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Jewish schoolchildren joined rabbis and community leaders outside Parliament to demand tougher action on climate change, signing a letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging the government to do more to protect future generations.
Dozens gathered in Parliament Square on Monday for EcoJudaism’s third annual Kol for Climate vigil, held during the COP31 international climate summit.
Pupils from three Jewish schools took centre stage, sharing poems, artwork and performances about their hopes and fears for the planet they will inherit.
The event brought together Jewish faith leaders, including Rabbis Charley Baginsky, Jonathan Wittenberg and Elchonon Feldman, alongside educators, environmental experts and representatives of other faiths.
Organised around the Hebrew phrase l’dor vador, meaning “from generation to generation”, the gathering focused on the Jewish duty to protect the natural world for children and grandchildren.
In a keynote speech, Dame Tamara Finkelstein called on politicians to turn their climate promises into action.
“So here today, as we gather as an EcoJudaism community, we make this offer to our Parliament, our government, our representatives and our negotiators. Play a part in closing the gap between promise and reality, and together we can build a better world.”
The vigil also featured a performance of the Jewish song Etz Chayim Hi, meaning “it is a tree of life”, before ending with the traditional blowing of the shofar.
Speakers drew on a teaching from Pirkei Avot, a collection of Jewish ethical teachings: “It is not your duty to finish the task, but neither are you free to desist from it.”
After the gathering, participants attended a reception at the House of Lords, where they discussed Jewish teachings on responsibility to future generations and ways to put them into practice.
Schoolchildren, rabbis and other attendees signed a joint letter calling on Burnham to ensure the public understands the dangers of climate change and the loss of wildlife and natural habitats.
The letter is due to be delivered to Downing Street ahead of a parliamentary debate on a proposed National Emergency Briefing about the climate and nature crisis.
Organisers hope the appeal will encourage ministers to match their environmental promises with practical measures, while showing that the Jewish community has a role to play in tackling the crisis.
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