Yonatan Neril

Yonatan Neril (2017).

Yonatan Neril (born September 30, 1980) is an interfaith environmental advocate, NGO director, and rabbi. He founded and directs the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD), based in Jerusalem.[1][2][3]

He co-authored several reports on seminary education and ecology, including the Report on Faith and Ecology Courses in North American Seminaries,[4] the Report on Faith and Ecology Teaching in Holy Land Seminaries,[5] and the Report on Catholic Ecology Courses in Catholic Seminaries.[6]

He co-edited two books on Judaism and ecology, including Uplifting People and Planet: 18 Essential Jewish Teachings on the Environment.[7]

He speaks internationally on religion and ecology, and has done so in Morocco, Italy, Turkey, Canada, the United States, Israel, and Spain.[8] He has also spoken at over 40 synagogues on Judaism and ecology.[9]

Career and work

Rabbi Neril has co-organized several interfaith environmental conferences in Jerusalem, New York City, and Washington D.C.[10][11]

In July 2011, Rabbi Neril and the ICSD team organized an interfaith panel of Jewish, Muslim and Christian authorities, who discussed the religious importance of ecological sustainability.[12][13][14] The panelists were Auxiliary Bishop to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Msgr. William Shomali, the Deputy Minister of the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs Haj Salah Zuheika and AJC International Director of Inter-religious Affairs Rabbi David Rosen, and Rabbi Neril also spoke at the event...[15][16][17]

In March, 2012, Rabbi Neril spoke at and co-organized the Interfaith Climate and Energy Conference[18] in Jerusalem, which was focused on promoting change and action for a sustainable development within faith communities around the globe. The conference was co-organized by ICSD and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders who spoke on the ethical and religion-based need for the use of renewable energy and for curbing climate change.

Speech in the Interfaith Climate & Energy Conference (2012)

In October, 2014, Rabbi Neril spoke at the Faith and Ecology Conference for Seminarians in Jerusalem, which was co-organized by the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Salesian Pontifical University. He discussed the importance of current and emerging faith leaders being a potential vehicle for environmental stewardship and to expand ecology and environmental teaching and action within seminaries.[19] Over 100 Muslim, Christian and Jewish clergy and seminary students attended the event.[20]

Rabbi Neril, together with H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, spoke at the “Climate Change and You” event which formed part of the Parliament of World Religions[21] in 2015. Rabbi Neril spoke to the moral imperative to take action in light of mounting environmental degradation.[22]

Rabbi Neril spoke along with other religious figures at the International Islamic Climate Change Symposium in Istanbul, Turkey in August 2015. The aim of the gathering was to release the Islamic Climate Change Declaration, which intended to provide an “urgent and radical reappraisal[23]” of today’s humanity.

Interfaith cooperation

In June, 2016, Rabbi Neril presented at the International Seminar on Science and Religion for Environment Care[24][25][26] Torreciudad, Spain and at a press conference in Madrid. The Seminar concluded with a Torreciudad declaration[27] that summarised in six points how a partnership between science and religion could promote ecological sustainability.[28][29][30]


Recent work

In the Jerusalem Press Club, on July 26, 2017, Rabbi Yonatan Neril summoned three esteemed religious: a judge of the Muslim Sharia Courts in Israel, Kadi Iyad Zahalha; Rabbi David Rosen, AJC International Director of Interreligious Affairs; and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton. The event focused on the key role faith leaders can play on raising awareness of the relevance and urgency of curbing climate change and achieving environmental sustainability. As Rabbi Neril, who acted as moderator of the panel, pointed out: ““Religions are the biggest, richest NGOs in the world. Studies have shown that 85 percent of the people in the world identify with religion. They have huge resources, land holdings, media networks. They must be involved[31]”. The three authorities agreed on the need of putting aside religious and ideological differences for the uppermost necessity of restraining environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources, for the wellbeing and future of our “common home”.

Personal life and views

Rabbi Neril lives with his wife Shana and two children in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Neril writes frequently on religion and ecology, climate change, and environmental sustainability, including for blogs on The Huffington Post and The Times of Israel. He has written about how “climate change is the greatest long-term challenge to human civilization,[32]” and how contemporary consumer society is what is driving extreme heat, desertification, water scarcity, and pollution. He has emphasized how the climate crisis is as much ecological as it is spiritual,[33] and how in our times, living righteously demands being ecologically responsible.[34] He has stressed the importance of clergy taking a leadership role in helping fatih adherents think long-term, moderate consumption, and rein in greed.

He has written about the importance of cultivating awareness to address problems where we do not see a direct link between our actions and the problem. The more ignorant a person is to how their lifestyle (private car, high consumption of both meat and fossil fuels, global travelling, mass consumption of programmed-obsolescence products) impact their surroundings, the more likely they are to damage it.[35] In order to face this crisis “a critical mass of people need to undergo consciousness change and consumption change”, and to subordinate religious and ideological differences to the urgent need of curbing climate change. Neril quotes the words of the Jewish sage Hillel and states: “ if not now, when”?

References

  1. ↑ http://www.interfaithsustain.com/team/
  2. ↑ "Interfaith and Sustainability Radio Show with Live Sufi Music". Shalom Crafter. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  3. ↑ Press, Eitan (2011-12-11). "Interview From Repair the World". Eitanquest. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  4. ↑ The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, Julia Burke Foundation (2016). Report on Faith and Ecology Courses in North American Seminaries.
  5. ↑ Report on Catholic Ecology Courses for Priestly Formation, by the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, (2016).
  6. ↑ http://www.lastampa.it/2016/05/30/vaticaninsider/eng/news/new-curriculum-for-seminarians-inspired-by-pope-francis-VlqAuTBrGXjE91Qixo3eKM/pagina.html
  7. ↑ Neril, Rabbi Yonatan; Marzouk, Evonne (2013-12-18). Uplifting People and Planet: Eighteen Essential Jewish Lessons on the Environment. Canfei Nesharim.
  8. ↑ https://tlv1.fm/journeys/2015/01/05/promoting-coexistence-through-the-environment-and-vice-versa-journeys/
  9. ↑ Neril, Yonatan (2017). "North American Speaking Tours". JewishEcoSeminars.
  10. ↑ http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Priests-rabbis-muftis-meet-to-promote-green-behavior
  11. ↑ https://www.greenprophet.com/2014/11/jerusalems-on-fire-but-these-enemies-put-faith-in-ecology/
  12. ↑ "Holy Land clerics launch interfaith Earth forum". Maan News Agency. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  13. ↑ "Priests, rabbis, muftis meet to promote green behavior". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  14. ↑ "Holy Land Clerics Launch Interfaith Earth Forum". Naharnet. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  15. ↑ Joao. "Instituto Humanitas Unisinos - IHU - Terra Santa: a mudança verde das religiões". www.ihu.unisinos.br (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  16. ↑ "Three faiths unite in Israel to heal the planet". Israel21c. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  17. ↑ "Jews, Muslims, Christians in Israel Unite for Planet Earth". Green Prophet. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  18. ↑ "Religious leaders work to save planet". Israel21c. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  19. ↑ "Saving the planet through religious cooperation". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  20. ↑ "Jerusalem's on fire, but these "enemies" put faith in ecology". Green Prophet. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  21. ↑ "Salt Lake 2015: Schedule | parliamentofreligions.org". parliamentofreligions.org. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  22. ↑ "Amidst hottest year on Earth faith leaders unite and call for climate action". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  23. ↑ Neril, Yonatan (2015-08-20). "Islamic Call on Climate Appeals to 1.6 Billion Muslims". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  24. ↑ "Ciencia y religiones dialogan para conservar el medioambiente". Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  25. ↑ Aragón, El Periódico de. "Científicos y líderes religiosos se reúnen para colaborar con medio ambiente". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  26. ↑ "Líderes religiosos se alían con la ciencia para incluir el cambio climático en sus sermones". abc (in Spanish). 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  27. ↑ "Final Declaration". Declaration of Torreciudad. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  28. ↑ "Científicos y líderes religiosos proponen hablar del cambio climático en sermones semanales y seminarios". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  29. ↑ Press, Europa (2016-06-22). "Científicos y líderes religiosos se unen para luchar contra el cambio climático". europapress.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  30. ↑ Diximedia. "Científicos y líderes religiosos proponen hablar del cambio climático en sermones semanales y seminarios". lainformacion (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  31. ↑ "Religious leaders need to step up to the plate". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
  32. ↑ Neril, Yonatan (2017-08-02). "Why is it so hot right now?". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  33. ↑ Neril, Yonatan (2017-05-21). "Oil Mixes Well with Religion, Politics, and Weapons". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  34. ↑ Neril, Yonatan (2017-06-02). "Donald Sounds The Big Alarm On Climate". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  35. ↑ Neril, Yonatan (2017-07-11). "Drilling Holes on Our Collective Ship". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
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