Ellen Bernstein

{{Short description|American rabbi and ecotheologian (1953–2024)}}

{{Infobox person

|name = Ellen Bernstein

|image =

|caption =

|birth_name = Ellen Sue Bernstein

|birth_date = {{birth date|1953|7|22|}}

|birth_place = Newburyport, Massachusetts, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|2024|2|27|1953|7|22}}

|death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|years_active=

|occupation = Ecotheologian, writer, educator

|education = University of California, Berkeley (BS)
Hebrew College (MA)
Academy for Jewish Religion (New York)

|website = {{url|https://www.ellenbernstein.org/}}

}}

Ellen Sue Bernstein (July 22, 1953 – February 27, 2024) was an American rabbi, author, and educator. She has been called the "birthmother of Jewish environmentalism"{{Cite news|url=https://www.jta.org/2024/02/29/obituaries/remembering-ellen-bernstein-70-the-birth-mother-of-jewish-environmentalism|title=Remembering Ellen Bernstein, 70, the 'birthmother' of Jewish environmentalism|first=Shira|last=Dicker|date=February 29, 2024|publisher=Jewish Telegraphic Agency}} and a prominent figure in the world of religion and ecology.{{cite interview |url=https://fore.yale.edu/blogs/entry/1654586300 |title=Ellen Bernstein: Rabbi, Author, and Ecotheologian |interviewer=Sam Mickey |publisher=Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology |date=June 6, 2022 }} Bernstein's work focused on how the Bible and Judaism provide a guide for connecting with and healing the Earth.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/science/rabbi-ellen-bernstein-dead.html|title=Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, Who Saw Ecology as God's Work, Dies at 70|first=Sam|last=Roberts|date=March 5, 2024|work=The New York Times}}

Early life and education

Bernstein was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to Etta (Feigenbaum) Bernstein and Fred Bernstein, and was raised in Haverhill alongside her sister and brother. She became interested in environmental science in high school. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied at one of the first environmental science programs in the country.

Later in life, she also attended San Francisco State University and earned two master's degrees: one in biology, from Southern Oregon State University, and one in Jewish education, from Hebrew College.

Adult life and impact

Bernstein eschewed terms like "Jewish environmentalism" because she felt they implied Judaism was not inherently ecologically based.{{Cite web|url=https://jewcology.org/2024/02/rabbi-ellen-bernstein-70-mother-of-the-jewish-environmental-movement/ |title=Rabbi Ellen Bernstein, 70, Mother of the Jewish-Environmental Movement |first=David |last=Krantz |date=February 27, 2024|website=jewcology.org}} She also worked across religious denominations, writing that "religious and spiritual communities can be vitally important in organizing, inspiring, and sustaining individuals in the repair of the world."{{Cite web|url=https://dayenu.org/media/on-the-passing-of-ellen-bernstein-founding-mother-of-the-jewish-environmental-movement/ |title=On the Passing of Ellen Bernstein, a Founding Mother of the Jewish Environmental Movement |first1=Jennie |last1=Rosenn| first2=Nati |last2=Passow |date=March 4, 2024 |website=Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action}} Bernstein emphasized that science alone would not inspire people to care for the world, but believed that people would save what they love. During the last twenty years of her life she worked on animating the ecological dimensions of the Bible.{{Cite web |url=https://www.forewordreviews.com/articles/article/a-few-minutes-with-ellen-bernstein-author-of-toward-a-holy-ecology-reading-the-song-of-songs-in-the-age-of-climate-crisis/ |title=A Few Minutes with Ellen Bernstein, Author of 'Toward a Holy Ecology: Reading the Song of Songs in the Age of Climate Crisis'|first=Kristen |last=Rabe |date=February 16, 2024 |website=Foreword Reviews}}

In 1988, Bernstein founded Shomrei Adamah, a Jewish environmentalist organization. She was ordained as a rabbi in 2012 by the Academy for Jewish Religion. She worked as advisor for identity and praxis at Hampshire College from 2016 to 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hampshire.edu/news/hampshire-mourns-loss-former-spiritual-life-advisor-and-environmentalist-ellen-bernstein|title=Hampshire Mourns the Loss of Former Spiritual Life Advisor and Environmentalist Ellen Bernstein|date=March 12, 2024|publisher=Hampshire College}} In 2023, she spoke at the United Nations General Assembly on the role of women in responding to climate change.

Writings

Bernstein's writings bring together themes in Judaism and ecology. Her two final books were The Promise of the Land: A Passover Haggadah (2020),{{Cite web |url=https://www.tikkun.org/review-of-ellen-bernsteins/ |title=Review: The Promise of the Land, A Passover Haggadah by Ellen Bernstein|first=Jonathan |last=Seidel |website=Tikkun |date=March 18, 2020 }} which guides Seder attendees to feel more connected to the Earth and its well-being,{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2020/04/08/passover-seder-virtual |title=Virtual or Not, a Passover Seder for the Earth |magazine=Yes! |date=April 8, 2020}}{{Cite magazine |url=https://lilith.org/2021/03/the-earth-is-the-heart-of-our-lives/ |title=The Earth Is the Heart of Our Lives |magazine=Lilith |last=Silver-Willner |first=Arielle |date=March 25, 2021}} and Toward a Holy Ecology: Reading the Song of Songs in the Age of Climate Crisis (2024), an ecological analysis of the Song of Songs,{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-bernstein/toward-a-holy-ecology/|title=A well-researched and engaging exploration of a classic text through an ecological lens|website=Kirkus Reviews |date=February 24, 2024}} with a foreword by Bill McKibben.

=Books=

{{cite book |author=Ellen Bernstein |title=Ecology & the Jewish Spirit: Where Nature & the Sacred Meet |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=d8qvQcZeAv4C |year= 2000 |publisher=Jewish Lights Publishing |isbn=9781580230827 |ref=no}}
{{cite book |author=Ellen Bernstein |title=The Splendor of Creation: A Biblical Ecology | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XUBEjwEACAAJ |year=2005 |publisher=Pilgrim Press |isbn=9780829816648 |ref=no}}
{{cite book |author=Ellen Bernstein |title=The Promise of the Land: A Passover Haggadah |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xFFSswEACAAJ |year=2020 |publisher=Behrman House |isbn=9780874419795 |ref=no}}
{{cite book |author=Ellen Bernstein |title=Toward a Holy Ecology: Reading the Song of Songs in the Age of Climate Crisis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BfzuEAAAQBAJ |year=2024 |publisher=Monkfish Book Publishing |isbn=9781958972199 |ref=no}}

=Selected articles=

{{cite web |url=http://www.zeek.net/710ecology/ | title=Creating a Sustainable Jewish Ecology |website=Zeek |date=October 7, 2007 |access-date=March 13, 2024}}
{{cite web |url=https://forward.com/opinion/194611/the-spiritual-advisor-students-need-hint-its-not/ | title=The Spiritual Advisor Students Need (Hint: It's Not Campus Rabbi Anymore) |website=The Forward |date=March 22, 2014}}
{{cite web |url= https://religionnews.com/2020/04/01/the-seders-secrets-to-surviving-a-pandemic/ | title=The Seder's secrets to enduring a pandemic |publisher=Religion News Service |date=April 1, 2020}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.tikkun.org/judaisms-saddest-day/ | title=Judaism's Saddest Day |website=Tikkun |date=July 16, 2021}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.tikkun.org/the-bible-does-not-validate-the-environment/ | title=The Bible Does Not Validate Endless Exploitation and Domination of the Environment |website=Tikkun |date=September 27, 2021}}
{{cite web|url=https://religionnews.com/2023/09/19/love-and-compassion-how-women-can-address-the-climate-crisis/ | title=Love and compassion: How women can address the climate crisis |publisher=Religion News Service |date=September 19, 2023}}