Testimonials
“Thank you for your inspiring teaching! It hit all the targets I was hoping for: getting students to think through their personal climate impacts, walking us through the science of climate change, and grounding our responsibility in Jewish texts. The energy in the room was palpable and I received great feedback afterwards.”
-Aliyah Vinikoor, LMSW, Associate Dean, List College, and Director of Jewish Professional Leadership, The Jewish Theological Seminary
“Thank you so much for your moving d’var Torah at Temple Emanu-El this past Shabbat. A number of people commented to me on your combination of passion and erudition, and two people volunteered that same evening to participate in our Temple’s ‘Green Team’.”
-Chair of Green Committee, Temple Emanu-El, New Jersey
“Rabbi Neril’s teaching is compelling and relevant to the environmental issues we face today. He beautifully bridges the gap between Jewish tradition and today’s concerns.”
-Rabbi Lawrence Groffman, Temple Sholom of West Essex, Cedar Grove, New Jersey
“One of the best talks I have heard in a long time from a powerful and eloquent speaker. I was captivated from beginning to end by his timely and compelling message coupled with practical and concrete suggestions.”
-Congregant, Congregation Beth Jacob, Oakland, California
“Rabbi Yonatan Neril offers a unique perspective on environmental Judaism. Through a traditional lens, informed by a rich variety of Jewish sources, Rabbi Neril presents a unique Jewish environmental ethic–when the natural world is at stake, the very moral and spiritual fabric of every person is at stake as well. Jewish environmentalism is not only concerned with our relationship with the world, it is primarily worried about our relationship with G-d.”
-Rabbi Yonatan Cohen, Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley, California
“He spoke with great poise and rapport. Congregants were attentive, engaged, and inspired. Rabbi Neril’s Jewish Eco Seminar put a spiritual foundation to the challenges we face with the environment.”
-Larry Steinman, past president, Temple Sholom of West Essex, Cedar Grove, New Jersey
“Rabbi Neril spoke articulately and passionately about Jewish tradition and concern for the environment, bringing authentic traditional sources to bear on these very pertinent modern concerns.”
-Community Rabbi, California
“I enjoyed this class a lot and [it] was very informative. I never knew there was so much to learn from the Torah about the environment and the connections between the two shaped my knowledge and beliefs significantly. I am thankful for everything I got out of this class and thank you Yonatan for teaching it!” – Young Judea Year Course