From a small state of farmers and nation builders to becoming a leader in technology and innovation, the State of Israel has gone through much transition in just six decades. However, this growth and success has come at a cost to the land, the water and the health of the People of Israel.

The Green Zionist Alliance, in partnership with MERCAZ USA, the Zionist arm of the American Conservative Movement, asks you to add a little about the State of Israel's environment to your Yom Ha'atzmaut celebrations.  The resources noted below will help you teach about our relationship to the State of Israel's environment today and connect congregants of all ages — through role-playing, simulations and debates — to organizations and models working to help protect Israel's environmental future.

The Green Zionist Alliance and MERCAZ USA gratefully acknowledge the work of MERCAZ Olami, the international Zionist organization of the Conservative/Masorti Movement, and Masorti Olami - World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues for their assistance gathering materials and resources on environmental conservation and activism from a Jewish perspective. The entire CD, entitled "Judaism and the Environment," can be accessed here.

Background on Israel’s Environment

• Israel's environmental challenges

• Extreme weather brewing

• Projected climate-change impacts on Israel

• Responsum regarding air pollution and the enviornment

• Zionism: A back-to-the-land ethic

• Videos about Israel's environment

Suggested Educational Activities

• The Unnatural Jew: Connecting to land in America and Israel

Looking to the Future

• Jewish, Israeli and Middle Eastern Environmental Organizations

For more resources on Israel’s environment and Jewish environmental values, check out the Masorti page on Judaism and the environment.