world we live in. Dakon. (Dakon) Well he says he's going to destroy flesh, he doesn't say he's going to destroy the plants or anything so it's kind of like ?

RABBI VERNON WORKS WITH LOCAL TEENS THROUGH THE SAINT LOUIS JEWISH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL. HE'S HOLDS THE VIEW THAT JEWS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO TAKE CARE OF THE EARTH. BUT NOT ALL JEWISH TRADITIONS ARE AS ABSOLUTE. ORTHODOX BELIEVERS ARE SYMPATHETIC TO THE ENVIRONMENTALIST CAUSE?BUT THEY BELEIVE NATURAL RESOURCES WERE CREATED FOR HUMAN USE.

REFORM LEADERS LIKE RABBI FLEISHER SAY THERE WON'T BE RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE TO HARNESS IF THEY DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE EARTH.

People use the word mother earth and they say oh that's a pagan term but it's really Jewish also, because adamah the word is the mother of adam, the earthling, earth gave birth to earthlings. So part of reconnecting adam and adamah is to actually get your hands dirty and your feet dirty and and plant some trees that will help take care of the earth

BACK IN FAIRGROUND PARK, FLEISHER PAUSES TO CONSIDER HIS OWN CONNECTION TO THE EARTH. HE SAYS GROWING UP HE WAS DRAWN TO ENVIRONMENTALISM FIRST AND A RELIGIOUS LIFE LATER ON. BUT HE SAYS THAT JUDAISM HAS DEEPENED HIS COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT. AND HE SINGS A SONG WRITTEN BY A FRIEND THAT CONVEYS HIS BELIEF.

Heya heya heya hey. Adamah, which means earth, v'shamayim, and the heavens, hom ha'aysh, sliu hamayim ani magisot v'ruchi v'nafshi v'nismati?

RABBI FLEISHER AND OTHERS HOPE TO PLANT SIXTY-TWO THOUSAND TREES IN ST. LOUIS. THAT'S ONE TREE FOR EVERY JEW IN THE AREA. AND IT DEMONSTRATES JUDAISM'S STRONG ROOTS IN THE EARTH.

FOR NEXT GENERATION RADIO, I'M NATHAN FRIEND IN SAINT LOUIS.