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Eight Reform synagogues across the state have joined a two-year-long pilot program to "green" their congregations.

"It is a challenging, ambitious program," Rev. Fletcher Harper, director of GreenFaith, an organization that promotes environmental action in faith communities, said on a conference call with reporters June 3. "Congregations going through this program make significant changes in the way they conduct their education, in the way they shape the identity of their members, the way they consume resources, and their advocacy in the public sphere."

The program is a collaborative effort of the Union for Reform Judaism, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, GreenFaith, and the eight synagogues, including Temple Shalom in Aberdeen; Temple Emanu-El in Edison; Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes; Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan; Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick; Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange; Temple Shalom in Succasunna; and Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafly.

Each participating synagogue went through an application process to qualify for the program. The application process involved forming a "Green Team," passing a governing board resolution committing to adhere to the program's guidelines, and having the ordained leader sign a "covenant" with the URJ.

The certification process centers on three core areas: spirit, stewardship, and justice.

With regard to "spirit," the synagogues are expected to conduct environmentally focused worship and educational programs. "Stewardship" refers to the improvement of the synagogues' facilities including the greening of food, transportation, grounds, energy, and waste disposal. Lastly, synagogues are to advocate for environmental justice in their communities by partnering with other local organizations.

While there are set standards that each synagogue must follow, the program provides flexibility for the eight synagogues depending on their respective traditions, sizes, and locations.

Each synagogue will be asked to provide documentation of steps taken along the way to GreenFaith and the URJ in order both to ensure that progress is being made as well as for the national organizations to offer the appropriate assistance if needed.

"We know that so much of the work needed to protect our environment requires large-scale governmental action, but not all of it," said Mark Pelavin, director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism. "We need to be effective advocates as we have been, as we will be, but we also need to walk the environmental walk, because unless and until we do so, real change is simply not possible."

"GreenFaith is simply the gold standard of sustainability in religious communities," he added.

Rabbi Rebecca Epstein of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple described her synagogue's decision to participate in the pilot program as a simple one.

"Our tradition teaches that God created the earth, and that we are to be its stewards. This imperative is crucial in today's world, in which environmental destruction is rampant," Epstein wrote to The Jewish State in an email. "When we learned about the opportunity with Greenfaith, we jumped on it, because we recognized that we need to take significant action. We hope that by partnering with a successful organization, we will make the largest impact possible."

In addition to making tangible, positive changes to the synagogue, Epstein added that she also sees this program as an opportunity to bring about tikkun olam.

"Through the process, we hope that our community will come to understand itself as intimately connected to the earth, and to understand this connection as an aspect of sacred Jewish living," she wrote.

Paul Nadler, the "captain" of the Green Team at Temple Emanu-El in Edison and a Metuchen resident, described the projects as "ambitious but doable."

"We, on the Social Action Committee, have been looking for a new project and have been looking for something new and bigger that would be able to draw in other parts of the congregation," Nadler told The Jewish State.

While details of how Temple Emanu-El will meet GreenFaith's requirements have yet to be determined, the Green Team is set to meet next week for a "brainstorming" session about how to move forward.

Nadler cited the program's ability to draw people together as one of its greatest strengths.

"I think what we're hoping to do is create an environment where there is more contact of committees within the congregation," he said, noting for example that through the program the Ritual and Social Action committees must work together to establish environmentally-themed worship experiences. "It can act as a very nice bridge and draw more people into being active."

For Rabbi Jordan Millstein of Temple Sinai of Bergen County, steps to protect the environment must take into account the local community.

"The degradation of our environment is a national challenge, a global challenge, but also a communal, personal, and spiritual one as well," he noted.

Though Millstein acknowledged that the idea of "greening" synagogues is not a new one, he contends that this program is different than others because of the intensive certification process.

"My belief that this program will help create the structure, the energy, and give us the guidance as a synagogue that we need to help develop and to make the change that we know we can make," he said.