(Inspired by Rabbi Noa Kushner's drash on Rosh Hashana 5781)
 
We recall the day the skies turned orange, like the rabbis recalled withering plants, and will seek to correct the wrongs. From Tu B’shvat 5781 to Tu B’shvat 5782 we will learn, act, and advocate for climate justice.

The rabbis understood that what we consider to be economic hardship, climate changes, and spiritual wandering are all part of one interconnected web in need of correction.

Who takes a drought, the anguish of thirst and a lack of livelihood and uses it as a springboard towards social equity and justice?  Who insists on exploring the root causes of the lack of rain in order to address them? The Rabbis - that’s what the rabbis were trying to do.

And that, as hard as it is, that’s what we’re going to do now, too.

Committing to action is not so bad because, we’re Jews, we’re people who do Jewish — we know all about keeping laws. We know all about the fleeting nature of intent, even the best intent, when compared to good old commitment.  

So now, as part of our t’shuvah … we are committing to education, action, and advocacy.

We know this alone will not bring about the climate justice we seek. We also know that with this commitment, these practices can become rituals of a greater process of t’shuvah. And with our collective t’shuvah, the new world can look different than the one we’re just leaving now.