In order to promote the preservation of the environment at CESJDS, two juniors pioneered the Environmental Awareness Club.

Juniors Dora Mendelson and Addie Bard began the club at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. The club meets every other Monday during Community Time. Bard and Mendelson were motivated to create the group when they learned that the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Agreement, a global climate accord.

During meetings, members have discussed goals they want to accomplish in order to make JDS more environmentally friendly. According to Mendelson, the club strives to create a compost bin, decrease food waste and reduce paper usage. In the long term, members want to create a school garden to enable access to fresh produce.

“To get students working outside with the actual Earth and environment would be a really amazing opportunity,” Mendelson said.

Jewish History teacher Rachel Bergstein is the adviser of the club. She agreed to facilitate the group because she loves to help students propel their ideas.

“In high school, especially in this school, students should find things they really care about and be empowered to act on them,” Bergstein said

Mendelson aspires for the club to inform the student body on “basic information” about ways to help the environment. The club plans to hang posters around the school to allow students to differentiate objects that belong in the trash versus the recycling bin.

Junior Natalie Buckwold joined the club to extend her knowledge about environmental concerns.

“Before [I joined the club] I feel like I wasn’t as conscious,” Buckwold said. “I would just walk by and throw a piece of gum in the recycling versus the trash can because I didn’t really know the difference.”

For Buckwold, the club is a fun place to hang out with friends and learn how to help the Earth. She wants to promote the club and her newfound understanding to others. Buckwold wants to “help our school get more green friendly.”

Mendelson believes that the school does not do enough to accommodate environmental needs.  She appreciates the discontinuation of styrofoam plates in the cafeteria but still thinks there is much more work to be done.

“An institution as big as the school has to be completely green and there are so many things around JDS that need to be fixed in terms of helping the environment,” Mendelson said.