Jeremy Benstein

Jeremy Benstein is the fellowship director of the Abraham Joshua Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership in Tel Aviv.


Articles by Jeremy Benstein

Biodiversity is God’s Glory

The Bible portrays 'the earth and the fullness thereof' as the stuff of the divine presence. Diminishing biodiversity, then, diminishes God's glory.

Shabbat & Nature

The conundrum of Shabbat observance and environmental damage.

Genetic Engineering: A Call for Restraint

A biblical prohibition against mixing species teaches us that we are partners in creation -- but with limits

Advertising and the Tenth Commandment

Advertising deals in dissatisfaction, argues one environmental activist. We buy to cure deficiencies that ads mercilessly invent, encouraging us to covet what others have.

Stop the Machine! — The Sabbatical Year Principle

The biblical shemitah represents an alternative to the consumer society.

Urbanization and Land Use: A Biblical Model

The design of the Levites’ urban settlements featured open spaces and regional integration.

Humans as Guests in God’s World

A talmudic metaphor teaches that human beings are responsible for ensuring that the world achieves global environmental sustainability.

The Earth’s Reward: Enjoy Its Fruit, but Protect Its Fruitfulness

The Torah teaches us to value human life -- as part of a sustainable world.