Central Ohio’s Jewish community is turning faith into action through sustainability efforts inspired by Jewish teachings – and Laurie Reitman is helping lead the charge.
“This is all over the Torah,” Reitman told the Columbus Jewish News. “Sustainability is found throughout the Torah. The Torah makes it abundantly clear that it is our responsibility to care for the Earth that HaShem entrusted to the people, animals, and the land.”
Reitman’s passion for the environment led her to Adamah, a national organization focused on “cultivating vibrant Jewish life in deep connection with the earth.” After learning about the work Adamah was doing across North America around climate action, Reitman sought to start a “branch” of the organization in Central Ohio. Adamah prefers a more centralized approach to their work though so instead of setting up a branch they asked Reitman to become their first-ever volunteer ambassador, she said.
Understanding that, in order to see real change in the community, she would need some local support, she founded Shmirat Ha’adamah as part of Shalom Alliance of Central Ohio, of which she serves as co-founder and co-director.
The goal of Shmirat Ha’adamah is to “…encourage local institutions and individuals to reduce waste, save energy and educate their communities by providing guidance, resources and hands-on support to implement measurable, meaningful initiatives,” Reitman, who is also a member of the Columbus Jewish News’ 2025 class of 18 Difference Makers, said.
The first step in that process? Simply listening, Reitman added.
Reitman and other members of the organization will sit down with a local synagogue, community organization, or business to discover what they are, and are not, doing for sustainability. With this information, the Shmirat Ha’adamah team can offer a list of climate-friendly changes that can be made. These can range from simple steps that can be taken right away to more involved process changes.
“We’ll then work with them, from wherever they want to start,” Reitman said.
Shmirat Ha’adamah does more than offer suggestions about how an organization can improve their sustainable practices.
“We support them from beginning to end with problem-solving and then through rolling out new practices,” Reitman said. “While some actions require no money, others may require a small upfront cost,” adding any initial costs can be recovered through long-term savings.
Bexley resident Ada Butsko, a student at Upper Arlington High School, was recently named a Youth Ambassador with Adamah.
“Working with Shmirat Ha’adamah, my job is to connect youth in Columbus with the interests and projects of the nonprofit in order to give them opportunities to volunteer and make strides in the sustainability of Jewish institutions,” Ada told the CJN.
Reitman reports that, to date, six Columbus-based Jewish institutions have joined Adamah’s coalition and several others have begun to incorporate sustainable practices under the guidance of Shmirat Ha’Adamah.
Another supporter, Bexley resident Marsha Epstein, told the CJN, “This is important because what we do now will affect generations for years to come.”
And while it can be easy to be overwhelmed by the scale of the need for climate change, Reitman believes it is important for organizations, and individuals, to not be intimidated.
“People may feel powerless to make a difference but in actuality, each person’s actions over time make a big difference,” she said. “Even a 1% change in direction can lead to a whole new path. And together, as a community we can make an even bigger impact.”
Helping organizations adjust to more climate-friendly practices is just one part of the work that Shmirat Ha’adamah is undertaking.
“We want to create a Dayenu Circle,” Reitman said, “Because we realize that in order to truly save our planet from destruction, laws need to change. … We also will be presenting a Call to Action to leaders of the Jewish community in Columbus. We want to call on them to take steps in adopting sustainable practices in their institutions.”
Noell Wolfgram Evans is a freelance journalist.