The Jewish Environmental Initiative (JEI), a committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council, will hold two events to mark the week Parashat Noah is read. Both are in conjunction with Project Noah: A Week for the Environment, taking place Oct. 16-23 this year (Shabbat Noach is on Oct. 17 this year).   The two upcoming events are:  

• JEI Open Meeting: On Thursday, Oct. 8 (the week prior to Project Noah), the community is invited to learn more about the work of JEI and to hear guest speaker Melissa Vatterott of Missouri Coalition for the Environment speak on issues related to local food and farming.  Participants will learn what they can do to promote the “eating local and organic” movement in St. Louis. RSVP for the time or other details. 

• Project Noah Community Event: At 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, the community is invited to join JEI at a Jewish community gardening event at the Jewish Community Center’s Garden of Eden, located on the grounds of the Arts & Education Building, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. Rabbi Randy Fleisher of Central Reform Congregation and a past chair of JEI will lead a short opening service. No prior experience with gardening is needed. Participants are asked to wear closed-toe shoes, to dress appropriately for outdoor work and to wear a hat.    

For more information about Project Noah or to RSVP to the Oct. 8 and Oct. 18 events, contact Gail Wechsler at [email protected] or 314-442-3894.