One day I was on Capitol Hill with a group of Jewish Earth Alliance volunteers to meet with a staff member of a prominent U.S. representative, as we do twice a year on Tu Bishvat and Tisha B’Av. The staffer was interested in our presentation about climate legislation, but to our surprise, he was much more interested in hearing about Tu Bishvat [literally “the 15th of the month of Shevat]. Fascinated by the idea that there is a Jewish holiday celebrating connection to Earth, he asked us to follow up with him about planning a Tu Bishvat Seder for Members of Congress the following year.
Speaking the Language of Faith
Connecting advocacy to faith is powerful. Politicians hear all the time about the need to address climate change from environmental organizations. They are surprised when they hear from people whose primary identification is with their faith. They are surprised to hear us say that we view climate change first and foremost as a moral challenge. By speaking the language of faith, we get their attention.
By speaking the language of faith, we get the attention of politicians.
The opportunity to pique the interest of politicians is one good reason to lobby for climate action as a Jew, but there are others, too. I’m often asked to explain this to Jews who can’t see why environmental problems have anything to do with Judaism. These Jews ask me, “Why not join the Sierra Club or some other secular organization?” Other Jews are fearful of antisemitism. Their question is, “Why bring attention to Jews when the issue is one that is shared by everyone?”
For me, the first reason is that climate activism is an expression of my Judaism. As my colleague Miriam Massen once put it, in today’s world, to live a meaningful Jewish life must include engaging with the climate crisis. To me, one of the purposes of religion is to honor the dignity of every person and enable each to find fulfillment. That requires more than freedom, justice and peace. It also requires a safe and sustainable environment that meets everyone’s basic needs for air, water, food and safety.
Jewish Earth Alliance ‘Tu Bishvat’ Virtual Lobby Day for Climate Solutions
Feb. 3, 2026Connecting Jewish tradition with concerns about climate change has also deepened my understanding of both. As I have learned more about ecology, I have grown to ask many more questions about the ethical implications of the systems within which I live. Jewish teachings have helped me pose better questions and explore possible answers. I hope this is also the experience of the other 400 citizen advocates who participate in each Jewish Earth Alliance advocacy day.
The second reason to connect climate advocacy and Jewishness is that it motivates me toward action. Jewish teachings, rituals and stories structure my life and remind me to live consciously and purposefully. In particular, I find inspiration in the Jewish calendar. Every holiday has its ecological message and provides an opportunity to revisit important questions and deepen my understanding.
The Power of Communal Action
The third reason is that communities are powerful forces for change. Social scientists have observed that efforts to move individuals to action are accomplished most effectively in and by communities. This is our Jewish super-power! Our communities are bound together by sacred values and personal relationships. We have ready-to-go structures for working together and an inspiring history of achievements from the ancient exodus from Egypt to the movement to free Soviet Jewry. In our history is a treasure trove of practical strategies for community organizing, techniques for overcoming obstacles and motivation to persist.
One of the purposes of religion is to honor the dignity of every person and enable each to find fulfillment. That requires a safe and sustainable environment that meets everyone’s basic needs for air, water, food and safety.
Tu Bishvat, which has become the Jewish Earth Day, gives concrete form to the wisdom of the ages and provides an annual reminder to focus on our relationship with nature and the interconnected web of life. Like every Jewish holiday, it contains layers of meaning; each layer enriches my observance of the holiday and motivates my activism. The origin of Tu Bishvat as a day to calculate tithes for the Temple in Jerusalem reminds me that we are all connected to the land and depend on the gifts of nature for our lives. The Kabbalistic teachings incorporated in the Tu Bishvat Seder highlight the interplay between the physical world and our spiritual world, and the obligation of human beings to effect tikkun, “repair,” of what is broken. The Zionist reinvention of Tu Bishvat as a day to stimulate connection to the Land of Israel through concrete action is a successful example of renewing tradition in the face of contemporary challenges.
Long ago, when Tu Bishvat came to be a special day, it was just one of many days that were notable for their connection to the agricultural cycle. Farmers needed to carry out specific activities related to fruit trees, just as they did for barley, wheat, olives and grapes. The three pilgrimage festivals, which were the most important holidays in ancient times, celebrate the barley harvest (Pesakh), wheat harvest (Shavu’ot) and processing of the harvest in preparation for the winter (Sukkot).
Jewish history contains a treasure trove of practical strategies for community organizing, techniques for overcoming obstacles and motivation to persist.
Advocating as Jews
In contrast, if we were creating a Jewish calendar today, Tu Bishvat might be the most important holiday of all. That’s why the Jewish Earth Alliance advocacy day is scheduled for Tu Bishvat. With the benefit of science, we now know that the trees we celebrate on this day produce oxygen, regulate the planet’s temperature by storing carbon dioxide and play a major role in the water cycle. Everyone depends on trees, but as with most environmental challenges, the destruction of trees is harming poor and vulnerable people most of all. For example, the lack of trees in low-income neighborhoods contributes to higher temperatures and thus to increased illness and deaths.
I think that congressional staffer was intrigued by our holiday of Tu Bishvat because he sensed that his colleagues would more likely be moved by celebrating the Jewish Earth Day than by receiving another briefing paper. On this Tu Bishvat, I’ll be advocating for climate action, and I hope you’ll join me
