This Shabbat, synagogues across the country are being encouraged to serve vegan and vegetarian food, make snacks from scratch and source local produce to create a kiddush which is “kinder to the climate”.

The drive is part of EcoShabbat 2023, which is suggesting other environmentally friendly practices, including using glassware instead of plastics, reusing leftovers and swapping clingfilm and foil for beeswax and zero-waste wraps.

The initiative was started by EcoJudaism, which promotes environmental awareness in synagogues of all denominations.

Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg of Woodford Forest Synagogue, who is a representative of the United Synagogue at EcoJudaism, told the JC: “People sometimes mistakenly think you must choose either to be frum or to be green, but respecting and looking after the Earth and not wasting are practices espoused in the Torah.”

He added that there were “many easy changes” a community could implement, such as “being conscious of food waste after an event, freezing it, using it the next day or giving it away. It’s not rocket science. Most of it is easy and good for the community. It saves money in the process, and everybody gets that feel-good factor.”

EcoShabbat purposefully coincides annually with the annual UN Climate Change Conference - known as COP28 this year - and acts as a “touching point” for communities to contemplate and seek guidance on becoming greener, said organisers.

Andrea Passe, director of operations at EcoJudaism, told the JC: “Community interest in becoming more environmentally friendly is growing year on year, and the conversation is always evolving and driven by science.

“What is unique about EcoJudaism is just how supportive it can be across the religious spectrum, with each community receiving recommendations bespoke to their needs.”

Passe said some communities focused on gardening and fostering biodiversity in their grounds, while others had installed solar panels, reducing their dependency on traditional energy supplies.

EcoJudaism was co-founded in 2018 by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg after he came across similar initiatives among UK church groups.

It offers environmental and organisational audit services to synagogues “to give communities a framework for improving their environmental knowledge, sustainability and working towards net zero”, said Passe.

So far, 70 synagogues have joined EcoJudaism schemes.