Are you worried about the climate crisis? Do you wonder how to make sense of it and how to respond to a challenge that can feel overwhelming? Spiritual practices and perspectives can provide us with wisdom and solace, helping us to take bold, effective action.

Join us on December 5th (7-8 pm) at The Red Barn at Hampshire College for a moderated discussion with two local spiritual leaders and authors whose important work connects the land, climate change, and spiritual practice. The evening’s conversation will feature each of their new books, revealing the intersection of the outer and inner landscapes of our lives.

Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis, co-edited by Margaret Bullitt-Jonas and Leah D. Schade, features 21 essays by a wide range of individuals–scientists, scholars, faith leaders, and activists–who write about their sources of strength, wisdom, and hope as they grapple with the climate crisis. The book includes study questions and spiritual practices, making it an excellent choice not only for individual reflection, but also for study groups and classes.

Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas is an author, Episcopal priest, and climate activist. She serves as Missioner for Creation Care for both the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ.

The Promise of the Land: A Passover Haggadah by Ellen Bernstein is a retelling of Judaism’s central narrative from an ecological perspective. Retrieving text that was left on the cutting room floor 2000 years ago, Bernstein maintains that the Jewish origin story is deeply rooted in the land, and that freedom is only possible when we have a relationship with a land – the land that we belong to, wherever we live.

Rabbi Ellen Bernstein founded the first national Jewish environmental organization, Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth, in 1988, and has been thinking and writing about the ecological dimensions of the Bible and Judaism ever since. Her books include Ecology & the Jewish Spirit, The Splendor of Creation, and The New Year for the Trees. She is rabbi and spiritual advisor at Hampshire College.

Together, their wise voices and words welcome readers and listeners of all backgrounds. The discussion will be moderated by Rabbi Benjamin Weiner, Jewish Community of Amherst. A portion of book sales at this event will be donated to Kestrel Land Trust.

This event is co-sponsored by Spiritual Life at Hampshire. Free and open to the public. Registration is appreciated to help us alert you in the event of weather-related cancellation.