EcoJudaism honours five synagogues with top sustainability award

Five synagogues from across the UK have been recognised for their environmental leadership at EcoJudaism’s annual community awards, with organisers using the event to unveil plans for an ambitious new nature restoration project in north-west London.

The awards, held on Sunday, celebrated Jewish schools, synagogues and partner organisations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

One attendee described the event as: “This is possibly the most exciting and positive thing happening in the community right now.”

The highest recognition, EcoJudaism’s Gold Level award under its Sustainability Action Plan, was presented to five synagogue green teams from Edinburgh, Edgware, Hatch End, Newcastle and Oxford.

The winning communities were recognised for a wide range of projects, including orchard planting, wildlife habitats, community gardening schemes, carbon reduction initiatives and efforts to eliminate single-use plastics.

Among the recipients was Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation, which created both an orchard and a biblical garden within its synagogue grounds while opening the space to educational and interfaith visitors.

Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue was recognised for becoming completely disposable-free, alongside its environmental education activities for children and families.

Kol Chai Reform Jewish Community in Hatch End received praise for creating a vertical garden and wildlife habitats despite having limited outdoor space. The congregation has also become EcoJudaism’s first carbon-neutral synagogue.

Newcastle Reform Synagogue was honoured for integrating environmental themes into Jewish festival celebrations and involving members of all ages in its sustainability work.

Oxford Jewish Congregation was recognised for maintaining the Cumnor Hurst Community Orchard, home to dozens of rare fruit varieties, and for operating a refill station designed to reduce reliance on single-use plastics.

Rimon Jewish Primary School received EcoJudaism’s Pioneer Award for becoming the first school to pilot the organisation’s Jewish Environmental Education Project, which has since expanded to 25 Jewish primary schools across the country.

JCoSS and Alama Primary School were presented with a Junior Advocacy Award for their role in the community’s Kol for Climate vigil linked to COP30.

Partnership awards were also presented to PaJeS, UnitEd and Friends of Childs Hill Park in recognition of their support for environmental projects within the Jewish community.

The event featured a conversation between Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and conservationist and author Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, who discussed the role nature restoration can play in supporting both personal and communal wellbeing.

EcoJudaism also used the gathering to announce plans for its latest environmental initiative: transforming the Brent Cross Flyover area into a large-scale rain garden designed to boost biodiversity and create a significant new green space in the heart of the capital’s Jewish community.