Climate Action Is In Our Wheelhouse

So, before reading this issue of Advocacy Matters, did you know that Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) has a Climate Steering Committee? You do now!

It was over a year ago that Sara Charney, then-president of WRJ, invited me to serve on the inaugural Climate Steering Committee. My initial response was that I needed time to think about it. I was, frankly, surprised to be asked. Not that I wasn’t concerned about climate change – I certainly was, and just reading headlines about climate issues could leave one drained. There were so many issues out there and climate change was one often squeezed out by other social justice concerns that seemed more in my wheelhouse. When I was asked to write this article, I found the email I sent to Sara accepting the invitation. It included the following:

“I have struggled with climate change, not because I in any way doubt the importance of protecting the only home we have, but because there are so many pressing issues, and others have spoken to me more, particularly from a gendered perspective.”

Does that resonate with you at all? My suspicion is that many who read WRJ’s Advocacy Matters are like me: knowing enough about climate change to be worried and overwhelmed by it, so it is squeezed out by other issues that seem more in your wheelhouse. One could argue that this had been WRJ’s approach as well, given all of the important issues to which WRJ devotes its resources. There is an awareness of the importance of doing something, but other important social justice or advocacy campaigns have squeezed this huge, overwhelming one out from the forefront. Time is, after all, limited.

This, however, is why I am honored to be part of this team and pleased to invite you to share in our work and our vision.

Time IS limited, and the situation only improves with action and advocacy. As a lawyer, it has been particularly painful of late to see initiatives in the US that were working to address climate-related issues be reversed or put on hold. We need to work now, through large steps and small, to put future generations in a better position. Advocating to address climate change connects well with WRJ’s core values:

• A Women’s Lens. Climate change is not gender neutral — this was a wakeup call for me. In North America and worldwide, inequities in the legal status, cultural norms, and the workplace mean women and their families suffer more from the impact of climate change, while at the same time quieting women’s voices in advocacy and policymaking that could address the problem. Advancing gender equality in climate action will help break down barriers across all sectors. Bringing a gendered perspective is our first step in rectifying the issue.
• A Jewish Lens. As Jews, we are charged with both being guardians of creation (shomrei adamah) and pursuing justice. On the wall of my office as I write this is a piece of art that says: “Justice, Justice, you shall pursue (tzedek tzedek tirdof).” Safeguarding the earth by addressing climate issues helps not only ourselves and our families but those lacking the resources themselves. We work toward crafting a better future and what is just for the vulnerable, even though the work is daunting and we cannot complete it on our own.  

In other words, climate change advocacy is both a Jewish and a women’s issue. It is a pressing need in our time, and we cannot afford for it to be lost in the clutter. We need advocacy that marries halachic values to legislative drafting, rulemaking and personal action. WRJ is uniquely positioned to provide that fusion of moral voice and advocacy know-how, and I am grateful to WRJ’s leadership that determined now is the time for us act. Through spirituality, social justice, and sisterhood, we can come together to support one another and start making a difference.  

Sometimes one just needs to be asked to join the team to get the work moving. As Sara’s email last year got me past my personal paralysis on this issue, the Climate Steering Committee now invites you to be part of the team. This is our time to work together in support of our shared Jewish values to learn together and work toward justice and healing our world.

Please join us as we guide WRJ’s important work on climate. As an introduction, we are having a virtual event on June 5 at 8 pm ET that is aimed at starting this phase of WRJ’s climate work. Bring your passion for justice, your curiosity, and your questions. We hope to inspire you to join us in your own way and to be part of this work, whether advocating for legal safeguards or taking part in local initiatives benefiting our climate. While we do not have all the answers, we know working together puts us on the right path.