opinion
The Divine Call to Act on
Climate Change
BY RABBI DEVORAH LYNN
A s is appropriate for a people consumed by
books, texts and words, the commemoration
of Tisha B’Av, the commemoration of the destruction
of both Jerusalem Temples, is introduced by a pun in
the very first word of its scriptural reading, the Book
of Lamentations.

“Eicha,” the first word, means “lamentation”:
“Woe is me,” “Oy vey iz mir” or “How did it come
to this?”
“Ayeka” makes its first appearance in the Torah
way back in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden,
where God confronts Adam with “Ayeka,” which
means “Where are you?” in a challenge to Adam
to come out of hiding after eating the forbidden
fruit. Eicha and Ayeka are the exact same conso-
nants, very different vowels and drastically differ-
ent meanings. “How did it come to this?” versus
“Where are you?”
We can now breathe with the surprise good
news of a deal, the Inflation Reduction Act of
2022, brokered between Senate Majority Leader
Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.

Va.), but we cannot rest easy. It’s a start, but not
enough for a climate emergency and begs the
two questions above. How did we get to this point
of divisiveness, a nation torn apart and unable to
address the climate crisis, and where am I as an
individual actor?
Abraham Joshua Heschel speaks clearly to us
on this topic: “Some are guilty but all are respon-
sible.” When we look at the root of “responsible,”
we see “response.” Have we been hiding like
Adam in the bushes because we are too dis-
tracted and overwhelmed by the climate reality to
respond with active citizenship?
What we thought was responsible citizenship,
like cooking with gas and recycling plastic, is yet
another marketing ploy, backed by enormous fos-
sil fuel profits to distract us from the real problem
they are creating with dirty energy and plastic,
both made from oil. The fossil fuel companies’
plan B is to push more plastic on us to offset the
decline in their energy oil earnings.

We may not be guilty, but we sure are gull-
ible. This strategy is cunning and easy to fall for.

Nevertheless, this is in no way to excuse us from
a response.

We must choose to be loud, vocal, consistent,
active citizens and hold our elected officials
accountable. Ten or 20 years ago, we didn’t have
the technological solutions to our climate prob-
lem. But now we do. Widespread use of renew-
able energy sources, electrifying transportation
and buildings, elimination of plastic and smart
changes in waste, agriculture, livestock and fish-
eries will give us a cleaner, more beautiful world
and survivable earth. And now there are a number
of citizen groups to work with in our community:
Jewish Earth Alliance, Citizens’ Climate Lobby,
Interfaith Power and Light and Dayenu.

Making the right personal choices is not enough.

Elections have consequences. We must work for
the election of courageous climate activists in
Congress and at every level of government. The
Environmental Voter Project is getting non-vot-
ing yet declared environmentalists to commit to
being regular voters. All our elected government
officials must have the will to make bold changes,
enact courageous legislation and help us to make
climate-friendly choices.

It is a healthy response to allow for some time,
certainly the 25-hour fast of Tisha B’Av, to wallow
in our grief and sorrow at how we got here. Let
us howl from the heart “Eicha” of a world gone
upside down. However, the next day we must
lift ourselves up to ask with blinders off, Ayeka?
Where are we in responsibility and response? And
what are we going to do about it? As Paul Hawken
writes in “Drawdown,” “From the earth’s point
of view, there’s no difference between a climate
denier and someone who understands the prob-
lem but actually doesn’t do anything.”
Our “how” must have a vision that ultimately
facilitates real accountability and effective action.

Remember that with the Roman destruction of
the Second Temple, a group of Jewish survivors
evacuated to the city of Yavneh and saved our
traditional values while relinquishing the sacrificial
priestly system that was no longer sustainable.

We must answer the question that God posed
to Adam, Ayeka, “Where are you?” in the same
way that our ancestors did when Jerusalem was
destroyed. They stood up, took responsibility and
created a new form of Judaism that has lasted
2,000 years. It turns out that Eicha, “Woe is me!”
and Ayeka, “Where are you?” are directly related.

Responding to the latter will lead to the solutions
we need to save this world. JE
Rabbi Devorah Lynn is the co-chair of Jewish
Earth Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based grass-
roots network of communities calling on Congress
to act on climate.

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letters Ignoring BDS Is Dangerous
For reasons known only to him, Mitchell Bard
wants to minimize the virulently anti-Jewish boy-
cott, divestment and sanctions movement — a
modern tactic employed to advance an age-old
hatred and bias — as well as the rampant attacks
against Jewish people and institutions.

To illustrate his claim, Bard (“Why Does Anyone
Care About BDS Campaigns on American College
Campuses?”, July 21) cherry-picks, listing some of
Congress’ leading anti-Israel activists and their
alma maters.

Bard neglects a host of other influentials in
government who work to eliminate or weaken
the US-Israel relationship or otherwise harm the
Jewish state, including by giving hundreds of
millions of fungible dollars to help the Palestinian
Authority and the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency — and their alma maters. Among
these are foreign-policy advisers for members of
Congress, State Department officials and bureau-
crats, and those serving in current or previous
presidential administrations. Then there is the
world of journalists, think-tank experts, lobbyists
and corporate leaders. All of these have spent
time on a campus.

No one knows the extent of or long-term impli-
cations of the worsening anti-Jewish indoctrina-
tion on America’s campuses.

All Jew-hatred — whether BDS or other guises
— must be identified and exposed and challenged
and combated no matter where it takes place,
whether on campus or elsewhere.

Steve Feldman, executive director
Greater Philadelphia ZOA
Mastriano Ads Unprotected Speech
I would add to your description of Doug Mastriano’s
political ad (“Mastriano Called Out for Link to
Extremist Social Media Site,” July 28), the fact
that though he himself did not make antisemitic
statements, he implicitly approved of and agreed
with the violent, abusive antisemitic ideas and
language. It is the prevailing standard in political cam-
paigns and ads for the candidate to write or state
their name, saying, “I have read or reviewed this
ad and approve of its content.” Failing such a dis-
claimer, Mastriano’s ads must be blocked because
they represent an unprotected form of speech, as
his language is intended to incite violence.

David Herman
Elkins Park
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 15