In fact, New Jersey writer and photographer Jan Weber says that green is a Jewish color. "One day,” she told Aish.com, “my son said… ‘Blue on the Israeli flag and yellow from the light of the Shabbat and Chanukah candles make green.’ Now, who can argue with that kind of logic?”

Marty Ostrow’s documentary film “Renewal” examines the emerging faith-based environmental movement in America. “Simple changes in our everyday lives can make a big difference,” he said.  Ostrow signed up for an NStar home energy audit, changed his lightbulbs to compact fluorescents and purchased Energy Star appliances. He keeps the thermostat down and uses an electric oil-filled radiator. It pays. “If you lower your thermostat by even one degree in the winter and set it just one degree higher in the summer, you can save approximately $100 a year on your utility bill,” he said. Literally extending the concept of green, he is building a raised garden bed to grow vegetables, and he composts kitchen food waste.

Dan Ruben, Executive Director of Newton-based Boston Green Tourism, reduced his electricity and heating oil use by 40 percent. “Replacing my 1988 refrigerator with a new model cut my electricity bills by almost $10 per month alone,” he said. Ruben had a contractor blow insulation into his walls, dries clothes around the house (less wrinkling and ironing too), and purchases renewable energy from the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance.

“Greening your home is good for the environment, your wallet, and can help when you sell your home,” said realtor Debra Zagorsky Agliano of Medford, who noted that the electronics we depend on draw power even when they are turned off.  “Plug them into a power strip and shut off the strip when you're not using them. This can save up to 10 percent of your electricity bill.” She advises setting up your computer to go into standby mode if you step away, shutting it down completely if it’s longer. “You can save about $50 annually from that one change.” Agliano offers a podcast and a live call-in show on greening one’s home on her www.DebOnTheWeb.com.

“Most home cleaning products leave a residue of toxins that is not good for adults, kids or pets,” says Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, founder of the Baltimore-based Jewish Environmental Network. She recommends Borax, Bon Ami, a scrubbing sponge, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and vinegar. “Grandma knew best,” she says. Further innovations can include low VOC (volatile organic compound) paints, furniture made with real wood instead of particle board (which emits formaldehyde), and natural fabrics, carpeting bedding and linens. Get rid of dust-building clutter. Companies like GreenDimes.com can help cut junk mail by up to 90 percent.

The American Jewish Committee is one of the first Jewish non-profits in the country whose national headquarters has green certification. AJC’s Green Project materials recommend CFL’s, programmable thermostats, power strips, EnergyStar appliances, purchasing green power, reusing and recycling.

Locally, the City of Boston and the Green Roundtable’s online tips also include installing low-flow faucets, wrapping water heaters, purchasing rain barrels, kitchen scrap buckets and compost bins below cost from the City’s Recycling Program, plugging air leaks, and installing weather-stripping, gaskets behind outlet covers and white window shades or blinds to reflect heat away.

“From the paints we use, to the food we serve, to the flooring we choose,” says Rabbi Cardin, “environmental concerns must become part of the formula the guides the actions and decisions of the Jewish community in the basic conduct of our lives.”