In the Face of Global Eco-Threats, JNF and Others Lead the Way

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

June 9, 2010

It should be clear to anyone who pays attention to the news that the world is currently facing a serious crisis when it comes to the state of our natural environment. A dependence on fossil fuels, a myopic view of land use and conservation, and a willingness to place profits ahead of long-term sustainability have left us with a planet that is in serious peril. While the United States drags its feet on alternative energy technology and seems relatively laid-back when it comes to finding alternatives to mining coal (which has had a tremendously negative impact on the American landscape) or offshore drilling for oil (we all know how that has turned out lately) there is an impressive array of groups and individuals working to become global leaders in environmental protection in the Middle East from whom the rest of the world could learn a thing or two. And not only are they helping to solve key environmental problems, but they are often doing so across political, ethnic and religious lines.

One group which is helping to lead these efforts is the Jewish National Fund, a Zionist organization that has been at the forefront of environmental innovation and protection in Israel for decades. I recently sat down with Sara Hefez of the Boston JNF office, and she told me that two of the most important efforts now underway at JNF were engaging the next generation of environmental-oriented American Zionists and implementing water conservation projects in Israel. The work of JNF in helping to restore forests in Northern Israel after the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and their on-going efforts to promote water conservation are just two examples of concrete ways that the group is making a difference on the ground in the Middle East.

In Israel, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel is working hard to not only protect and preserve the incredibly diverse range of natural habitat that exists in this tiny country, but to change the mindset of Israeli society when it comes to the relationship between people and nature. When I was living in Jerusalem last year I had a chance to see firsthand how the work of dedicated professionals, such as Alen Kacal and Amir Balaban and a group of amazing volunteers at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, impacted the lives of visitors of all ages, nationalities and religions through in-depth educational programming about the wildlife of Israel and the Middle East.

I think it is important that we help to spread the word about the work of these organizations in both the United States and Israel, not only because it shows that there is much more depth to Israel and Israelis than the cartoonish image we often get in the western media, but because the work they are doing has the potential to have a real and lasting impact on how we understand our relationship to the world, creation, and each other.