Hoosier Jews Till & Tend the Earth: Conserving Energy in Our Homes and Synagogues A Statewide Initiative

What Kehillot across Indiana Will Do Reduce energy use in synagogue by at least 25% from their base year usage Engage a third of their households to reduce use by a seventh relative to an average Hoosier household

Achievable? Quite! SIX HOOSIER CONGREGATIONSBeth Shalom ECCSTLCTECUUBUUCIAVG. House of Worship Electricity reduced23%34%35%17%25%47%29% Nat. gas reduced35%28%1%17%16%43%37% Households Total number % have met goal35%33% TBD34%53%34% Average reduction22%28%22%TBD30% 26% 3

How do we reduce use by 25% to 40%? Cut out waste. Heat, cool, & light people - not empty spaces Plug holes in exterior of building & insulate Invest in technologies that use less energy: – Automatic controls: turn items off when not in use – Cost-effective lighting – When replacing HVAC units, boilers, & fridges

Monroe County Schools reduced their energy use by 35% almost solely by setting back their thermostats! For example,

Achieving the Household Goal is Easy Quick simple survey to document achievement Sample household energy conservation pledge Info sheets & posters provide guidance Many households will already have met the goal Builds kehilla Synagogue youth weatherizing a retiree’s home

How will the Hoosier Jews Till & Tend team help us succeed? Energy conservation tools & technical support Guidance to mobilize our kehillot Individual support from a team member Peer support from other synagogue teams Simple accessible tools to measure progress

Hoosier Jews Till & Tend Tools

The benefits are many... Lower utility bills for synagogue & households Caring for creation together builds kehilla Serve as a model for Jews nationally & for Hoosiers Fun and joyful Will attract major media attention

Hamish Chanuka Kick-Off “We’ll heal our Earth as worship of the Lord!” (a playful rendition of Adon Olam) Dedication of solar panels Youth caulking retirees’ homes Board weatherizing each other’s homes Till & Tend bulletin boardSelling CFLs Training youth energy team What it can look like... building kehilla