Chadeish Yameinu
Jewish Renewal of Santa Cruz
Follow Us
Our location at the Center for Spiritual Living is Closed. As of now, Friday Services are at the SC Zen Center and Saturday services are at Temple Beth El. Check our calendar for locations for various events
Links to Shabbat Siddurim: Erev Shabbat Shabbat Morning
Dear Beloved CY Community,
We’re writing to you with some important–and difficult–news about our home at the Center for Spiritual Living. Some major safety issues have arisen, as will be explained below, that make our continued residence there presently untenable.
As we so deeply acknowledged during our Sukkot holiday, our structures and dwelling places are inherently fragile and temporary, and we never know for how long we will have them. And yet, we have a history, as a Jewish people and in our congregation, of resilience and opening up to new possibilities.
The administration at the Center for Spiritual Living recently discovered that their plumbing system is in serious disrepair and will need to be completely replaced. At the same time, they learned of suspected mold in the building. Last week, after thorough inspection and sampling, they received a report indicating elevated levels of mold spores inside the building. On Friday afternoon we were informed that, out of an abundance of caution, they have decided to close the building, effective immediately. They have stressed that they hold everyone’s health and safety as the highest priority.
All events at the Center are postponed until further notice and they strongly advise that we do not enter the building for any reason. Their own community is going virtual for now, with online services only.
Our Chadeish Yameinu Board met this morning to look into immediate next steps for both the short-term and beyond, and will report back as soon as possible. We take this on with heavy hearts, as our time in our home at CSL has been a tremendous blessing. And… we also open ourselves to new possibilities.
Chadeish Yameinu K’kedem…. We renew and renew, as we always do.
Draft resolution for the Santa Cruz City Council regarding CalPERS divestment from fossil fuels
WHEREAS, the climate crisis is a serious threat to current and future generations here in Santa Cruz and around the world, and
​
WHEREAS, the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report found that global warming is already causing costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world, and
​
WHEREAS, the Carbon Tracker Initiative found that fossil fuel companies possess proven fossil fuel reserves that would release 2,800 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere if they are burned, which is over five times the amount that can be released without exceeding 2 degrees Celsius of global warming, and
​
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Cruz and its employees contribute to and rely on retirement benefits from, the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), and
​
WHEREAS, CalPERS, with over two million members and $459 billion in assets, has a significant fraction of those assets fossil fuel holdings, and
​
WHEREAS, both the City and County of Santa Cruz (and other jurisdictions in California and several other states) have active lawsuits against the major fossil fuel companies for: (a) damages caused by 1 rising sea levels, severe wildfires, drought, and extreme weather events, whose increased frequency and intensity are primarily due to greenhouse gas pollution from continued use of fossil fuels, and (b) the ongoing and future costs to jurisdictions to mitigate such harms, [https://theconversation.com/more-than-two-dozen-cities-and-states-1 aresuing-big-oil-over-climate-change-they-just-got-a-boost-from-the-ussupreme-court-205009] and
WHEREAS, these multiple active city and county lawsuits against the major fossil fuel companies represent a potential major financial risk to both current and future investments in such companies, thereby putting future CalPERS-funded retirement benefits at risk, and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action Plan of the City of Santa Cruz, reflecting the City’s determination to address climate change, has set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and WHEREAS, CalPERS investments in fossil fuels negatively impact the ability of our citizens to thrive on this planet, and are in direct opposition to the goals of the City of Santa Cruz Climate Action Plan, and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Santa Cruz City Council officially request that CalPERS divest completely from investments in fossil fuels by 2030, and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Santa Cruz City Council urge CalPERS, to invest in sustainable energy companies and projects, and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Santa Cruz City Council endorse SB 252 (Gonzalez) - The Fossil Fuel Divestment Act - which prohibits CalPERS and the State Teacher’s Retirement System from making new investments or renewing existing investments in fossil fuel companies on or before July 1, 2031, and communicate such endorsement to the state legislature.