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Happy Passover (and Easter), Each of this year's newsletters so far marks one of the traditional Jewish New Years, in a way representing different aspects of the Heschel Center's vision of sustainability: Rosh Hashanah –the anniversary of the creation of the world; Tu Bishvat – the New Year for trees and, by extension, for the natural world; and this edition, for Pesach (Passover), traditionally the national New Year for the People of Israel. It is often tempting to emphasize the implications of the Exodus in terms of universal values: freedom and liberation, a contrast between materialism and idealism, between arbitrary despotic rule and an egalitarian society guided by principles of justice. However, this year, as a new Israeli government is being formed after elections which have radically altered the local political landscape, it seems more appropriate to focus on the tradition's choice to start here the cycle of the national year. For the first time in recent history, a shift has taken place in the Israeli public discourse – these elections, and in particular the results, represent a refocusing of the balance of priorities from external security-diplomacy towards internal social-economic issues. Regardless of the merits of the elected representatives themselves, the rise of the pensioners' party, the new leadership of the Labor Party and even the strength of the Shas party are all reflections of a strong public call for policies which address social inequality and justice. Despite all the pessimism we often perceive (for example, climate change: this week Israel experienced the extremely rare event of a tornado!!!), this situation provides a unique window of opportunity for the sustainability agenda to take a foothold at the center of Israeli public affairs. On the one hand, a wide range of social issues are becoming the chief priority, while on the other hand there is a sense that a unifying vision is needed to forge them into a clear direction. The Heschel Center's vision of sustainability is perfectly placed to take a leading role at this juncture. The center's activities, as seen in the updates below, are working hard to achieve this goal and your support gives us added strength and motivation in these efforts. This newsletter includes a special feature on the five Environmental Fellows graduate projects selected for special support as part of the new Environmental Leadership Action Network (ELAN). These are good examples of how the center's training and empowerment programs are translated into initiatives which are transforming Israeli society. Passover is also called the Festival of Liberty and the Festival of Spring, and perhaps these three names together best embody our hopes for renewal at this time: the first reflecting a national historical event, the second a universal principle of justice and the third, the time of nature's regeneration. Wishing us all, then, a time of personal, national and universal liberation and regeneration, David Paran Resouce Development |
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