Please join me Tuesday morning at 10:30am for the Kol Emeth Institute for Meaningful Learning "On Repentance: The Thought of Joseph Soloveitchik" register here ! I would also love for you to join me that evening (September 6th) at 8:15pm for the Secrets of the Zohar (on zoom only) Sign up now ! Starting Sunday, September 11 join me for Judaism 101 at 11:25am in person and on Zoom .
CyberTorah: Clean Air
I’ve always been a fan of microclimates in the Bay Area. I love it that there are five distinct climatic regions, all within a relatively short drive. It showcases the wonderful beauty and natural diversity of the local area.
Yet I have recently discovered there is another type of microclimate. Air pollution, due to wind patterns and urban planning, tend to be far worse in less affluent areas. For example, Belle Haven in Menlo Park has 25% more particulate matter in the 2.5pm range than neighborhoods a mile away. Those pollutants are associated with cancer, lung issues, and asthma. Other studies of air quality measurements found as much as a 35% difference in this historically underprivileged neighborhood than the surrounding area. East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks have similar issues.
What sets these neighborhoods apart? These were set aside for minority housing in the era of redlining. And while no formal discrimination exists, the historic affects remain. The income of those zip codes is meaningfully lower than other areas and the pollution “micro-climate” follows the lack of wealth. East Palo Alto, for example, gets far more of the pollution from 101 than Palo Alto proper.
Further, indoor air quality poses its own risks. Less affluent neighborhoods tend to have a higher concentration of risky paint as well as untreated mold and mildew that can influence overall health and even IQ. While such risks exists for all, they tend to be concentrated in these pollution micro climates.
Out of concerns for their families, elderly neighbors, and children, Climate Resilient Communities, Beth Am, Spark Church, and Kol Emeth are spearheading a campaign to raise funds for 100 air purifiers to distribute to the most vulnerable members of the community. At about $150 each, quality air purification systems are prohibitively expensive for many residents to buy on their own, but together, we can make a profound impact.
You can learn more and donate at climatercommunities.org/breath-of-air. Donations are tax-deductible and please include “BofA” in the memo line if possible. Carol and I plan to participate and buy 2 purifiers. As we ready ourselves for our time of joy, we want everyone in our local community to breathe deeply healthy, clean air so that we can fulfill the verse, “Every soul and breath praises God.”
Connect With Us Congregation Kol Emeth, 4175 Manuela Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306 NEW OFFICE HOURS We are open Sundays 9am-2pm | Tuesdays-Thursdays 9am-4pm | Fridays 9am-2pm | Closed Mondays & Saturdays Before you come by the office, please give us a call at (650) 948-7498 & dial "0" for reception desk, or you can also email us at office@kolemeth.org.
