Call To Integrate Energy Responsibility Into Modern Halakha Gains Attention

JERUSALEM — In 1978, between my junior and senior years at Rutgers University, my first trip to Israel began with an unexpected lesson.

My flight was delayed, and by the time I arrived in Jerusalem, I had missed the check-in cutoff at the youth hostel. In those days, if you did not arrive by 10 p.m., you could not get in until the next day. After nearly 48 hours of travel, I was exhausted and badly in need of a shower.

Curious about the unusually high temperature of the water, I asked the young man at the front desk who controls the hot water.

In a deep voice he answered, “God controls the hot water,” as he pointed upward.

He then took me outside and showed me the roof, where a bank of solar hot water panels with storage tanks had been absorbing the sun’s energy all day.

As I continued traveling throughout Israel, I began noticing the same sight everywhere. Rooftops across the country were lined with solar systems. What first surprised me quickly became normal. Israel had already made solar energy part of everyday life.

That moment stayed with me. It demonstrated that energy choices are not only economic decisions, but strategic decisions, and ultimately ethical ones as well.

I am therefore making a proposal to the Reform Jewish community. As a fourth-generation Reform Jew, I am calling upon Reform leadership, particularly the Central Conference of American Rabbis, to begin a serious conversation about whether reducing our dependence on fossil fuels should be considered part of modern halakha.

Jewish tradition has long interpreted timeless principles in light of changing realities. Much of halakha developed after dispersion, when Jewish communities adapted in order to preserve identity and continuity in different environments.

Today, we face another new reality.

Reducing dependence on fossil fuels is often discussed in political or environmental terms, yet it also aligns with longstanding Jewish values: preservation of life, responsibility for future generations, stewardship of the earth, and the obligation to use resources wisely.

Jewish teaching includes the principle of bal tashchit, the prohibition against needless waste or destruction. Avoiding unnecessary waste and protecting the conditions that allow human civilization to flourish are principles deeply consistent with Jewish moral tradition.

Reducing dependence on fossil fuels produces benefits beyond environmental considerations. A world less dependent on oil is less vulnerable to instability in regions where oil production has historically been concentrated. When global economic stability is tied to narrow geographic chokepoints, conflict in those regions reverberates worldwide.

Diversified energy sources reduce the strategic leverage of regimes that rely on global dependence upon fossil fuels as a political tool.

For Israel, energy diversification has already produced meaningful benefits. Investments in solar energy, desalination, agricultural efficiency, and technological innovation have strengthened economic resilience and reduced vulnerabilities that once constrained strategic flexibility.

The broader transition toward diversified energy sources may contribute to greater long-term stability in regions historically shaped by competition over fossil fuel resources.

We need not wait for formal rabbinical consensus. Jewish tradition evolves through both communal leadership and individual responsibility. Each of us can begin now, choosing actions that reflect what is right for ourselves, our families, l’dor v’dor, and for Israel.

Reducing unnecessary dependence on fossil fuels can be viewed as a personal halakha — a modern expression of Jewish ethical responsibility.

Not every step is appropriate for every person. The guiding principle is simple: where practical and financially reasonable, consider choices that reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Many of these choices also make economic sense by lowering long-term energy costs.

Hybrid vehicles represent an improvement over traditional gasoline-powered cars, but they still rely on combustion engines and maintain two separate drive systems. Having owned one, I found that while hybrids reduce gasoline consumption, they still use fuel and do not eliminate exposure to oil price volatility.

Fully electric vehicles eliminate gasoline consumption entirely. After more than 75,000 miles driving my 2021 Tesla Model 3, I can attest that electric vehicles are practical, reliable, and increasingly economical in everyday use.

Some observers question whether electric vehicles simply shift emissions from the tailpipe to the power plant. Even when electricity is generated from coal, the overall carbon output required to move an electric vehicle the same distance is dramatically lower than that of a gasoline-powered combustion engine due to the much higher efficiency of electric motors. Estimates indicate emissions associated with charging an electric vehicle from coal-generated electricity can be less than 10% of the carbon output produced by a comparable gasoline vehicle traveling the same distance. When electricity is generated from natural gas, emissions may fall to less than 5%. When electricity comes from hydroelectric, solar, or wind sources, emissions are typically under 2%, and when solar power is generated directly at the home, the carbon impact may be reduced even further.

Electric vehicle owners also experience insulation from price increases at the gas pump. When gasoline prices rise due to geopolitical instability, EV drivers are largely unaffected.

Efficiency improvements extend beyond transportation. Homes, businesses, and industries increasingly reduce energy consumption through improved design, materials, and technology. Wind and solar energy continue expanding as practical electricity sources.

Diversification and conservation both play important roles. Individuals can improve efficiency through personal decisions, while citizens can support private sector innovation and public policies encouraging diversified energy sources. Reducing dependence on fossil fuels addresses environmental concerns while also reducing geopolitical vulnerabilities associated with concentrated oil production.

Individual decisions, multiplied across millions of households and businesses, influence markets and gradually reduce global dependence on fossil fuels.

Recent events in the Middle East again demonstrate how heavily global political and economic stability depends on oil.

Reducing that dependence produces meaningful benefits across economic, geopolitical, environmental, and ethical dimensions.

The wins are clear:

• lower long-term energy costs for households and businesses
• reduced exposure to oil price volatility
• increased economic stability
• reduced geopolitical leverage held by hostile regimes
• decreased global tension tied to fossil fuel dependency
• technological innovation and expanded economic opportunity
• environmental stewardship consistent with bal tashchit
• creating a better future for future generations, l’dor v’dor

Better for you
Better for America
Better for the world
Better for Israel

We can begin individually, thoughtfully, and responsibly.

Reducing unnecessary dependence on fossil fuels may reasonably be understood as part of modern halakha.