I had not remembered Israel being this ‘green’. Currently in Tel Aviv on a three-week trip to Israel during my winter break from Wesleyan University, I have been immediately struck by the amount of environmentalism that seems to pervade the streets of the city. And yet it is the actions that go beyond the exterior signs now considered common by American standards— such as the canvas bags that the popular grocery store, supersal sheli, offers, to the large, decorated wire cages found every few blocks for the disposal of plastic bottles— that I find of greatest significance.
Interested in environmental studies, I contacted a family friend who works at The Council for a Beautiful Israel (CBI) about coming in to learn more about the organization’s work. According to their website, CBI, based in Tel Aviv, was originally founded in 1968 to address the increasingly noticeable connection between urban/rural blight and environmental degradation. In the last two decades, CBI has been expanding its focus from aesthetic environmental concerns, such as littering and beach erosion, to creating a more conscience country through creative community initiatives; recently selected by the Ministry of Education and Culture, CBI is now responsible for creating environmental programs for the nation’s elementary schools.
Education is the main focus at CBI’s Center for Environmental Studies, inaugurated in 1992. The Center is perfectly situated along the bank of the Yarkon River and surrounded by carefully selected native trees, flowers, and shrubs that attract colorful birds and nurture natural critters. The inside of the building is equally bustling. The center includes a large library, coffee shop, classrooms, meeting rooms, an auditorium for conferences and lectures, and an exhibition pavilion housing local and international environmental-themed displays. Statues of women wearing chic dresses of recycled material currently line the entrance. According to their website, the Center’s educational programs include lessons on ecology, conservation and recycling; gardening and landscaping; design and aesthetics; basic architecture; preservation; and community beautification. As a volunteer for a number of days, I was able to meet the friendly and dedicated teachers and administrators who with purpose, and success, promote CBI’s environmental agenda.
Here in the land of milk and honey it is necessary to maintain a commitment to not merely the possession but the integrity of the land. This stress on environmental stewardship, from both a secular and religious perspective, can form the basis for further social progress if each individual human action is assessed in relation to the larger community. As Jews, and in general as citizens or supporters of any democratic state, we cannot consider land as purely ‘mine’ when from the most basic ecological perspective (and other standpoints, too) nothing can ever truly be so clear cut and divided. Social change begins with the education and awareness of the population; we must face the fact that environmental degradation recognizes no man-made borders. It is important to advance the laudable work of CBI and other environmental activists and organizations, and to motivate current and future generations towards pursuing a more just and sustainable approach to how we all occupy land.
http://www.israel-yafa.org.il/Hebrew/, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Archive/Communiques/1998/THE%20COUNCIL%20FOR%20A%20BEAUTIFUL%20ISRAEL)
