The Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center’s entrance (David Stuck)
Adamah recently announced its latest cohort of recipients for the Adamah Climate Action Fund, which provides funding for Jewish organizations dedicated to improving their environmental footprint and operating in a more sustainable and ecologically-friendly manner.
Of the 16 organizations that will be receiving grant funding this year, most will likely be familiar to Baltimoreans: They range from synagogues to day schools, in states including Florida and California.
But there is one organization that people in Baltimore would not only know, but they may have used their services before: the Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center. The Myerberg Center is receiving this funding due to the center’s history of climate awareness, as well as its director’s involvement in the recently formed Baltimore Environmental Sustainability Network, an agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.
In order to apply for Climate Action Fund grants, organizations must belong to Adamah’s Jewish Climate Leadership Coalition — a collective of synagogues and community partners that have taken a pledge to reduce their operational emissions. Prospective members must have concrete plans to “green” their operations, as well as having previously taken efforts to do so outside of the coalition.
“Applicants have to tell us not just what their projects are, but how much energy emissions will be reduced. We even ask about costs and savings, because as we understand it, climate inaction is more expensive than climate action,” explained Liore Milgrom-Gartner, deputy climate action coordinator at Adamah. “We’ve been seeing with all the applications that there is a return on investment with climate action.”
The Myerberg Center was selected because of its plans to improve its kitchen. Myerberg Center Director Inbal Neun, who is involved in the Baltimore 350 environmental activism organization along with her husband, said that she was surprised to find how much the center’s kitchen contributed to its costs and emissions.
“The grant application had to fit what we could do realistically. We talked about updating our appliances, since our kitchen equipment is all over 30 years old,” Neun said. “Through the grant process, I discovered the idea of Global Warming Potential (GWP) — how much the emissions from something contribute to climate change. Our refrigerator that we currently have has a GWP of over 3,000 units. If we buy a new one, it reduces that GWP to three.”
Neun worked with Adamah Baltimore Climate Action Coordinator Sam Sobel to develop this proposal.
“[Neun], on behalf of Myerberg, has done a lot of climate action and been involved in a lot of our climate training,” Sobel said. “I feel like this is the beginning of a great partnership between Myerberg and Adamah, and there’s so much still to come.”
Additionally, the senior center will not be the only community organization benefiting from this grant — the nearby Chevrei Tzedek Congregation frequently collaborates with and rents space from the center, so the synagogue will also be able to reap the benefits of these climate action projects.
Currently, Chevrei Tzedek does its recycling through the Myerberg Center, because Baltimore has no commercial recycling system. This was part of what made Adamah interested in the center.
Collectively, the 16 beneficiaries of the Climate Action Fund have received $196,550 in grants and $549,359 in loans for their respective sustainability projects. The Myerberg Center has received $3,000, and plans to match that amount to cover the cost of the new kitchen appliances.
Neun added that she wants to raise awareness of the ecological cost of home appliances and the importance of replacing old ones.
“You shouldn’t wait until an appliance dies, but update them to not only save money in energy use, but to make a positive impact on the environment,” she said.
Neun and the rest of the Myerberg Center staff are continuing to work with Adamah to make improvements to the center’s building. They are in the process of capital renovations, which include a new roof that could lend itself to on-site solar panels. Neun clarified that nothing is concrete yet, but she is communicating with Adamah about how to further “green” the center’s operations.
“We want this to be the first of many Climate Action Funds,” Sobel added. “We encourage all Baltimore Jewish organizations to join the coalition and submit applications for the next round of Climate Action Fund loans, which will be in November.”
Article by Jillian Diamond.