Tikkun HaYam – Repair the Sea Connects Judaism with Marine Life

Two years ago, Tikkun HaYam – Repair the Sea was created to raise awareness in the Jewish Community to the myriad threats facing the marine environment, and to the innumerable wonders of the Sea. What needs to happen now, is for Jews to get involved. With an environmentalist’s approach to Tikkun Olam, the group understands that we are partners with God in repairing the world, but if we don’t work NOW to Repair the Sea, the rest of the world doesn’t stand a chance.

I had the opportunity to learn about this impactful group through its Founder, Rabbi and CEO, Rabbi Ed Rosenthal.

Rabbi Ed Rosenthal, founder, CEO and Rabbi of Repair the Sea. Photos provided courtesy of RTS.

Why did you start Tikkun HaYam – Repair the Sea?
After 12 years as a pulpit rabbi and 23 years with Hillel, I decided to combine my passion for Judaism and my passion for the Ocean and created Repair the Sea. I didn’t see any organizations in the Jewish environmental space focusing on the aquatic environment. I believe the degradation of the Ocean and the Aquatic Environment is the greatest existential threat facing the planet. I am also unapologetically ethnocentric. I believe that when Jews get involved in an issue, substantive change takes place, and the Jewish Community (collectively) is not involved with this issue. That’s why I created Tikkun HaYam; to raise awareness of this issue and engage Jews to Repair and Restore the Sea.

How did you get interested in working on climate issues?
I don’t see myself as working on climate issues. Since the climate is created by water and the Ocean, I see myself as an Ocean activist.

I’ve always connected with Jewish spirituality through nature. As a pulpit rabbi for 12 years, environmental programs were commonplace. When I went to work for Hillel, I had to find ways to engage Jewish students who wouldn’t normally take part in Hillel programs. As an avid scuba diver, and as a means to engage those uninvolved Jewish students, I created a Jewish Scuba Club called “Scubi Jew.” It was a popular program, but simply to engage Jewish students. It wasn’t until I became the Regional Director for the Hillels in the Tampa Bay Region of Florida, that Scubi Jew became more than an engagement tool. One of our campuses was a small, liberal arts college in St. Petersburg called Eckerd College. Their biggest major is marine biology, but they didn’t have a Hillel on campus. So, I thought Scubi Jew would be a good way to get Hillel started. As it turned out however, the students’ passion for the Ocean was fulfilled through their studies. I needed to find something they weren’t receiving from their academic courses. This led me to do a deep dive (no pun intended) into what Judaism teaches about water and the Ocean. What I learned was mind-blowing. The students responded and Scubi Jew transitioned from being just an engagement tool to a very serious Jewish marine environmental program. Two years ago, I resigned (after 23 years) from Hillel and created Repair the Sea – Tikkun HaYam to take the work of Scubi Jew to the general Jewish community.

How is this connected to your Jewish involvement and identity?
It’s a fundamental part of my Jewish identity, but since focusing on the spirituality of water and the Sea, it has helped me to a more universal understanding of Judaism and all of Creation.

What do you see as the key big issues and actions for the near future where other people can be of help?
In the Jewish environmental community, it seems that the focus is almost entirely on carbon emissions, fossil fuel and “sustainability.” At Tikkun HaYam we don’t focus on boycotts or divestments. Genesis 1:31 says: “And God saw all that was created and behold, it is very good.” There’s no question that carbon emissions need to be cut, but we feel that addressing climate change solely from the perspective of carbon emissions and fossil fuels is like treating a heart attack without addressing diet and exercise. We want to raise awareness to the natural order of creation, that God set in place: Blue Carbon. Through hands-on projects, educational programs and citizen science, all guided by Jewish teachings we believe we can influence personal behaviors to make a difference.

Once you knew you wanted to do something on climate issues, where did you go for resources, mentoring or involvement?
It was difficult. I’ve seen that when it comes to the environment, there are generally three approaches:
o Science
o Conservation
o Faith-Based Environmentalism – This means that virtually every faith-based tradition sees the natural world as having been created by God (or whatever you want to call It) and connects to the Divine through nature.
When it comes to the Marine/Aquatic Environment however, there is Science and Conservation, but almost no Faith-Based Environmental awareness. Tikkun HaYam is the only Jewish environmental organization that focuses solely on water and the marine environment from the perspective of Torah and the Jewish Tradition. With so many challenges facing the global Jewish community today, the environment is not very high on the Jewish communal agenda… and water and the Ocean aren’t even on the radar.

What did you find helpful/successful?
At Tikkun HaYam, we see ourselves as the point of intersection between science and spirituality. Carl Sagan said: “The Notion that science and spirituality are mutually exclusive does a disservice to them both.” So, our work is informed by science but guided by Judaism. What has been particularly helpful has been learning the science of water and the aquatic environment in its many, facets and then finding the connecting points within our tradition. As it says in Pirkei Avot (5:22): בֶּן בַּג בַּג אוֹמֵר, הֲפֹךְ בָּהּ וַהֲפֹךְ בָּהּ, דְּכֹלָּא בָהּ “Ben Bag Bag said: ‘Turn it and turn it again, for everything is in it.’ ” This applies to both science and Torah, and when the two come together, it’s like a hand in a glove; or perhaps more appropriately… like a body and a soul.

There are so many ways to help. How did you pick your “lane” and what is it?
I’m passionate about Judaism, and I’m passionate about the Ocean. When I saw that no one in the Jewish environmental world was working to raise awareness about the threats facing the aquatic environment from a Jewish perspective, it was clear to me what I had to do.

How do you go about doing this?
By working with synagogues, Hillels, Federations, Day Schools, Moishe Houses, summer camps… basically any Jewish (or other faith-based) organizations that are open to our message and are willing to join us in our programs and initiatives.

Do you have partners? Who are they and how did you build your team?
We are fortunate to partner with lots of organizations. In particular, for the Reverse Tashlich we partnered with Moishe House, Repair the World, Masorti Olami, Hillel International, Adamah, Kulanu, the Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance, The Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, EcoOcean, Keep America Beautiful and about 250 individual synagogues. Keep America Beautiful.
On a daily basis however, I am incredibly fortunate to work with a small but passionate team: Shayna Cohen, Josh Keller, Linda Wolf, Erica Allen and Zac Oppenheim. They are the ones who have made the work of Tikkun HaYam a success.

What have been some of your biggest successes?
Our biggest success has been our “Reverse Tashlich.” It began as a Scubi Jew program in 2016 with just 5 students at Eckerd College. I was teaching them about Tashlich and said that we symbolically cast our sins into the water to start the year with a clean heart when one of the students said; “Rabbi, there’s already more than enough human sin in the water. Why don’t we take some of it out instead.” So, to welcome Rosh HaShanah, we organized a waterfront cleanup on campus, and the Reverse Tashlich was born. This year was our 7th Annual Reverse Tashlich which saw thousands of Jews and allies in 30 countries remove debris from waterfront locations where they live as part of their High Holiday observance.
Another success has been our “Blue/Green Initiative” to assist faith-based organizations (all faiths, not just Jewish) to stop utilizing single-use plastic cutlery and moving to more sustainable utensils. To date, we have removed close to a million pieces of single-use plastic cutlery from synagogues, Hillels and churches across North America.
Our local program in Tampa Bay Florida is anchored by our Dive Against Debris program in which members of our local community who are scuba certified remove debris from the St. Petersburg Downtown Reef aboard our service vessel “Ally’s Way.” Ally’s Way is a 34 ft. 1985 SeaRay. This year we completed the conversion of Ally’s Way from gas to fully electric/solar power. To my knowledge this represents the first old boat to undergo such a conversion in the US. We marked this important transition with a “Boat Mitzvah” ceremony. Here’s a bit more about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=412lNrSbpvY

Repair the Sea Kayak Cleanup in Tavernier. Photo courtesy of RTS.

I assume there have been some times when you felt you hit a brick wall. Can you give us an example of that and how you pivoted to do something that worked better?
As a young organization with a mission that many perceive as too niche or simply don’t understand the Jewish connection to the marine environment, it has been difficult to find supporters. With so many challenges facing the global Jewish community, for many the idea of saving the Ocean doesn’t fit into their philanthropic awareness. This, I find unfortunate because I believe the degradation of the marine environment is the greatest existential threat facing not only humanity, but the entire planet. Climate Change is real. If the planet gets hotter it’s going to be very difficult, but we are humans and we’ll adapt. It’s what we do. It won’t be as nice as it is now. It will certainly be more difficult and there probably won’t be as many people around, but we’ll adapt to the new circumstances. However, the Ocean as we know it is dying (actually, humans are killing it); and it’s a simple fact… if the Ocean dies, we all die. Jewish or otherwise, because this planet cannot sustain life with a dead Ocean. Getting that message across to a community that’s facing war and global antisemitism is difficult. How did I pivot to address the challenge? I sleep less and talk to more people. In his book “One Generation After” Elie Wiesel told the following story:
One of the Just Men came to Sodom, determined to save its inhabitants from sin and punishment. Night and day he walked the streets and markets protesting against greed and theft, falsehood and indifference. In the beginning, people listened and smiled ironically. Then they stopped listening; he no longer even amused them. The killers went on killing, the wise kept silent, as if there were no Just Man in their midst.
One day a child, moved by compassion for the unfortunate teacher, approached him with these words: “Poor stranger, you shout, you scream, don’t you see that it is hopeless?”
“Yes, I see,” answered the Just Man.
“Then why do you go on?”
“I’ll tell you why. In the beginning, I thought I could change man. Today, I know I cannot. If I still shout today, if I still scream, it is to prevent man from ultimately changing me.”
I haven’t pivoted. I keep sharing the message with anyone who will listen.

Can you tell us about something that you find exciting about what you are doing and where and how others can help?
I am excited by the number of people who are responding to the Mission and Message of Tikkun HaYam. Hearing stories about how our Reverse Tashlich has helped to raise awareness of our spiritual connection to water, and inspired Jews to make a difference in New York and New Zealand, Georgia (the State) and Georgia (the Country) or from Uganda and Ghana, London England and London, Canada. I’m excited by the thought that our programs are spanning the globe and strengthening the bonds of community and connectedness with purpose between Jews around the world. I find that very exciting.
Others can help by getting their synagogues or organizations to join us for our Reverse Tashlich and our other programs and initiatives. They can sign up for our newsletter to find out about what Tikkun HaYam is doing by going to: www.repairthesea.org

What is your advice for other people who are just getting their start on climate issues?
Follow your passion. Don’t give in to what some call “Climate Anxiety.” Wake up every morning and instead of worrying and being anxious about how bad the environment is, wake up every morning and say מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ יְיָ “How wonderous are your works, O God.” Then go out and educate and engage as many people as you can to celebrate the wonders of Creation. As Jacques Cousteau said: “We protect what we love, we love what we understand, and we understand what we are taught.”

Where should folks begin?
Right where they find their feet, or their fins. There’s an old Chinese saying: “The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The second best time is today.” There are many outstanding Jewish and secular environmental organizations with which people can get involved. Do a Google search and see what speaks to you, but do it today. Don’t wait another 30 years. It might be too late.