By Susie Davidson

Advocate Correspondent

BOSTON –The Greater Boston Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) has organized an effort in response to President Bush’s June 11 announcement on global climate change.

Judy Lehrer, COEJL Coordinator for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC), has released for COEJL "An Open Letter to President Bush, the Congress, and American People: ‘Let There Be Light' (Gen 1:3): Energy Conservation and God's Creation."

This letter, signed by 19 leaders who represent over 13,000 American Jews, calls for the "personal and public virtue" of conservation.

"Far more than rolling blackouts and gasoline price increases are at stake," it states. "We must protect the future of God's creation on earth.

"Because we are called to ‘till and to tend the garden’ (Gen 2:15), we have a moral obligation to choose safe, clean and sustainable sources of energy to protect and preserve God's creation. Energy conservation is faithful stewardship."

The letter complements a Washington, D.C. letter of May 18, signed by 39 leaders of American faith groups representing over 60 million Americans.

In their June 11 letter, local rabbis, declaring that Bush’s plan "does not yet meet Biblical standards of stewardship and justice," echo the D.C. letter’s message of prudent and thoughtful personal reflection, based on one’s religious and ethical convictions.

"Noting that they ‘are not energy experts, or policymakers’," the COEJL release reports, "the leaders wrote that ‘our decisions on energy policy raise fundamental moral and religious questions’."

COEJL Chair Susan Hiller minces no sentiment. "President Bush's approach to this urgent and historic challenge is grossly inadequate," she declares. "We need the President to commit the U.S. to the dramatic reductions in domestic emissions. Instead, Bush's plan emphasizes research and makes US action contingent upon the actions of developing nations.

"Though President Bush is now proclaiming that his energy plan will accomplish emission reductions through conservation and energy efficiency," she spells out, "the President's plan calls for increasing the use of coal, which would dramatically increase US greenhouse gas emissions."

The letter’s signees cite the Biblical call to justice: "The gifts of God's creation must be shared fairly among God's children. The new energy plan should help the poor, the vulnerable, and the sick. The plan should ensure inexpensive mobility through expanded mass transit, cleaner air by reducing pollution from power plants, and lower gasoline prices through strict monitoring of oil companies for price-gouging."

They pledge to raise awareness in their communities of fossil fuel use, energy conservation, and to make their concerns known to elected officials.

Jewish leaders who endorsed the letter include: Rabbi Robert S. Goldstein, Temple Emanuel, Andover; Rabbi Eric S. Gurvis, Temple Shalom, Newton; Rabbi Debra Hachen, B'nai Shalom, Westborough; Rabbi Stephen Karol, Sha'aray Shalom, Hingham; Rabbi Sylvan D. Kamens, B'nai Israel, Woonsocket, RI; Rabbi Richard L. Klein, Temple Beth Jacob, Concord, NH; Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox, Eitz Chayim, Cambridge; Rabbi Ira Korinow, Temple Emanu-El, Haverhill; Rabbi Elias Lieberman, Falmouth Jewish Congregation, East Falmouth; Rabbi Emeritus Bernard H. Mehlman, Temple Israel, Boston; Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg/Jewish Community of Amherst, Amherst; Rabbi Carl Perkins, Temple Aliyah, Needham; Rabbi Shoshana M. Perry, Congregation Shalom, Chelmsford; Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Temple Israel, Boston; Rabbi Mark Dov Shapiro, Sinai Temple, Springfield; Rabbi Dr. Rifat Sonsino, Temple Beth Shalom, Needham; Reb Moshe Waldoks, Temple Beth Zion, Brookline; Rabbi Andrew Warmflash, Temple Emanuel, Newton; and Rabbi David Widzer, Temple Shalom, Newton.

To join COEJL in this and other efforts, please call Judy Lehrer, COEJL Coordinator, at 617-457-8670.

(Sidebar if room, though I doubt there’ll be!)

"LET THERE BE LIGHT" ENERGY CONSERVATION AND GOD'S CREATION

As leaders of Jewish communities in the Massachusetts, we join other religious leaders around the country in concern about the President's recently announced energy plan.

Far more than rolling blackouts and gasoline price increases are at stake. We must protect the future of God's creation on earth. The President's plan does not yet meet Biblical standards of stewardship and justice.

We are not scientists, energy experts, or policymakers. As religious leaders, our concerns focus on the fundamental questions underlying moral and religious questions. We believe the perspectives of faith and values should help shape a national discussion.

. Because we are called to "till and to tend the garden" (Gen 2:15), we have a moral obligation to choose safe, clean and sustainable sources of energy to protect and preserve God's creation. Energy conservation is faithful stewardship.

. The gifts of God's creation must be shared fairly among God's children. The new energy plan should help the poor, the vulnerable, and the sick. The plan should ensure inexpensive mobility through expanded mass transit, cleaner air by reducing pollution from power plants, and lower gasoline prices through strict monitoring of oil companies for price-gouging. Energy conservation is justice.

Rooted in the values of stewardship of God's Creation, we are organizing our communities to: . Raise awareness of how fossil fuel use contributes to global warming . Involve congregations and congregants in energy conservation . Make our concerns known to elected officials.

We call on all the citizens of Massachusetts, and particularly our own congregants, to consider carefully the values we here present, which should guide our individual energy choices and by which we should judge energy policy options. We pray that the American people will redirect our national energy policy towards conservation and efficiency by proclaiming "Let there be light" (Gen 1:3).