Jewtopia

Amazon Book Description:
From Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson, the creators and stars of the national smash hit play, Jewtopia, comes the most hilarious, over-the-top guide to Judaism unlike anything you've ever seen. So comprehensive that owning a copy ensures that Elijah himself will show up at your Passover Seder!

This book is funny in a low-brow "dirty birdy" way. The pee jokes will appeal to any 13 year old while simultaneously conveying information about Jewish culture and history. A few sample pages from Amazon:

Bar Mitzvah Disco

Okay, so this book is technically not green but it is fun and funny and has terrific pictures and reflections from dozens of 1970s and 1980s bar and bat mitzvahs. It highlights some of the changes and developments in the mitzvah "trends" (e.g. the poster that every guest signs, the candle lighting ceremony, etc.) and helps put the whole thing in perspective. If there were ever a book that made an "over-the-top" affair look a bit silly this is it, so perhaps it is green after all. Plus - the introduction was written by the Village People.

Images from Amazon Search Inside This Book

Hello Cupcake

My brother called me today raving about a new booked called "Hello Cupcake." It offers clever, fun and EASY cupcake designs - perfect for any DIY bar or bat mitzvah. No special tools required. As one reviewer wrote, "Wow, wow, and WOW! This veritable encyclopedia of "mini-cake" decorating is so fun and easy that there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to lament "they can't". With the use of food items found anywhere, you will be making the cutest, and most impressive cupcake creations you can possibly think of, and Karen and Alan will make you legendary to boot! "

I downloaded these adorable and illustrative images from Amazon.

If you are interested in reading more about why cupcakes are green click here.

How to Be a Budget Organic

My mother - an avid reader of Prevention Magazine - sent me this article today on how to make thrifty organic food choices. It is a quick informative read on how to prioritize on a tight budget. Click here to read the article online.

Bar Mitzvah Project - Not a "Idle" Effort

Photo Credit: PScleanair.org

For his Bar Mitzvah project Brendan T. Eprile sent the following letter to families in his community to help raise awareness about the impact of cars on global warming.

Dear Friends,

For my Bar Mitzvah project, I am exploring ways to help make Bennington more energy-efficient. One issue I have learned about is idling. It’s tempting to leave the car running to keep the heat on when it’s cold, or keep the air conditioning when it’s hot. But idling has a serious impact on the environment and is a contributor to global warning.

This is some of what I learned from the website www.idlefreevt.org:

• When the car is idling, a significant amount of exhaust fumes penetrate the ozone

• If everybody in Vermont reduced idling by five minutes a day, we could save 65/000 tons of CO2 emissions a year

• The amount of fuel Vermont wastes on idling is more than double that of most states

• Fuel emissions from idling affect health, especially with children. Exhaust fumes emit chemicals such as Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxide, and others. It could cause or aggravate asthma, allergies, headaches, and mental problem.

• Idling is bad for your car engine.

• Idling causes noise pollution too.

• Vermont towns, including Brattleboro, Burlington, and Middlebury, are leading the way in establishing idle-free zones.

But hope is not lost. Each one of you can make a very large difference without many repercussions on your part. Follow the “10-Second Rule”: Idling your car for ten seconds wastes more energy than turning your car engine off then on. If all of us do not idle, we could make a serious difference in the environment. Remember, everything you do has an impact on the environment. And by taking little steps to help global warming, we can make big change.

Thank you. I encourage you to consider having your school or workplace be an idle free zone.

Sincerely,
Brendan T. Eprile

His letter was also published in the local paper - the Bennington Banner. What a great way to get the word out about the effect of idling on Global Warming.