• The Staten Island JCC is installing a solar thermal system and was awarded $550,000 from the Staten Island Borough toward a solar PV installation.
• The Central Queens Y was awarded $40,500 by NYSERDA toward energy efficiency upgrades at its facility and has held its second annual Earth Day Fair attracting 600 community members.
• The Kings Bay Y Teen Green Team lobbied elected officials in Washington D.C. about environmental legislation. According to one teen green team leader at the Kings Bay Y: "We had awareness before, now we've implemented change ourselves. This is a big confidence booster for teens, each of whom now knows: 'my voice can be heard, I can make a change.'"
• The 14th Street Y underwent a green theater renovation and and was just awarded $125,000 by the New York City Council to install a green roof.
• The Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center has enriched its Teva specialty at camp and started a vegetable garden and a CSA.
• Camp Poyntelle Lewis Village of the Samuel Field Y has implemented a full-scale recycling program and is eliminating disposables from both its dining halls.
• Eden Village Camp installed solar panels and introducing a "Solar Shabbat" program.
• Surprise Lake Camp installed an interactive kiosk to help campers understand and track the savings for its new solar panels.
• The Hebrew Educational Society launched a garden and composting program.
• The Riverdale Y installed an eco-friendly salt water pool and launched its own community farmers market.
• Teens at the planned and implemented a 10-day environmental extravaganza including an Earth Day Fair, classes, and a green Shabbat dinner.
• The YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood held its second annual Earth Day Fair for hundreds of local residents and launched a CSA.
• Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center created a green tour of their very green facility.
• Ramapo for Children created an interactive ecology program for children to learn about soil, water, local ecology and human impact at their site.
• The Marks JCH of Bensonhurst made sustainability a key theme of their camp programs.
• The Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds, Inc. on Long Island launched a full-scale composting program that serves the entire camp.
• The Sephardic Community Center held its first Earth Day Fair and has launched a new Teva program at its camp.
• The Samuel Field YM & YWHA launched "Operation Awareness" to build staff and member awareness of energy efficiency measures on site and started a raised-bed garden for their adult day care participants.
• The Rosenthal JCC camp installed a new educational garden of native plants with the help of its campers.

• February 2013 (Adar 5773)
• January 2013 (Shvat 5773)
• December 2012 (Tevet 5773)
• November 2012 (Kislev 5773)
• October 2012 (Heshvan 5773)
• September 2012 (Tishrei 5773)
• July 2012 (Av 5772)
• June 2012 (Tammuz 5772)
• May 2012 (Sivan 5772)
• April 2012 (Nisan - Iyyar 5772)
• March 2012 (Adar - Nisan 5772)
• February 2012 (Adar 5772)
• January 2012 (Shevat 5772)
• December 2011 (Tishrei 5772)
• November 2011 (Heshvan 5772)
• October 2011 (Tishrei 5772)
• September 2011 (Elul 5771)
• August 2011 (Av 5771)
• July 2011 (Tammuz 5771)
• May 2011 (Iyar 5771)
• April 2011 (Nissan 5771)
• March 2011 (Adar II 5771)
• February 2011 (Adar I 5771)
• January 2011 (Shevat 5771)
• Fall 2010 (Kislev 5771)
• Summer 2010 (Av/Elul 5770)
• June 2010 (Tammuz 5770)
• May 2010 (Iyar 5770)
• March 2010 (Nissan 5770)
• February 2010 (Shvat 5770)
• December 2009 (Kislev 5770)
• November 2009 (Heshvan 5770)

Eligible organizations are synagogues and day schools within the UJA-Federation of New York catchment area. And, JCCs, summer camps, and social service organizations that are part of UJA-Federation of New York's network of agencies. National organizations based in New York may apply in partnership with a local member organization. If you are not sure whether or not your organization is eligible, please contact Mirele Goldsmith at mirele@isabellafreedman.org or 917.679.2121.

You will receive a Greening Grant of $6,000 which you can use to advance your greening goals in any way you choose. In the past, some organizations have used these funds to defray the cost of staff time, provide the Greening Fellow with a bonus, purchase materials for education programs or invest in energy efficiency equipment. You will also have the opportunity to apply for funding to help you to implement an energy audit, implement energy efficiency upgrades, and to implement environmental education programs. Depending on your organizationÕs needs and the quality of your proposals, you may receive $7,000-15,000.

There is no cost to participate in the JGF, however your organization will be required to invest funds in projects your organization will complete as part of the JGF. You will be required to pay a portion of the cost of an energy audit. The amount will depend on the size of your facilities. You will also be asked to match the funding for energy efficiency upgrades that you choose to implement with the help of the JGF.

The person you choose to be the Greening Fellow will benefit from an extraordinary leadership development experience. Choose someone in whom you want to invest. Commitment and willingness to learn and grow are the keys to success for a Greening Fellow. The Greening Fellow must be a permanent staff person who can motivate other staff to participate in greening efforts. Choose someone who has been at the organization for at least 6 months and plans to remain until the end of the JGF. The Greening Fellow may be an educator, administrator, spiritual leader, operations director or any other position. Pick the right person - their title is not important.

Lay leaders in synagogues are often the most appropriate people to convene a Green Team and implement greening initiatives. The Staff and Board Greening Fellows will work together implement your synagoguesÕs greening goals. The Board Greening Fellow will participate in 3 webinars, meet with the Staff Greening Fellow to debrief after s/he attends each JGF Training Day. We anticipate that synagogues will choose different ways to divide the Fellowship responsibilities between the Staff and Board Greening Fellow. If you have questions about how this can work in your synagogue, please contact Mirele Goldsmith at mirele@isabellafreedman.org or 917.679.2121.

The Greening Fellow will dedicate an average of 4-6 hours per week to greening work at his/her organization over the course of the 18 months. In synagogues, the Staff Greening Fellow and Board Greening Fellow may divide this time between them. This is the investment of time required to implement true and sustainable systemic change. The Staff Greening Fellow is also required to attend an opening and closing two night retreat at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, and 8 full day trainings over the course of the program. The Board Greening Fellow will attend the Program Launch and participate in 3 webinars, and may choose to attend other JGF events.

The executive director, head of school or rabbi should be prepared to support the work of the Greening Fellow and to attend the sessions listed below over the course of the 18 months. These include the Program Launch, 2 Senior Leader Breakfasts, and Graduation. Synagogue senior leaders are also encouraged to participate in 3 webinars.

By participating in the JGF, you are beginning a process of change that will involve your entire organization. Build support for this change by engaging the Board in the decision to apply to be part of the program. Plan to involve key board members and to keep the entire Board informed about your efforts. Consider inviting a board member to serve on the Green Team, and plan to have the Greening Fellow(s) report to the Board on a regular basis.

You will form a Green Team of staff from every department, including at least one senior staff member. Facilities staff will play an important role in implementing the energy audits and upgrades. Educators will be involved in developing creative environmental programs. You may also engage residents, members, students and community members, as appropriate for your organization.

For buildings whose electrical use is less than $75,000 per year, the cost is a few hundred dollars. For larger buildings in the last cohort, the amount rarely exceeded $5,000. The amount will be determined by the energy auditor before the work begins. If the cost is beyond the capacity of your organization, you can decide to narrow the scope of the audit to reduce the cost. Once the audit is completed, your organization can choose how much you wish to invest in energy efficiency upgrades. Most upgrades are very cost-effective, with short payback periods that will save your organization money within a few months or years.

Other than the required energy audit, no specific changes are required. You will decide what changes you want to make within the broad categories of energy efficiency, sustainable operations, and environmental education. The JGF will provide information, grant support and encouragement to enable you to achieve measurable changes in each area.

The Greenfaith Certification Program is a 2-year interfaith leadership program to help houses of worship green their communities from top to bottom. Congregations that participate receive certification, which is a meaningful and prestigious designation available only to houses of worship. Greenfaith has guided over 50 congregations through a step-by-step process to meet specific criteria, resulting in certification. If you apply for certification, you will find that many of the steps that you have already taken by participating in the JGF will help you to meet the requirements for certification. Greenfaith offers valuable resources specifically geared to the needs of synagogues and opportunities to participate in a larger network of green congregations. Information about the Greenfaith Certification Program is available online and will be provided once you are accepted into the JGF.