Kosher Wars

Kate Epstein sent me a link to a big article in the Times last week about eco-kashrut. Click here to read more.

JNF B’nai Mitzvah Kit

My aunt Mindy just had her bat mitzvah on top of Masadah and said it was incredible to celebrate this special occasion in the holy land. The Jewish National Fund now offers a free b'nai mitzvah information kit which include "information on using JNF Tree/Water Certificates as Invitations, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Projects, Permanent Recognition in Israel, B’nai Mitzvah tours to Israel, and much more."

The JNF does a lot of great work in Israel and has planted 240 million trees since 1901! If you want to offset the carbon from your bar or bat mitzvah consider doing it by planting trees with the JNF. You can also support the JNF by purchasing holiday cards, mezuzahs, and other merchandise in their store.

Flowers for the Table

I rarely rave about flower books but I am so impressed with this one I felt compelled to include it in the reading room. If you are thinking of doing your own flowers or are looking for seasonal inspiration pick up a copy of Flowers for the Table: Arrangements and Bouquets for All Seasons.

Ariella Chezar is a master arranger, and incorporats fruit, vines and many unexpected items into her magnificent floral arrangements.

Here are a few pictures from her book courtesy of Amazon:

To buy her book click the link below:

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.

Greening Their Synagogue

Rabbi Joshua Boettiger sent me an e-mail with a nice article on the energy audit Vermont Interfaith Power and Light did for their synagogue. It has lots of good tips and provides an example of how our communities can work together to decrease our impact on the earth. Click here to read the article.

The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life

Every wonder what the connections are between Judaism and the Environment? Well the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life has an extensive reading room with articles on the topic that is definitely worth exploring (especially if you are looking for passages to enrich your bar or bat mitzvah speech). They also offer many other wonderful resources - from tips on how to green your synagogue to how you can raise money for your community while helping to fight global warming.

Volunteer Vacations

Here is a cool idea for a tikkun olam project- make a family vacation of it! For some examples check otut "Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others."

That Buzz in Your Ear May Be Green Noise

Yesterday Gail wrote in asking me about how to ensure you find eco-friendly products. Today I read an article from last week's New York Times describing the feeling of "burnout" people seeking environmentally friendly choices sometimes feel.

Click here to read "That Buzz in Your Ear May Be Green Noise"

This article offers some good resources to help you prioritize. I also recommend the book Hey Mr. Green - which tackles many of little questions about which choices are best for daily living.

More Hip Than Hippie

Hey - Green Mitzvot was featured today on the radio show "More Hip Than Hippie - Going on Staycation" - very exciting!

If you want to help get the word out about this site click here to download our PDF.

50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth

This is a new twist on an old favorite. This time...

"The authors have teamed up with 50 of America's top environmental groups, including The Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation, and Rainforest Action Network. Each group has chosen one issue and provided a simple, step-by-step program that will empower you and your family to become citizen activists in the fight to save the Earth.

It's easy to get started. Just pick one!
Fight global warming "one city at a time" with the Sierra Club's Cool Cities Campaign
Roll up your sleeves and save an endangered species with the Wilderness Society
Protect coral reefs and create a marine reserve with Seacology
Get your congregation excited about protecting God's creations with Interfaith Power and Light
Invite songbirds into your neighborhood with the National Audubon Society"

This book is a great one to have around the house!

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Mark Bittman writes "The Minimalist" column for The New York Times. My father swears by his recipes -which are reliably easy and delicious. If you plan to cook for your child's car or bat mitzvah or just want easy recipes to give your caterer consider picking these up.

To Buy or Not to Buy Organic by Cindy Burke

This book as gotten excellent reviews. It was written by journalist and former chef Cindy Burke. She distills some of the politics of the organic food movement and reviews key terms like organic, local, sustainable and grass-fed. She also tells you what to buy and what not to buy. Good for those of us who want answers.

Kosher Certification

Interested in learning more about different Kosher certifiers and hechshers? Check out the following links:

650+ hechsher images and information = Hechshers.info
Kosher Information Bureau = Kosherquest.org
OU Kosher = Oukosher.org
Kof-K certification = Kof-k.org
Star-K = Star-k.org

Kosher Cooking

If you are thinking about cooking some of the food for your child's bar or bat mitzvah yourself, or just want ideas to give your caterer, consider picking up one of the following contemporary kosher cookbooks.

1. Kosher By Design Entertains: Fabulous Recipes For Parties And Every Day
"Building on her popular Kosher by Design, Fishbein leads readers through an array of extremely doable kosher options, covering finger foods to main dishes to desserts, while giving suggestions for organizing a menu, decorating a table and serving foods. International offerings like Pesce Arrabbiatta, Moroccan Short Ribs, and Caribbean Jerk Chicken appear alongside variations on familiar classics, such as Mexican Gefilte Fish, Strawberry Apple Kugel, and Mexican Brisket. The author is hip to trendy food items such as edamame, olive tapenade, fennel and porcini mushrooms, reinforcing this cookbook's value: yes, every dish is kosher, but far from old-fashioned. "



2. Quick & Kosher - Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing
"This is the hilarious story of Jamie Geller, a spunky young TV exec who came into marriage and kosher cooking without knowing a spatula from a saucepan. Determined to master cooking, yet pressed for time, she was dismayed to find that most cookbooks consider an hour of preparation time quick, and presumed more culinary skill than many of us have. So Jamie set out to compile her own special collection of quick and easy recipes and Quick & Kosher is the result of her quest. This one-of-a-kind cookbook contains more than 160 recipes requiring no more than 15 minutes to prepare, 120 full-color photos, clear step-by-step instructions, reliable prep and cooking times, tips and techniques, and advice on pairing wines with various dishes. Recipes range from traditional to exotic, and are well indexed and cross-referenced."


3. Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today's Kosher Cooks
"This book is a great find - from fun recipes filled with loads of learning made easy. I look forward to flipping through the pages and finding a new recipe to try - they've all been hits with our friends so far. Easy to follow - definitely well tested - and they all paste the taste test of top notch food! Thank you, Ms. Ronnie Fein, for bringing this book to us!" - AS.R. Crow