Fred Dobb’s review of Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’Shvat Anthology and Ecology & the Jewish Spirit, Where Nature & the Sacred Meet affirmed my beliefs in the ties Judaism has with the environment. Dobb summarizes many of the articles within the books and compares them to each other in hopes of better understanding the Jewish ecological beliefs. As a result, I began to question what I traditionally question in many of the religions I encounter: whether this faith’s traditions are the result of continuing culture or are the result of interpreting their sacred texts. On page 81, Dobb explains that “growing your own springtime barley gives new meaning to counting the Omer between Pesah and Shavuot.” My question is: If an act of faith (such as the one aforementioned) were to hypothetically damage the environment, would the religion be willing to sacrifice their tradition for the sake of God’s creation? Later on in his review, Dobb summarizes a translation of Pri Etz Hadar as nature is the result of God and fully proves God’s existence. If this is true, why isn’t the Jewish religion focusing almost entirely on preserving nature? On the other hand, this does not only apply to the Jewish religion. Why aren’t Christians devoting many of their acts of faith towards saving God’s creation? Most importantly, why can’t the religions of the world come together under the idea of protecting the sanctity of life and creation?
Very good points Jessica. I found Dobb's review to be logical, succinct, informative, and even witty at times. Reading an article such as Dobb's is helpful with regards to our final paper, because Dobb's argument is summarizing the tenants of two other works: essentially, his article is a source of a source. One of the things I was most impressed with in the article is the fact that Dobb took time to calculate the proportion of male to female contributors in the anthologies he analyzed. Dobb's cautious measures help his readers see that some sources of information, even if didactic or scholarly, can actually be biased in one direction or another. Looking for bias in research sources is essential when writing our final paper, because as writers we must aspire to the ideal of objectivity. As discussed in class, many authors can be biased toward a particular subject because of flawed or extreme views. I think Dobb does an excellent job at disarming bias and presenting the objective arguments of each respective anthology. Additionally, as Mr. Dobb appears to be well-educated on the relationship between Judaism and ecology, reading his witty comments in approval/disapproval of the other authors was especially entertaining.
ReplyDeleteDobbs gives the reader a lot to take in, in his reviews of these works. He finds merit in various and very diverse studies and dissertations that have resulted from such writing. He especially praises the intensely analytical pieces, such as, “Nebuchadnezzar, Nahman’s The Cripple and Groundhog Day.” The reviewer seems to favor a more academic tone in the works he evaluates, suggesting that a scholarly, rather than personal, approach would make a piece a “uniformly strong” one. Finally, he praises Reconstructionist synagogues for their efforts to reconnect the congregations to the environment. They not only to lead them to once again acknowledge its beauty and value, but also introduce them to its problems. He refers to Rabbi Rami Shapiro who takes his congregation’s morning service to a “site connected with endangered species…or environmental crisis.”
ReplyDeleteTo respond to some questions posed, I think an increasing number of Jewish and Christian believers actually are working to preserve nature. The fact that we have not yet seen a massive movement does not mean that they are not paying more attention to the issue and working to improve it. Any significant change, especially within religious traditions, requires time- to accumulate and allocate resources, circulate information, gather participants, assemble organization, and to see the results. I personally know someone currently in college who is studying to become an environmental engineer specifically for this reason. She is a Christian who has decided to use her proficiency in the math and science fields to protect God’s creation; and she is not the only one.
I think this type of article is going to be very helpful when we are searching for sources for our final paper. Not only does the review describe different sources, but it also critics them and points out biases. It is really important when we are searching for sources to realize if the source is biased or not and how to use that in our papers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maryelena that there are Christians and Jewish people who are working hard to preserve the environment. It is unfair to blame the environmental crisis on them without recognizing that there are people trying to fix it. Massive changes in theological thinking take time, and a massive change in thought is going to be what it takes to save the environment. Right now the belief is that man was granted dominion over nature. In order to save nature, that fundamental view needs to be changed, and that takes time.
When first reading the review, I found it to be overwhelming, due to the fact that there were many names and organizations mentioned that I was not particularly familiar with. Nevertheless, Dobbs sufficiently explains the strengths and weaknesses of each of the two works, and the suggested audience for both (those who are concerned with the "earth and/or Judaism"). As Brian stated, one portion which I found interested was the ratio of female authors, and how this reflected the voice of each work in regar to eco-feminism. In regards to the some of the questions, I feel that Jewish traditions, in different aspects, deal with both continuing culture as well as interpretations of sacred texts; the latter is more prevalent than the former, as these traditions have already been established and taught to the masses. Additionally, I feel that all of the religions of the world could come together in theory, but it would be nearly impossible to carry out presently. Unfortunately, politics play a large role in religion today, and it would be extremely difficult for all to agree, simply because of pre-existing prejudices that have nothing to do with the topic itself. On top of this, each different branch of a religion (e.g. Lutherans and Presbyterians, Sunnis and Shiites, Reform and Orthodox, etc.) has a slightly different view of the environment, making it nearly impossible to create a set stance across the board altogether.
ReplyDeleteThis book review was interesting to read because it compared two texts to each other, “Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’Shvat Anthology” and “Ecology & the Jewish Spirit, Where Nature & the Sacred Meet”. Jessica brought up some very interesting questions. However, in regards to our own papers, what are the benefits of reading book reviews of the potential sources you want to use? Does this book review provide sufficient information about the two books and does it give a good insight as to whether or not you could use those books for research?
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of the Jewish faith's dedication to the environment comes not just from biblical stories and tradition, but from their history of persecution. From the babylonian captivity all the way to the Holocaust, the Jewish people have been persecuted by those that don't understand their religion. It was this forced nomadism that I believe inspired an agrarian renaissance when they were finally relocated back to the holy land. Larger scale religions, to answer the initial questions, have other controversies to deal with on a global scale. They must defend themselves before they can defend our soil.
ReplyDeleteWhile the article tied into a lot of what we discussed on Monday I thought that some good points have been raised regarding the cause of this carelessness towards the environment. Personally, I feel that the mistreatment of the environment has a direct correlation to misinterpreting scripture. In thinking about human sacrifice I found myself contemplating the same question as far as how human's prioritize God's creation. In regard to reading book reviews, articles like this will definitely help in compiling other sources and getting other opinions.
ReplyDeletePosted by Helen Gaynor
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on this issue is this: many people are working to preserve the environment, and they all come from different backgrounds and different faiths. In certain religions, like Judaism, environmentalism is a large cultural aspect, but it is not necessarily what the whole religion is based on. There are many aspects of Jewish religious practices and protecting the environment is not the only concern. Religious groups do not need to be expected to protect the environment. People who care about the environment will take an active role in protecting it, and a lot of those people are Jews, Christians, and other faiths. People from different backgrounds do work together, and it's not the specific job of a religious community.
I did like how there were many different sources evaluated, which made the source very legitimate and a good example for how to research and write an essay.
Something I really liked about this review was that it was comparing two texts. It was really helpful in teaching me what to look for for valid support as oppose to just finding a topic to write about in order to make the page requirement. I think it helped me to be more selective when deciding what research to use in my paper, and knowing when a text is bias and how to use that bias.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Jewish religion does have a lot of aspects that do help the environment, although many members of the religion do not practice them. Fasting, saving electricity, and eating kosher are all things that help take care of animals and the environment. I feel as though Christians have less intentions of helping the environment, so as a religion it would be more to blame.
I really liked the way this review was presented and agree with several of Jessica’s points. He mentions that “Jews have loved according to the Rhythms of Nature”, however this environmental awareness in Judaism seems to have just blossomed. I can definitely see how this review would be helpful because it is a summary and comparison, so part of one’s argument could be partially done by mentioning this article. I agree with Bryan in saying I thought it was interesting that he took into account the ratio between female and male authors, in a way it makes the second book more progressive because of the amount of female input. I feel like a large part of Jewish tradition is unintentionally environmental (in the modern take of the phrase) and by following the Jewish dietary habits and certain laws, most Jews are environmentally friendly.
ReplyDeleteBryan highlighted another issue that I found interesting as I was reading Dobb’s review: the comparison between male and female authors. Dobb explains that “only five women contributed to the volume, compared with the eighteen men.” In this instance, is it essential to have a balance in gender opinion? Will women offer a different aspect in regards to the environment because of their stereotypical role as caretakers?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, although nature is a very large thing, it is a small part when it comes to these major religions. Obviously for a religion like scientology, the natural/ecological world has a more prominent role but in these major monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, although preserving nature is no doubt important, their main focus lies on other areas. Other areas include how to live your life and gain a connection with God, etc. It is for this reason that I believe that more of the focus of these religions does not lie in preserving nature. The last question raises an issue of utmost importance. A lyric comes to my mind by the rapper Lupe Fiasco… he quotes in one of his songs “Hijabs, Sunday clothes, yamika, kufi, same mission beneath
ReplyDeleteWe all tryin to get to where the sufferin ends
In front of the Most High bein judged for our sins….
You, every bird, bird and tree, me, her and me
We virtually on the same boat
With the same goats, on the same sea.”
There are a lot of people that are part of these religions that are tolerant of others and can work in harmony but it is the small extremist groups in each religion that rise in the media to make it seem that these religions can’t come to together for a common cause. Even though we all essentially may have the same mission, it is our differences that drive us apart.
I found reading Dobb's review to be really interesting. In my opinion reading third party sources or reviews can provide a lot of insight into a text or a certain situation which can be really helpful when writing our paper. One of my favorite parts of the review was when Dobb remarks on David Seidenberg's calling kabbalah's unity of tree and man. I found the idea really interesting that, "human creatures are patterned after the life of the cosmos," and I think it could provide a lot of context for a paper. Also as we talked about in class his sources are listed at the end of the article which can give more info about certain aspects of his review.
ReplyDeleteI like what Amanda said about massive changes in theological ideas taking a huge amount of time to make, and how it is through those changes will be the best chance at turning out environmental problems around. If we could have same the amount of people who celebrate religions to celebrate the earth in an equal way, most of the major issues we face today would be eradicated. Although this review did cover a lot of new names and references, I still liked how Dobbs was able to draw out the good and bad in both texts and write from a logical standpoint rather than an emotional one.
ReplyDeleteIt can be hard right now to see the line between politics and religion and how these two play into environment, and the idea of bringing everyone together on the same level and just looking at things on a basic level of simply helping the environment could be useful. Right now it seems so hard to draw out the positive information from religions regarding the environment, but hopefully many of these people who practice the religions (especially in the modern day) are willing to step back from the scriptures and make a choice to be part of a green initiative for the earth.
I found this article to be pretty interesting with the way it compared, in the section trees, earth and torahs, the two writings and i also really like the one thing that he said "the notion that for an industry to pollute at all, it must fairly compensate to everyone whom it effects. I also thought the section of contemporary eco-judaism was interesting and how it mentions the "unity of man and tree"
ReplyDeleteI think that Dobb makes a point to say that religions are changing towards more eco centric mentalities-- regardless if they are trying. Everett Gendler cites the "marvelous adaptability of the Jewish ritual tradition." While I cannot say this concretely, I think that there are a multitude of religious rituals that are based off of what can be provided by nature, as many religions find God to have created the products of nature. This inherently makes religion, ritual and nature connected entities in no way mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeletePosted by Courtney Stoddard
ReplyDeleteI would agree with what Hellen said earlier in that religious groups are not expected to protect or maintain the environment and even though most people that care for the environment are religious, the two are not necessarily correlated.I really like the way that Dobb writes and I found that the way he wrote, and how he organized his writing, to be very affective. One thing that really grabbed my attention was Dobb quotes Ellen Cohen saying, "The cycle of rain maps the Jewish year, determining our crops and our holidays and defining our lives" (pg 81). The Jewish calendar, and the lives of the Jewish people are based around the cycle, of rain something that is strictly based off of the environment and something that cannot be controlled. These rain cycles are very important in the cultivation of crops and crops are essential to the peoples survival. Holidays are also a huge part of Jewish tradition and the Jewish faith and since these holidays in a sense are dependent upon the environment it makes sense why the Jewish community would want to treat the environment with the upmost respect. Without the environment the Jewish people would not be able to carryout their holidays and traditions in the way that they feel these thing should be carried out. The Jewish people caring for the environment is their way of making sure that their traditions and religious practices can be carried out properly.
Overal I found this to be an interesting read, going off of what Bryan and jessica said earlier I did find the part where Dobbs compares the writings of the males and females to be an interesting subject since I do believe women and men have very different view points and relationships with the environment so I believe it would be important to have a balance between the number of writings. Before reading all of these essays on like Catholicism, Judaism, ect I never really thought there was much of a relationship between the western religions and the environment. However after reading these essays it is clear that the environment is becoming more of a concern within religions what with catholicisms view on the "common good" or with Eco-Judaism. So overal it has been very interesting to see how these mainstream/western religions are related to the environment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above statements that yes, indeed, many people are working to protect the environment. Yet, the purpose of a religion does not have to be protecting the environment. There are many other aspects – ranging from culture to spirituality that may be intrinsically linked to understanding one’s role in the natural world.
ReplyDeleteEssentially Dobbs points to flaws in Ecology and the Jewish Spirit but maintains that there is no better or broader introduction to the emerging field of eco-Judaism. Dobbs also explains that Trees, Earth and Torah covers similar concepts but in much greater depth. The author argues that the Reconstructionist Movement played a crucial role in early Jewish environmentalism. He concludes that both works deserve to be read by all who are interested in the Earth and/or Judaism. I found the gender comparison to be interesting, where he reflects upon the ratio of female authors and the issue of eco-feminism. This reminded me of some of our Silent Spring interview questions. This may be idealistic, but I really do believe that we are better together (definitely the catch phrase from the Interfaith dinner I attended last night for GW!) and that we share more in common in terms of believing in Supreme Being and preservation of the environment once fully informed.
I found it most interesting that the text brought up the disparity between male and female authors and then explained that the pieces penned by women went more into depth than those penned by men. This seems to be in keeping with the idea that environmentalism is pursued more by women than by men.
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