 |
 |
||||||||||
 |
Back to Question of the Week Q: If Judaism is supposed to be concerned with care for the world and the environment, why do most synagogue functions continue to use disposable plates and cutlery and styrofoam cups instead of washing dishes or encouraging members to bring their own dishes and wash them at home? ---Carol |
||||||||||
|
 |
A: Dear Carol: You are absolutely correct in stating that environmental concerns have been and must be part of a Jewish consciousness. More specifically, you seem to be referring to the mitzvah of bal taschit [literally: "do not destroy"}, which is a general prohibition against wasting or destroying things that have some potential usefulness. (The sources for bal taschit are discussed at length in our archive for the Torah portion Shoftim.) So given that we have an ancient mitzvah not to waste, it does seem inappropriate to use disposable plates. I would guess that there are several reasons why, which I am not endorsing, but explaining: 1) Kashrut. Some Jewish organizations use disposable plates to ensure that dishes and cutlery are kept properly kosher, [i.e., ritually fit according to traditional dietary laws. They could use regular plates- and many do- but then you have to constantly be on guard that no non-kosher foods are served on those plates. Many synagogues that have in-house caterers do in fact have kosher plates which they use for dinners and parties; however, it's an extra measure of time and expense which some communities are not ready for. This would also account for the many traditionally oriented synagogues which do not allow people to bring their own plates- things would eventually get mixed up and it would be hard to know for sure that everything was completely kosher. 2) Shabbat. Various kinds of work are prohibited on the Sabbath, so some synagogues probably make the calculation that it's better to throw away paper plates than run a dishwasher on the Sabbath, not to mention employing or organizing a whole cleanup crew. 3) Expense. Related to the previous reason, some synagogues probably calculate that it's cheaper to use disposables than to pay a clean up and washing crew. Given that most synagogues and Jewish organizations are pressed for funds, it's understandable that some people make the choice between funds for cleanup crews and an extra teacher for the religious school. I think we can also assume that most Jews, just like most North Americans, are aware of environmental concerns but aren't really prepared yet to make significant lifestyle changes. Your question was about synagogues and disposables, but you could have just as easily asked about the curious phenomenon that North Americans always state great concern for the environment, yet buy huge vans and sport utility vehicles in great numbers, while clamouring for more roads to drive them on. The same "disconnect" between people's ideals and their practice shows up in every area of life; after all, most people would say they believe in monogamy but adultery is as common as it ever was! I'm not trying to defend environmentally wasteful practices (or adultery, for that matter), but simply trying to explain why some synagogues make the decisions they do. Understanding the logic behind a policy is crucial to changing it. Of course, there are also many Jewish organizations which have changed their practices over the past few years in order to be more ecologically minded; Adat Shalom Congregation, in Maryland, for example, encourages people to bring their own plates and cutlery to the pot-luck lunch after services, and even sells Tupperware style plates with the synagogue logo on it for just this purpose! The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, an organization devoted to Jewish environmental activism and education, produces a booklet on Creating Environmentally Sound Life Cycle Celebrations which might be useful to anyone interested in affecting synagogue practices. NJL |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
 |
[Home] [Lobby] [Library] [Classroom] [Office] [Lounge] [Gift Shop] Kolel: The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning
|
 |
|
|
|||
