Like to cool the planet, reduce waste, and improve health with one simple act? Carry a refillable container for water and participate in the mitzvah of healing the world.

To encourage our awareness of what’s best for ourselves and the planet, the Temple has installed an Elkay water filter and dispenser outside the main bathrooms. It not only provides great tasting water, it tracks the number of 20-ounce water bottles avoided by its use. 

And waste reduction is key! We are the generation that is taking responsibility for ensuring that we don't continue on the path of careless use of the bounties of the earth. Disposable plastic bottles are filling our landfills and polluting our seas. Here are a few facts:

• 1 million plastic bottles are purchased in the US every minute
• 8 million tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every 12 months
• 1,500 plastic bottles are thrown away every second of every day
• 91% of the world’s plastic bottles are not recycled
• It can take up to 300 years for a bottle to fragment, and after it does it still never disappears



The Jewish value of bal tashchit (do not destroy - Devarim 20:19) leaps off the Torah scroll in regards to trees and morphs through the generations to instill valuable lessons regarding our relationship with the more than human world. Using refillable containers and water bottles helps cultivate a mitzvah consciousness as we appreciate the precious gifts our planet’s unique life systems offer.

So bring your reusable container, whether fancy or plain, and enjoy the delicious taste of clean water while reducing our use of plastic and building our community’s environmental mitzvah capacity.