Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, a new national Jewish organization dedicated to confronting the climate crisis, is preparing to launch in early 2020. Founded by Rabbi Jennie Rosenn in partnership with social justice and environmental leaders in the field, and with nearly a million dollars of seed funding secured, Dayenu will be an intergenerational organization mobilizing the Jewish community to take bold political action and wrestle with the deep questions that surface as we face the climate crisis.  

“Our collective future depends on having all hands on deck to confront the climate crisis, and this includes the Jewish community in all our strength. Dayenu is dedicated to bringing Jewish depth, people power, and political strength to the most critical issue of our time,” said Rabbi Rosenn. 

Reflecting on the organization’s name, Rabbi Rosenn added, “Dayenu! We’ve had enough with the destruction of our world! It also means, we have enough. We have what we need – the resources, science, and innovations – to bring about a livable, sustainable world, so that everyone can have enough.”

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center and Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism said, “This moment requires nothing short of a national engine to build a more powerful, urgently needed, Jewish movement to address the climate crisis. We are grateful that Dayenu is taking the lead!” 

A national organization, Dayenu will also connect and support emerging local efforts across the country. “I am excited by the ways that Dayenu can support and help us advance JCAN-NYC’s local efforts in addressing the climate crisis,” said Ace Leveen, Co-Chair of Jewish Climate Action NYC.

In addition, Dayenu will give Jews and Jewish leaders resources and opportunities to wrestle with what it means to live, lead, parent, and come of age during this time. Rabbi Rosenn notes, “The existential threat facing humanity raises deep existential, psychological, and for some, religious questions and as a Jewish community we need to better support people to grapple with the angst so many of us are feeling.”

By supporting Jews to confront what it means to live in this time of perilous climate crisis and through coordinated, bold activism, Dayenu seeks to ensure that the Jewish community is doing all within its power to bring about a world in which all people can live vibrant, sustainable lives, knowing that the same will be true for generations to come.  

A long-time Jewish social justice leader, Rabbi Rosenn brings an impressive track record to this endeavor. She served on the founding boards of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps and Repair the World. At the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Rabbi Rosenn played a leadership role in building the field of Jewish social justice with the creation of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, the Selah Leadership Training Program, and Just Congregations. She also helped to grow the Israeli environmental movement through the Green Environment Fund. Most recently as a Vice President at HIAS, Rabbi Rosenn was the primary architect of the contemporary Jewish movement for refugees. 

In preparation for its launch in early 2020, Dayenu is building out its strategy and partnerships to ensure the organization is poised to achieve optimal impact, complement existing Jewish environmental organizations and efforts, and play a meaningful role in the growing national climate movement. 

To get involved in 2020 go to dayenu.org.