Sponsored by the David, Ursula, & Adina Michaeli Memorial Education Fund at Shaare Zedek

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Congregation Shaare Zedek welcomes Rabbi Tamir Nir, former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, on the second day of Sukkot -- a holiday grounded in agriculture and ecology -- to share about his work building a more sustainable Jerusalem. Rabbi Nir's projects have included the promotion of smart and sustainable transportation in Jerusalem, include bike rentals, bicycle trails, public transportation, collaborative vehicles, alternative energy, low emission zones, rehabilitation, and the development of roads in East Jerusalem. He has also advanced a variety of initiatives in the public space, including community gardens, seating spaces, rain water collection basins, and urban nature sites.

Shabbat morning services begin at 9:30 am, and children's services start at 11:00 am. Rabbi Nir will give a d'var Torah just after the Torah service. Kiddush lunch will follow in the shul's sukkah, around noon.  Please be advised that seating is extremely limited. Rabbi Nir's talk will begin around 1:00 pm in our downstairs social hall.

Rabbi Tamir Nir recently completed his term as Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem from the Yerushalmim Party, and his responsibilities included the transportation, environment, and conservation portfolios. Previously, he was a member of the Jerusalem City Council. Rabbi Nir has worked continuously in education in formal and informal settings. He was responsible for creating the Yeled Teva (Nature Child) Project, which focuses on the connection between Jewish sources and ecology, with the goal of fostering in children a sense of responsibility to the environment.  He founded an environmental-spiritual havurah in Beit HaKerem in Jerusalem, called Kehilat Achva B'kerem, which is committed to improving the quality of life for families living in urban settings. They have created a community garden for growing vegetables, ongoing Torah study, cultural events, and social action projects. Rabbi Nir is a strong advocate for religious freedom, especially for non-orthodox expressions of Judaism, addressing causes that promote egalitarian forms of Jewish life and ritual.

Born in 1967 to a Sephardic family, Rabbi Nir grew up in Jerusalem and is a graduate of a religious high school and the Bezalel Academy of Arts, where he studied architecture and landscape planning, with a focus on the implications of the environment on architecture and the design of living space, as influenced by place, climate, light, and many other variables. He is a graduate of the Kolot Leadership program and received rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He serves as a guest lecturer on Jewish ecology for the Schechter Institutes in Jerusalem. Rabbi Nir is married with three children.

PLEASE REGISTER FOR RABBI NIR'S TALK:

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