Members of Congregation Ahavas Achim clear invasive brush to help rehabilitate “the meadows,” the largest community-owned site in Highland Park, on Sept. 13.
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September 21, 2009
Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park wants to show that it’s very Jewish to go green.
Through the Orthodox shul’s new environmental committee, members and local Jewish Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts spent several hours on Sept. 13 rehabilitating the largest community-owned site in Highland Park.
“We want wanted to do a community service project to raise awareness among our members about environmental issues from a Jewish perspective,” said committee member Jonathan Abrahams.
Abrahams and several members of the congregation sit on the Highland Park Environmental Commission.
As part of its green awareness, the congregation is also looking to incorporate environmentally friendly features — like low-flow toilets and infrastructure improvements — in its current building expansion, Abrahams said. The committee is also installing energy-saving light bulbs and looking to begin using biodegradable plates and cups for kiddush luncheons and other synagogue events.
The environmental committee, chaired by Phil Reiss, plans to sponsor events throughout the year.
The synagogue is one of about 10 congregations that are part of a national pilot program launched by Canfei Nesharim, an Orthodox environmental organization.
In line with this commitment, Abrahams and Reiss decided to make the Sept. 13 rehabilitation of “the meadows” — an important part of the Raritan River migration corridor — “our kick-off event.”
About 25 people, including youngsters from Girl Scout troop 81455 and Boy Scout troop 55, which are both shomer Shabbat and kosher, cleared non-native plants that had invaded the 18-acre site, which contains forested areas, open meadow, wetlands, and open streams and boasts a diverse plant and wildlife population. “The area was used as the municipal dump 40 or 50 years ago,” said Abrahams. “Now it’s slowly coming back, and there is a hiking trail there.”
The Highland Park Environmental Commission is working through the federal wildlife service to replant the area with native trees, bushes, and wildflowers to return it to its natural state.
“We were just one community group helping in this effort,” Abrahams said. “It was a great event. It got people outside and we really did feel connected to our community.”
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