Green is Adopted as Color of Worship

Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale will be the first Conservative synagogue to participate in the GreenFaith Certification Program.

Greenfaith is an interfaith coalition set up to create environmentally- aware, sustainable houses of worship, according to CSAIR. It is based in New Jersey.

Rabbi Barry Dov Katz said he looks forward to integrating environmental themes into services, education programs, facility maintenance, and outreach efforts, according to a press release.

A “Green Team” is being chaired by CSAIR member Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield.

“This is an opportunity not only to improve the efficiency of out building and sustainablity of our operations,” she said in a statement, “but also to explore what our faith teaches us about our role as stewards of the earth and to strive to live out these values in the context of our community.”

According to the organization’s Web site, GreenFaith’s two-year program is based on the following values: That caring for the earth is a religious value; that environmental stewardship is a moral responsibility; that people grow spiritually through their relationship with the earth; that everyone has the right to live in a clean, safe environment; and that people of faith have a vital role in restoring healthy ecosystems around the world.