‘God is life,’ Rabbi Yonatan Neril on ecological conversion and the war in Ukraine – Religion News Service
Posted By admin on August 22, 2022
(RNS) Not long after Russias invasion of Ukraine in late February, Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Yonatan Neril found himself surrounded by 25 different religious leaders, including bishops, rabbis and sheiks, in Jerusalems Moscow Square as he affixed a letter calling for peace to the wall of the Russian Orthodox church.
The letter, signed by more than 150 religious leaders worldwide, including the Dalai Lama, called on Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church who has close ties to President Putin, to implore the Russian president to de-escalate the armed conflict and seek peace.
In this moment, religious leaders are called to rise to the occasion on behalf of God, people, and all creatures, read the interfaith letter Neril placed in Moscow Square.
Nearly six months later, the war in Ukraine rages on, bringing with it a growing list of both humanitarian and ecological concerns ranging from massive grain shortages to recent shelling around Ukraines largest nuclear power plant.
Neril is concerned about both. He is the founder and executive director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development a Jerusalem-based nonprofit engaged in revealing the connection between religion and ecology worldwide and co-author of the best-selling Eco Bible, an ecological commentary on Hebrew Scripture.
God is life, Neril told RNS in a recent interview. We exist because every moment God is reinvigorating creation with life.Neril also spoke with RNS about the spiritual crises he sees at the root of both ecological degradation and warfare, and the role religion can play in response.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The ecological crisis is a spiritual crisis. Its not just about nature and bees and the birds and the trees and the toads. Its also about human beings and how we live as spiritual beings in a physical reality. And so, you know, with all due respect to Elon Musk and everyone buying a Tesla, were not going to curb climate change with Teslas alone when the operating system of billions of people is consumer-driven.
The only force in the world that changes this operating system of consumerism is religion and spirituality. The root issues were talking about are greed, short-term thinking, egoism, seeking pleasure in the physical.
The spiritual solutions to those are humility, long-term thinking, caring for other people and creatures. The only institutions in the world that can deliver that are religious institutions.
Scientists cant promote this transition. And politicians cant do it either. And business people also, I dont think can do it. The transition that Im thinking about a spiritual ecological transition it is about composting and its about clergy speaking from the pulpit about composting and its about that push being part of religion. But its, at a deeper level, about finding the center of our pleasure satisfaction in family and community and spirituality instead of finding that in fast food, new smart phones and cheap airplane travel.
Yes. Or another way of phrasing it would be an expansionist mentality. Which is a related topic I also occasionally speak about. I think we need a transition within religion from religions trying to expand their base of followers.
Pope Francis talks about ecological conversion of how essentially we need to transition to an ecological lifestyle. And I think its important that religions transition today to focus on that instead of focusing on trying to win more adherents to their particular religion.
At the end of the day it doesnt matter how many people of each religion there are in the world if we dont have a sustainable planet, because were all going to be held accountable by God for destroying the planet. Its not like the game ends and the religion with the most numbers of adherents wins. The religion with the most number of adherents on a destroyed earth loses, together with every other religion.
With the fighting around Europes largest nuclear reactor right now, were not just talking about Cain and Abel where Cain has a rock and hes killing his brother. Were talking about 8 billion people, all species that God created, and if something goes wrong, there could be a nuclear explosion. Or there could be a nuclear conflict between Russia and other nuclear powers. And so everything is at stake here.
We need to raise our level of spiritual awareness. It doesnt matter whether Russia has more territory. It doesnt matter that the Russian Orthodox Church has more faith adherents. What matters is doing what is right and proper in the eyes of God, to quote a verse from the book of Deuteronomy.
And in this case that means seeking peace and stepping back and doing it on behalf of the people in Ukraine and Russia. And doing it on behalf of all people, including the hundreds of millions of people who now have less to eat as a result of the conflict.
Yes, I think so. At the end of the day, caring for Gods planet, caring for our home is a value that we all should have whether we are progressive or conservative. That was part of the reason I wrote and published Eco Bible. The environmental movement began 50 years ago. For the past 50 years, most mainstream religious groups and clergy have not gotten onboard the ecological bandwagon partly because they see it as a progressive or tree-hugger cause.
Some of my values you might describe as conservative and some of them you might describe as progressive. The environmental movement is not going to succeed to convince conservatives to be progressives. But what I think faith-based ecological activists (could do), is try to speak with conservative people about how caring for Gods creation is a religious value. Its not a left wing thing, its something that is part of our religions and that God wants of us. And to properly be a religious person in this moment of history requires that we live a more ecological lifestyle.
We need to come together. First of all, when I say strength in numbers, it means that the messaging is stronger when were together. The more that religious leaders publicly speak about this issue, along with scientists who have been speaking about this now for decades, the more I think it will be convincing.
You know if the Dalai Lama, Ecumenical Patriarch (Bartholomew), Pope Francis and Rabbi (Jonathan) Sacks, of blessed memory, came together (to discuss the climate crisis), theres a certain seriousness with which you can take the issue. These are conservative religious people who, from a spiritual place, are able to understand that something is off here. And the melting of the ice caps and the record fires and droughts and flooding these are all signals that earth is messaging to us that we need to change. Religious leaders are in agreement about that. Thats the whole idea of bringing them together.
And then similarly with the war in Ukraine, if 150 religious leaders say to Patriarch Kirill, Were calling on you to seek peace, theoretically he should listen. You know, thats the idea. They are supposed to be his peers.
The rest is here:
- Legacy of 12th-century rabbi, doctor and thinker Moses Maimonides on display in NY - The Times of Israel - May 24th, 2023
- Rabbi Hershel Billet on the future of American Jewry - The Times of Israel - May 24th, 2023
- Bennett wins defamation lawsuit against rabbi who claimed he wasn't Jewish - The Times of Israel - May 24th, 2023
- Compatible Kidney Donor Turned Out to be His Chabad Rabbi - COLlive - May 24th, 2023
- Around the world: Prayers and spiritual commitments for Rabbi ... - The Jerusalem Post - May 24th, 2023
- Rabbi Lader reflects on career ahead of retirement - Cleveland Jewish News - May 24th, 2023
- OPINION: As a rabbi in a small town, I understand the Jewish class ... - The Jewish News of Northern California - May 24th, 2023
- New sefer Torah in West Houston dedicated in honor of Rabbi's father - Jewish Herald-Voice - May 24th, 2023
- This lawmaker and rabbi was scheduled to deliver an invocation. His colleagues replaced him with a Christian - Forward - May 24th, 2023
- Rabbi Pinto's Visit to Dubai with Sheikhs, Businessmen and ... - The Jerusalem Post - May 24th, 2023
- Jewish Rabbi Had A Vision Of Jesus On The Cross | God TV News - GOD TV - May 24th, 2023
- Topeka Rabbi speaks about the importance of Jewish American Heritage Month in Kansas - KSNT News - May 24th, 2023
- Rabbis in the United States | Jewish Women's Archive - May 17th, 2023
- Rabbi - New World Encyclopedia - May 17th, 2023
- It was only 50 years ago this month that the first female rabbi was ... - May 17th, 2023
- RABBI | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary - May 17th, 2023
- Seeking answers in Judaism? It turns out, a rabbi can help. - May 17th, 2023
- Plane encounter between singer Noa Kirel and top rabbi goes viral - The Times of Israel - May 17th, 2023
- Airplane encounter between Noa Kirel and a top rabbi goes viral - The Times of Israel - May 17th, 2023
- Red carpet rolled out in Dubai: Rabbi Pintos welcome by senior governme - The Jerusalem Post - May 17th, 2023
- The Hampstead rabbi hiking Mount Everest with a Sefer Torah - The Jewish Chronicle - May 17th, 2023
- Rabbi Pinto was asked about the judicial reform; Watch his answer - The Jerusalem Post - May 17th, 2023
- This rabbi is betting $5,000 he can convince you to go vegan - Forward - May 17th, 2023
- Memory Lane: Rabbi Zvi Gottesman, Spared from the Massacre ... - Boro Park 24 - May 17th, 2023
- King Charles praised for helping chief rabbi observe Shabbat at coronation - The Times of Israel - May 6th, 2023
- Film tracks the match made in prison that turned a convict into a rabbi on a mission - The Times of Israel - May 6th, 2023
- Haredi calls for boycott of bread giant after board chair protests leading rabbi - The Times of Israel - May 6th, 2023
- Rabbi Harold Kushner asked God tough questions and shared the answers ... - May 5th, 2023
- On the brink of a rift in the nation: Rabbi Pinto calls for the strength - The Jerusalem Post - March 28th, 2023
- Religious and gay: When coming out means going up against your homophobic rabbi father - Haaretz - February 25th, 2023
- Rabbi Falk to leave Green Road Synagogue in June - Cleveland Jewish News - February 11th, 2023
- The 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America - Newsweek - January 25th, 2023
- Orthodox pilgrimage to the grave of Kabbalah rabbi buried in Istanbul picks up after COVID slump - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - January 23rd, 2023
- Science News Roundup: Meat cultivated from cow cells is kosher, Israel's chief rabbi rules; Space startups funding halved in 2022 as investors shift... - January 23rd, 2023
- Film about rabbi, civil rights activist to be screened Feb. 5 at Fox Theater - The Bakersfield Californian - January 10th, 2023
- The Granada massacre of 1066: When a Muslim mob crucified a Rabbi and murdered almost the entire Jewish population in a city - OpIndia - December 31st, 2022
- www.the-temple.org - December 27th, 2022
- Sunday Sitdown: Local rabbi reflects on meaning of Hanukkah on first night celebration - WAVY.com - December 25th, 2022
- Why Is Naftali Bennett Suing This Rabbi for Defamation? - Israel News - Haaretz - December 13th, 2022
- Spanish rabbi shares story of bridging religions with Mandel JDS - Cleveland Jewish News - December 11th, 2022
- Rabbi: Lets recommit to one another and get the polio vaccine | Opinion - NJ.com - October 15th, 2022
- A Shared Scripture Conversation between a Rabbi and a Pastor - Alpena News - October 15th, 2022
- A Kosher Vape? Meet The Rabbi-Certified Jewish Vape Brand, Oy Vapes! - Herb.co - October 15th, 2022
- Judaism and feminism: how far we have come, how far we need to go The Stute - The Stute - October 15th, 2022
- Six Greater Phoenix rabbis, other clergy highlight Arizona's 'draconian' abortion bans - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix - October 15th, 2022
- Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley: October 21-27, 2022 - Sedona.biz - October 15th, 2022
- In tribute: A man of dignity, Oklahoma's Ben Shanker, died 'at the high point of Yom Kippur'. He and his wife Shirley, of blessed memory, were my... - October 15th, 2022
- It's splendorous. It's packed with meaning. It's the etrog. J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022
- Herzog presides over quasi-biblical gathering revived by his grandfather - The Times of Israel - October 15th, 2022
- On Ohlone land: How Bay Area Jewish activists are honoring Indigenous people J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022
- Twinsburg Chabad welcomes first two Torah scrolls - Cleveland Jewish News - October 15th, 2022
- Book takes Jewish children to 'The Very Best Sukkah' in Uganda J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022
- Local Jews render aid to those hit by Hurricane Ian - jewishpresspinellas - October 15th, 2022
- We Need to Support Chabad of Cutler Bay - Miami's Community Newspapers - October 10th, 2022
- Guest Commentary: Of Voting and Atonement - The Philadelphia Citizen - October 10th, 2022
- Islamic Tahrif, Jewish Metaphors And The 99 Names Of Allah OpEd - Eurasia Review - October 10th, 2022
- This is the year to be an influencer of goodness: Rabbi Levi Greenberg - El Paso Times - October 8th, 2022
- Rabbi Leonard Lewy is here to help staff chaplain at Ascension Columbia St. Marys Hospital in Ozaukee - The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle - October 8th, 2022
- Rangers predicted XI as Malik Tillman offered redemption chance with Rabbi Matondo to start against St Mirren - Scottish Daily Express - October 8th, 2022
- The Rev. Sara LaWall, Rabbi Dan Fink and the Rev. Andrew Kukla: Faith leaders unite in condemning Idaho's abortion ban - The Spokesman Review - October 8th, 2022
- Portlands Jewish Music Fest to bring music, food and fun - KOIN.com - October 8th, 2022
- A good answer to a cheeky question: If God is perfect, how can God create? J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 8th, 2022
- GOD SQUAD: Resurrection is the ultimate sign of divine love - Kenosha News - October 8th, 2022
- Rabbi Avrohom Luban Announced As Associate Director Of Agudath Israel ... - October 4th, 2022
- Meet the rabbi who made it possible to live a Jewish life in the UAE - JNS.org - October 4th, 2022
- Messianic Rabbi: The Last Words of Moses, Yeshuaand You - Charisma Magazine - October 4th, 2022
- Rabbi Rose leaving B'nai Amoona, will assume CEO of Cleveland JCC in 2023 - - St. Louis Jewish Light - October 4th, 2022
- Letter to the Editor: Rabbis do take political stands when morality, ethics and national threats are involved - Summit Daily - October 4th, 2022
- In the path of Hurricane Ian, rabbis open their homes and safeguard Torahs - Forward - October 4th, 2022
- HappinessThe Real Scoop - Boca Raton's Most Reliable News Source - The Boca Raton Tribune - October 4th, 2022
- Lexington rabbi speaks with communities impacted by recent gun violence - LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY - October 4th, 2022
- Lessons from the Book of Jonah - Yom Kippur - Aish.com - October 4th, 2022
- Indelible interfaith progress has been made in last year - Arab News - October 4th, 2022
- Cleveland area rabbis reflect on journeys to the rabbinate - Cleveland Jewish News - September 25th, 2022
- Phoenix rabbi wants to spread kindness this Rosh Hashanah - The Arizona Republic - September 25th, 2022
- Is it okay for a rabbi to be anti-Israel? - JNS.org - September 25th, 2022
- Podcast: Dan Talks with Rabbi Josh Franklin, Jewish Center of the Hamptons - Dans Papers - September 25th, 2022
- How the First Woman Rabbi in Italy Kept a Promise to Her Father - Guideposts - September 25th, 2022
- Hiding Their Jewishness - aish.com - Aish.com - September 25th, 2022
- There is so much to come at Rangers from Rabbi Matondo - Ibrox Noise - September 25th, 2022
Comments