Dayenu Circle Progress Update

Judaism values environmental sustainability as a core of tzedek, and our Dayenu Circle is doing amazing work in addressing it. There are many opportunities to get involved, learn how to lower your own carbon footprint, and apply our informal motto — to always consider how we can be “MORE SUSTAINABLE!” Dayenu, a national non-profit organization that focuses on “a Jewish Call to Climate Action,” has partnered with Beth Am to create an active Dayenu Circle with multiple initiatives. Our former “Green Team” rolled into this effort, and we have been working diligently to help Beth Am become “MORE SUSTAINABLE.” Join us in learning about how both big and small steps can add up to large impacts. Read on to learn about our recent activities and how you can get involved.

 
Beth Am’s Dayenu Circle has been very active over recent years. Our Green Team assisted in moving Beth Am’s funds to more sustainable investments and financial institutions. We teach our teens about sustainability in our Youth Education Program and lead congregational workshops, including speakers advising on how we can be “MORE SUSTAINABLE!” through a Jewish Lens. With the support of Clergy and staff, we have participated in civic actions, worked on legislative initiatives, educated neighbors through canvassing, led sessions at High Holy Days, helped draft model legislation, and hosted a very successful community wide Sustainability Fair at Beth Am last Fall. We are proud of the work we have done and wanted to share a few highlights and provide the opportunity to get involved. 
 
Most recently, the 8th graders in our Youth Ed Wednesday program completed a four-session unit on Sustainability and Water. They learned about the complexity of this aspect of our climate crisis and how important water is both in our history and liturgy, and for our future. The teens created Action Plans to be “MORE SUSTAINABLE!” and wrote an amazing poem (pdf) at their last session, that was read at Earth Day Shabbat. You can watch our kids celebrating Earth Day, singing the Tree Song and reading the poem at our April 19 Erev Shabbat service (starting about 53 minutes into the video)!

 
Last year, when we needed to upgrade the heating system in our Sanctuary and Social Hall, our Dayenu Team worked with staff and researched “MORE SUSTAINABLE!” alternatives that would be cost effective and help us to transition away from fossil fuels. With input and advice from our local utility, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Beth Am installed energy efficient heat pumps and won a local Clean Energy Award in the process! Our new system uses electricity instead of natural gas and is much more sustainable. We also get the benefit of air conditioning for these spaces. The Dayenu Team documented a case study which is featured in a short video, and we received a $10,000 Showcase award and certificate at the Los Altos City Council and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors meetings. Every step towards sustainability counts!

Beth Am’s Dayenu Group further was instrumental in hosting and leading the Jewish Community Sustainability Fair last October. This event, co-sponsored by other local synagogues and organizations, focused on educating our broad community on sustainability practices. It was a huge success and attracted over 300 participants and 35 exhibitors. We hope to repeat this event and help everyone be “MORE SUSTAINABLE!” sometime in the spring 2025. The event included a raffle of sustainable items, exhibits about transportation, sustainable gardening, plastics reduction and swapping out appliances, and participants could check out some Electric Vehicles and get information on rebates and options. Food sustainability featured our own New York Times best-selling cookbook author, Erin Gleeson of The Forest Feast, demonstrating sustainable vegan cooking on an induction cooktop. Check out the event program (pdf) that includes the vendors who participated.
 
For years, the Beth Am Green Team was working towards solar energy, but the cost was prohibitive. When Congress approved the Infrastructure Reduction Act (IRA), nonprofits gained access to a 30% tax credit for installing a solar energy system. The Dayenu Team then spent months doing research, connecting with potential vendors and PG&E, engaging in financial modeling and economic analysis, in order to secure an IRA rebate. Following collaboration with Staff and the Board plus generous congregant seed funding, solar energy is coming to Beth Am! Board approval for our solar energy project was granted in October of 2023. The system will be installed at the bottom of the main parking lot, parallel to Arastradero, and will use a carport structure. It will start generating electricity in about a year and will provide 90% of Beth Am's electricity needs. It should generate electricity for the next 30-40 years, furthering our goal to be “MORE SUSTAINABLE!”
 
Get Involved
We can all play a part in saving our planet. What is your climate footprint? Are you interested in learning more or getting involved? For information about our initiatives and ways to plug in, visit our Beth Am Dayenu website or contact us via email at dayenu@betham.org. Earth Day and Earth Month may be over, but we still have work to do — please join us!​​​​​​