Purpose
New Stoke Newington Shul (NSNS) is a growing Jewish community in the Hackney area under the umbrella of the Masorti movement. We put an emphasis not only on memory and Jewish tradition, but on building in new and innovative ways. We pride ourselves on being committed to the best of modernity. This is why NSNS is committed to promoting a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community, and to the reduction of our organisation’s impact on the environment. We want our community to contribute to preserving and maintaining a sustainable world, yishuv ha’olam; to not destroy or waste, bal tashchit; and to repair the world, tikkun olam. Extreme weather events are set to become more extreme and frequent as the climate crisis continues – climate scientists have made it clear that we need to act now to prevent further devastation and leave our planet to future generations in a state of health.
We have written this, our first Environmental Policy, as part of a wider project, set out by EcoJudaism, a cross-communal organisation in partnership with the Board of Deputies. We are hoping to achieve the Bronze Award. This policy is specific to NSNS and its relevant activities; in writing and adhering to it, we are formally committing to improve our environmental performance long-term. We appreciate that we do not yet have our own building, but we have much to audit on management, prayer, teaching, community, and communications. In order to grow further as a community, it is also important that we think about how to follow best practice in terms of sustainable building design, construction, and operation. We would also like to emphasise that by implementing this policy we are hoping to comply with local environmental legislation. For example, we have in mind Islington council’s wider ‘2030 Vision’ of eliminating carbon emissions in the borough by 2030.
In writing this policy, we have thought about how we do things now and what we can do better moving forward. It should be read in conjunction with our Action Plan, in which we set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound) objectives and targets. We plan to revisit progress and the working of the policy on (at least) an annual basis.
Commitments
NSNS commits to take actions to address the environmental crisis. We will:
- Set up and formalise structures for the synagogue’s environmental work
- Achieve a Bronze Award from EcoJudaism
- Bring the environment into the religious and communal life of the synagogue – in sermons, study, teaching, and events
- Minimise the environmental impact of shul events through transport, buildings, and disposables
- Run any buildings we own in an environmentally sustainable way by using green energy and insulation
- Tie our financial security to environmental security by banking and investing with sustainability in mind
- Minimise our use of consumables and, when consumables are unavoidable, use sustainable options, following principles such as ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’
- Encourage environmental mission buy-in and active participation from our community, both in the shul’s actions and in their own lives
- Advocate beyond our community for an urgent response to the environmental crisis
The specific actions we will take will be detailed in our Action Plan.
Acceptance/review
This policy was accepted by the NSNS Council on 30 June 2024.
It will next be reviewed on or before 30 June 2025.
Ties to EcoJudaism
We are registered with EcoJudaism and are using their structures to help direct our work. We will build relationships with EcoJudaism and other participating communities.