Focus Areas > Social Justice > JEI > Tree Planting
Tree Planting
JEI was established in 1998 with the goal of planting one tree for each Jewish person in St. Louis. The purpose is to help the environment and to promote the planting of trees as a religious act, to till and to tend. To date, trees have been planted in Forest Park, Fairgrounds Park, Hyde Park, Carondelet Park, Ruth Park, Route 66 State Park and Missouri Bottom.
2011 Tree Planting
Members of the Jewish community came out on Sunday October 16 to the Staenberg Jewish Community Center and planted 24 trees on the North Side of the Complex. Rabbi Randy Fleisher lead an opening service, which included a responsive reading from the participants. Speakers focused on why planting trees is important in Jewish tradition and why it helps the environment.
Pictured below are pictures taken at this year's event:
Members of the 7th grade class at Central Reform Congregation plant a tree
 
JEI Intern, Evan Axelbaum, assists with Harlie Frankel and Shimon Ben-Poorat
the tree planting effort
of Congregation BSKI
Irl Scissors with Griffin and Dylan
2010 Community Tree Planting
On Sunday October 17, JEI and St. Louis Chapter Hadassah coordinated a tree planting at Martin Luther King Park in St. Louis County. Joining members of the Jewish community at this event were members of the First Baptist Church of Elmwood Park, which is located directly across the street from the park. The tree planting offered an opportunity to honor the memory of Jewish environmental leader Alfred Kahn and African-American community leader Ida Scott of Elmwood Park. Rabbi Randy Fleisher, who lead the program, also honored JEI for its efforts in planting trees across the St. Louis region since 1998.
Steve Sorkin, a long time member of JEI, also was honored at the event.
Below are several pictures from this event:
Top Left: Rabbi Randy Fleisher and Rev. Brian K. Jackson of First Baptist Church of Elmwood Park
Top Right: Vladimir Birman, Shimon Ben-Poorat, Richard Gavatin and Harlie Frankel
Middle: Lydia Soifer, Josephine Lyss-Williams, Abby Hirshman, and Katie Bursack
Bottom: Rabbi Randy Fleisher, JEI Chair Susan Mlynarczyk and JCRC Director of Domestic Issues Gail Wechsler present Steve Sorkin (left) with a certificate of achievement
 
|
