LOS ANGELES, Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Jewish Solar Challenge (JSC) is excited to announce the winners of its 2024 grant cycle. Seven Jewish organizations worldwide will be awarded money for the purchase and installation of solar panels and solar batteries.
This year’s grantees include four temples, one camp, one Hillel, one community center and an international nonprofit.:
- Temple Emanu El, a temple and early childhood center in Burbank, CA
- Beth El Congregation of South Hills, a synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA
- Hillel at the University of California, Los Angeles
- Tikvah Chadasha, a nonprofit focused on women and children with disabilities in Eastern Uganda
- Valley Beth Shalom, a synagogue in Encino, CA
- Camp Jori, a summer camp in South Kingstown, RI
- Hamakom Synagogue in West Hills, CA
“We are honored to award grants to such an incredible and diverse range of organizations this year,” said Jewish Solar Challenge Founder Mitchell Schwartz. “These grantees exemplify our mission by demonstrating a deep commitment to sustainability that extends beyond the institution and into the greater community.”
The announcement of the grant winners corresponds with Hanukkah, often called The Festival of Lights. The Hanukkah story tells of the Maccabees recapturing the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem from the Seleucid Greek Empire. When the Maccabees rededicated the temple, they found only enough oil to light the menorah for one day, but miraculously the oil burned for eight days.
“In many ways, Jewish values coincide with environmental issues and of being stewards of the land which God has given us, given to the people for future generations,” said JSC Board Member Miriam Prum Hess. “Through the gift of solar panels, we embody these values and the story of Hanukkah, by bringing the miracle of the sun, the light that doesn’t go out, to communities in a sustainable and impactful way.”
During this grant cycle, JSC is awarding a total of $318,000, and five of the seven organizations will receive the maximum matching grant of $50,000. This brings the total amount awarded for solar panels to nearly $1 million since the Jewish Solar Challenge launched two years ago. Additional funds for winners were made possible by a $2,500 grant from the Jewish Community Foundation.
JSC chose winners based not only on their commitment to solar but other sustainability measures, as well.
"It is our responsibility, as Jewish people, to honor, respect, and care for our natural resources for the living and the future generations,” said Paula Russell, president of Hamakom Synagogue. “Hamakom is committed to this responsibility, and we have taken action through native landscaping, water filling stations, reusable food wares, and now solar energy to turn this responsibility into a reality.”
Limor Zimskind, immediate past president and membership chair of Temple Emanu El, said the upfront cost of solar is prohibitive for many nonprofits, but the JSC grant makes it possible. “We live in Southern California – all we have is sunlight. It makes sense to harness it. Our utilities bills are high. We run a preschool, and when it’s over 100 degrees, we can’t turn the AC off. It will be incredible to see not only the environmental impacts of going solar but the cost savings, as well.”
Schwartz started the JSC with a dream of adding solar panels to every Jewish organization in North America. While past winners were located in California, this year's grantees include organizations on the East Coast of the United States and in Africa.
The grant will be monumental for Tikvah Chadasha, an organization that supports the Jewish community of Nasenyi Village in Eastern Uganda, according to Founder and Director Shoshana McKinney. During Rosh Hashanah services this year, the village lost power. While they tried to continue evening prayers lit only by candlelight and cell phone flashlights, McKinney realized that the people of Nasenyi Village should not remain in the dark.
“The synagogue should be a place of Torah, of light, wisdom and ability,” she said. “In Judaism, Torah is the spiritual light, but a synagogue needs a physical light as well to serve the community.”
A few days after Rosh Hashanah, McKinney received an email about the Jewish Solar Challenge grant application. “The email was a miracle, like the light of heaven shining through a window,” McKinney said. “This grant is a turning point for the community. We have lightbulbs, but we haven’t been able to have services or Shabbat at night. This grant doesn’t just allow us to have light, but also a thriving community”.
Organizations interested in learning more about the Jewish Solar Challenge can find additional information at www.jewishsolarchallenge.com.
ABOUT JEWISH SOLAR CHALLENGE: Jewish Solar Challenge (JSC) is a nonprofit organization that addresses the climate crisis by facilitating the fiscal and environmental sustainability of Jewish community institutions through solar. JSC provides financial support for solar panel installation and supports the training, education and advocacy of community members.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/afe176fb-8bf0-483e-9ede-fdae330822cc
