Rabbi Daniel Swartz, executive director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, will present “Climate, Justice, and Faith: From the Jewish Tradition to the Vatican” at Mount Saint Mary College on Thursday, March 30 at 4 p.m.
The free, public event will take place in the Mount’s Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, room 218.
The event is cosponsored by the Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI) and the college’s Environmental Sustainability Committee.
Rabbi Swartz recently took part in a Vatican-led interfaith dialogue addressing climate change. Under the leadership of Pope Francis, this group met at the Vatican. Drawing on teachings from the Jewish tradition, Rabbi Swartz will recount highlights from this event as he explores how our various faiths call us to act on climate change.
Rabbi Swartz is the spiritual leader at Temple Hesed of Scranton and executive director of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), which has engaged Jewish organizations and individuals in environmental advocacy and programs for more than 25 years. He has also helped build interfaith coalitions to support LGBTQ communities, to stand in solidarity with immigrants and refugees, and to promote environmental justice.
Prior to coming to Scranton, Rabbi Swartz held leadership positions with Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, the Children’s Environmental Health Network, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is the recipient of numerous academic and civic honors. He is married to Rabbi Marjorie Berman and father to Alana Swartz.
The Mount’s CDI promotes the Mount’s heritage of St. Dominic, advances the Dominican charism of study and service, provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues, and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue.