by Robyn Miller-Tarnoff
If life is a journey, I’ve been on a green trail. When I was growing up, I didn’t know anyone who ate a plant-based diet, composted their food scraps, had solar panels, or participated in environmental protests. Today, I do all of those things, and the change is due in no small part to my involvement with the Temple Sinai Green Team.
For the last seven years, I’ve had the privilege of serving, alongside my wonderful co-leader Regina Ziegler, as chair of the Green Team. It all started in 2015 when the Temple organized a series of member meet-ups. At the environmental meet-up, Temple Sinai Executive Director Ellen Agler discussed her efforts to install solar panels on the temple roof. Those of us who attended were excited about the solar project and wanted to use it as a springboard for other types of environmental action. We decided to form a committee, and with Ellen’s support and encouragement, the small and mighty Temple Sinai Green Team was born.
The first project the Green Team tackled was forming a residential solar co-op. Launched in collaboration with DC SUN (now Solar United Neighbors), the Temple Sinai Co-op helped 55 households, including temple members, friends, and neighbors, go solar.
Another Green Team initiative was planning an annual green Shabbat program, followed by a festive vegetarian dinner, on Tu BiShvat, a holiday known as “the new year of the trees.” We also hosted a guided boat tour of the Anacostia River, as well as myriad speakers on environmental topics. In 2019, with the help of Lois Schiffer, we organized a program where the attorneys general of Maryland and DC spoke about their efforts to fight for environmental justice through the legal system.
Another important Green Team initiative was hiring a landscape architect to develop an environmentally focused landscaping and stormwater management plan for the temple grounds. That project informed the current landscaping plans underway through the Capitol Campaign.
To be honest, my journey with the Green Team hasn’t always been smooth. Given the existential threat of climate change and the seriousness of other environmental challenges we face, there have been times when I felt frustrated by the lack of attention to the environment at Temple Sinai compared to other faith organizations in our area.
Nevertheless, I’ve continually learned and felt inspired by my fellow Green Team members, such as Kit Gage, a master gardener who educates people about the power of native plants. We are truly blessed to have so many knowledgeable and dedicated congregants working – sometimes through their day jobs and sometimes on a volunteer basis – to protect the planet!
Recently, Regina and I decided that it was time to pass the reigns of the Green Team to a new set of leaders. While we are committed to staying involved through the new Green Team Steering Committee, we are excited about the energy, insights, and fresh ideas that incoming Co-Chairs Liz Feldman and Sarah Barr Engle will bring. I hope that their journeys with the Green Team will be as meaningful and fulfilling as mine.
