MLK Weekend & Tu B’Shvat

Tifereth Israel Congregation invites you to a special shabbat in honor of MLK Weekend and Tu B’Shvat. This combination of holidays gives us the opportunity to look at our world through the lens of tikkun olam and to assess how we take care of our environment and respond to the history of racism in the United States. As we reckon with the growing impact of climate change, we have to acknowledge our role in allowing our planet to get to the point where a future of weather-based disasters is a certainty. We also need to recognize that climate change does not affect us all equally—communities that have been marginalized and under-resourced due to race and other prejudice will suffer disproportionately. TI will have two virtual events addressing the twinned challenges of climate change and racism:

Advancing Global Climate Change Policies that Reflect Ethical and Jewish Values
Saturday, January 15, D’Var Torah (approx 11:00 am)
David Waskow, Director of the International Climate Initiative, World Resources Institute

Don’t miss out on this informative drash! David is one of the key international NGO leaders of the Climate Justice Dialogue, which addresses climate change impacts and equity issues. He has worked for decades at the intersection of environmental and development issues, with an emphasis on targeting funding and programs to support vulnerable communities. He previously directed climate change policy for Oxfam America, where he worked on redirecting financial resources to increase the participation of and support for vulnerable and marginalized communities. Learn more about David here.

View David’s most recent published report on how climate action can help vulnerable populations.

Registration for in-person attendance required.
In person and on Zoom (Webinar)

SHALEM: The Challenge of Climate Change, Sustainability & Food Insecurity in Black Communities
Saturday, January 15 at 1:30 pm

This SHALEM panel will take place via Zoom webinar, and will cover how community activists are building resilience. You are invited to bring questions for the panel of dynamic speakers!

The panel will be moderated by Carla Ellern. Speakers include:

• Rev. Kendra Smith, Kingdom Fellowship AME Church, Go Ministry
• Robin Lewis, Director for Climate Equity, Interfaith Power & Light
• Xavier Brown, DC Government, Small Parks Specialist, and Soilful City (Invited)

Zoom information can be found here.

For questions or to request accommodations contact:

Delanie Ostrow
[email protected]