Environmental Center

102-19 Metropolitan Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375
tel. 718-544-5997
e-mail: treeoflife@genesissociety.com

We live in a time of environmental crisis. It is a world that we have created by our relationship with matter and our lack of sensitivity to its relationship to us.

The Genesis Society has been educating people about environment, health, and animal rights issues since 1985. Dr. Alkalay was the chairman of the education committee of the New York chapter of the Sierra club for ten years and has been featured as a speaker at COEJL, NAVS, JVS, Appalachian Mountain Club, Audabon, Nature Conservancy, and numerous other environmental and animal rights organization.

Our mission is to educate, to advocate, and to participate. Education about the issues is a critical first step toward taking action. What is the form of environmental education? Certainly the presentation of lectures and written materials are viable formats. However, the full force, the deeper impact of our environmental disconnectedness comes about when we physically connect to the situations themselves, that is, our physical experience of a forest that has been decimated, the physical experience of connecting to the victims of exposure to toxic environmental chemicals, the cry of whales illegally hunted toward extinction or the factory-farmed animals that have been mechanized into automatons. This kind of education is tangible, visible, audible. It is these types of experience that have driven us from a blatant insensitivity to involvement as environmental activists.

The Genesis Society will present an ongoing environmental program consisting of seminars, discussion groups, special guest speakers, outdoor reclamation projects throughout the year (i.e., reforesting our parks and neighborhoods; helping to establish neighborhood gardens; joining with national organizations in maintaining trails; protection and maintenance of local habitat).

It is the continuing destruction of human and animal life as well as the destruction of our ecosystems that are unacceptable to anyone of good conscience and an insult to intelligence. Our ecosystem is that which supports our life on Earth; its continued degradation threatens our continued existence as population grows exponentially while we reduce our environmental capacity support ourselves.

As our mechanistic view of the earth and its life forms has taken hold, we have witnessed a decline in human health and ecological balance. We have considered one part of the biblical equation, the injunction to "subdue the earth." It is part of our Western theology for it states clearly in Genesis 1:28 that we are to be "fruitful and multiply," and to "fill the earth and subdue it." But is this the only teaching that has come down to us? Absolutely not! In balance, we are specifically instructed to be "shomrim and ovdim," guardians and workers. We are to guard the earth and remember the words of the prophet Isaiah who said, "Take care of my world, for if you destroy it there will come none after you to set it aright." The biblical tradition that has come down from master to disciple, from teacher to student, has been clear on this point. We are prohibited from any type of willful destruction of any object from which someone may benefit.

In the confrontation between Pharaoh and Moses, we are told that ten plagues were visited upon Egypt, and throughout history mankind has faced a series of devastating plagues. The plagues of the past were attributed to God or to nature. Today's plagues may be attributed to man. What are the plagues that we face today?

ON THE LAND: the disappearing soil; the shrinking forests; encroaching desert; starvation (the disease of world hunger).

IN THE SEA: pollution of our oceans; the destruction of habitat; empty nests.

THE GLOBAL ELEMENTS: the greenhouse effect; climate in chaos; holes in our ozone map; nuclear waste; fossil fuel crisis.

THE WEB OF EARTH: The destruction of diversity; genetic erosion; destruction of an irreplaceable heritage.

HOMO SAPIENS: Exponentially exploding population growth; a rising health crisis; a diminishing of literary and educational standards (an uneducated and uninformed citizenry).

OUR CIVILIZATIONS: The chaos in our cities; the widening chasm between the have and the have-nots; growing poverty; unstable world markets; growth of the Great Lie.

WORLD MANAGEMENT: Living on a violent planet; the threat of nuclear and biological war.

We can be in denial of these challenges or we can take responsibility. Where shall we begin? The task of fighting governments and multi-nationals, of political leaders and industries is daunting. We can be activists and we can advocate, but more importantly we must educate. We must drastically change our perception, at the way that we perceive our planet and our relationship to it. The web of life is interconnected and as we change ourselves, our own internal world, our mind and our body, we may begin the journey toward healing ourselves and our world. The wound is the great rift that we have created between ourselves and the earth. Become educated, become aware, be an example to others, take action, speak out. It is our future and our future very quickly becomes our present in which we have to live.

The Genesis Society will present an ongoing environmental program consisting of seminars, discussion groups, special guest speakers, outdoor reclamation projects throughout the year (i.e., reforesting our parks and neighborhoods; helping to establish neighborhood gardens; joining with national organizations in maintaining trails; protection and maintenance of local habitat).

e-mail: treeoflife@genesissociety.com

We are in the process of adding a listing of our lectures, seminars, workshops and committees. Please return to this site for continuing updates regarding this program or contact us for further information.