Filed Under Eco-Friendly B'nai Mitzvahs |
By Rochelle Eisenberg
With clarity, Ellen Spokes recalls the day that she selected her son’s bar mitzvah theme. She had just received an invitation to an out-of-town bat mitzvah.
“It had layer after layer after layer of paper — inserts, bows, vellum,” she said. “It was gorgeous, but when I threw it out, I felt, like, ‘What a waste.’”
That invitation — factored in with her own environmental proclivities and her son Josh’s interest in the environment (he is in the environmental science program at Sudbrook Magnet Middle) — led Ms. Spokes on a mission to make his bar mitzvah Jan. 19 at Beth Am Synagogue as “green” as possible.
“I started Googling invitations, and one thing led to another,” she said.
After reading an article at jewishjournal.com focusing on environmentally-friendly simchahs, Ms. Spokes, who lives in Sudbrook Park, contacted one of the sources mentioned, the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.
COEJL is a collaboration of Jewish institutions, with the mission to use education, outreach, advocacy and scholarship to make environmental issues a part of American Jewish life. One of the coalition’s projects was a booklet titled Caring For The Cycle of Life: Creating Environmentally Sound Life-Cycle Celebrations, which served as a guide for the Spokes family’s celebration.
The eco-friendly theme was evident from the moment the invitations for Josh’s bar mitzvah arrived. Printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink, Ms. Spokes opted to have wildflower seeds embedded in the paper so her guests could plant a little “green” at home.
Working with Josh, Ms. Spokes discovered a number of other green products to incorporate into the simcha. They ordered kippot made from recycled cardboard, printed the program on recycled paper and purchased compostable paper products for the kiddush luncheon.
“The plates were made of sugarcane and corn syrup,” said Josh, with Ms. Spokes adding that compostable paper products biodegrade much quicker than traditional paper products.
In the evening, at a modest affair at the Suburban Country Club, the Spokes rented bushes and trees and used plants as centerpieces. “Most of the stuff would be re-used, like the trees that were borrowed,” said Josh.
In addition, the Spokes family encouraged guests to take home the plants from the centerpieces, essentially making their own residences greener.
Ms. Spokes said she would like to see other families utilize “green” practices. “One person said to me, ‘Not every kid is going to want to do this,’” she recalled. “My response is that you don’t have to do it all. If every person does just one thing, it would make a difference.”
As for Josh, the bar mitzvah has helped him craft this year’s science fair project. He is taking a variety of plates and determining how fast they biodegrade in different acidities.
Checklist for an Eco-Friendly B’nai Mitzvah
• Print materials on recycled paper with the highest possible post-consumer content.
• Plant trees to offset paper use.
• Use plants rather than cut flowers.
• Don’t use one-time items, such as balloons and banners.
• Make the simchah a time of giving to ecological and social justice causes.
• Compost food wastes.
Source: “Caring for the Cycle of Life,” published by COEJL
Environmental Sources for Green Simchas
The following are several eco-friendly sites to get you started in planning a green simcha.
• Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) publishes Caring for the Cycle of Life: Creating Environmentally Sound Life-Cycle Celebrations. $4.50. For information on the organization or to order the booklet, go to coejl.org .
• Twisted Limb Paperworks uses 100 percent recycled paper, carbon dioxide used in the company is offset by renewable energy investments, portion of profits go towards conservation efforts. Web site: twistedlimbpaper.com
• World Centric sells bio-compostables tableware and bioplastics made of sugar cane fibers and corn and potato starch. Web site: Worldcentric.org .
• Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center For information on “Sustainable Simchas” call 410-429-4400, ext. 237 or log onto farm@pearlstone.org
Dick Goldman, general manager of Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center, noted that the concept of preserving the environment comes from the Jewish value of ba’al taschit, do not destroy. He said he would like to see more Baltimore families incorporating the use of environmentally-friendly practices at their simchahs.
According to Mr. Goldman, replacing items with environmentally-friendly alternatives is negligible, and may even, at times, be cheaper.
To help the community look at their simchahs in a more environmentally-sound manner, the Kayam Farm at Pearlstone is planning a series of four hands-on workshops –– “Sustainable Simchahs” — in the upcoming year. These workshops will focus on b’nai mitzvah, weddings, the Passover seder and Oneg Shabbat celebrations.
This article originally appeared in the Baltimore Jewish Times (www.jewishtimes.com).
Comments
I just wanted to let your readers know about a new site for planning green bar and bat mitzvahs - http://www.greenbarmitzvahs.com (by the author of The Green Wedding Guide). It is important to make this right of passage meaningful and sustainable. I hope this helps!