How Adamah on Campus has Impacted my College Experience

By Elisa Nerenberg co-chapter leader at University of Wisconsin Madison and Adamah on Campus summer intern

Throughout my college experience, I have always been drawn to my Hillel at University of Wisconsin-Madison for social and religious reasons. I originally got involved after participating in the Jewish Learning Fellowship 1.0 and Shabbat Hosting Lab. My instructor for Shabbat Hosting Lab came up to me and a friend that I knew from my overnight summer camp growing up and asked if we were interested in starting a chapter at Madison for an environmental Jewish club called Adamah on Campus. We both jumped out of our seats in excitement and followed up with her immediately. Little did I know that this organization would have such an impact on my college experience. 

Flash forward to today and I have attended three Shabbatons (two national Shabbatons at Pearlstone in Baltimore and one Midwest Shabbaton in Michigan) with the organization and hosted countless events on campus through the club. Some events that we have run include decorating pots to donate to the Jewish residents at a local retirement community, reverse tashlich kayaking for Rosh Hashanah, and an environmental interfaith Shabbat in my backyards.

Shabbatons are a time where students from campuses across the nation can come together and bond over their love for Judaism and the environment. Being surrounded by other students who were also interested in Jewish environmentalism made the movement feel much bigger than what we were building at Madison. I was able to learn from students and leaders from different campuses, hear about the projects they were working on, and think about the different ways environmentalism can become part of Jewish life. 

What stood out to me most was the diversity of approaches. There is no single way to be a Jewish environmentalist. For some people, it may look like advocating for climate policy, and for others it may mean changing the way they eat, creating a community garden, organizing a service project, or simply making space for conversations about our relationship with the environment. The Shabbatons reminded me that all these approaches can contribute to a larger movement. 

This summer, I had the privilege of working remotely alongside two amazing teams: Hillel International’s Social Impact Team and the Adamah on Campus team. During my internship with the Social Impact Team, I had the opportunity to explore how Jewish organizations across the country are approaching environmental sustainability. One of my major projects involved researching climate initiatives and renewable energy efforts at Hillels nationwide. I had previously thought about sustainability primarily from an environmental or public health perspective, but this experience showed me how organizations can use their resources and influence to make environmental change more accessible. 

At Adamah, I assisted with programming and preparation for the upcoming school year. As a current college student, I was able to bring a student perspective to conversations about what programming might resonate with students and how environmental engagement can become part of campus Jewish life. 

Looking ahead, I am excited about what Adamah on Campus UW-Madison can become. I hope we can continue building partnerships across campus and creating opportunities for students to take action on issues they care about, whether that is food waste, climate change, sustainability, environmental justice, or something entirely new. If there is anything I have learned from my time with Adamah on Campus, it is that meaningful change starts with community. When people come together around shared values, ask difficult questions, and give one another the space to turn those values into action, even a small campus initiative can become part of something much larger.