From the Desk of Rabbi Batsheva Meiri - Congregation Beth ...

Please Help Maccabi Recycle Our Electronic-Waste Because We Can’t Recycle
Our Earth.
“Be careful you do not ruin My world; for if you do there will be No one to repair it after you.”
(Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabba 7:28)
Consider this:
The environmental roots of Judaism run deep. As Jews, we
care as much about how we treat the earth as how we treat
each other. Today, the miracle of creation that we call Mother
Earth needs us more than ever. One of the biggest problems
we face? E-waste - electronics that make their way into our
landfills - hundreds of thousands of tons of it. Fact is, about
70% of the toxic waste generated in the U.S. comes from ewaste.
• Over 500 million un-used cell phones are currently sitting on shelves or in landfills in the U.S.
• Once in the landfill a cell phone releases arsenic, lead, and mercury into the environment.
• A metric ton of circuit boards contains up to 1,500 g of gold and 210 kg of copper.
• It takes approximately 3 1/2 quarts of petroleum to produce a single printer cartridge.
Where e-waste intersects with the “bal taschit”, the Jewish prohibition against wasting and destroying, you’ll
find the students of Maccabi Academy. More than studying how our actions affect our environment, we are
working to help solve the problem. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help.
We’re collecting old cell phones, chargers, laptops, digital cameras and more - and shipping them to a
specialized recycling facility that safely breaks them down and recovers the components and materials for
future use. We’ve placed e-waste recycling bins around the community – at Maccabi Academy, the JCC,
Chabad house, Beth Israel synagogue, and Beth HaTephila. We need your help to fill them up. Bring in your ewaste
your old:
Cell Phones
Digital Cameras
iPods
MP3 Players
Inkjet Cartridges
Computer Hard Drives
Laptops
GPS Devices
TI Graphing Calculators
Radar Detectors
Handheld PSPs and Nintendos
On February 6 th , March 6 th , April 3 rd , and May 1 st there will be special collection before, after, and during
Sunday school at Beth Israel, Beth HaTephila, and Chabad where Maccabi representatives will be on hand to
accept your e-waste.
Every electronic device we eliminate from the landfill takes us one step closer to sustainability. It’s a great
learning opportunity that goes beyond the classroom and into our community!